said: 'It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites.' 2And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them — now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them; and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah — 3and David said unto the Gibeonites: 'What shall I do for you? and where- with shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?' 4And the Gibeonites said unto him: 'It is no matter of silver or gold between us and Saul, or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel/ And he said: 'What say ye that I should do for you?' 5And they said unto the king: 'The man that consumed us, and that devised against us, so that we have been de- stroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel, 6let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.' And the king said: 'I will deliver them.'
^ut the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore un- to Saul, Armoni and^ Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daugh- ter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, and they fell all seven together; and they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.
"And Bizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water was poured upon them from heaven; and she suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. uAnd it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. ^And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jona- than his son from the men of Jabesh- gilead, who had stolen them from the broad place of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, in the day that the Philistines slew Saul hi Gilboa; 13and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gath- ered the bones of them that were hanged. 14And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the sepulchre of Kish his father; and they performed all that the long command- ed. And after that God was entreated for the land.
15And the Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him., and fought against the Philistines; and David waxed faint. 16And Ishbi-benob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being "rded with new armour, thought to we slain David. 17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him,. Then the men of David swore unto him, saying: 'Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.'
18And it came to pass after this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai SECOND SAMUEL 22 the Hushathite slew Saph, who was of the sons of the giant. 19And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 20And there was again war at Gath, where was a champion, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. aAnd when he taunted Israel, Jona- than the son of Shimea David's brother slew him. ^hese four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
And David spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul; 2and he said: The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 3The God who is my rock, in Him I take refuge; My shield, and my horn of salva- tion, my high tower, and my refuge; My saviour, Thou savest me from violence.
^Praised, I cry, is the LORD, And I am saved from mine ene- mies.
5For the waves of Death compassed me, The floods of aBelial assailed me. 6The cords of aSheol surrounded me; The snares of Death confronted me. 7In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yea, I called unto my God; And out of His temple He heard my voice, And my cry did enter into His ears.
8Then the earth did shake and quake, The foundations of heaven did tremble; They were shaken, because He was wroth.
9Smoke arose up hi His nostrils, And fire out of His mouth did de- vour; Coals flamed forth from Him. 10He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under His feet.
"And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, He was seen upon the -wings of the wind.
12And He made darkness pavilions round about Him, Gathenng of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 18At the brightness before Him Coals of fire flamed forth. 14The LORD thundered from heaven.
And the Most High gave forth His voice.
"And He sent out arrows, and scat- tered them; Lightning, and discomfited them. 16And the channels of the sea ap- peared, The foundations of the world were laid bare, By the rebuke of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters; 18He delivered me from mine enemy most strong, From them that hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 19They confronted me in the day of my calamity; But the LORD was a stay unto me.
« That is, the nether-world.
SECOND SAMUEL 20He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me. ^The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me.
I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God. all His ordinances were before me; And as for His statutes, I did not Him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity. 25Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, , According to my cleanness in His eyes.
26With the merciful Thou dost show Thyself merciful, With the upright man Thou dost show Thyself upright; 27With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; And with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself subtle. 28And the afflicted people Thou dost save; But Thine eyes are upon the haughty, that Thou mayest humble them.
29For Thou art my lamp, 0 LORD; And the LORD doth lighten my darkness. ^For by Thee I run upon a troop; By my God do I scale a wall. 31 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in Him.
32For who is God, save the LORD?
And who is a Rock, save our God? ^The God who is my strong fortress, And who letteth my way go forth straight; ^Who maketh my feet like hinds', And setteth me upon my high 85Who traineth my hands for war, So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass. 36Thou hast also given me Thy shield of salvation; And Thy condescension hath made me great. 37Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.
38I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; Neither did I turn back till they were consumed.
39And I have consumed them, and smitten them through, that they cannot arise; Yea, they are fallen under my feet. 40For Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. ^Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me; Yea, them that hate me, that I might cut them off. ^They looked, but there was none to save; Even unto the LORD, but He an- swered them not. * ^Then did I beat them small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the streets, and did tread them down.
SECOND SAMUEL also hast delivered me from the contentions of my people; Thou hast kept me to be the head of the nations; A people whom I have not known serve me. ^he sons of the stranger dwindle away before me; As soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
^The sons of the stranger fade away, And come halting out of their close places.
47The LORD liveth, and blessed be my Rock; And exalted be the God, my Rock of salvation; 48Even the God that executeth ven- geance for me, And bringeth down peoples under me, 49And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies; Yea, Thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.
50Therefore I will give thanks unto Thee, 0 LORD, among the na- tions, And will sing praises unto Thy name. 61A tower of salvation is He to His And showeth mercy to His anoint- ed, To David and to his seed, for ever- more.
OO Now these are the last words ^° of David: The saying of David the son of Jesse, And the saying of the man raised on high, The anointed of the God oi Jacob, my And the sweet singer of Israel: 2The spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was upon my tongue.
3The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: 'Ruler over men shall be The righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of God, 4And as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, A morning without clouds; When through clear shining after rain, The tender grass springeth out of the earth.7 6For is not my house established with God? For an everlasting covenant He hath made with me, Ordered in all things, and sure; For all my salvation, and all desire, Will He not make it to grow? 6But the ungodly, they are as thorns thrust away, all of them, For they cannot be taken with the hand; 7But the man that toucheth them Must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear; And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.
8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite; [he lifted up his spear] against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
9And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they jeoparded their lives against the Philistines that were SECOND SAMUEL there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away; 10he stood firm, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand did cleave unto the sword; and the LOBD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.
^And after him was Shammah the son of Age the Ararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. ^But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great vic- tory.
13And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philis- tines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth- lehem. 15And David longed, and said: 'Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth- lehem, which is by the gate!' 16And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. 17And he said: 'Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this; shall I drink the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of then: Hves?7 therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
18And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three. 19He was most honourable of the three; therefore he was made their captain; howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
20And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he smote the two altar-hearths of Moab; he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow; 21and he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man; and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. 22These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men. ^He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him, over his guard.
^Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem; ^Shammah the Harodite, Ehka the Harodite; 26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; 27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the HushatMte; 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netopha- thite; 29Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Eibai of Gibeah of the children of Ben- jamin; s°Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of Nahale-gaash; 31Abi-albon the Ar- bathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite; 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan; 33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite; 84Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; 35Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite; S6Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite; SECOND SAMUEL 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armour-bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah; 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite; 39Uriah the Hittite. Thirty and seven in all. O A And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them, say- ing: ' Go, number Israel and Judah.' 2And the king said to Joab the cap- tain of the host that was with him: 'Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the sum of the peo- ple.' 3And Joab said unto the king: 'Now the LOED thy God add unto the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?' ^Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. 5And they passed over the Jordan, and pitched ^ in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and unto Jazer; ®then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and round about to Zidon, 7and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beer-sheba. 8So when they had gone to and fro through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
10And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LOED: 'I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, O LORD, put away, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolish- ly.' uAnd when David rose up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying: ^'Go and speak unto David: Thus saith the LORD: I lay upon thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it^unto thee.' ^So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him: 'Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy foes while they lursue thee? or shall there be three [ays' pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and consider what an- swer I shall return to Him that sent me/ 14And David ^said unto Gad: am in a great strait; let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for His mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.'
15So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 16And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented Him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the ople: 'It is enough; now stay thy nd.' And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17And David spoke unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said: Lo, I have sinned, and I have done iniquitously; but these sheep, what SECOND SAMUEL have they done? let Thy hand, I pray Thee, be against me, and against my father's house/ 18And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him: 'Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing- floor of Araunah the Jebusite.' 19And David went up according to the say- ing of Gad, as the LORD commanded. 20 And^ Araunah looked forth, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and Araunah went out, and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. ^And Araunah said: ' Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant?' And David said: 'To buy the threshing- floor of thee, to build an altar un- to the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.' ^And Araunah said unto David: 'Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemedeth good unto him; behold the oxen for the burnt-off ering, and the threshing-instruments and the fur- niture of the oxen for the wood.' ^All this did Araunah the king give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king: 'The LORD thy God accept thee.' ^And the king said unto Araunah: 'Nay; but I will verily buy it of thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD my God which cost me nothing.' So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt-offerings and peace- offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
FIRST KINGS FIRST KINGS 1 Now king David was old and •*• stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he could get no heat. 2Wherefore his servants said unto him: 'Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin; and let her stand before the king, and be a companion unto him; and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.7 3So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunamrmte, and brought her to the king. 4And the damsel was very fair; and she became a companion unto the king, and ministered to him; but the king knew her not.
5Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying: 'I will be king7; and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6And his father had not grieved him all his life in saying: f Why hast thou done so?7 and he was also a very goodly man; and he was born after Absalom. 7And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest; and they following Adonijah helped him. 8But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and^the mighty men that belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. 9And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fatlin^s by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants; 10but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.
uThen Nathan spoke unto Bath- sheba the mother of Solomon, say- ing: ' Hast thou not heard that Adoni- jah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? ^Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the hf e of thy son Solomon. 13Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto tarn: Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thy handmaid, saying Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? 14Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words/ 15And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber. — Now the king was very old; and Abishag the Shu- nammite ministered unto the king. — 16And Bath-pheba bowed, and pros- trated herself unto the king. And the king said: 'What wouldest thou?7 17And she said unto him: 'My lord, thou didst swear by the LORD thy God unto thy handmaid: Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne. 18And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and thou, my lord the king, knowest it not. 19And he hath slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, U FIRST KINGS and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon thy servant hath he not called. 20And thou, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shoulclest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 210therwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders/ ^And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. ^And they told the king, saying* ' Behold Nathan the prophet/ And when he was come in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. MAnd Nathan said: 'My lord, 0 king, hast thou said: Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? 25For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say: Long live king Adonijah. 26But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called. 27Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not declared unto thy servant who should sit on the tjirone of my lord the king after him?'
28Then king David answered and said: 'Call me Bath-sheba/ And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. 29And the king swore and said: 'As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 30verily as I swore unto thee by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying: Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; verily so will I do this day.' 31Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and prostrated her- self to the king, and said: 'Let my lord king David live for ever.'
32And king David said: 'Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada/ And they came before the king. 33And the king said unto them: 'Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. 34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow ye with the horn, and say: Long live king Solomon. 85Then ye shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead; and I have appointed him to be prince over Israel and over Judah/ 36And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said: ' Amen; so say the LORD, the God of my lord the king. 37As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be He with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David/ 38So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, ^ and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the rani's horn; and all the people said: 'Long live king Solomon/ 40And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy,.so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
41 And Adonijah and all the guests FIRST KINGS FIRST KINGS that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. Anc when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said: 'Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?3 ^While he yet spoke, behold, Jon- athan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adorn j ah said: 'Come In; for thou art a worthy man, and bring- est good tidings.' ^And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah: 'Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king. ^And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Chere- thites and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule. 46And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that ye have heard. 46And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. 47And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying: God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne; and the king bowed down upon the bed. 48And also thus said the king: Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.'
49And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 60Aiid Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 61And it was told Solomon, saying: ^Behold, Ado- nijah feareth king Solomon; for, lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear unto me first of all that he will not sky his servant with the sword.' 62And Solomon said: 'If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die.' MSo king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself before king Solomon; and Solomon said unto him: 'Go to thy house.' O Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 2'I go the way of all the earth; be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man; 3and keep the charge of the LOED thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His com- mandments, and His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself; Hhat the LORD may establish His word which He spoke concerning me, saying: If thy chil- dren take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee, said He, a man on the throne of Israel. %Ioreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did unto me, even what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner and unto Amasa the son of Jether,