called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, Nay, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And the king said, Go and see where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

Now when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host with horses and chariots was round about the city. And the servant said unto Elisha, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And the man of God answered, Fear not; for they that are with us are more than they that are with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

THE FIRST BOOK

OF THE CHRONICLES

I CHRONICLES XXIX

II Samuel vii. Psalm cxxxii

Now it came to pass when David dwelt in his own house, that the king spake unto all the people, saying, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord dwelleth still within curtains. Therefore I will not come into my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eyelids to slumber, until I find out a place for the Lord, even a dwelling-place for the Most High. And now because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have provided for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. Who then is willing this day to consecrate his service unto the Lord?

Then the people offered willingly; and they gave for the house of God gold and silver in abundance. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the Lord. And the people rejoiced, for that with a perfect heart they offered willingly. Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and he said:

Blessed be thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in

the heavens and in the earth is thine.

Both

riches and honour come of thee, and thou rulest over all; in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is this people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, yea, of thine own have we given thee. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. And now have I seen with joy thy people, that are present here, offer willingly unto thee.

THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH

NEHEMIAH II, IV, VI

Now it came to pass, after that I was come to Jerusalem, that I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; and I went out by night and viewed the walls of the city, which were broken down, and the gates whereof were consumed with fire. Then I went on to the fountain gate and the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned. And none knew whither I went, or what I did; neither told I any man what my God had put into my heart to do.

Then called I the people, and said unto them, Ye see the evil case that we are in, how the city lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall, that we be no more a reproach. And I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. But some, when they heard that we purposed to build the wall, laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What are these feeble people doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rub

bish? Nevertheless we went all of us to the wall, every one unto his work; for the people had a mind to work.

Then I set in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set there the people after their families. And I said unto them, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another: in what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us. Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within the city, that in the night they may be a watch, and may labour in the day. And neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men that followed me, none of us put off our clothes. So we wrought in the work, from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. And it came to pass, that, when they that were round about us saw that the wall was builded, and that there was no breach left therein, they perceived that this work was wrought of God.

NEHEMIAH V

Now it came to pass, while we were building the wall of Jerusalem, that there arose a great cry of the people against their brethren, because of their burdensome exactions. For there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many; yet have we nought to eat: let us get grain, that we may eat and live. Some also