he slew two lion-like men of Moab. He went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in the time of snow. 21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man. And the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a stick, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three warriors. 23 He was honourable among the thirty, but he attained not to the three. And David set him over his council. CHAPTER XXIV. AND the king said to Joab the captain of the forces that were with him, Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and register ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. 2 And Joab said to the king, Now may the LORD thy God add to the people, how many soever they be, a hundred-fold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why doth my lord the king delight in this thing ? 3 Notwithstanding, the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the forces. And Joab and the captains of the forces went out from the presence of the king, to register the people of Israel. 4 And they passed over the Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right [or south side] of the city that lieth in the midst of the valley of Gad, and toward Jazer. 5 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of the Lower-Hodeshites; and they came to Dan-jaan [or Paneas], and passed round to Sidon, 6 And 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 country of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. 7 So when they had gone to and fro through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 8 And Joab gave up the sum of the register of the people to 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. 9 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. 10 And the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 11 And the angel of the LORD stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it. 12 And David spake to the LORD, when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wicked; but these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house. 13 And the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that was destroying the people, It is enough. Stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing-place of Araunah the Jebusite. 14 And the prophet Gad came that day to David, and said to him, Go up rear an altar unto the LORD on the hold, here are oxen for burnt offering, threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebu- and threshing instruments and site. 15 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. 16 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. And Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 17 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 unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people. in struments of the oxen for wood. 20 And the king said to Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price; neither will I offer up burnt offerings to the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 21 And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and Be- the plague was stayed from Israel. 18 And Araunah said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good to him. 7 Then Nathan spake to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adoni 3 And his father had not blamed him at any time saying, Why hast thou done so? And he also was of a very handsome figure; and his jah the son of Haggith doth reign, mother bare him after Absalom. 4 And he took counsel with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest; and they helped Adonijah as followers. 5 But Zadok the priest, and Be and David our lord knoweth it not? vid, and say to him, Didst not thou my lord, O king, swear, to thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then doth Adonijah reign? 10 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. 11 And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber. And the king was very old and Abishag the Shunemite ministered to the king. 12 And Bath-sheba bowed, and did reverence to the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? 13 And she said to him, My lord, thou didst sware by the LORD thy God unto thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne. 14 And now, bohold, Adonijah reigneth; and now my lord the king, thou knowest it not. 15 And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the army; but Solomon thy servant hath he not called. 16 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 17 Or 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. 18 And lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. 19 And they told the king saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. 20 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? 21 For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, May king Adonijah live. 22 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called. 23 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed to thy servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? 24 Then king David answered and said to Bath-sheba, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, 25 Even as I sware to 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; even so will I certainly do this day. 26 Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, May my lord king David live for ever. 27 And king David said, Call to me Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came in before the king. 28 The king also said to 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. 30 Then ye shall go 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 ruler over Israel and over Judah. 29 And let Zadok the priest and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord Nathan the prophet anoint him there king David hath made Solomon king. to be the king over Israel. And blow 38 And the king hath sent with him ye with a trumpet and say, May king Zadok the priest, and Nathan the Solomon live. prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Axe-bearers, and the Runners, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule. 39 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him to be 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. 40 And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. 31 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, Amen; may the Eternal the God of my lord the king say so too. 32 As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. 33 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Axe-bearers, and the Runners, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. 34 And Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tent, and anointed Solomon. And they blew a trumpet: and all the people went up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth was rent with the sound of them. 35 And when Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it they made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar ? 36 And while he yet spake, behold Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said to him, Come in; for thou art a man of valour, and bringest good tidings. 37 And Jonathan answered and 41 And 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. 42 And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his own way. 43 Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the al tar. 44 And it was told Solo xon, saying, Behold Adonijah feareth king Solomon. For lo, he hath taken hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me to-day that he will not slay his servant with the sword. 45 And Solomon said, If he will be a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth. But if wickedness shall be found in him, then he shall die. CHAPTER II. 46 So king Solomon sent, and they ble; for so they came to me when I brought him down from the altar. fled from before Absalom thy brother. And he came and bowed himself to 8 And behold, thou hast with thee king Solomon; and Solomon said to Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, him, Go to thy house. of Bahurim, who cursed me with a violent curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. 9 Now therefore, hold him not guiltless; for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do; him and his hoary head bring thou down to the grave with blood. NOW David's days 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 be a man: 3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his judgments and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, so that thou mayest do wisely in all that thou doest, and withersoever thou turnest thyself; 4 So that the LORD may establish his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children 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. 5 Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, even what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his belt that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. 6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoary head go down to the grave in peace. 7 But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those that eat at thy ta 10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. Seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. 12 Then sat SOLOMON upon the throne of David his father [B. C. 976]; and his kingdom was established greatly. 13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. 14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say to thee. 15 And she said, Say on. And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me that I should reign. Howbeit the kingdom is turned about and is become my brother's; for it was his from the LORD. 16 And now I ask one petition of thee; turn me not back. And she said to him, Say on. 17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king, (for he |