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2 Kings - 3 Kings


2 KINGS
THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL;
otherwise called,
THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS.

2 KINGS 1
CHAPTER I.

David mourneth for the death of Saul and Jonathan: he ordereth the man to be slain who pretended he had killed Saul.

1 Now *it came to pass, after Saul was dead, that David returned from the slaughter of the Amalecites, and abode two days in Siceleg.
2 And on the third day, there appeared a man who came out of Saul's camp, with his garments rent, and dust strewed on his head: and when he came to David, he fell upon his face, and adored.
3 And David said to him: From whence comest thou?  And he said to him: I am fled out of the camp of Israel.
4 And David said unto him: What is the matter that is come to pass? tell me.  He said: The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people are fallen and dead: moreover Saul, and Jonathan, his son, are slain.
5 And David said to the young man that told him: How knowest thou that Saul, and Jonathan, his son, are dead?
6 And the young man that told him, said: I came by chance upon Mount Gelboe, and Saul leaned upon his spear: and the chariots and horsemen drew nigh unto him,
7 And looking behind him, and seeing me, he called me.  And I answered, Here am I.
8 And he said to me: Who art thou?  And I said to him: I am an Amalecite.
9 And he said to me: Stand over me, and kill me: for anguish is come upon me, and as yet my whole life is in me.
10 So standing over him, I killed him: for I knew that he could not live after the fall: and I took the diadem that was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither to thee, my lord.
11 Then David took hold of his garments and rent them, and likewise all the men that were with him.
12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening, for Saul, and for Jonathan, his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they were fallen by the sword.
13 And David said to the young man that told him: Whence art thou?  He answered: I am the son of a stranger of Amalec.
14 David said to him: *Why didst thou not fear to put out thy hand to kill the Lord's anointed?
15 And David calling one of his servants, said: Go near and fall upon him.  And he struck him so that he died.
16 And David said to him: Thy blood be upon thy own head: for thy own mouth hath spoken against thee, saying: I have slain the Lord's anointed.
17 And David made this kind of lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan, his son.
18 (Also he commanded that they should teach the children of Juda the use of the bow, as it is written in the Book of the just.)  And he said: Consider, O Israel, for them that are dead, wounded on thy high places.
19 The illustrious of Israel are slain upon thy mountains: how are the valiant fallen?
20 Tell it not in Geth, publish it not in the streets of Ascalon: lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 Ye mountains of Gelboe, let neither dew nor rain come upon you, nor let there be in your fields of firstfruits: for there was cast away the shield of the valiant, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the valiant, the arrow of Jonathan never turned back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.
23 Saul and Jonathan, lovely, and comely in their life, even in death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.
24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with scarlet in delights, who gave ornaments of gold for your attire.
25 How are the valiant fallen in battle? how was Jonathan slain in the high places?
26 I grieve for thee, my brother Jonathan, exceeding beautiful, and amiable to me above the love of women.  As the mother loveth her only son, so did I love thee.
27 How are the valiant fallen, and the weapons of war perished?
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2949, A.C. 1055.
14:  Ps. civ. 15.
====================

2 KINGS 2
CHAPTER II.

David is received and anointed king of Juda.  Isboseth, the son of Saul, reigneth over the rest of Israel.  A battle between Abner and Joab.

1 And *after these things David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? And the Lord said to him: Go up.  And David said: Whither shall I go up?  And he answered him: Into Hebron.
2 So David went up, and his two wives, Achinoam, the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel:
3 And the men also that were with him, David brought up, every man with his household: and they abode in the towns of Hebron.
4 *And the men of Juda came, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Juda.  And it was told David, that the men of Jabes Galaad had buried Saul.
5 David therefore sent messengers to the men of Jabes Galaad, and said to them: Blessed be you to the Lord, who have shewed this mercy to your master, Saul, and have buried him.
6 And now the Lord surely will render you mercy and truth, and I also will requite you for this good turn, because you have done this thing.
7 Let your hands be strengthened, and be ye men of valour: for although your master, Saul, be dead, yet the house of Juda hath anointed me to be their king.
8 But Abner, the son of Ner, general of Saul's army, took Isboseth, the son of Saul, and led him about through the camp.
9 And made him king over Galaad, and over Gessuri, and over Jesrahel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Isboseth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years; and only the house of Juda followed David.
11 And the number of the days that David abode, reigning in Hebron over the house of Juda, was seven years and six months.
12 And Abner, the son of Ner, and the servants of Isboseth, the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gabaon.
13 And Joab, the son of Sarvia, and the servants of David went out, and met them by the pool of Gabaon.  And when they were come together, they sat down over-against one another: the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side.
14 And Abner said to Joab: Let the young men rise, and play before us.  And Joab answered: Let them rise.
15 Then there arose and went over twelve in number of Benjamin, of the part of Isboseth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
16 And every one catching his fellow, by the head, thrust his sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together: and the name of the place was called: The field of the valiant, in Gabaon.
17 And there was a very fierce battle that day: And Abner was put to flight, with the men of Israel, by the servants of David.
18 And there were the three sons of Sarvia there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asael: now Asael was a most swift runner, like one of the roes, that abide in the woods.
19 And Asael pursued after Abner, and turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
20 And Abner looked behind him, and said: Art thou Asael?  And he answered: I am.
21 And Abner said to him: Go to the right hand, or to the left, and lay hold on one of the young men, and take thee his spoils.  But Asael would not leave off following him close.
22 And again Abner said to Asael: Go off, and do not follow me, lest I be obliged to stab thee to the ground, and I shall not be able to hold up my face to Joab, thy brother.
23 But he refused to hearken to him, and would not turn aside: wherefore Abner struck him with his spear, with a back stroke in the groin, and thrust him through, and he died upon the spot: and all that came to the place where Asael fell down and died, stood still.
24 Now while Joab and Abisai pursued after Abner, the sun went down: and they came as far as the hill of the aqueduct, that lieth over-against the valley, by the way of the wilderness in Gabaon.
25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together to Abner: and being joined in one body, they stood on the top of a hill.
26 And Abner cried out to Joab, and said: Shall thy sword rage unto utter destruction? knowest thou not that it is dangerous to drive people to despair? how long dost thou defer to bid the people cease from pursuing after their brethren?
27 And Joab said: As the Lord liveth, if thou hadst spoke sooner, even in the morning the people should have retired from pursuing after their brethren.
28 Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the army stood still, and did not pursue after Israel any farther, nor fight any more.
29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plains: and they passed the Jordan, and having gone through all Beth-horon, came to the camp.
30 And Joab returning, after he had left Abner, assembled all the people: and there were wanting of David's servants nineteen men, beside Asael.
31 But the servants of David had killed of Benjamin, and of the men that were with Abner, three hundred and sixty, who all died.
32 And they took Asael, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, in Bethlehem: and Joab, and the men that were with him, marched all the night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.
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*
1:  A.M. 2949.
4:  1 Mac. ii. 57.; Infra v. 3.
====================

2 KINGS 3
CHAPTER III.

David groweth daily stronger.  Abner cometh over to him: he is treacherously slain by Joab.

1 Now *there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: David prospering and growing always stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul decaying daily.
2 *And sons were born to David in Hebron: and his first-born was Amnon, of Achinoam, the Jezrahelitess.
3 And his second Cheleab, of Abigail, the wife of Nabal, of Carmel: and the third, Absalom, the son of Maacha, the daughter of Tholmai, king of Gessur.
4 And the fourth, Adonias, the son of Haggith: and the fifth, Saphathia, the son of Abital.
5 And the sixth, Jethraam, of Egla, the wife of David: these were born to David in Hebron.
6 Now while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner, the son of Ner, ruled the house of Saul.
7 And Saul had a concubine named Respha, the daughter of Aia.  And Isboseth said to Abner:
8 Why didst thou go in to my father's concubine?  And he was exceedingly angry for the words of Isboseth, and said: Am I a dog's head against Juda this day, who have shewn mercy to the house of Saul, thy father, and to his brethren and friends, and have not delivered thee into the hands of David, and hast thou sought this day against me, to charge me with a matter concerning a woman?
9 So do God to Abner, and more also, unless as the Lord hath sworn to David, so I do to him,
10 That the kingdom be translated from the house of Saul, and the throne of David be set up over Israel, and over Juda, from Dan to Bersabee.
11 And he could not answer him a word, because he feared him.
12 Abner *therefore sent messengers to David for himself, saying: Whose is the land? and that they should say: Make a league with me, and my hand shall be with thee: and I will bring all Israel to thee.
13 And he said: Very well: I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, saying: Thou shalt not see my face before thou bring Michol, the daughter of Saul; and so thou shalt come, and see me.
14 And David sent messengers to Isboseth, the son of Saul, saying: *Restore my wife, Michol, whom I espoused to me for a hundred fore-skins of the Philistines.
15 And Isboseth sent, and took her from her husband, Phaltiel, the son of Lais.
16 And her husband followed her, weeping as far as Bahurim: And Abner said to him: Go and return.  And he returned.
17 Abner also spoke to the ancients of Israel, saying: Both yesterday and the day before you sought for David, that he might reign over you.
18 Now then do it: because the Lord hath spoken to David, saying: By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hands of the Philistines, and of all their enemies.
19 And Abner spoke also to Benjamin.  And he went to speak to David, in Hebron, all that seemed good to Israel, and to all Benjamin.
20 And he came to David, in Hebron, with twenty men: and David made a feast for Abner, and his men that came with him.
21 And Abner said to David: I will rise, that I may gather all Israel unto thee, my lord the king, and may enter into a league with thee, and that thou mayst reign over all as thy soul desireth.  Now when David bad brought Abner on his way, and he was gone in peace,
22 Immediately David's servants and Joab came, after having slain the robbers, with an exceeding great booty: And Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had now sent him away, and he was gone in peace.
23 And Joab and all the army that was with him, came afterwards: and it was told Joab, that Abner. the son of Ner, came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
24 And Joab went in to the king, and said: What hast thou done?  Behold Abner came to thee: Why didst thou send him away, and he is gone and departed?
25 Knowest thou not Abner, the son of Ner, that to this end he came to thee, that he might deceive thee, and to know thy going out, and thy coming in, and to know all thou dost?
26 Then Joab going out from David, sent messengers after Abner, and brought him back from the cistern of Sira, David knowing nothing of it.
27 And when *Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate, to speak to him, treacherously: and he stabbed him there in the groin, and he died, in revenge of the blood of Asael his brother.
28 And when David heard of it, after the thing was now done, he said: I, and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord for ever of the blood of Abner, the son of Ner:
29 And may it come upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house: and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue of seed, or that is a leper, or that holdeth the distaff, or that falleth by the sword, or that wanteth bread.
30 So Joab, and Abisai, his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asael, at Gabaon, in the battle.
31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him: Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloths, and mourn before the funeral of Abner.  And king David himself followed the bier.
32 And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king David lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner: and all the people also wept.
33 And the king, mourning and lamenting over Abner, said: Not as cowards are wont to die, hath Abner died.
34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet loaden with fetters: but as men fall before the children of iniquity, so didst thou fall.  And all the people repeating it, wept over him.
35 And when all the people came to take meat with David, while it was yet broad day, David swore, saying: So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread or any thing else before sun-set.
36 And all the people heard, and they were pleased, and all that the king did seemed good in the sight of all the people.
37 And all the people, and all Israel understood that day, that it was not the king's doing, that Abner, the son of Ner, was slain.
38 The king also said to his servants: Do you not know that a prince and a great man is slain this day in Israel?
39 But I as yet am tender, though anointed king: and these men, the sons of Sarvia, are too hard for me: the Lord reward him that doth evil according to his wickedness.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2951.
2:  1 Par. iii. 1.
12:  A.M. 2956, A.C. 1048.
14:  1 Kings xviii. 27.
27:  3 Kings ii. 5.
====================

2 KINGS 4
CHAPTER IV.

Isboseth is murdered by two of his servants: David punisheth the murderers.

1 And *Isboseth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner was slain in Hebron: and his hands were weakened, and all Israel was troubled.
2 Now the son of Saul had two men captains of his bands; the name of the one was Baana, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Remmon, a Berothite, of the children of Benjamin: for Beroth also was reckoned in Benjamin.
3 And the Berothites fled into Gethaim, and were sojourners there until that time.
4 And Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son that was lame of his feet: for he was five years old, when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan from Jezrahel.  And his nurse took him up and fled: and as she made haste to flee, he fell and became lame: and his name was Miphiboseth.
5 And the sons of Remmon, the Berothite, Rechab and Baana, coming, went into the house of Isboseth in the heat of the day: and he was sleeping upon his bed at noon.  And the door-keeper of the house, who was cleansing wheat, was fallen asleep.
6 And they entered into the house secretly, taking ears of corn; and Rechab, and Baana, his brother, stabbed him in the groin, and fled away.
7 For when they came into the house, he was sleeping upon his bed in a parlour; and they struck him and killed him: and taking away his head, they went off by the way of the wilderness, walking all night.
8 And they brought the head of Isboseth to David, to Hebron: and they said to the king: Behold the head of Isboseth, the son of Saul, thy enemy, who sought thy life: and the Lord hath revenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
9 But David answered Rechab, and Baana, his brother, the sons of Remmon, the Berothite, and said to them: As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all distress,
10 *The man that told me, and said: Saul is dead, who thought he brought good tidings, I apprehended, and slew him in Siceleg, who should have been rewarded for his news.
11 How much more now, when wicked men have slain an innocent man in his own house, upon his bed, shall I not require his blood at your hand, and take you away from the earth?
12 And David commanded his servants, and they slew them, and cutting off their hands and feet, hanged them up over the pool in Hebron: but the head of Isboseth they took and buried in the sepulchre of Abner, in Hebron.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2956.
10:  Supra i. 14.
====================

2 KINGS 5
CHAPTER V.

David is anointed king of all Israel.  He taketh Jerusalem, and dwelleth there.  He defeateth the Philistines.

1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David, in Hebron, saying: *Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh.
2 Moreover yesterday also and the day before, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that did lead out and bring in Israel: and the Lord said to thee: Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.
3 The ancients also of Israel came to the king, to Hebron, and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: *and they anointed David to be king over Israel.
4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, *and he reigned forty years.
5 In Hebron he reigned over Juda seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned three and thirty years over all Israel and Juda.
6 And the king and all the men that were with him went to Jerusalem, to the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: and they said to David: Thou shalt not come in hither, unless thou take away the blind and the lame, that say David shall not come in hither.
7 But David took the castle of Sion: the same is the city of David.
8 For David had offered that day a reward to whosoever should strike the Jebusites, and get up to the gutters of the tops of the houses, and take away the blind and the lame that hated the soul of David: therefore it is said in the proverb: The blind and the lame shall not come into the temple.
9 *And David dwelt in the castle, and called it, The city of David: and built round about from Mello and inwards.
10 And he went on prospering and growing up; and the Lord God of hosts was with him.
11 *And Hiram, the king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons for walls: and they built a house for David.
12 And David knew that the Lord bad confirmed him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom over his people Israel.
13 *And David took more concubines and wives of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were born to David other sons also and daughters:
14 And these are the names of them that were born to him in Jerusalem, Samua, and Sobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,
15 And Jebahar, and Elisua, and Nepheg,
16 And Japhia, and Elisama, and Elioda, and Eliphaleth.
17 And the Philistines heard that they had anointed David to be king over Israel: and they all came to seek David: and when David heard of it, he went down to a strong hold.
18 *And the Philistines coming, spread themselves in the valley of Raphaim.
19 And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up to the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into my hand?  And the Lord said to David: Go up, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
20 *And David came to Baal Pharisim: and defeated them there, and he said: The Lord hath divided my enemies before me, as waters are divided.  **Therefore the name of the place was called Baal Pharisim.
21 And they left there their idols: which David and his men took away.
22 And the Philistines came up again, and spread themselves in the valley of Raphaim.
23 And David consulted the Lord: Shall I go up against the Philistines, and wilt thou deliver them into my hands?  He answered: Go not up against them, but fetch a compass behind them, and thou shalt come upon them over-against the pear trees.
24 And when thou shalt hear the sound of one going in the tops of the pear trees, then shalt thou join battle: for then will the Lord go out before thy face, to strike the army of the Philistines.
25 And David did as the Lord had commanded him, and he smote the Philistines from Gabaa, until thou come to Gezer.
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*
1:  A.M. 2956, 1 Par. xi. 1.
3:  Supra ii. 4.
4:  3 Kings ii. 11.
9:  1 Par. xi. 8.
11:  1 Par. xiv. 1.
13:  1 Par. iii. 1. and 2.
18:  1 Par. xiv. 9.
20:  Isaias xxviii. 21. --- ** 1 Par. xiv. 11.
====================

2 KINGS 6
CHAPTER VI.

David fetcheth the ark from Cariathiarim.  Oza is struck dead for touching it.  It is deposited in the house of Obededom: and from thence is carried to David's house.

1 And David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
2 *And David arose, and went, with all the people that were with him of the men of Juda, to fetch the ark of God, upon which the name of the Lord of hosts is invoked, who sitteth over it between the Cherubims.
3 And they laid the ark of God upon a new cart: and took it out of the house of Abinadab, who was in Gabaa; and Oza, and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
4 *And when they had taken it out of the house of Abinadab, who was in Gabaa, Ahio, having care of the ark of God, went before the ark.
5 But David and all Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of wood, on harps, and lutes, and timbrels, and cornets, and cymbals.
6 And when they came to the floor of Nachon, Oza put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it: because the oxen kicked, and made it lean aside.
7 And the indignation of the Lord was enkindled against Oza, and he struck him for his rashness: and he died there before the ark of God.
8 *And David was grieved because the Lord had struck Oza, and the name of that place was called: The striking of Oza, to this day.
9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, saying: How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?
10 And he would not have the ark of the Lord brought in to himself into the city of David: but he caused it to be carried into the house of Obededom, the Gethite.
11 And the ark of the Lord abode in the house of Obededom, the Gethite, three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household.
12 *And it was told king David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all that he had, because of the ark of God.  So David went, and brought away the ark of God out of the house of Obededom, into the city of David, with joy.  And there were with David seven choirs, and calves for victims.
13 *And when they that carried the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a ram:
14 And David danced with all his might before the Lord: and David was girded with a linen ephod.
15 And David and all the house of Israel brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord with joyful shouting, and with sound of trumpet.
16 And when the ark of the Lord was come into the city of David, Michol, the daughter of Saul, looking out through a window, saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord: and she despised him in her heart.
17 And they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle, which David had pitched for it: and David offered holocausts, and peace-offerings before the Lord.
18 And when he had made an end of offering holocausts and peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.
19 And he distributed to all the multitude of Israel, both men and women, to every one, a cake of bread, and a piece of roasted beef, and fine flour fried with oil: and all the people departed, every one to his house.
20 And David returned to bless his own house: and Michol, the daughter of Saul, coming out to meet David, said: How glorious was the king of Israel to-day, who uncovered himself before the handmaids of his servants, and was undressed, as if one of the vain fellows should strip himself.
21 And David said to Michol: Before the Lord, who chose me rather than thy father, and than all his house, and commanded me to be ruler over the people of the Lord in Israel,
22 I will both play, and make myself meaner than I have done: and I will be little in my own eyes: and with the handmaid, of whom thou speakest, I shall appear more glorious.
23 Therefore Micho,l the daughter of Saul, had no child to the day of her death.
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*
2:  1 Par. xiii. 5.; A.M. 2959.
4:  1 Kings vii. 1.
8:  1 Par. xiii. 11.
12:  1 Par. xv. 25.
13:  1 Par. xv. 26.
====================

2 KINGS 7
CHAPTER VII.

David's purpose to build a temple is rewarded with the promise of great blessings in his seed: His prayer and thanksgiving.

1 And *it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest, on every side, from all his enemies,
2 He said to Nathan the, prophet: *Dost thou see that I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God is lodged within skins?
3 And Nathan said to the king: Go, do all that is in thy heart: because the Lord is with thee.
4 But it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
5 Go, and say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou build me a house to dwell in?
6 Whereas I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, even to this day: but have walked in a tabernacle, and in a tent.
7 In all the places that I have gone through with all the children of Israel, did ever I speak a word to any one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?
8 And now thus shalt thou speak to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: *I took thee out of the pastures from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people Israel:
9 And I have been with thee wheresoever thou hast walked, and have slain all thy enemies from before thy face: and I have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great ones that are on the earth.
10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, and they shall dwell therein, and shall be disturbed no more: neither shall the children of iniquity afflict them any more, as they did before,
11 From the day that I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will give thee rest from all thy enemies.  And the Lord foretelleth to thee, that the Lord will make thee a house.
12 *And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 *He shall build a house to my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14 *I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and if he commit any iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.
15 *But my mercy I will not take away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before my face.
16 And thy house shall be faithful, and thy kingdom for ever before thy face, *and thy throne shall be firm for ever.
17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.
18 And David went in, and sat before the Lord, and said: Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that thou hast brought me thus far?
19 But yet this hath seemed little in thy sight, O Lord God, unless thou didst also speak of the house of thy servant for a long time to come; for this is the law of Adam, O Lord God.
20 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord God.
21 For thy word's sake, and according to thy own heart, thou hast done all these great things, so that thou wouldst make it known to thy servant.
22 Therefore thou art magnified, O Lord God, because there is none like to thee, neither is there any God besides thee, in all the things that we have heard with our ears.
23 And what nation is there upon earth, as thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for them great and terrible things, upon the earth, before the face of thy people, whom thou redeemedst to thyself out of Egypt, from the nation and its god?
24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel, to be an everlasting people: and thou, O Lord God, art become their God.
25 And now, O Lord God, raise up for ever the word that thou hast spoken, concerning thy servant, and concerning his house: and do as thou hast spoken,
26 That thy name may be magnified for ever, and it may be said: The Lord of hosts is God over Israel.  And let the house of thy servant, David, be established before the Lord.
27 Because thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, saying: I will build thee a house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee.
28 And now, O Lord God, thou art God, and thy words shall be true: for thou hast spoken to thy servant these good things.
29 And now begin, and bless the house of thy servant, that it may endure for ever before thee: because thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2960, A.C. 1044.
2:  1 Par. xvii. 1.
8:  1 Kings xvi. 13.; Ps. lxxvii. 70.
12:  3 Kings viii. 19.
13:  3 Kings v. 5.
14:  1 Par. xxii. 10.; Heb. i. 5.
15:  Psal. lxxxviii. 4. and 37.
16:  Heb. i. 8.
====================

2 KINGS 8
CHAPTER VIII.

David's victories, and his chief officers.

1 And it came to pass after this, that David defeated the Philistines, and brought them down, *and David took the bridle of tribute out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 *And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the earth: and he measured with two lines, one to put to death, and one to save alive: and Moab was made to serve David under tribute.
3 David defeated also Adarezer, the son of Rohob, king of Soba, when he went to extend his dominion over the river *Euphrates.
4 And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and houghed all the chariot horses: and only reserved of them for one hundred chariots.
5 And the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Adarezer, the king of Soba: and David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.
6 And David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and Syria served David under tribute: and the Lord preserved David in all his enterprises, whithersoever he went.
7 And David took the arms of gold, which the servants of Adarezer wore, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 And out of Bete, and out of Beroth, cities of Adarezer, king David took an exceeding great quantity of brass.
9 And Thou, the king of Emath, heard that David had defeated all the forces of Adarezer.
10 And Thou sent Joram, his son, to king David, to salute him, and to congratulate with him, and to return him thanks; because he had fought against Adarezer, and had defeated him.  For Thou was an enemy to Adarezer, and in his hand were vessels of gold, and vessels of silver, and vessels of brass.
11 And king David dedicated them to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all the nations, which he had subdued:
12 Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalec, and of the spoils of Adarezer, the son of Rohob, king of Soba.
13 David also made himself a name, when he returned after taking Syria, in the valley of the salt-pits, killing eighteen thousand:
14 And he put guards in Edom, and placed there a garrison: and all Edom was made to serve David: and the Lord preserved David in all enterprises he went about.
15 And David reigned over all Israel: and David did judgment and justice to all his people.
16 And Joab, the son of Sarvia, was over the army: and Josaphat, the son of Ahilud, was recorder:
17 And Sadoc, the son of Achitob, and Achimelech, the son of Abiathar, were the priests: and Saraias was the scribe:
18 And Banaias, the son of Joiada, was over the Cerethi and Phelethi: and the sons of David were the princes.
____________________
*
1:  1 Par. xviii. 1.
2:  A.M. 2960.
3:  1 Par. xviii. 3.
====================

2 KINGS 9
CHAPTER IX.

David's kindness to Miphiboseth for the sake of his father Jonathan.

1 And David said: Is there any one, think you, left of the house of Saul, that I may shew kindness to him for Jonathan's sake?
2 Now there was of the house of Saul, a servant named Siba: and when the king had called him to him, he said to him: Art thou Siba?  And he answered: I am Siba, thy servant.
3 And the king said: Is there any one left of the house of Saul, that I may shew the mercy of God unto him?  And Siba said to the king: There is a son of Jonathan left, who is lame of his feet.
4 Where is he? said he.  And Siba said to the king: Behold he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodabar.
5 Then king David sent, and brought him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, of Lodabar.
6 And when Miphiboseth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come to David, he fell on his face and worshipped.  And David said: Miphiboseth?  And he answered: Behold thy servant.
7 And David said to him: Fear not, for I will surely shew thee mercy for Jonathan thy father's sake, and I will restore the lands of Saul, thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table always.
8 He bowed down to him, and said: Who am I, thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?
9 Then the king called Siba, the servant of Saul, and said to him: All that belonged to Saul, and all his house, I have given to thy master's son.
10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him: and thou shalt bring in food for thy master's son, that he may be maintained: and Miphiboseth, the son of thy master, shall always eat bread at my table.  And Siba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 And Siba said to the king: As thou, my lord the king, hast commanded thy servant, so will thy servant do: and Miphiboseth shall eat at my table, as one of the sons of the king.
12 And Miphiboseth had a young son, whose name was Micha: and all the kindred of the house of Siba served Miphiboseth.
13 But Miphiboseth dwelt in Jerusalem: because he ate always of the king's table: and he was lame of both feet.
====================

2 KINGS 10
CHAPTER X.

The Ammonites shamefully abuse the ambassadors of David: they hire the Syrians to their assistance: but are overthrown with their allies.

1 And *it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanon, his son, reigned in his stead.
2 And David said: *I will shew kindness to Hanon, the son of Naas, as his father shewed kindness to me.  So David sent his servants to comfort him for the death of his father.  But when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon,
3 The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon, their lord: Thinkest thou that for the honour of thy father, David hath sent comforters to thee, and hath not David rather sent his servants to thee to search, and spy into the city, and overthrow it?
4 Wherefore Hanon took the servants of David, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut away half of their garments, even to the buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When this was told David, he sent to meet them: for the men were sadly put to confusion, and David commanded them, saying: Stay at Jericho, till your beards be grown, and then return.
6 And the children of Ammon seeing that they had done an injury to David, sent and hired the Syrians of Rohob, and the Syrians of Soba, twenty thousand footmen, and of the king of Maacha a thousand men, and of Istob twelve thousand men.
7 And when David heard this, he sent Joab, and the whole army of warriors.
8 And the children of Ammon came out, and set their men in array at the entering in of the gate: but the Syrians of Soba, and of Rohob, and of Istob, and of Maacha, were by themselves in the field.
9 Then Joab, seeing that the battle was prepared against him, both before and behind, chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:
10 And the rest of the people he delivered to Abisai, his brother, who set them in array against the children of Ammon.
11 And Joab said: If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will help thee.
12 Be of good courage, and let us fight for our people, and for the city of our God: and the Lord will do what is good in his sight.
13 And Joab, and the people that were with him, began to fight against the Syrians: and they immediately fled before him.
14 And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they fled also before Abisai, and entered into the city: and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
15 Then the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, gathered themselves together.
16 *And Adarezer sent and fetched the Syrians, that were beyond the river, and brought over their army: and Sobach, the captain of the host of Adarezer, was their general.
17 And when this was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam: and the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought against him.
18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen: and smote Sobach, the captain of the army, who presently died.
19 And all the kings that were auxiliaries of Adarezer, seeing themselves overcome by Israel, were afraid and fled away, eight and fifty thousand men before Israel.  And they made peace with Israel: and served them, and the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2967, A.C. 1037.
2:  1 Par. xix. 2.
16:  A.M. 2968, A.C. 1036.
====================

2 KINGS 11
CHAPTER XI.

David falleth into the crime of adultery with Bethsabee: and not finding other means to conceal it, causeth her husband, Urias, to be slain: then marrieth her, and she beareth him a son.

1 And *it came to pass at the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth to war, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they ravaged the country of the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabba: but David remained in Jerusalem.
2 In the mean time it happened that David arose from his bed after noon, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and he saw from the roof of his house, a woman washing herself, over-against him: and the woman was very beautiful.
3 And the king sent, and inquired who the woman was.  And it was told him, that she was Bethsabee, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Urias, the Hethite.
4 And David sent messengers, and took her, and she came in to him, and he slept with her: *and presently she was purified from her uncleanness:
5 And she returned to her house having conceived.  And she sent and told David, and said: I have conceived.
6 And David sent to Joab, saying: Send me Urias, the Hethite.  And Joab sent Urias to David.
7 And Urias came to David.  And David asked how Joab did, and the people, and how the war was carried on.
8 And David said to Urias: Go into thy house, and wash thy feet.  And Urias went out from the king's house, and there went out after him a mess of meat from the king.
9 But Urias slept before the gate of the king's house, with the other servants of his lord, and went not down to his own house.
10 And it was told David by some that said: Urias went not to his house.  And David said to Urias: Didst thou not come from thy journey? why didst thou not go down to thy house?
11 And Urias said to David: The ark of God, and Israel and Juda dwell in tents, and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord abide upon the face of the earth: and shall I go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to sleep with my wife? by thy welfare, and by the welfare of thy soul, I will not do this thing.
12 Then David said to Urias: Tarry here to-day also, and to-morrow I will send thee away.  Urias tarried in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13 And David called him to eat and to drink before him, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening, and slept on his couch, with the servants of his lord, and went not down into his house.
14 And when the morning was come, David wrote a letter to Joab: and sent it by the hand of Urias,
15 Writing in the letter: Set ye Urias in the front of the battle, where the fight is hottest: and leave ye him, that he may be wounded and die.
16 Wherefore, as Joab was besieging the city, he put Urias in the place where he knew the bravest men were.
17 And the men coming out of the city, fought against Joab, and there fell some of the people of the servants of David, and Urias, the Hethite, was killed also.
18 Then Joab sent, and told David all things concerning the battle.
19 And he charged the messenger, saying: When thou hast told all the words of the battle to the king,
20 If thou see him to be angry, and he shall say: Why did you approach so near to the wall to fight? knew you not that many darts are thrown from above, off the wall?
21 Who killed Abimelech, the son of Jerobaal? *did not a woman cast a piece of a mill-stone upon him from the wall, and slew him in Thebes?  Why did you go near the wall?  Thou shalt say: Thy servant Urias, the Hethite, is also slain.
22 So the messenger departed, and came and told David all that Joab had commanded him.
23 And the messenger said to David: The men prevailed against us, and they came out to us into the field: and we vigorously charged and pursued them, even to the gate of the city.
24 And the archers shot their arrows at thy servants, from off the wall above: and some of the king's servants are slain, and thy servant Urias, the Hethite, is also dead.
25 And David said to the messenger: Thus shalt thou say to Joab: Let not this thing discourage thee: for various is the event of war: and sometimes one, sometimes another, is consumed by the sword: encourage thy warriors against the city, and exhort them, that thou mayest overthrow it.
26 And the wife of Urias heard that Urias, her husband, was dead, and she mourned for him.
27 And the mourning being over, David sent and brought her into his house, and she became his wife, and she bore him a son: and this thing which David had done, was displeasing to the Lord.
____________________
*
1:  1 Par. xx. 1.; A.M. 2969, A.C. 1035.
4:  Lev. xv. 18.
21:  Judg. ix. 53.
====================

2 KINGS 12
CHAPTER XII.

Nathan's parable.  David confesseth his sin, and is forgiven: yet so as to be sentenced to most severe temporal punishments.  The death of the child.  The birth of Solomon.  The taking of Rabbath.

1 And *the Lord sent Nathan to David: and when he was come to him, he said unto him: There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor.
2 The rich man had exceeding many sheep, and oxen.
3 But the poor man had nothing at all but one little ewe-lamb, which he had bought and nourished up, and which had grown up in his house, together with his children, eating of his bread, and drinking of his cup, and sleeping in his bosom: and it was unto him as a daughter.
4 And when a certain stranger was come to the rich man, he spared to take of his own sheep and oxen, to make a feast for that stranger, who was come to him; but took the poor man's ewe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5 And David's anger being exceedingly kindled against that man, he said to Nathan: As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this is a child of death.
6 *He shall restore the ewe four-fold, because he did this thing, and had no pity.
7 And Nathan said to David: Thou art the man.  Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee from the hand of Saul,
8 And gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and Juda: and if these things be little, I shall add far greater things unto thee.
9 Why therefore hast thou despised the word of the Lord, to do evil in my sight?  Thou hast killed Urias, the Hethite, with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10 Therefore, the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Urias, the Hethite, to be thy wife.
11 Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house, and I will take thy wives before thy eyes, *and give them to thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and in the sight of the sun.
13 And David said to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord.  And Nathan said to David: *The Lord also hath taken away thy sin: thou shalt not die.
14 Nevertheless, because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, for this thing, the child that is born to thee, shall surely die.
15 And Nathan returned to his house.  The Lord also struck the child which the wife of Urias had borne to David, and his life was despaired of.
16 And David besought the Lord for the child: and David kept a fast, and going in by himself, lay upon the ground.
17 And the ancients of his house came to make him rise from the ground: but he would not, neither did he eat meat with them.
18 And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died: and the servants of David feared to tell him, that the child was dead.  For they said: Behold, when the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not hearken to our voice: how much more will he afflict himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
19 But when David saw his servants whispering, he understood that the child was dead: and he said to his servants: Is the child dead?  They answered him: He is dead.
20 Then David arose from the ground, and washed and anointed himself: and when he had changed his apparel, he went into the house of the Lord: and worshipped; and then he came into his own house, and he called for bread, and ate.
21 And his servants said to him: What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive, but after the child was dead, thou didst rise up and eat bread.
22 And he said: While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept for him: for I said: Who knoweth whether the Lord may not give him to me, and the child may live?
23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast?  Shall I be able to bring him back any more?  I shall go to him rather: but he shall not return to me.
24 And David comforted Bethsabee, his wife, and went in unto her, and slept with her: *and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon, and the Lord loved him.
25 And he sent, by the hand of Nathan, the prophet, and called his name, Amiable to the Lord, because the Lord loved him.
26 *And Joab fought against Rabbath, of the children of Ammon, and laid close siege to the royal city.
27 And Joab sent messengers to David, saying: I have fought against Rabbath, and the city of waters is about to be taken.
28 Now, therefore, gather thou the rest of the people together, and besiege the city and take it: lest, when the city shall be wasted by me, the victory be ascribed to my name.
29 Then David gathered all the people together, and went out against Rabbath: and after fighting, he took it.
30 And he took the crown of their king from his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold, set with most precious stones; and it was put upon David's head, and the spoils of the city, which were very great, he carried away.
31 And bringing forth the people thereof, he sawed them, and drove over them chariots armed with iron: and divided them with knives, and made them pass through brick-kilns: so did he to all the cities of the children of Ammon.  And David returned, with all the army to Jerusalem.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2970, A.C. 1034.
6:  Exod. xxii. 1.
11:  Infra xvi. 21.
13:  Eccli. xlvii. 13.
24:  A.M. 2971, A.C. 1033.
26:  1 Par. xx. 1.
====================

2 KINGS 13
CHAPTER XIII.

Amnon ravisheth Thamar.  For which Absalom killeth him, and flieth to Gessur.

1 And *it came to pass after this, that Amnon, the son of David, loved the sister of Absalom, the son of David, who was very beautiful; and her name was Thamar.
2 And he was exceedingly fond of her, so that he fell sick for the love of her: for as she was a virgin, he thought it hard to do any thing dishonestly with her.
3 Now Amnon had a friend, named Jonadab, the son of Semmaa, the brother of David, a very wise man:
4 And he said to him: Why dost thou grow so lean from day to day, O son of the king? why dost thou not tell me the reason of it?  And Amnon said to him: I am in love with Thamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.
5 And Jonadab said to him: Lie down upon thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father shall come to visit thee, say to him: Let my sister Thamar, I pray thee, come to me, to give me to eat, and to make me a mess, that I may eat it at her hand.
6 So Amnon lay down, and made as if he were sick: and when the king came to visit him, Amnon said to the king: I pray thee, let my sister Thamar come, and make in my sight two little messes, that I may eat at her hand.
7 Then David sent home to Thamar, saying: Come to the house of thy brother Amnon, and make him a mess.
8 And Thamar came to the house of Amnon, her brother: but he was laid down: and she took meal and tempered it: and dissolving it in his sight, she made little messes.
9 And taking what she had boiled, she poured it out, and set it before him, but he would not eat: and Amnon said: Put out all persons from me.  And when they had put all persons out,
10 Amnon said to Thamar: Bring the mess into the chamber, that I may eat at thy hand.  And Thamar took the little messes which she had made, and brought them into her brother Amnon, in the chamber.
11 And when she had presented him the meat, he took hold of her, and said: Come, lie with me, my sister.
12 She answered him: Do not so, my brother, do not force me: for no such thing must be done in Israel.  Do not thou this folly.
13 For I shall not be able to bear my shame, and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel: but rather speak to the king, and he will not deny me to thee.
14 But he would not hearken to her prayers, but being stronger, overpowered her, and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her with an exceeding great hatred: so that the hatred, wherewith he hated her, was greater than the love with which he had loved her before.  And Amnon said to her: Arise, and get thee gone.
16 She answered him: This evil, which now thou dost against me, in driving me away, is greater than that which thou didst before.  And he would not hearken to her.
17 But calling the servants that ministered to him, he said: Thrust this woman out from me: and shut the door after her.
18 And she was clothed with a long robe: for the king's daughters, that were virgins, used such kind of garments.  Then his servant thrust her out; and shut the door after her.
19 And she put ashes on her head, and rent her long robe and laid her hands upon her head, and went on crying.
20 And Absalom, her brother, said to her: Hath thy brother Amnon lain with thee? but now, sister, hold thy peace, he is thy brother: and afflict not thy heart for this thing.  So Thamar remained pining away in the house of Absalom her brother.
21 And when king David heard of these things he was exceedingly grieved: and he would not afflict the spirit of his son Amnon, for he loved him, because he was his first-born.
22 But Absalom spoke not to Amnon, neither good nor evil: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had ravished his sister Thamar.
23 And it came to pass, after two years, *that the sheep of Absalom were shorn in Baalhasor, which is near Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons:
24 And he came to the king, and said to him: Behold thy servant's sheep are shorn: Let the king, I pray, with his servants, come to his servant.
25 And the king said to Absalom: Nay, my son, do not ask that we should all come, and be chargeable to thee.  And when he pressed him, and he would not go, he blessed him.
26 And Absalom said: If thou wilt not come, at least let my brother, Amnon, I beseech thee, come with us.  And the king said to him: It is not necessary that he should go with thee.
27 But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.  And Absalom made a feast, as it were the feast of a king.
28 And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying: Take notice when Amnon shall be drunk with wine, and when I shall say to you: Strike him, and kill him; fear not: for it is I that command you: take courage, and be valiant men.
29 And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon, as Absalom had commanded them.  And all the king's sons arose, and got up every man upon his mule, and fled.
30 And while they were yet in the way, a rumour came to David, saying: Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.
31 Then the king rose up, and rent his garments, and fell upon the ground: and all his servants, that stood about him, rent their garments.
32 But Jonadab, the son of Semmaa, David's brother, answering, said: Let not my lord the king think, that all the king's sons are slain: Amnon only is dead, for he was appointed by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he ravished his sister, Thamar.
33 Now, therefore, let not my lord the king take this thing into his heart, saying: All the king's sons are slain: for Amnon only is dead.
34 But Absalom fled away: and the young man that kept the watch, lifted up his eyes and looked: and behold there came much people by a bye-way on the side of the mountain.
35 And Jonadab said to the king: Behold the king's sons are come: as thy servant said, so it is.
36 And when he made an end of speaking, the king's sons also appeared: and, coming in, they lifted up their voice, and wept: and the king also, and all his servants wept very much.
37 But Absalom fled, and went to Tholomai, the son of Ammiud, the king of Gessur.  And David mourned for his son every day.
38 And Absalom, after he was fled, and come into Gessur, was there three years.  And king David ceased to pursue after Absalom, because he was comforted concerning the death of Amnon.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2972, A.C. 1032.
23:  A.M. 2974, A.C. 1030.
====================

2 KINGS 14
CHAPTER XIV.

Joab procureth Absalom's return, and his admittance to the king's presence.

1 And *Joab, the son of Sarvia, understanding that the king's heart was turned to Absalom,
2 Sent to Thecua, and fetched from thence a wise woman: and said to her: Feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, and be not anointed with oil, that thou mayest be as a woman that had a long time been mourning for one dead.
3 And thou shalt go in to the king, and shalt speak to him in this manner.  And Joab put the words in her mouth.
4 And when the woman of Thecua was come in to the king, she fell before him upon the ground, and worshipped, and said: Save me, O king.
5 And the king said to her: What is the matter with thee?  She answered: Alas, I am a widow woman: for my husband is dead.
6 And thy handmaid had two sons: and they quarrelled with each other in the field, and there was none to part them: and the one struck the other, and slew him.
7 And behold the whole kindred rising against thy handmaid, saith: Deliver him that hath slain his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother, whom he slew, and that we may destroy the heir: and they seek to quench my spark which is left, and will leave my husband no name, nor remainder upon the earth.
8 And the king said to the woman: Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
9 And the woman of Thecua said to the king: Upon me, my lord, be the iniquity, and upon the house of my father: but may the king and his throne be guiltless.
10 And the king said: If any one shall say ought against thee, bring him to me, and be shall not touch thee any more.
11 And she said: Let the king remember the Lord his God, that the next of kin be not multiplied to take revenge, and that they may not kill my son.  And he said: As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12 Then the woman said: Let thy handmaid speak one word to my lord the king.  And he said: Speak.
13 And the woman said: Why hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? and why hath the king spoken this word, to sin, and not bring home again his own exile?
14 We all die, and like waters that return no more, we fall down into the earth: *neither will God have a soul to perish, but recalleth; meaning that he that is cast off, should not altogether perish.
15 Now therefore I am come, to speak this word to my lord the king, before the people.  And thy handmaid said: I will speak to the king; it may be the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
16 And the king hath hearkened to me, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of all that would destroy me, and my son together, out of the inheritance of God.
17 Then let thy handmaid say, that the word of the Lord the king be made as a sacrifice.  *For even as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, that he is neither moved with blessing nor cursing; wherefore the Lord thy God is also with thee.
18 And the king answering, said to the woman: Hide not from me the thing that I ask thee.  And the woman said to him: Speak, my lord the king.
19 And the king said: Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this?  The woman answered, and said: By the health of thy soul, my lord king, it is neither on the left hand, nor on the right, in all these things, which my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he commanded me, and he put all these words into the mouth of thy handmaid.
20 That I should come about with this form of speech, thy servant Joab, commanded this: but thou, my lord the king, art wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to understand all things upon earth.
21 And the king said to Joab: Behold I am appeased and have granted thy request: Go, therefore, and fetch back the boy Absalom.
22 And Joab falling down to the ground upon his face, adored, and blessed the king: and Joab said: This day thy servant hath understood, that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord the king: for thou hast fulfilled the request of thy servant.
23 Then Joab arose and went to Gessur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24 But the king said: Let him return into his house, and let him not see my face.  So Absalom returned into his house, and saw not the king's face.
25 But in all Israel there was not a man so comely, and so exceedingly beautifu,l as Absalom: from the sole of the foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
26 And when he polled his hair (now he was polled once a year, because his hair was burdensome to him) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred sicles, according to the common weight.
27 And there were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Thamar; and she was very beautiful.
28 And Absalom dwelt two years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.
29 *He sent therefore to Joab, to send him to the king: but he would not come to him.  And when he had sent the second time, and he would not come to him,
30 He said to his servants: You know the field of Joab, near my field, that hath a crop of barley: go now and set it on fire.  So the servants of Absalom set the corn on fire.  And Joab's servants coming, with their garments rent, said: The servants of Absalom have set part of the field on fire.
31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said: Why have thy servants set my corn on fire?
32 And Absalom answered Joab: I sent to thee, beseeching thee to come to me, that I might send thee to the king, to say to him: Wherefore am I come from Gessur?  It had been better for me to be there.  I beseech thee, therefore, that I may see the face of the king: and if he be mindful of my iniquity, let him kill me.
33 So Joab going in to the king, told him all: and Absalom was called for, and he went in to the king: and prostrated himself on the ground before him: and the king kissed Absalom.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2977, A.C. 1027.
14:  Ezec. xviii. 32. and xxxiii. 11.
17:  1 Kings xxix. 9.
29:  A.M. 2979, A.C. 1025.
====================

2 KINGS 15
CHAPTER XV.

Absalom's policy and conspiracy.  David is obliged to flee.

1 Now *after these things Absalom made himself chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
2 And Absalom, rising up early, stood by the entrance of the gate, and when any man had business to come to the king's judgment, Absalom called him to him, and said: Of what city art thou?  He answered, and said: Thy servant is of such a tribe of Israel.
3 And Absalom answered him: Thy words seem to me good and just.  But there is no man appointed by the king to hear thee.  And Absalom said:
4 O that they would make me judge over the land, that all that have business might come to me, and I might do them justice.
5 Moreover, when any man came to him to salute him, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.
6 And this he did to all Israel that came for judgment, to be heard by the king, and he enticed the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 And after forty years, Absalom said to king David: Let me go, and pay my vows which I have vowed to the Lord in Hebron.
8 For thy servant made a vow, when he was in Gessur of Syria, saying: If the Lord shall bring me again into Jerusalem, I will offer sacrifice to the Lord.
9 And king David said to him: Go in peace.  And he arose, and went to Hebron.
10 And Absalom sent spies into all the tribes of Israel, saying: As soon as you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, say ye: Absalom reigneth in Hebron.
11 Now there went with Absalom two hundred men out of Jerusalem that were called, going with simplicity of heart, and knowing nothing of the design.
12 Absalom also sent for Achitophel, the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, Gilo.  And while he was offering sacrifices, there was a strong conspiracy, and the people running together increased with Absalom.
13 And there came a messenger to David, saying: All Israel, with their whole heart, followeth Absalom.
14 And David said to his servants, that were with him in Jerusalem: Arise, and let us flee: for we shall not escape else from the face of Absalom: make haste to go out, lest he come and overtake us, and bring ruin upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
15 And the king's servants said to him: Whatsoever our lord the king shall command, we, thy servants, will willingly execute.
16 And the king went forth, and all his household on foot: *and the king left ten women, his concubines, to keep the house.
17 And the king going forth, and all Israel, on foot, stood afar off from the house:
18 And all his servants walked by him, and the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi, and all the Gethites, valiant warriors, six hundred men, who had followed him from Geth on foot, went before the king.
19 And the king said to Ethai, the Gethite: Why comest thou with us? return and dwell with the king; for thou art a stranger, and art come out of thy own place.
20 Yesterday thou camest, and to-day shalt thou be forced to go forth with us? but I shall go whither I am going: return thou, and take back thy brethren with thee, and the Lord will shew thee mercy, and truth, because thou hast shewed grace and fidelity.
21 And Ethai answered the king, saying: As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth: in what place soever thou shalt be, my lord the king, either in death, or in life, there will thy servant be.
22 And David said to Ethai: Come, and pass over.  And Ethai, the Gethite, passed, and all the men that were with him, and the rest of the people.
23 And they all wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself went over the brook Cedron, and all the people marched towards the way that looketh to the desert.
24 And Sadoc, the priest, also came, and all the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God: and Abiathar went up, till all the people that was come out of the city had done passing.
25 And the king said to Sadoc: Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find grace in the sight of the Lord, he will bring me again, and will shew me both it, and his tabernacle.
26 But if he shall say to me: Thou pleasest me not; I am ready: let him do that which is good before him.
27 And the king said to Sadoc, the priest: O seer, return into the city in peace: And let Achimaas, thy son, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, your two sons, be with you.
28 Behold I will lie hid in the plains of the wilderness, till there come word from you to certify me.
29 So Sadoc and Abiathar carried back the ark of God into Jerusalem: and they tarried there.
30 But David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, going up and weeping, walking barefoot, and with his head covered, and all the people that were with him, went up with their heads covered, weeping.
31 And it was told David, that Achitophel also was in the conspiracy with Absalom; and David said: Infatuate, O Lord, I beseech thee, the counsel of Achitophel.
32 And when David was come to the top of the mountain, where he was about to adore the Lord, behold Chusai, the Arachite, came to meet him with his garment rent, and his head covered with earth.
33 And David said to him: If thou come with me, thou wilt be a burden to me.
34 But if thou return into the city, and wilt say to Absalom, I am thy servant, O king: as I have been thy father's servant, so I will be thy servant: thou shalt defeat the counsel of Achitophel.
35 And thou hast with thee Sadoc, and Abiathar, the priests: and what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Sadoc, and Abiathar, the priests.
36 And there are with them their two sons, Achimaas, the son of Sadoc, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar: and you shall send by them to me every thing that you shall hear.
37 Then Chusai, the friend of David, went into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2980, A.C. 1024.
16:  A.M. 2981.
====================

2 KINGS 16
CHAPTER XVI.

Siba bringeth provisions to David.  Semei curseth him.  Absalom defileth his father's wives.

1 And *when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold Siba, the servant of Miphiboseth, came to meet him, with two asses, laden with two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs, and a vessel of wine.
2 And the king said to Siba: What mean these things?  And Siba answered: The asses are for the king's household to sit on: and the loaves and the figs for thy servants to eat, and the wine to drink, if any man be faint in the desert.
3 And the king said: Where is thy master's son?  *And Siba answered the king: He remained in Jerusalem, saying: To-day will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
4 And the king said to Siba: I give thee all that belonged to Miphiboseth.  And Siba said: I beseech thee, let me find grace before thee, my lord the king.
5 And king David came as far as Bahurim: and behold there came out from thence a man of the kindred of the house of Saul, named Semei, the son of Gera; and coming out, *he cursed as he went on.
6 And he threw stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people, and all the warriors walked on the right, and on the left side of the king.
7 And thus said Semei, when he cursed the king: Come out, come out, thou man of blood, and thou man of Belial.
8 The Lord hath repaid thee for all the blood of the house of Saul: because thou hast usurped the kingdom in his stead, and the Lord hath given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom, thy son: and behold thy evils press upon thee, because thou art a man of blood.
9 And Abisai, the son of Sarvia, said to the king: Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?  I will go, and cut off his head.
10 And the king said: What have I to do with you, ye sons of Sarvia?  Let him alone, and let him curse: for the Lord hath bid him curse David: and who is he that shall dare say, why hath he done so?
11 And the king said to Abisai, and to all his servants: Behold my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now a son of Jemini? let him alone, that he may curse as the Lord hath bidden him:
12 Perhaps the Lord may look upon my affliction, and the Lord may render me good for the cursing of this day.
13 And David, and his men with him, went by the way.  And Semei, by the hill's side, went over-against him, cursing, and casting stones at him, and scattering earth.
14 And the king, and all the people with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.
15 But Absalom and all his people came into Jerusalem, and Achitophel was with him.
16 And when Chusai, the Arachite, David's friend, was come to Absalom, he said to him: God save thee, O king, God save thee, O king.
17 And Absalom said to him: Is this thy kindness to thy friend?  Why wentest thou not with thy friend?
18 And Chusai answered Absalom: Nay: for I will be his whom the Lord hath chosen, and all this people, and all Israel, and with him will I abide.
19 Besides this, whom shall I serve? is it not the king's son?  As I have served thy father, so will I serve thee also.
20 And Absalom said to Achitophel: Consult what we are to do.
21 And Achitophel said to Absalom: Go in to the concubines of thy father, whom he hath left to keep the house: that when all Israel shall hear that thou hast disgraced thy father, their hands may be strengthened with thee.
22 *So they spread a tent for Absalom on the top of the house; and he went in to his father's concubines before all Israel.
23 Now the counsel of Achitophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man should consult the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Achitophel, both when he was with David, and when he was with Absalom.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2981, A.C. 1023.
3:  Infra xix. 27.
5:  3 Kings ii. 8.
22:  Supra xii. 11.
====================

2 KINGS 17
CHAPTER XVII.

Achitophel's counsel is defeated by Chusai: He sendeth intelligence to David.  Achitophel hangeth himself.

1 And* Achitophel said to Absalom: I will choose me twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night.
2 And coming upon him, (for he is now weary, and weak-handed) I will defeat him: and when all the people is put to flight that is with him, I will kill the king, who will be left alone.
3 And I will bring back all the people, as if they were but one man: for thou seekest but one man: and all the people shall be in peace.
4 And his saying pleased Absalom, and all the ancients of Israel.
5 But Absalom said: Call Chusai, the Arachite, and let us hear what he also saith.
6 And when Chusai was come to Absalom, Absalom said to him: Achitophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do it or not? what counsel dost thou give?
7 And Chusai said to Absalom: The counsel that Achitophel hath given this time is not good.
8 And again Chusai said: Thou knowest thy father, and the men that are with him, that they are very valiant, and bitter in their mind, as a bear raging in the wood when her whelps are taken away: and thy father is a warrior, and will not lodge with the people.
9 Perhaps he now lieth hid in pits, or in some other place where he list: and when any one shall fall at the first, every one that heareth it, shall say: There is a slaughter among the people that followed Absalom.
10 And the most valiant man, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall melt for fear: for all the people of Israel know thy father to be a valiant man, and that all who are with him are valiant.
11 But this seemeth to me to be good counsel: Let all Israel be gathered to thee, from Dan to Bersabee, as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered: and thou shalt be in the midst of them.
12 And we shall come upon him in what place soever he shall be found: and we shall cover him, as the dew falleth upon the ground, and we shall not leave of the men that are with him, not so much as one.
13 And if he shall enter into any city, all Israel shall cast ropes round about that city, and we will draw it into the river: so that there shall not be found so much as one small stone thereof.
14 And Absalom, and all the men of Israel, said: The counsel of Chusai, the Arachite, is better than the counsel of Achitophel: and by the will of the Lord, the profitable counsel of Achitophel, was defeated, that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.
15 And Chusai said to Sadoc, and Abiathar, the priests: Thus and thus did Achitophel counsel Absalom, and the ancients of Israel: and thus and thus did I counsel them.
16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying: Tarry not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but without delay pass over: lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that is with him.
17 And Jonathan and Achimaas stayed by the fountain Rogel: and there went a maid and told them: and they went forward, to carry the message to king David, for they might not be seen, nor enter into the city.
18 But a certain boy saw them, and told Absalom: but they making haste, went into the house of a certain man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they went down into it.
19 And the woman took, and spread a covering over the mouth of the well, as it were to dry sodden barley: and so the thing was not known.
20 And when Absalom's servants were come into the house, they said to the woman: Where is Achimaas, and Jonathan? and the woman answered them: They passed on in haste, after they had tasted a little water.  But they that sought them, when they found them not, returned into Jerusalem.
21 And when they were gone, they came up out of the well, and going on, told king David, and said: Arise, and pass quickly over the river: for this manner of counsel has Achitophel given against you.
22 So David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan, until it grew light, and not one of them was left that was not gone over the river.
23 But Achitophel, seeing that his counsel was not followed, saddled his ass, and arose, and went home to his house and to his city: and putting his house in order, hanged himself, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
24 But David came to the camp, and Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
25 Now Absalom appointed Amasa in Joab's stead, over the army: and Amasa was the son of a man who was called Jethra of Jezrael, who went in to Abigail, the daughter of Naas, the sister of Sarvia, who was the mother of Joab.
26 And Israel camped with Absalom in the land of Galaad.
27 And when David was come to the camp, Sobi, the son of Naas, of Rabbath, of the children of Ammon, and Machir, the son of Ammihel, of Lodabar, and Berzellai, the Galaadite, of Rogelim,
28 Brought him beds, and tapestry, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched corn, and beans, and lentils, and fried pulse,
29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and fat calves; and they gave to David and the people that were with him, to eat: for they suspected that the people were faint with hunger and thirst in the wilderness.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2981.
====================

2 KINGS 18
CHAPTER XVIII.

Absalom is defeated, and slain by Joab.  David mourneth for him.

1 And* David having reviewed his people, appointed over them captains of thousands, and of hundreds,
2 And sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab; and a third part under the hand of Abisai, the son of Sarvia, Joab's brother; and a third part under the hand of Ethai, who was of Geth: and the king said to the people: I also will go forth with you.
3 And the people answered: Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not much mind us: or if half of us should fall, they will not greatly care: for thou alone art accounted for ten thousand: it is better, therefore, that thou shouldst be in the city to succour us.
4 And the king said to them: What seemeth good to you, that will I do.  And the king stood by the gate: and all the people went forth by their troops, by hundreds and by thousands.
5 And the king commanded Joab, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Save me the boy Absalom.  And all the people heard the king giving charge to all the princes concerning Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
7 And the people of Israel were defeated there by David's army, and a great slaughter was made that day of twenty thousand men.
8 And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country, and there were many more of the people whom the forest consumed, than whom the sword devoured that day.
9 And it happened that Absalom met the servants of David, riding on a mule: and as the mule went under a thick and large oak, his head stuck in the oak: and while he hung between the heaven and the earth, the mule on which he rode passed on.
10 And one saw this and told Joab, saying: I saw Absalom hanging upon an oak.
11 And Joab said to the man that told him: If thou sawest him, why didst thou not stab him to the ground, and I would have given thee ten sicles of silver, and a belt?
12 And he said to Joab: If thou wouldst have paid down in my hands a thousand pieces of silver, I would not lay my hands upon the king's son: for, in our hearing, the king charged thee, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Save me the boy Absalom.
13 Yea, and if I should have acted boldly against my own life, this could not have been hid from the king, and wouldst thou have stood by me?
14 And Joab said: Not as thou wilt, but I will set upon him in thy sight.  So he took three lances in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom: and whilst he yet panted for life, sticking on the oak,
15 Ten young men, armour-bearers of Joab, ran up, and striking him, slew him.
16 And Joab sounded the trumpet, and kept back the people from pursuing after Israel in their flight, being willing to spare the multitude.
17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the forest, and they laid an exceeding great heap of stones upon him: but all Israel fled to their own dwellings.
18 Now Absalom had reared up for himself, in his life-time, a pillar, which is in the king's valley: for he said: I have no son, and this shall be the monument of my name.  And he called the pillar by is own name, and it is called the hand of Absalom, to this day.
19 And Achimaas, the son of Sadoc, said: I will run and tell the king, that the Lord hath done judgment for him from the hand of his enemies.
20 And Joab said to him: Thou shalt not be the messenger this day, but shalt bear tidings another day: this day I will not have thee bear tidings, because the king's son is dead.
21 And Joab said to Chusi: Go, and tell the king what thou hast seen.  Chusi bowed down to Joab, and ran.
22 Then Achimaas, the son of Sadoc, said to Joab again: Why might not I also run after Chusi?  And Joab said to him: Why wilt thou run, my son? thou wilt not be the bearer of good tidings.
23 He answered: But what if I run? And he said to him: Run.  Then Achimaas, running by a nearer way, passed Chusi.
24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman that was on the top of the gate upon the wall, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running alone.
25 And crying out, he told the king: and the king said: If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth.  And as he was coming apace and drawing nearer,
26 The watchman saw another man running, and crying aloud from above, he said: I see another man running alone.  And the king said: He, also, is a good messenger.
27 And the watchman said: The running of the foremost seemeth to me like the running of Achimaas, the son of Sadoc.  And the king said: He is a good man: and cometh with good news.
28 And Achimaas crying out, said to the king: God save thee, O king.  And falling down before the king with his face to the ground, he said: Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath shut up the men that have lifted up their hands against my lord the king.
29 And the king said: Is the young man, Absalom, safe?  And Achimaas said: I saw a great tumult, O king, when thy servant Joab sent me thy servant: I know nothing else.
30 And the king said to him: Pass, and stand here.
31 And when he had passed, and stood still, Chusi appeared: and coming up, he said: I bring good tidings, my lord the king: for the Lord hath judged for thee this day, from the hand of all that have risen up against thee.
32 And the king said to Chusi: Is the young man, Absalom, safe?  And Chusi answering him, said: Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against him unto evil, be as the young man is.
33 The king therefore being much moved, went up to the high chamber over the gate, and wept.  And as he went, he spoke in this manner: *My son, Absalom; Absalom, my son: would to God that I might die for thee, Absalom my son, my son Absalom.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2981, A.C. 1023.
33:  Infra xix. 4.
====================

2 KINGS 19
CHAPTER XIX.

David, at the remonstrances of Joab, ceaseth his mourning.  He is invited back, and met by Semei and Miphiboseth: a strife between the men of Juda and the men of Israel.

1 And *it was told Joab, that the king wept and mourned for his son:
2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day: The king grieveth for his son.
3 And the people shunned the going into the city that day, as a people would do that hath turned their backs, and fled away from the battle.
4 And the king covered his head, and cried with a loud voice: O my son Absalom, O Absalom my son, O my son.
5 Then Joab, going into the house to the king, said: Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, that have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons, and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines.
6 Thou lovest them that hate thee, and thou hatest them that love thee: and thou hast shewed this day, that thou carest not for thy nobles, nor for thy servants: and I now plainly perceive, that, if Absalom had lived, and all we had been slain, then it would have pleased thee.
7 Now therefore arise, and go out, and speak to the satisfaction of thy servants: for I swear to thee by the Lord, that if thou wilt not go forth, there will not tarry with thee so much as one this night: and that will be worse to thee, than all the evils that have befallen thee, from thy youth until now.
8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate: and it was told to all the people, that the king sat in the gate: and all the people came before the king: but Israel fled to their own dwellings.
9 And all the people were at strife in all the tribes of Israel, saying: The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines: and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.
10 But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in the battle: how long are you silent, and bring not back the king?
11 And king David sent to Sadoc, and Abiathar, the priests, saying: Speak to the ancients of Juda, saying: Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? (For the talk of all Israel was come to the king in his house.)
12 You are my brethren, you are my bone and my flesh, why are you the last to bring back the king?
13 And say ye to Amasa: Art not thou my bone and my flesh?  So do God to me, and add more, if thou be not the chief captain of the army before me always, in the place of Joab.
14 And be inclined the heart of all the men of Juda, as it were of one man: and they sent to the king, saying: Return thou, and all thy servants.
15 And the king returned, and came as far as the Jordan, and all Juda came as far as Galgal to meet the king, and to bring him over the Jordan.
16 *And Semei, the son of Gera, the son of Jemini, of Bahurim, made haste and went down with the men of Juda, to meet king David,
17 With a thousand men of Benjamin, and Siba, the servant of the house of Saul: and his fifteen sons, and twenty servants were with him: and going over the Jordan,
18 They passed the fords before the king, that they might help over the king's household, and do according to his commandment.  And Semei, the son of Gera, falling down before the king, when he was come over the Jordan,
19 Said to him: Impute not to me, my lord, the iniquity, nor remember the injuries of thy servant, on the day that thou, my lord, the king, wentest out of Jerusalem, nor lay it up in thy heart, O king.
20 For I, thy servant, acknowledge my sin: and therefore, I am come this day the first of all the house of Joseph, and am come down to meet my lord the king.
21 But Abisai, the son of Sarvia, answering said: Shall Semei, for these words not be put to death, because he cursed the Lord's anointed?
22 And David said: What have I to do with you, ye sons of Sarvia? why are you a satan this day to me? shall there any man be killed this day in Israel? do not I know that this day, I am made king over Israel?
23 And the king said to Semei: Thou shalt not die.  And he swore unto him.
24 And Miphiboseth, the son of Saul, came down to meet the king, and he had neither washed his feet, nor trimmed his beard: nor washed his garments, from the day that the king went out, until the day of his return in peace.
25 And when he met the king, at Jerusalem, the king said to him: Why camest thou not with me, Miphiboseth?
26 And he answering, said: My lord king, my servant despised me: for I thy servant spoke to him to saddle me an ass, that I might get on and go with the king: for I thy servant am lame.
27 *Moreover he hath also accused me, thy servant, to thee, my lord the king: but **thou, my lord the king, art as an angel of God, do what pleaseth thee.
28 For all of my father's house were no better than worthy of death before my lord the king; and thou hast set me, thy servant, among the guests of thy table: what just complaint therefore have I? or what right to cry any more to the king?
29 Then the king said to him: Why speakest thou any more? what I have said is determined: thou and Siba divide the possessions.
30 And Miphiboseth answered the king: Yea, let him take all, for as much as my lord, the king, is returned peaceably into his house.
31 Berzellai also, the Galaadite, coming down from Rogelim, brought the king over the Jordan, being ready also to wait on him beyond the river.
32 *Now Berzellai, the Galaadite, was of a great age, that is to say, fourscore years old, and he provided the king with sustenance when he abode in the camp: for he was a man exceedingly rich.
33 And the king said to Berzellai: Come with me, that thou mayest rest secure with me in Jerusalem.
34 And Berzellai said to the king: How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
35 *I am this day fourscore years old; are my senses quick to discern sweet and bitter? or can meat or drink delight thy servant? or can I hear any more the voice of singing-men and singing-women? why should thy servant be a burden to my lord the king?
36 I, thy servant, will go on a little way from the Jordan with thee: I need not this recompense.
37 But I beseech thee let thy servant return, and die in my own city, and be buried by the sepulchre of my father, and of my mother.  But there is thy servant Chamaam, let him go with thee, my lord the king, and do to him whatsoever seemeth good to thee.
38 Then the king said to him: Let Chamaam go over with me, and I will do for him whatsoever shall please thee, and all that thou shalt ask of me, thou shalt obtain.
39 And when all the people and the king had passed over the Jordan, the king kissed Berzellai, and blessed him: and he returned to his own place.
40 So the king went on to Galgal, and Chamaam with him.  Now all the people of Juda had brought the king over, and only half of the people of Israel were there.
41 Therefore all the men of Israel running together to the king, said to him: Why have our brethren, the men of Juda, stolen thee away, and have brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all the men of David with him?
42 And all the men of Juda answered the men of Israel: Because the king is nearer to me: why art thou angry for this matter? have we eaten any thing of the king's, or have any gifts been given us?
43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Juda, and said: I have ten parts in the king more than thou, and David belongeth to me more than to thee: why hast thou done me a wrong, and why was it not told me first, that I might bring back my king?  And the men of Juda answered more harshly than the men of Israel.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2981.
16:  3 Kings ii. 8.
27:  Supra xvi. 3. --- ** Supra xiv. 17. and 20.; 1 Kings xxix. 9.
32:  3 Kings ii. 7.
35:  Supra xvii. 27.
====================

2 KINGS 20
CHAPTER XX.

Seba's rebellion.  Amasa is slain by Joab.  Abela is besieged; but upon the citizens casting over the wall the head of Sea, Joab departeth with his army.

1 And *there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Seba, the son of Bochri, a man of Jemini: and he sounded the trumpet, and said: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai: return to thy dwellings, O Israel.
2 And all Israel departed from David, and followed Seba, the son of Bochri: but the men of Juda stuck to their king from the Jordan unto Jerusalem.
3 And when the king was come into his house at Jerusalem, he took the ten women, his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, allowing them provisions; but went not in unto them: so they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4 And the king said to Amasa: Assemble to me all the men of Juda against the third day, and be thou here.
5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Juda, but he tarried beyond the set time which the king had appointed him.
6 And David said to Abisai: Now will Seba, the son of Bochri, do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou, therefore, the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he find fenced cities, and escape us.
7 So Joab's men went out with him, and the Cerethi and the Phelethi: and all the valiant men went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Seba, the son of Bochri.
8 And when they were at the great stone, which is in Gabaon, Amasa coming met them.  And Joab had on a close coat of equal length with his habit, and over it was girded with a sword, hanging down to his flank in a scabbard, made in such manner as to come out with the least motion and strike.
9 And Joab said to Amasa: God save thee, my brother.  *And he took Amasa by the chin with his right hand to kiss him.
10 But Amasa did not take notice of the sword which Joab had, and he struck him in the side, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and gave him not a second wound, and he died.  And Joab, and Abisai, his brother, pursued after Seba, the son of Bochri.
11 In the mean time, some men of Joab's company, stopping at the dead body of Amasa, said: Behold he that would have been in Joab's stead, the companion of David.
12 And Amasa, embrued with blood, lay in the midst of the way.  A certain man saw this, that all the people stood still to look upon him, so he removed Amasa out of the high-way, into the field, and covered him with a garment, that they who passed might not stop on his account.
13 And when he was removed out of the way, all the people went on following Joab. to pursue after Seba, the son of Bochri.
14 Now he had passed through all the tribes of Israel unto Abela and Bethmaacha: and all the chosen men were gathered together unto him.
15 And they came, and besieged him in Abela, and in Bethmaacha, and they cast up works round the city, and the city was besieged: and all the people that were with Joab, laboured to throw down the walls.
16 And a wise woman cried out from the city: Hear, hear, and say to Joab: Come near hither, and I will speak with thee.
17 And when he was come near to her, she said to him: Art thou Joab?  And he answered: I am.  And she spoke thus to him: Hear the words of thy handmaid.  He answered: I do hear.
18 And she again said: A saying was used of old as a proverb: They that inquire, let them inquire in Abela: And so they made an end.
19 Am not I she that answer truth in Israel, and thou seekest to destroy the city, and to overthrow a mother in Israel?  Why wilt thou throw down the inheritance of the Lord?
20 And Joab answering said: God forbid, God forbid that I should; I do not throw down, nor destroy.
21 The matter is not so, but a man of Mount Ephraim, Seba, the son of Bochri, by name, hath lifted up his hand against king David: deliver him only, and we will depart from the city.  And the woman said to Joab: Behold his head shall be thrown to thee from the wall.
22 So she went to all the people, and spoke to them wisely: and they cut off the head of Seba, the son of Bochri, and cast it out to Joab.  And he sounded the trumpet, and they departed from the city, every one to their home: And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23 *So Joab was over all the army of Israel: and Banaias, the son of Joiada, was over the Cerethites and Phelethites.
24 But Aduram over the tributes: and Josaphat, the son of Ahilud, was recorder.
25 And Siva was scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar, priests.
26 And Ira, the Jairite, was the priest of David.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2981, A.C. 1023.
9:  3 Kings ii. 5.
23:  Supra viii. 16.
====================

2 KINGS 21
CHAPTER XXI.

A famine of three years, for the sin of Saul against the the Gabaonites; at whose desire, seven of Saul's race are crucified.  War again with the Philistines.

1 And *there was a famine in the days of David for three years successively: and David consulted the oracle of the Lord.  And the Lord said: It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he slew the Gabaonites.
2 Then the king calling for the Gabaonites, said to them: (Now the Gabaonites were not of the children of Israel, but the remains of the Amorrhites: *and the children of Israel had sworn to them, and Saul sought to slay them out of zeal, as it were, for the children of Israel and Juda.)
3 David, therefore, said to the Gabaonites: What shall I do for you? and what shall be the atonement for you, that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord?
4 And the Gabaonites said to him: We have no contest about silver and gold, but against Saul, and against his house: neither do we desire, that any man be slain of Israel.  And the king said to them: What will you, then that I should do for you?
5 And they said to the king: The man that crushed us and oppressed us unjustly, we must destroy in such manner, that there be not so much as one left of his stock in all the coasts of Israel.
6 Let seven men of his children be delivered unto us, that we may crucify them to the Lord, in Gabaa of Saul, once the chosen of the Lord.  And the king said: I will give them.
7 *And the king spared Miphiboseth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath of the Lord, that had been between David and Jonathan, the son of Saul.
8 So the king took the two sons of Respha, the daughter of Aia, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni, and Miphiboseth: and the five sons of Michol, the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Hadriel, the son of Berzellai, that was of Molathi,
9 And gave them into the hands of the Gabaonites: and they crucified them on a hill before the Lord: and these seven died together in the first days of the harvest, when the barley began to be reaped.*
10 And Respha, the daughter of Aia, took hair-cloth, and spread it under her upon the rock, from the beginning of the harvest, till water dropped upon them out of heaven: and suffered neither the birds to tear them by day, nor the beasts by night.
11 And it was told David, what Respha, the daughter of Aia, the concubine of Saul, had done.
12 And David went, and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan, his son, from the men of Jabes Galaad, *who had stolen them from the street of Bethsan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when they had slain Saul in Gelboe.
13 And he brought from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan, his son: and they gathered up the bones of them that were crucified,
14 And they buried them with the bones of Saul, and of Jonathan, his son, in the land of Benjamin, in the side, in the sepulchre of Cis, his father: and they did all that the king had commanded, and God shewed mercy again to the land after these things.
15 And the Philistines made war again against Israel, and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines.  And David growing faint,
16 Jesbibenob, who was of the race of Arapha, *the iron of whose spear weighed three hundred ounces, being girded with a new sword, attempted to kill David;
17 And Abisai, the son of Sarvia, rescued him, and striking the Philistine, killed him.  Then David's men swore unto him, saying: Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, lest thou put out the lamp of Israel.
18 *There was also a second battle in Gob against the Philistines: then Sobochai, of Husathi, slew Saph, of the race of Arapha, of the family of the giants.
19 And there was a third battle in Gob against the Philistines, in which Adeodatus, the son of the Forrest, an embroiderer of Bethlehem, slew Goliath, the Gethite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
20 A fourth battle was in Geth: where there was a man of great stature, that had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, four and twenty in all, and he was of the race of Arapha.
21 And he reproached Israel: and Jonathan, the son of Samaa, the brother of David, slew him.
22 These four were born of Arapha, in Geth, and they fell by the hand of David, and of his servants.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2983, A.C. 1021.
2:  Josue ix. 16.
7:  1 Kings xviii. 3.
9:  A.M. 2986, A.C. 1018.
12:  1 Kings xxxi. 12.
16:  1 Kings xvii. 7.
18:  1 Par. xx. 4.
====================

2 KINGS 22
CHAPTER XXII.

King David's psalm of thanksgiving for his deliverance from all his enemies.

1 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul.
2 And he said: *The Lord is my rock, and my strength, and my saviour.
3 God is my strong one, in him will I trust: my shield, and the horn of my salvation: he lifteth me up, and is my refuge: my saviour, thou wilt deliver me from iniquity.
4 *I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised: and I shall be saved from my enemies.
5 For the pangs of death have surrounded me: the floods of Belial have made me afraid.
6 The cords of hell compassed me: the snares of death prevented me.
7 In my distress, I will call upon the Lord, and I will cry to my God: and he will hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry shall come to his ears.
8 The earth shook and trembled, the foundations of the mountains were moved and shaken, because he was angry with them.
9 A smoke went up from his nostrils, and a devouring fire out of his mouth: coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
11 And he rode upon the Cherubims, and flew: and slid upon the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness a covering round about him: dropping waters out of the clouds of the heavens.
13 By the brightness before him, the coals of fire were kindled.
14 The Lord shall thunder from heaven: and the Most High shall give forth his voice.
15 He shot his arrows, and scattered them: his lightning, and consumed them.
16 And the overflowings of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid open at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the spirit of his wrath.
17 He sent from on high, and took me, and drew me out of many waters.
18 He delivered me from my most mighty enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
19 He prevented me in the day of my affliction, and the Lord became my stay.
20 And he brought me forth into a large place, he delivered me, because I pleased him.
21 The Lord will reward me according to my justice: and according to the cleanness of my hands he will render to me.
22 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his judgments are in my sight: and his statutes I have not removed from me.
24 And I shall be perfect with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.
25 And the Lord will recompense me according to my justice: and according to the cleanness of my hands in the sight of his eyes.
26 With the holy one, thou wilt be holy: and with the valiant perfect.
27 With the elect, thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse, thou wilt be perverted.
28 And the poor people thou wilt save: and with thy eyes, thou wilt humble the haughty.
29 For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and thou, O Lord, wilt enlighten my darkness.
30 For through thee I will be girded and run: through my God I will leap over the wall.
31 As for God, his way is spotless, the word of the Lord is tried by fire: he is the shield of all that trust in him.
32 Who is God but the Lord: and who is strong but our God?
33 God who hath girded me with strength: and made my way perfect.
34 *Who maketh my feet like the feet of harts, and setteth me upon my high places.
35 Who teacheth my hands to war: and maketh my arms like a bow of brass.
36 Thou hast given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy mildness hath multiplied me.
37 Thou shalt enlarge my steps under me: and my ancles shall not fail.
38 I will pursue after my enemies, and crush them: and will not return again till I consume them.
39 I will consume them, and break them in pieces, so that they shall not rise: they shall fall under my feet.
40 Thou hast girded me with strength to battle: thou hast made them that resisted me to bow under me.
41 My enemies, thou hast made to turn their back to me: and them that hated me, and I shall destroy them.
42 They shall cry, and there shall be none to save: to the Lord, and he shall not hear them.
43 I shall beat them as small as the dust of the earth: I shall crush them, and spread them abroad like the mire of the streets.
44 Thou wilt save me from the contradictions of my people: thou wilt keep me to be the head of the Gentiles: the people which I know not, shall serve me.
45 The sons of the stranger will resist me, at the hearing of the ear they will obey me.
46 The strangers are melted away, and shall be straitened in their distresses.
47 The Lord liveth, and my God is blessed: and the strong God of my salvation shall be exalted:
48 God, who giveth me revenge, and bringest down people under me.
49 Who bringest me forth from my enemies, and liftest me up from them that resist me: *from the wicked man, thou shalt deliver me.
50 *Therefore will I give thanks to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to thy name.
51 Giving great salvation to his king, and shewing mercy to David, his anointed, and to his seed for ever.
____________________
*
2:  Psalm xvii. 3.
4:  Psalm xvii. 4.
34:  Psalm cxliii. 1.
49:  Psalm xvii. 49.
50:  Rom. xv. 9.
====================

2 KINGS 23
CHAPTER XXIII.

The last words of David.  A catalogue of his valiant men.

1 Now these are David's last words.  David, the son of Isai, said: The man to whom it was appointed concerning the Christ of the God of Jacob, *the excellent psalmist of Israel, said:
2 The Spirit of the Lord hath spoken by me, and his word by my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said to me, the strong one of Israel spoke, the ruler of men, the just ruler in the fear of God.
4 As the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, shineth in the morning, without clouds, and as the grass springeth out of the earth by rain.
5 Neither is my house so great with God, that he should make with me an eternal covenant, firm in all things, and assured.  For he is all my salvation, and all my will: neither is there ought thereof, that springeth not up.
6 But transgressors shall all of them be plucked up as thorns, which are not taken away with hands.
7 And if a man will touch them, he must be armed with iron and with the staff of a lance: but they shall be set on fire, and burnt to nothing.
8 *These are the names of the valiant men of David.  Jesbaham, sitting in the chair, was the wisest chief among the three; he was like the most tender little worm of the wood, who killed eight hundred men at one onset.
9 After him was Eleazar, the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three valiant men that were with David, when they defied the Philistines, and they were there gathered together to battle.
10 And when the men of Israel were gone away, he stood and smote the Philistines till his hand was weary, and grew stiff with the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day: and the people that were fled away, returned to take spoils of them that were slain.
11 And after him was Semma, the son of Age, of Arari.  And the Philistines were gathered together in a troop: for there was a field full of lentils.  And when the people were fled from the face of the Philistines,
12 He stood in the midst of the field, and defended it, and defeated the Philistines: and the Lord gave a great victory.
13 Moreover, also before this, these three who were princes *among the thirty, went down, and came to David, in the harvest time, into the cave of Odollam: and the camp of the Philistines was in the valley of the giants.
14 And David was then in a hold: and there was a garrison of the Philistines then in Bethlehem.
15 And David longed, and said: O that some man would get me a drink of the water out of the cistern, that is in Bethlehem, by the gate.
16 And the three valiant men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the cistern of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and brought it to David: but he would not drink, but offered it to the Lord,
17 Saying: The Lord be merciful to me, that I may not do this: Shall I drink the blood of these men that went, and the peril of their lives? therefore he would not drink.  These things did these three mighty men.
18 Abisai, also the brother of Joab, the son of Sarvia, was chief among three: and he lifted up his spear against three hundred, whom he slew; and he was renowned among the three,
19 And the noblest of three, and was their chief; but to the three first he attained not.
20 And Banaias, the son of Joiada, a most valiant man, of great deeds, of Cabseel: he slew the two lions of Moab, and he went down, and slew a lion in the midst of a pit, in the time of snow.
21 He also slew an Egyptian, a man worthy to be a sight, having a spear in his hand: but he went down to him with a rod, and forced the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slew him with his own spear.
22 These things did Banaias, the son of Joiada.
23 And he was renowned among the three valiant men, who were the most honourable among the thirty: but he attained riot to the first three: and David made him of his privy council.
24 Asael, the brother of Joab, was one of the thirty; Elehanan, the son of Dodo, of Bethlehem,
25 Semma, of Harodi, Elica of Harodi,
26 Heles, of Phalti, Hira, the son of Acces, of Thecua,
27 Abiezer, of Anathoth, Mobonnai, of Husati,
28 Selmon, the Ahohite, Maharai, the Netophathite,
29 Heled, the son of Baana, also a Netophathite, Ithai, the son of Ribai, of Gabaath, of the children of Benjamin,
30 Banaia, the Pharathonite, Heddai, of the torrent Gaas,
31 Abialbon, the Arbathite, Azmaveth, of Beromi,
32 Eliaba, of Salaboni: of the sons of Jassen, Jonathan,
33 Semma, of Orori, Aliam, the son of Sarar, the Arorite,
34 Eliphelet, the son of Aasbai, the son of Machati, Eliam, the son of Achitophel, the Gelonite,
35 Hesrai, of Carmel, Pharai, of Arbi,
36 Igaal, the son of Nathan, of Soba, Bonni, of Gadi,
37 Selec, of Ammoni, Naharai, the Berothite, armour-bearer of Joab, the son of Sarvia,
38 Ira, the Jethrite, Gareb, also a Jethrite;
39 Urias, the Hethite; thirty and seven in all.
____________________
*
1:  Acts ii. 10.
8:  1 Par. xi. 11.
13:  1 Par. xi. 15.
====================

2 KINGS 24
CHAPTER XXIV.

David numbereth the people: God sendeth a pestilence, which is stopt by David's prayer and sacrifice.

1 And *the anger of the Lord was again kindled against Israel, and stirred up David among them, saying: Go, number Israel and Juda.
2 And the king said to Joab, the general of his army: Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Bersabee, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of them.
3 And Joab said to the king: The Lord thy God increase thy people, and make them as many more as they are now, and again multiply them a hundred-fold in the sight of my lord the king, but what meaneth my lord the king by this kind of thing?
4 But the king's words prevailed over the words of Joab, and of the captains of the army: and Joab, and the captains of the soldiers, went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
5 And when they had passed the Jordan, they came to Aroer, to the right side of the city, which is in the vale of Gad.
6 And by Jazer they passed into Galaad, and to the lower land of Hodsi, and they came into the woodlands of Dan.  And going about by Sidon,
7 They passed near the walls of Tyre, and all the land of the Hevite, and the Chanaanite, and they came to the south of Juda, into Bersabee:
8 And having gone through the whole land, after nine months and twenty days, they came to Jerusalem.
9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people to the king, and there were found of Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword: and of Juda, five hundred thousand fighting men.
10 *But David's heart struck him, after the people were numbered: and David said to the Lord: I have sinned very much in what I have done: but I pray thee, O Lord, to take away the iniquity of thy servant, because I have done exceeding foolishly.
11 And David arose in the morning, and the word of the Lord came to Gad, the prophet, and the seer of David, saying:
12 Go, and say to David: Thus saith the Lord: I give thee thy choice of three things, choose one of them which thou wilt, that I may do it to thee.
13 And when Gad was come to David, he told him, saying: Either seven years of famine shall come to thee in thy land: or thou shalt flee three months before thy adversaries, and they shall pursue thee: or for three days, there shall be a pestilence in thy land.  Now therefore deliberate, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
14 And David said to Gad: I am in a great strait: *but it is better that I should fall into the hands of the Lord (for his mercies are many) than into the hands of men.
15 And the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, from the morning unto the time appointed, and there died of the people from Dan to Bersabee, seventy thousand men.
16 And when the angel of the Lord had stretched out his hand over Jerusalem, to destroy it, the Lord had pity on the affliction, and said to the angel that slew the people: It is enough: now hold thy hand: And the angel of the Lord was by the thrashing-floor of Areuna, the Jebusite.
17 And David said to the Lord, when he saw the angel striking the people: It is I, I am he that have sinned, I have done wickedly: these that are the sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I beseech thee, be turned against me, and against my father's house.
18 And Gad came to David that day, and said: Go up and build an altar to the Lord, in the thrashing-floor of Areuna, the Jebusite.
19 And David went up according to the word of Gad, which the Lord had commanded him.
20 And Areuna looked, and saw the king and his servants coming towards him:
21 And going out he worshipped the king, bowing with his face to the earth, and said: Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant?  And David said to him: To buy the thrashing-floor of thee, and build an altar to the Lord, that the plague, which rageth among the people, may cease.
22 And Areuna said to David: Let my lord the king take, and offer, as it seemeth good to him: thou hast here oxen for a holocaust, and the wain, and the yokes of the oxen for wood.
23 All these things, Areuna, as a king gave to the king: and Areuna said to the king: The Lord thy God receive thy vow.
24 And the king answered him, and said: Nay, but I will buy it of thee, at a price, and I will not offer to the Lord my God holocausts, free-cost.  So David bought the floor, and the oxen, for fifty sicles of silver:
25 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered holocausts and peace-offerings: and the Lord became merciful to the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2987, A.C. 1017.; 1 Par. xxi.
10:  1 Kings xxiv. 6.
14:  Dan. xiii. 23.
====================
====================

3 KINGS
THE THIRD BOOK OF KINGS.

3 KINGS 1
CHAPTER I.

King David growing old, Abisag, a Sunamitess, is brought to him.  Adonias, pretending to reigh, Nathan and Bethsabee obtain that Solomon should be declared, and anointed king.

1 Now *king David was old, and advanced in years: and when he was covered with clothes, he was not warm.
2 His servants, therefore, said to him: Let us seek for our Lord the king, a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and cherish him, and sleep in his bosom, and warm our lord the king.
3 So they sought a beautiful young woma,n in all the coasts of Israel, and they found Abisag, a Sunamitess, and brought her to the king.
4 And the damsel was exceedingly beautiful, and she slept with the king, and served him, but the king did not know her.
5 And Adonias, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying: I will be king.  And he made himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
6 *Neither did his father rebuke him at any time, saying: Why hast thou done this?  And he also was very beautiful, the next in birth after Absalom.
7 And he conferred with Joab, the son of Sarvia, and with Abiathar, the priest, who furthered Adonias's side.
8 But Sadoc, the priest, and Banaias, the son of Joiada, and Nathan, the prophet, and Semei, and Rei, and the strength of David's army, was not with Adonias.
9 And Adonias having slain rams and calves, and all fat cattle, by the stone of Zoheleth, which was near the fountain Rogel, invited all his brethren, the king's sons, and all the men of Juda, the king's servants:
10 But Nathan, the prophet, and Banaias, and all the valiant men, and Solomon, his brother, he invited not.
11 And Nathan said to Bethsabee, the mother of Solomon: Hast thou not heard that Adonias, the son of Haggith, reigneth, and our lord David knoweth it not?
12 Now then, come, take my counsel, and save thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
13 Go, and get thee in to king David, and say to him: Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear to me, thy handmaid, saying: Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? why then doth Adonias reign?
14 And while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after thee, and will fill up thy words.
15 So Bethsabee went in to the king into the chamber. Now the king was very old, and Abisag, the Sunamitess, ministered to him.
16 Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king.  And the king said to her: What is thy will?
17 She answered, and said: My lord, thou didst swear to thy handmaid, by the Lord thy God, saying: Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.
18 And behold, now Adonias reigneth, and thou, my lord the king, knowest nothing of it.
19 He hath killed oxen, and all fat cattle, and many rams, and invited all the king's sons, and Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the general of the army: but Solomon, thy servant, he invited not.
20 And now, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them, who shall sit on thy throne, my lord the king, after thee.
21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king sleepeth with his fathers, that I, and my son, Solomon, shall be accounted offenders.
22 As she was yet speaking with the king, Nathan, the prophet, came.
23 And they told the king, saying: Nathan, the prophet, is here.  And when he was come in before the king, and had worshipped, bowing down to the ground,
24 Nathan said: My lord, O king, hast thou said: Let Adonias reign after me, and let him sit upon my throne?
25 Because he is gone down to-day, and hath killed oxen, and fatlings, and many rams, and invited all the king's sons, and the captains of the army, and Abiathar, the priest: and they are eating and drinking before him, and saying: God save king Adonias:
26 But me, thy servant, and Sadoc, the priest, and Banaias, the son of Joiada, and Solomon, thy servant, he hath not invited.
27 Is this word come out from my lord the king, and hast thou not told me, thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
28 And king David answered, and said: Call to me Bethsabee.  And when she was come in to the king, and stood before him,
29 The king swore, and said: As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all distress,
30 Even as I swore to thee, by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: Solomon thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, so will I do this day.
31 And Bethsabee, bowing with her face to the earth, worshipped the king, saying: May my lord David live for ever.
32 King David also said: Call me Sadoc, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and Banaias, the son of Joiada.  And when they were come in before the king,
33 He said to them: Take with you the servants of your lord, and set my son Solomon upon my mule: and bring him to Gihon:
34 And let Sadoc, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, anoint him there king over Israel: and you shall sound the trumpet, and shall say: God save king Solomon.
35 And you shall come up after him, and he shall come, and shall sit upon my throne, and he shall reign in my stead: and I will appoint him to be ruler over Israel, and over Juda.
36 And Banaias, the son of Joiada, answered the king, saying: Amen: so say the Lord, the God of my lord the king.
37 As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, so be he with Solomon, and make his throne higher than the throne of my lord king David.
38 So Sadoc, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, went down, and Banaias, the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and Phelethi: and they set Solomon upon the mule of king David, and brought him to Gihon.
39 And Sadoc, the priest, took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon: and they sounded the trumpet, and all the people said: God save king Solomon.
40 And all the multitude went up after him, and the people played with pipes, and rejoiced with a great joy, and the earth rang with the noise of their cry.
41 And Adonias, and all that were invited by him, heard it, and now the feast was at an end.  Joab also, hearing the sound of the trumpet, said: What meaneth this noise of the city in an uproar?
42 While he yet spoke, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, the priest, came: and Adonias said to him: Come in, because thou art a valiant man, and bringest good news.
43 And Jonathan answered Adonias: Not so: for our lord, king David, hath appointed Solomon king;
44 And hath sent with him Sadoc, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and Banaias, the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and the Phelethi, and they have set him upon the king's mule:
45 And Sadoc, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, have anointed him king, in Gihon: and they are gone up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again: this is the noise that you have heard.
46 Moreover, Solomon sitteth upon the throne of the kingdom.
47 And the king's servants going in, have blessed our lord king David, saying: May God make the name of Solomon greater than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne.  And the king adored in his bed:
48 And he said: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who hath given this day one to sit on my throne, my eyes seeing it.
49 Then all the guests of Adonias were afraid, and they all arose, and every man went his way.
50 And Adonias fearing Solomon, arose and went, and took hold on the horn of the altar.
51 And they told Solomon, saying: Behold Adonias, fearing king Solomon, hath taken hold of the horn of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear to me this day, that he will not kill his servant with the sword.
52 And Solomon said: If he be a good man, there shall not so much as one hair of his head fall to the ground: but if evil be found in him, he shall die.
53 Then king Solomon sent, and brought him out from the altar: and going in, he worshipped king Solomon: and Solomon said to him: Go to thy house.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2989, A.C. 1015.
6:  1 Kings ii. 29.; 2 Kings xiii. 21. and xv. 1.
====================

3 KINGS 2
CHAPTER II.

David, after giving his last charge to Solomon, dieth.  Adonias is put to death; Abiathar banished; Joab and Semei are slain.

1 And *the days of David drew nigh that he should die, and he charged his son Solomon, saying:
2 I am going the way of all flesh: take thou courage and shew thyself a man.
3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and observe his ceremonies, and his precepts, and judgments, and testimonies, *as it is written in the law of Moses: that thou mayest understand all thou dost, and whithersoever thou shalt turn thyself:
4 That the Lord may confirm his words, which he hath spoken of me, saying: If thy children shall take heed to their ways, and shall walk before me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, there shall not be taken away from thee a man on the throne of Israel.
5 Thou knowest also what Joab, the son of Sarvia, hath done to me, what he did to the two captains of the army 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 on his girdle 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 hell in peace.
7 But shew kindness to the sons of Berzellai, the Galaadite, and let them eat at thy table: *for they met me when I fled from the face of Absalom, thy brother.
8 *Thou hast also with thee Semei, the son of Gera, the son of Jemini, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse, when I went to the camp: but because he came down to meet me when I passed over the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying: I will not kill thee with a sword:
9 Do not thou hold him guiltless.  But thou art a wise man, and knowest what to do with him, and thou shalt bring down his grey hairs with blood to the grave.
10 *So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
11 *And the days that David reigned in Israel, were forty gears: in Hebron he reigned seven years, in Jerusalem thirty-three.
12 And Solomon sat upon the throne of his father, David, and his kingdom was strengthened exceedingly.
13 And Adonias, the son of Haggith, came to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon.  And she said to him: Is thy coming peaceable?  He answered: It is peaceable.
14 And he added: I have a word to speak with thee.  She said to him: Speak.  And he said:
15 Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had preferred me to be their king: but the kingdom is transferred, and is become my brother's: for it was appointed him by the Lord.
16 Now therefore, I ask one petition of thee; turn not away my face.  And she said to him: Say on.
17 And he said: I pray thee speak to king Solomon (for he cannot deny thee any thing) to give me Abisag, the Sunamitess, to wife.
18 And Bethsabee said: Well, I will speak for thee to the king.
19 Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down upon his throne: and a throne was set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand.
20 And she said to him: I desire one small petition of thee; do not put me to confusion.  And the king said to her: My mother, ask: for I must not turn away thy face.
21 And she said: Let Abisag, the Sunamitess, be given to Adonias, thy brother, to wife.
22 And king Solomon answered, and said to his mother: Why dost thou ask Abisag, the Sunamitess, for Adonias? ask for him also the kingdom; for he is my elder brother, and hath Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the son of Sarvia.
23 Then king Solomon swore by the Lord, saying: So and so may God do to me, and add more, if Adonias hath not spoken this word against his own life.
24 And now, as the Lord liveth, who hath established me, and placed me upon the throne of David, my father, and who hath made me a house, as he promised, Adonias shall be put to death this day.
25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Banaias, the son of Joiada, who slew him, and he died.
26 And the king said also to Abiathar, the priest: Go to Anathoth, to thy lands, for indeed thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst carry the ark of the Lord God before David, my father, and hast endured trouble in all the troubles my father endured.
27 So Solomon cast out Abiathar, from being the priest of the Lord, *that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke concerning the house of Heli in Silo.
28 And the news came to Joab, because Joab had turned after Adonias, and had not turned after Solomon: and Joab fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and took hold on the horn of the altar.
29 And it was told king Solomon, that Joab was fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and was by the altar: and Solomon sent Banaias, the son of Joiada, saying: Go, kill him.
30 And Banaias came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him: Thus saith the king: Come forth.  And he said: I will not come forth, but here I will die.  Banaias brought word back to the king, saying: Thus saith Joab, and thus he answered me.
31 And the king said to him: Do as he hath said; and kill him, and bury him, and thou shalt remove the innocent blood which hath been shed by Joab, from me, and from the house of my father:
32 And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head; because he murdered two men, just and better than himself: and slew them with the sword, my father, David, not knowing it; *Abner, the son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa, the son of Jether, general of the army of Juda;
33 And their blood shall return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever.  But to David and his seed, and his house, and to his throne, be peace for ever from the Lord.
34 So Banaias, the son of Joiada, went up, and setting upon him slew him, and he was buried in his house in the desert.
35 And the king appointed Banaias, the son of Joiada in his room over the army; and Sadoc, the priest, he put in the place of Abiathar.
36 The king also sent, and called for Semei, and said to him: Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there: and go not out from thence any where.
37 For on what day soever thou shalt go out, and shalt pass over the brook Cedron, know that thou shalt be put to death: thy blood shall be upon thy own head.
38 And Semei said to the king: The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do.  And Semei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
39 And it came to pass after three years, that the servants of Semei ran away to Achis, the son of Maacha, the king of Geth: and it was told Semei that his servants were gone to Geth.
40 And Semei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Achis, to Geth, to seek his servants, and he brought them out of Geth.
41 And it was told Solomon, that Semei had gone from Jerusalem to Geth, and was come back.
42 And sending he called for him, and said to him: Did I not protest to thee by the Lord, and tell thee before: On what day soever thou shalt go out and walk abroad any where, know that thou shalt die?  And thou answeredst me: The word that I have heard is good.
43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I laid upon thee?
44 And the king said to Semei: Thou knowest all the evil, of which thy heart is conscious, which thou didst to David, my father: the Lord hath returned thy wickedness upon thy own head.
45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever.
46 So the king commanded Banaias, the son of Joiada: and he went out and struck him; and he died.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2990, A.C. 1014.
3:  Deut. xvii. 19.
5:  2 Kings iii. 27.
7:  2 Kings xix. 31.
8:  2 Kings xix. 23. and xvi. 5. and xix. 19.
10:  Acts ii. 29.
11:  1 Par. xxix. 27.
27:  1 Kings ii. 31.
32:  2 Kings iii. 27.
====================

3 KINGS 3
CHAPTER III.

Solomon marrieth Pharao's daughter.  He sacrifices in Gabaon: in the choice which God gave him, he preferreth wisdom.  His wise judgment between the two harlots.

1 And* the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon, and he made affinity with Pharao, the king of Egypt: for he took his daughter, and brought her into the city of David: **until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 But yet the people sacrificed in the high places: for there was no temple built to the name of the Lord until that day.
3 And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the precepts of David, his father; only he sacrificed in the high places, and burnt incense.
4 He went therefore to Gabaon, to sacrifice there: for that was the great high place: a thousand victims for holocausts, did Solomon offer upon that altar, in Gabaon.
5 And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee.
6 And Solomon said: Thou hast shewed great mercy to thy servant David, my father, even at, he walked before thee in truth, and justice, and an upright heart with thee: and thou hast kept thy great mercy for him, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 And now, O Lord God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David, my father: and I am but a child, and know not how to go out and come in;
8 And thy servant is in the midst of the people which thou hast chosen, an immense people, which cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 *Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil.  For who shall be able to judge this people, thy people, which is so numerous?
10 And the word was pleasing to the Lord, that Solomon had asked such a thing.
11 And the Lord said to Solomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life or riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment;
12 Behold I have done for thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart, in so much that there hath been no one like thee before thee, nor shall arise after thee.
13 *Yea, and the things also which thou didst not ask, I have given thee: to wit, riches and glory: as that no one hath been like unto thee, among the kings, in all days heretofore.
14 And, if thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my precepts and my commandments, as thy father walked, I will lengthen thy days.
15 And Solomon awaked, and perceived that it was a dream: and when he was come to Jerusalem, he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered holocausts, and sacrificed victims of peace-offerings, and made a great feast for all his servants.
16 Then there came two women that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him.
17 And one of them said: I beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the chamber.
18 And the third day after that I was delivered, she also was delivered; and we were together, and no other person with us in the house; only we two.
19 And this woman's child died in the night: for in her sleep she overlaid him.
20 And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while I, thy handmaid, was asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 And when I arose in the morning, to give my child suck, behold it was dead: but considering him more diligently, when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bore.
22 And the other woman answered: It is not so as thou sayest, but thy child is dead, and mine is alive.  On the contrary, she said; Thou liest: for my child liveth, and thy child is dead.  And in this manner they strove before the king.
23 Then said the king: The one saith, My child is alive, and thy child is dead.  And the other answereth: Nay; but thy child is dead, and mine liveth.
24 The king therefore said: Bring me a sword.  And when they had brought a sword before the king,
25 Divide, said he, the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
26 But the woman whose child was alive, said to the king; (for her bowels were moved upon her child) I beseech thee, my lord, give her the child alive, and do not kill it.  But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor thine; but divide it.
27 The king answered, and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed; for she is the mother thereof.
28 And all Israel heard the judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2991, A.C. 1013.; 2 Par. i. 1. --- ** 1 Par. viii. 11.
9:  2 Par. i. 10.
13:  Wis. vii. 11.; Mat. vi. 21.
====================

3 KINGS 4
CHAPTER IV.

Solomon's chief officers.  His riches and wisdom.

1 And king Solomon reigned over all Israel:
2 And these were the princes which he had: Azarias, the son of Sadoc, the priest:
3 Elihoreph, and Ahia, the sons of Sisa, scribes: Josaphat, the son of Ahilud, recorder:
4 Banaias, the son of Joiada, over the army: and Sadoc, and Abiathar, priests.
5 Azarias, the son of Nathan, over them that were about the king: Zabud, the son of Nathan, the priest, the king's friend:
6 And Ahisar, governor of the house: and Adoniram, the son of Abda, over the tribute.
7 And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and for his household: for every one provided necessaries, each man his month in the year.
8 And these are their names: Benhur, in Mount Ephraim,
9 Bendecar, in Macces, and in Salebim, and in Bethsames, and in Elon, and in Bethanan.
10 Benhesed, in Aruboth: his was Socho, and all the land of Epher.
11 Benabinadab, to whom belonged all Nephath-Dor: he had Tapheth, the daughter of Solomon, to wife.
12 Bana, the son of Ahilud, who governed Thanac, and Mageddo, and all Bethsan, which is by Sarthana, beneath Jezrael, from Bethsan unto Abelmehula, over-against Jecmaan.
13 Bengaber, in Ramoth Galaad: he had the towns of Jair, the son of Manasses, in Galaad: he was chief in all the country of Argob, which is in Basan, threescore great cities with walls, and brazen bolts.
14 Ahinadab, the son of Addo, was chief in Manaim.
15 Achimaas, in Nephthali: he also had Basemath, the daughter of Solomon, to wife.
16 Baana the son of Husi, in Aser, and in Baloth.
17 Josaphat, the son of Pharue, in Issachar.
18 Semei, the son of Ela, in Benjamin.
19 Gaber, the son of Uri, in the land of Galaad, in the land of Sehon, the king of the Amorrhites, and of Og, the king of Basan, over all that were in that land.
20 Juda and Israel were innumerable, as the sand of the sea in multitude; eating and drinking, and rejoicing.
21 *And Solomon had under him all the kingdoms, from the river to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt: and they brought him presents, and served him all the days of his life.
22 And the provision of Solomon, for each day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal;
23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty out of the pastures, and a hundred rams; besides venison of harts, roes, and buffaloes, and fatted fowls.
24 For he had all the country which was beyond the river, from Thaphsa to Gazan, and all the kings of those countries: and he had peace on every side round about.
25 And Juda, and Israel, dwelt without any fear, every one under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon.
26 *And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses, and twelve thousand for the saddle.
27 And the foresaid governors of the king fed them; and they furnished the necessaries also for king Solomon's table, with great care, in their time.
28 They brought barley also, and straw for the horses and beasts, to the place where the king was, according as it was appointed them.
29 And God gave to Solomon wisdom, and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, as the sand that is on the sea shore.
30 And the wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the Orientals, and of the Egyptians;
31 *And he was wiser than all men: wiser than Ethan, the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Dorda, the sons of Mahol, and he was renowned in all nations round about.
32 Solomon also spoke three thousand parables: and his poems were a thousand and five.
33 And he treated about trees, from the cedar that is in Libanus, unto the hyssop that cometh out of the wall: and he discoursed of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
34 And they came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who heard of his wisdom.
____________________
*
21:  Eccli. xlvii. 15.
26:  2 Par. ix. 25.
31:  Eccli. xlvii. 16.
====================

3 KINGS 5
CHAPTER V.

Hiram, king of Tyre, agreeth to furnish timber and workmen for building the temple: the number of workmen and overseers.

1 And* Hiram, king of Tyre, sent his servants to Solomon: for he heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram had always been David's friend.
2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying:
3 Thou knowest the will of David, my father, and that he could not build a house to the name of the Lord his God, because of the wars that were round about him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet.
4 But now the Lord my God hath given me rest round about; and there is no adversary nor evil occurrence.
5 Wherefore I purpose to build a temple to the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David, my father, saying: *Thy son, whom I will set upon the throne, in thy place, he shall build a house to my name.
6 Give orders, therefore, that thy servants cut me down cedar-trees, out of Libanus, and let my servants be with thy servants: and I will give thee the hire of thy servants whatsoever thou wilt ask: for thou knowest how there is not among my people a man that has skill to hew wood like to the Sidonians.
7 Now when Hiram had heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced exceedingly, and said: Blessed be the Lord God this day, who hath given to David a very wise son over this numerous people.
8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying: I have heard all thou hast desired of me; and I will do all thy desire concerning cedar-trees, and fir-trees.
9 My servants shall bring them down from Libanus to the sea: and I will put them together in floats, on the sea, and convey them to the place, which thou shalt signify to me; and will land them there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt allow me necessaries to furnish food for my household.
10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar-trees, and fir-trees, according to all his desire.
11 And Solomon allowed Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat, for provision for his house, and twenty measures of the purest oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram every year.
12 *And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they two made a league together.
13 And king Solomon chose workmen out of all Israel, and the levy was of thirty thousand men.
14 And he sent them to Libanus, ten thousand every month, by turns, so that two months they were at home: and Adoniram was over this levy.
15 And Solomon had seventy thousand to carry burdens, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountain:
16 Besides the overseers who were over every work, in number three thousand and three hundred, that ruled over the people, and them that did the work.
17 And the king commanded that they should bring great stones, costly stones, for the foundation of the temple, and should square them:
18 And the masons of Solomon, and the masons of Hiram, hewed them: and the Giblians prepared timber and stones to build the house.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2992, A.C. 1012.
5:  2 Kings vii. 13.; 1 Par. xxii. 10.
12:  Supra iii. 12.
====================

3 KINGS 6
CHAPTER VI.

The building of Solomon's temple.

1 And *it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of the reign of Solomon over Israel, in the month Zio, (the same is the second month) he began to build a house to the Lord.
2 And the house, which king Solomon built to the Lord, was threescore cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and thirty cubits in height.
3 And there was a porch before the temple, of twenty cubits in length, according to the measure of the breadth of the temple: and it was ten cubits in breadth, before the face of the temple.
4 And he made in the temple oblique windows.
5 And upon the wall of the temple he built floors round about, in the walls of the house, round about the temple and the oracle, and he made chambers in the sides round about.
6 The floor that was underneath was five cubits in breadth, and the middle floor was six cubits in breadth, and the third door was seven cubits in breadth.  And he put beams in the house round about on the outside, that they might not be fastened in the walls of the temple.
7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stones, hewed and made ready: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house when it was in building.
8 The door, for the middle side, was on the right hand of the house: and by winding-stairs they went up to the middle room, and from the middle to the third.
9 So he built the house, and finished it: and he covered the house with roofs of cedar.
10 And he built a floor over all the house five cubits in height, and he covered the house with timber of cedar.
11 And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying:
12 As for this house, which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments, walking in them, I will fulfil my word to thee, *which I spoke to David thy father.
13 *And I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
15 And he built the walls of the house on the inside, with boards of cedar, from the floor of the house to the top of the walls, and to the roofs, he covered it with boards of cedar on the inside: and he covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
16 And he built up twenty cubits with boards of cedar at the hinder part of the temple, from the floor to the top: and made the inner house of the oracle to be the holy of holies.
17 And the temple itself, before the doors of the oracle, was forty cubits long.
18 And all the house was covered within with cedar, having the turnings, and the joints thereof artfully wrought, and carvings projecting out: all was covered with boards of cedar: and no stone could be seen in the wall at all.
19 And he made the oracle in the midst of the house, in the inner part, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
20 Now the oracle was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in height.  And he covered it, and overlaid it with most pure gold.  And the altar also he covered with cedar.
21 And the house before the oracle he overlaid with most pure gold, and fastened on the plates with nails of gold.
22 And there was nothing in the temple that was not covered with gold: the whole altar of the oracle he covered also with gold.
23 And he made in the oracle two cherubims of olive-tree, of ten cubits in height.
24 One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub was five cubits: that is, in all ten cubits, from the extremity of one wing to the extremity of the other wing.
26 The second cherub also was ten cubits: and the measure, and the work was the same in both the cherubims:
26 That is to say, one cherub was ten cubits high, and in like manner the other cherub.
27 And he set the cherubims in the midst of the inner temple: and the cherubims stretched forth their wings, and the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall: and the other wings in the midst of the temple touched one another.
28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
29 And all the walls of the temple round about he carved with divers figures and carvings: and he made in them cherubims and palm-trees, and divers representations, as it were standing out, and coming forth from the wall.
30 And the floor of the house he also overlaid with gold within and without.
31 And in the entrance of the oracle, he made little doors of olive-tree, and posts of five corners,
32 And two doors of olive-tree: and he carved upon them figures of cherubims, and figures of palm-trees, and carvings very much projecting; and he overlaid them with gold: and he covered both the cherubims and the palm-trees, and the other things, with gold.
33 And he made in the entrance of the temple posts of olive-tree four-square:
34 And two doors of fir-tree, one of each side: and each door was double, and so opened with folding-leaves.
35 And he carved cherubims, and palm-trees, and carved work standing very much out: and he overlaid all with golden plates in square work by rule.
36 And he built the inner court with three rows of polished stones, and one row of beams of cedar.
37 In the fourth year was the house of the Lord founded, in the month Zio:
38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, (which is the eighth month) the house was finished in all the works thereof, and in all the appurtenances thereof: and he was seven years in building it.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 2092, A.C. 1012.; 2 Par. iii. 1.
12:  2 Kings vii. 16.
13:  1 Par. xxii. 9.
====================

3 KINGS 7
CHAPTER VII.

Solomon's palace, his house in the forest, and the queen's house: the work of the two pillars: the sea (or laver) and other vessels.

1 And Solomon built his own house in *thirteen years, and brought it to perfection.
2 He built also the house of the forest of Libanus; the length of it was a hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty cubits, and the height thirty cubits: and four galleries between pillars of cedar: for he had cut cedar-trees into pillars.
3 And he covered the whole vault with boards of cedar, and it was held up with five and forty pillars.  And one row had fifteen pillars,
4 Set one against another,
5 And looking one upon another, with equal space between the pillars, and over the pillars were square beams in all things equal.
6 And he made a porch of pillars of fifty cubits in length, and thirty cubits in breadth: and another porch before the greater porch, and pillars, and chapiters upon the pillars.
7 He made also the porch of the throne wherein is the seat of judgment; and covered it with cedar-wood from the floor to the top.
8 And in the midst of the porch, was a small house, where he sat in judgment of the like work.  He made also a house for the daughter of Pharao (*whom Solomon had taken to wife) of the same work, as this porch;
9 All of costly stones, which were sawed by a certain rule and measure, both within and without: from the foundation to the top of the walls, and without, unto the great court.
10 And the foundations were of costly stones, great stones of ten cubits or eight cubits.
11 And above there were costly stones of equal measure, hewed, and, in like manner planks of cedar.
12 And the greater court was made round with three rows of hewed stones, and one row of planks of cedar, which also was observed in the inner court of the house of the Lord, and in the porch of the house.
13 And king Solomon sent, and brought Hiram from Tyre,
14 The son of a widow woman, of the tribe of Nephthali, whose father was a Tyrian, an artificer in brass, and full of wisdom, and understanding, and skill to work all work in brass.  And when he was come to king Solomon, he wrought all his work.
15 And he cast two pillars in brass, each pillar was eighteen cubits high: *and a line of twelve cubits compassed both the pillars.
16 He made also two chapiters of molten brass, to be set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:
17 And a kind of net-work, and chain-work wreathed together with wonderful art.  Both the chapiters of the pillars were cast: seven rows of nets were on one chapiter, and seven nets on the other chapiter.
18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about each net-work to cover the chapiters, that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and in like manner did he to the other chapiter.
19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars, were of lily-work in the porch of four cubits.
20 And again there were other chapiters on the top of the pillars above, according to the measure of the pillar over-against the net-work: and of pomegranates there were two hundred, in rows round about the other chapiter.
21 And he set up the two pillars in the porch of the temple: and when he had set up the pillar on the right hand, he called the name thereof Jachin: in like manner he set up the second pillar, and called the name thereof Booz.
22 And upon the tops of the pillars he made lily-work: so the work of the pillars was finished.
23 *He made also a molten sea of ten cubits, from brim to brim, round all about; the height of it was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about.
24 And a graven work, under the brim of it, compassed it for ten cubits going about the sea: there were two rows cast of chamfered sculptures.
25 And it stood upon twelve oxen, of which three looked towards the north, and three towards the west, and three towards the south, and three towards the east: and the sea was above upon them, and their hinder parts were all hid within.
26 And the laver was a handbreadth thick: and the brim thereof was like the brim of a cup, or the leaf of a crisped lily: it contained two thousand bates.
27 And he made ten bases of brass, every base was four cubits in length, and four cubits in breadth, and three cubits high.
28 And the work itself of the bases, was intergraven: and there were gravings between the joinings.
29 And between the little crowns and the ledges, were lions, and oxen, and cherubims: and in the joinings likewise above: and under the lions and oxen, as it were bands of brass hanging down.
30 And every base had four wheels, and axle-trees of brass: and at the four sides were undersetters, under the laver molten, looking one against another.
31 The mouth also of the laver within, was in the top of the chapiter: and that which appeared without, was of one cubit all round, and together it was one cubit and a half: and in the corners of the pillars were divers engravings: and the spaces between the pillars were square, not round.
32 And the four wheels, which were at the four corners of the base, were joined one to another under the base: the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half.
33 And they were such wheels as are used to be made in a chariot: and their axle-trees, and spokes, and strakes, and naves, were all cast.
34 And the four undersetters, that were at every corner of each base, were of the base itself, cast and joined together.
35 And in the top of the base, there was a round compass of half a cubit, so wrought that the laver might be set thereon, having its gravings, and divers sculptures of itself.
36 He engraved also in those plates, which were of brass, and in the corners, cherubims, and lions, and palm-trees, in likeness of a man standing, so that they seemed not to be engraven, but added round about.
37 After this manner, he made ten bases, of one casting and measure, and the like graving.
38 He made also ten lavers of brass: one laver contained four bates, and was of four cubits: and upon every base, in all ten, he put as many lavers.
39 And he set the ten bases, five on the right side of the temple, and five on the left: and the sea he put on the right side of the temple, over-against the east, southward.
40 And Hiram made cauldrons, and shovels, and basins, and finished all the work of king Solomon in the temple of the Lord.
41 The two pillars and the two cords of the chapiters, upon the chapiters of the pillars: and the two net-works, to cover the two cords, that were upon the top of the pillars.
42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two net-works: two rows of pomegranates for each net-work, to cover the cords of the chapiters, which were upon the tops of the pillars.
43 And the ten bases, and the ten lavers on the bases.
44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea.
45 And the cauldrons, and the shovels, and the basins.  All the vessels that Hiram made for king Solomon, for the house of the Lord, were of fine brass.
46 In the plains of the Jordan, did the king cast them in a clay ground, between Socoth and Sarthan.
47 And Solomon placed all the vessels: but for exceeding great multitude the brass could not be weighed.
48 And Solomon made all the vessels for the house of the Lord: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, upon which the leaves of proposition should be set:
49 And the golden candlesticks, five on the right hand, and five on the left, over-against the oracle, of pure gold: and the flowers like lilies, and the lamps over them of gold: and golden snuffers,
50 And pots, and flesh-hooks, and bowls, and mortars, and censers, of most pure gold: and the hinges for the doors of the inner house of the holy of holies, and for the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.
51 *And Solomon finished all the work that he made in the house of the Lord, and brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver and the gold, and the vessels, and laid them up in the treasures of the house of the Lord.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3000, A.C. 1004.; Supra vi. 38. and Infra ix. 10.
8:  Supra iii. 1.
15:  Jer. lii.21.
23:  2 Par. iv. 2.
51:  2 Par. v. 1.
====================

3 KINGS 8
CHAPTER VIII.

The dedication of the temple: Solomon's prayer and sacrifices.

1 Then* all the ancients of Israel, with the princes of the tribes, and the heads of the families of the children of Israel, were assembled to king Solomon, in Jerusalem: that they might carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, out of the city of David, that is, out of Sion.
2 And all Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon, on the festival day, in the month of Ethanim, the same is the seventh month.
3 And all the ancients of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark,
4 And carried the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacle of the covenant, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, that were in the tabernacle: and the priests and the Levites carried them.
5 And king Solomon, and all the multitude of Israel, that were assembled unto him, went with him before the ark, and they sacrificed sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered.
6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord into its place, into the oracle of the temple, into the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubims.
7 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and covered the ark, and the staves thereof above.
8 And whereas the staves stood out, the ends of them were seen without, in the sanctuary before the oracle, but were not seen farther out, and there they have been unto this day.
9 Now in the ark there was nothing else *but the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the sanctuary, that a cloud filled the house of the Lord,
11 And the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.
12 Then Solomon said: *The Lord said that he would dwell in a cloud.
13 Building, I have built a house for thy dwelling, to be thy most firm throne for ever.
14 And the king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: for all the assembly of Israel stood.
15 And Solomon said: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David, my father, and with his own hands hath accomplished it, saying:
16 Since the day that I brought my people Israel, out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel, for a house to be built, that my name might be there: but I chose David to be over my people Israel.
17 *And David, my father, would have built a house to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel:
18 And the Lord said to David, my father: Whereas thou hast thought in thy heart to build a house to my name, thou hast done well in having this same thing in thy mind.
19 Nevertheless, thou shalt not build me a house, but thy son, that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build a house to my name.
20 The Lord hath performed his word which he spoke: and I stand in the room of David, my father, and sit upon the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised: and have built a house to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
21 And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with our fathers, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in the sight of the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands towards heaven,
23 And said: Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath: who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that have walked before thee with all their heart:
24 Who hast kept with thy servant David, my father, what thou hast promised him: with thy mouth thou didst speak, and with thy hands thou hast performed, as this day proveth.
25 Now, therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David, my father, what thou hast spoken to him, saying: *There shall not be taken away of thee a man in my sight, to sit on the throne of Israel: yet so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked in my sight.
26 And now, Lord God of Israel, let thy words be established, which thou hast spoken to thy servant David, my father.
27 Is it then to be thought that God should indeed dwell upon earth? for if heaven, and the heavens of heavens, cannot contain thee, how much less this house which I have built?
28 But have regard to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplications, O Lord, my God: hear the hymn and the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee this day:
29 That thy eyes may be open upon this house, night and day: upon the house of which thou hast said: *My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken to the prayer which thy servant prayeth, in this place to thee:
30 That thou mayest hearken to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, whatsoever they shall pray for in this place, and hear them in the place of thy dwelling in heaven; and when thou hearest, shew them mercy.
31 If any man trespass against his neighbour, and have an oath upon him, wherewith he is bound, and come, because of the oath, before thy altar, to thy house,
32 Then hear thou in heaven: and do and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, and bringing his way upon his own head, and justifying the just, and rewarding him according to his justice.
33 If thy people Israel shall fly before their enemies (because they will sin against thee) and doing penance, and confessing to thy name, shall come and pray, and make supplications to thee in this house:
34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them back to the land which thou gavest to their fathers.
35 If heaven shall be shut up, and there shall be no rain, because of their sins, and they, praying in this place, shall do penance to thy name, and shall be converted from their sins, by occasion of their afflictions:
36 Then hear thou them in heaven, and forgive the sins of thy servants, and of thy people Israel: and shew them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people in possession.
37 If a famine arise in the land, or a pestilence, or corrupt air, or blasting, or locust, or mildew; if their enemy afflict them, besieging the gates, whatsoever plague, whatsoever infirmity,
38 Whatsoever curse or imprecation shall happen to any man of thy people Israel: when a man shall know the wound of his own heart, and shall spread forth his hands in this house;
39 Then hear thou in heaven, in the place of thy dwelling, and forgive, and do so as to give to every one according to his ways, as thou shalt see his heart (for thou only knowest the heart of all the children of men)
40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live upon the face of the land, which thou hast given to our fathers.
41 Moreover also the stranger, who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake, (for they shall hear every where of thy great name, and thy mighty hand,
42 And thy stretched out arm) so when he shall come, and shall pray in this place,
43 Then hear thou in heaven, in the firmament of thy dwelling-place, and do all those things, for which that stranger shall call upon thee: that all the people of the earth may learn to fear thy name, as do thy people Israel, and may prove that thy name is called upon on this house, which I have built.
44 If thy people go out to war against their enemies, by what way soever thou shalt send them, they shall pray to thee towards the way of the city, which thou hast chosen, and towards the house, which I have built to thy name:
45 And then hear thou in heaven their prayers, and their supplications, and do judgment for them.
46 But if they sin against thee, (*for there is no man who sinneth not) and thou being angry, deliver them up to their enemies, so that they be led away captives into the land of their enemies, far or near;
47 Then if they do penance in their heart, in the place of captivity, and being converted, make supplication to thee in their captivity, saying: We have sinned, we have done unjustly, we have committed wickedness:
48 And return to thee with all their heart, and all their soul, in the land of their enemies, to which they had been led captives: and pray to thee towards the way of their land, which thou gavest to their fathers, and of the city which thou hast chosen, and of the temple which I have built to thy name:
49 Then hear thou in heaven, in the firmament of thy throne, their prayers, and their supplications, and do judgment for them:
50 And forgive thy people, that have sinned against thee, and all their iniquities, by which they have transgressed against thee: and give them mercy before them that have made them captives, that they may have compassion on them.
51 For they are thy people, and thy inheritance, whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron.
52 That thy eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, to hear them in all things for which they shall call upon thee.
53 For thou hast separated them to thyself for an inheritance, from amongst all the people of the earth, as thou hast spoken by Moses, thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.
54 And it came to pass, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he rose from before the altar of the Lord: for he had fixed both knees on the ground, and had spread his hands towards heaven.
55 And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:
56 Blessed be the Lord, who hath given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed so much as one word of all the good things that he promised by his servant Moses.
57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers, and not leave us, nor cast us off:
58 But may he incline our hearts to himself, that we may walk in all his ways, and keep his commandments, and his ceremonies, and all his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
59 And let these my words, wherewith I have prayed before the Lord, he nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he may do judgment for his servant, and for his people Israel, day by day:
60 That all the people of the earth may know, that the Lord he is God, and there is no other besides him.
61 Let our hearts also be perfect with the Lord our God, that we may walk in his statutes, and keep his commandments, as at this day.
62 And the king, and all Israel him, offered victims before the Lord.
63 And Solomon slew victims of peace-offerings, which he sacrificed to the Lord, two and twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king, and all the children of Israel, dedicated the temple of the Lord.
64 In that day the king sanctified the middle of the court, that was before the house of the Lord; for there he offered the holocaust, and sacrifice, and fat of the peace-offerings: because the brazen altar that was before the Lord, was too little to receive the holocaust, and sacrifice, and fat of the peace-offerings.
65 And Solomon made at the same time a solemn feast, and all Israel with him, a great multitude, from the entrance of Emath to the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, that is, fourteen days.
66 And on the eighth day, he sent away the people: and they blessed the king, and went to their dwellings, rejoicing, and glad in heart, for all the good things that the Lord had done for David, his servant, and for Israel, his people.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3001, A.C. 1003.; 2 Par. v. 2.
9:  Exod. xxxiv. 27.; Heb. ix. 4.
12:  2 Par. vi. 1.
17:  2 Kings vii. 5.
25:  2 Kings vii. 12.
29:  Deut. xii. 11.
46:  2 Par. vi. 36.; Eccle. vii. 21.; 1 John i. 8.
====================

3 KINGS 9
CHAPTER IX.

The Lord appeareth again to Solomon: he buildeth cities: he sendeth a fleet to Ophir.

1 And it came to pass when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all that he desired and was pleased to do,
2 That the Lord appeared to him the second time, *as he had appeared to him in Gabaon.
3 And the Lord said to him: I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, which thou hast made before me: I have sanctified this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and my eyes, and my heart, shall be there always.
4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as thy father walked, in simplicity of heart, and in uprightness: and wilt do all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my ordinances, and my judgments,
5 *I will establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel for ever, as I promised David, thy father, saying: There shall not fail a man of thy race upon the throne of Israel.
6 But if you and your children, revolting, shall turn away from following me, and will not keep my commandments, and my ceremonies, which I have set before you, but will go and worship strange gods, and adore them:
7 I will take away Israel from the face of the land which I have given them; and the temple which I have sanctified to my name, I will cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb, and a by-word among all people.
8 And this house shall be made an example of: every one that shall pass by it, shall be astonished, and shall hiss, and say: *Why hath the Lord done thus to this land, and to this house?
9 And they shall answer: Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and followed strange gods, and adored them, and worshipped them: therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil.
10 *And when twenty years were ended, after Solomon had built the two houses; that is, the house of the Lord, and the house of the king,
11 (Hiram, the king of Tyre, furnishing Solomon with cedar-trees and fir-trees, and gold, according to all he had need of) then Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
12 And Hiram came out of Tyre, to see the towns which Solomon had given him, and they pleased him not;
13 And he said: Are these the cities which thou hast given me, brother?  And he called them the land of Chabul, unto this day.
14 And Hiram sent to king Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold.
15 This is the sum of the expences, which king Solomon offered to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Mello, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Heser, and Mageddo, and Gazer.
16 Pharao, the king of Egypt, came up and took Gazer, and burnt it with fire: and slew the Chanaanite that dwelt in the city, and gave it for a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife.
17 So Solomon built Gazer, and Bethhoron the nether,
18 And Baalath, and Palmira, in the land of the wilderness.
19 And all the towns that belonged to himself, and were not walled, he fortified; the cities also of the chariots, and the cities of the horsemen, and whatsoever he had a mind to build in Jerusalem, and in Libanus, and in all the land of his dominion.
20 All the people that were left of the Amorrhites, and Hethites, and Pherezites, and Hevites, and Jebusites, that are not of the children of Israel:
21 Their children, that were left in the land; to wit, such as the children of Israel had not been able to destroy, Solomon made tributary unto this day.
22 But of the children of Israel, Solomon made not any to be bond-men, but they were warriors, and his servants, and his princes, and captains, and overseers of the chariots and horses.
23 And there were five hundred and fifty chief officers set over all the works of Solomon, and they had people under them, and had charge over the appointed works.
24 *And the daughter of Pharao came up out of the city of David to her house, which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Mello.
25 Solomon also offered three times every year holocausts, and victims of peace-offerings upon the altar which he had built to the Lord, and he burnt incense before the Lord: and the temple was finished.
26 And king Solomon made a fleet in Asiongaber, which is by Ailath, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.
27 And Hiram sent his servants in the fleet, sailors that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
28 And they came to Ophir; and they brought from thence to king Solomon four hundred and twenty talents of gold.
____________________
*
2:  Supra iii. 5.; 2 Par. vii. 12.
5:  2 Kings vii. 12. and 16.
8:  Deut. xxix. 24.; Jerem. xxii. 8.
10:  2 Par. viii. 1.
24:  2 Par. viii. 11.
====================

3 KINGS 10
CHAPTER X.

The queen of Saba cometh to king Solomon: his riches and glory.

1 And *the queen of Saba having heard of the fame of Solomon in the name of the Lord, came to try him with hard questions.
2 And entering into Jerusalem, with a great train, and riches, and camels that carried spices, and an immense quantity of gold, and precious stones, she came to king Solomon, and spoke to him all that she had in her heart.
3 And Solomon informed her of all the things she proposed to him: there was not any word the king was ignorant of, and which he could not answer her.
4 And when the queen of Saba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,
5 And the meat of his table, and the apartments of his servants, and the order of his ministers, and their apparel, and the cup-bearers, and the holocausts, which he offered in the house of the Lord, she had no longer any spirit in her;
6 And she said to the king: The report is true, which I heard in my own country,
7 Concerning thy words, and concerning thy wisdom.  And I did not believe them that told me, till I came myself, and saw with my own eyes, and have found that the half hath not been told me: thy wisdom and thy works exceed the fame which I heard.
8 Blessed are thy men, and blessed are thy servants, who stand before thee always, and hear thy wisdom.
9 Blessed be the Lord thy God, whom thou hast pleased, and who hath set thee upon the throne of Israel, because the Lord hath loved Israel for ever, and hath appointed thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10 *And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices a very great store, and precious stones: there was brought no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.
11 (*The navy also of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir great plenty of thyine-trees, and precious stones.
12 And the king made of the thyine-trees the rails of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and citterns and harps for singers: there were no such thyine-trees as these brought nor seen unto this day.)
13 And king Solomon gave the queen of Saba all that she desired, and asked of him: besides what he offered her of himself of his royal bounty.  And she returned, and went to her own country, with her servants.
14 And the weight of the gold that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold:
15 Besides that which the men brought him that were over the tributes, and the merchants, and they that sold by retail, and all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the country.
16 And Solomon made two hundred shields of the purest gold: he allowed six hundred sicles of gold for the plates of one shield.
17 And three hundred targets of fine gold: three hundred pounds of gold covered one target: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Libanus.
18 King Solomon also made a great throne of ivory: and overlaid it with the finest gold.
19 It had six steps: and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were two hands on either side holding the seat: and two lions stood, one at each hand.
20 And twelve little lions stood upon the six steps, on the one side and on the other: there was no such work made in any kingdom.
21 Moreover, all the vessels out of which king Solomon drank, were of gold: and all the furniture of the house of the forest of Libanus was of most pure gold: there was no silver, nor was any account made of it in the days of Solomon:
22 For the king's navy, once in three years, went with the navy of Hiram by sea to Tharsis, and brought from thence gold, and silver, and elephants' teeth, and apes, and peacocks.
23 And king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
24 And all the earth desired to see Solomon's face, to hear his wisdom, which God had given in his heart.
25 And every one brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules, every year.
26 *And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen, and he had a thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen: and he bestowed them in fenced cities, and with the king in Jerusalem.
27 And he made silver to be as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars to be as common as sycamores which grow in the plains.
28 And horses were brought for Solomon out of Egypt, and Coa: for the king's merchants brought them out of Coa, and bought them at a set price.
29 And a chariot of four horses came out of Egypt, for six hundred sicles of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty.  And after this manner did all the kings of the Hethites, and of Syria, sell horses.
____________________
*
1:  2 Par. ix. 1.; Matt. xii. 42.; Luke xi. 31.
10:  2 Par. ix. 9.
11:  2 Par. ix. 10.
26:  2 Par. i. 14.
====================

3 KINGS 11
CHAPTER XI.

Solomon, by means of his wives, falleth into idolatry: God raiseth him adversaries, Adad, Razon, and Jeroboam: Solomon dieth.

1 And king Solomon *loved many strange women, besides the daughter of Pharao, and women of Moab, and of Ammon, and of Edom, and of Sidon, and of the Hethites:
2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said to the children of Israel: *You shall not go in unto them, neither shall any of them come into yours: for they will most certainly turn away your hearts to follow their gods.  And to these was Solomon joined with a most ardent love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives as queens, and three hundred concubines: and the women turned away his heart.
4 And when he was now old, *his heart was turned away by women to follow strange gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David, his father.
5 But Solomon worshipped Astarthe, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Moloch, the idol of the Ammonites.
6 And Solomon did that which was not pleasing before the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as David, his father.
7 Then Solomon built a temple for Chamos, the idol of Moab, on the hill that is over-against Jerusalem, and for Moloch, the idol of the children of Ammon.
8 And he did in this manner for all his wives that were strangers, who burnt incense, and offered sacrifice to their gods.
9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his mind was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, *who had appeared to him twice;
10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not follow strange gods: but he kept not the things which the Lord commanded him.
11 The Lord therefore said to Solomon: Because thou hast done this, and hast not kept my covenant, and my precepts, which I have commanded thee, I will divide and rend thy kingdom, and will give it to thy servant.
12 *Nevertheless, in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
13 Neither will I take away the whole kingdom; but I will give one tribe to thy son, for the sake of David, my servant, and Jerusalem, which I have chosen.
14 And the Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon, Adad, the Edomite, of the king's seed, in Edom.
15 *For when David was in Edom, and Joab, the general of the army, was gone up to bury them that were slain, and had killed every male in Edom,
16 (For Joab remained there six months with all Israel, till he had slain every male in Edom,)
17 Then Adad fled, he and certain Edomites, of his father's servants, with him, to go into Egypt: and Adad was then a little boy.
18 And they arose out of Madian, and came into Pharan, and they took men with them from Pharan, and went into Egypt, to Pharao, the king of Egypt: who gave him a house, and appointed him victuals, and assigned him land.
19 And Adad found great favour before Pharao, insomuch that he gave him to wife the own sister of his wife, Taphnes, the queen.
20 And the sister of Taphnes bore him his son, Genubath; and Taphnes brought him up in the house of Pharao: and Genubath dwelt with Pharao among his children.
21 And when Adad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab, the general of the army, was dead, he said to Pharao: Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.
22 And Pharao said to him: Why, what is wanting to thee with me, that thou seekest to go to thy own country?  But he answered: Nothing; yet I beseech thee to let me go.
23 God also raised up against him an adversary, Razon, the son of Eliada, *who had fled from his master, Adarezer, the king of Soba.
24 And he gathered men against him, and he became a captain of robbers, when David slew them of Soba: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt there, and they made him king in Damascus.
25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon: and this is the evil of Adad, and his hatred against Israel; and he reigned in Syria.
26 *Jeroboam also, the son of Nabat, an Ephrathite, of Sareda, a servant of Solomon, whose mother was named Sarua, a widow woman, lifted up his hand against the king.
27 And this is the cause of his rebellion against him; for Solomon built Mello, and filled up the breach of the city of David, his father.
28 And Jeroboam was a valiant and mighty man: and Solomon seeing him a young man ingenious and industrious, made him chief over the tributes of all the house of Joseph.
29 *So it came to pass at that time, that Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, and the prophet Ahias, the Silonite, clad with a new garment, found him in the way: and they two were alone in the field.
30 And Ahias taking his new garment, wherewith he was clad, divided it into twelve parts:
31 31And he said to Jeroboam: Take to thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give thee ten tribes.
32 But one tribe shall remain to him for the sake of my servant, David, and Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:
33 Because he hath forsaken me, and hath adored Astarthe, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Chamos, the god of Moab, and Moloch, the god of the children of Ammon: and hath not walked in my ways, to do justice before me, and to keep my precepts, and judgments, as did David, his father.
34 Yet I will not take away all the kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, who kept my commandments, and my precepts.
35 But I will take away the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give thee ten tribes:
36 And to his son I will give one tribe, that there may remain a lamp for my servant David, before me always in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen, that my name might be there.
37 And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign over all that thy soul desireth, and thou shalt be king over Israel.
38 If then thou wilt hearken to all that I shall command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do what is right before me, keeping my commandments, and my precepts, as David, my servant, did: I will be with thee, and will build thee up a faithful house, as I built a house for David, and I will deliver Israel to thee:
39 And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but yet not for ever.
40 Solomon, therefore, sought to kill Jeroboam: but he arose, and fled into Egypt, to Sesac, the king of Egypt, and was in Egypt till the death of Solomon.
41 And the rest of the words of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom: behold they are all written in the Book of the words of the days of Solomon.
42 And the days that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all Israel, were forty years.
43 And *Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David, his father, and Roboam, his son, reigned in his stead.
____________________
*
1:  Deut. xvii. 17.; Eccli. xlvii. 21.
2:  Exod. xxxiv. 16.
4:  A.M. 3023, A.C. 981.
9:  Supra ix. 2.
12:  Infra xii. 15.
15:  2 Kings viii. 14.
23:  2 Kings viii. 6.; 1 Par. xviii. 6.
26:  2 Par. xiii. 6.
29:  2 Par. x. 15.
43:  A.M. 3029, A.C. 975.
====================

3 KINGS 12
CHAPTER XII.

Roboam, following the counsel of young men, alienateth from him the minds of the people.  They make Jeroboam king over ten tribes: he setteth up idolatry.

1 And *Roboam went to Sichem: for thither were all Israel come together to make him king.
2 But Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who was yet in Egypt, a fugitive from the face of king Solomon, hearing of his death, returned out of Egypt.
3 And they sent and called him: and Jeroboam came, and all the multitude of Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:
4 Thy father laid a grievous yoke upon us: now, therefore, do thou take off a little of the grievous service of thy father, and of his most heavy yoke, which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
5 And he said to them: Go till the third day, and come to me again.  And when the people was gone,
6 King Roboam took counsel with the old men, that stood before Solomon, his father, while he yet lived, and he said: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people?
7 They said to him: If thou wilt yield to this people to-day, and condescend to them, and grant their petition, and wilt speak gentle words to them, they will be thy servants always.
8 But he left the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and stood before him.
9 And he said to them: What counsel do you give me, that I may answer this people, who have said to me: Make the yoke, which thy father put upon us, lighter?
10 And the young men that had been brought up with him, said: Thus shalt thou speak to this people, who have spoken to thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease us.  Thou shalt say to them: My little finger is thicker than the back of my father.
11 And now my father put a heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.
12 So Jeroboam, and all the people, came to Roboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying: Come to me again the third day.
13 And the king answered the people roughly, leaving the counsel of the old men, which they had given him,
14 And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying: My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke: my father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions.
15 And the king condescended not to the people: for the Lord was turned away from him, to make good his word, *which he had spoken in the hand of Ahias, the Silonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.
16 Then the people, seeing that the king would not hearken to them, answered him, saying: What portion have we in David? or what inheritance in the son of Isai?  Go home to thy dwellings, O Israel, now, David, look to thy own house.  So Israel departed to their dwellings.
17 But as for all the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda, Roboam reigned over them.
18 Then king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tribute: and all Israel stoned him, and he died.  Wherefore king Roboam made haste to get him up into his chariot, and he fled to Jerusalem:
19 And Israel revolted from the house of David, unto this day.
20 And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they gathered an assembly, and sent and called him, and made him king over all Israel, and there was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Juda only.
21 And Roboam came to Jerusalem, and gathered together all the house of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred fourscore thousand chosen men for war, to fight against the house of Israel, and to bring the kingdom again under Roboam, the son of Solomon.
22 *But the word of the Lord came to Semeias, the man of God, saying:
23 Speak to Roboam, the son of Solomon, the king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda, and Benjamin, and the rest of the people, saying:
24 Thus saith the Lord: You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren, the children of Israel: let every man return to his house, for this thing is from me.  They hearkened to the word of the Lord, and returned from their journey, as the Lord had commanded them.
25 And Jeroboam built Sichem in Mount Ephraim, and dwelt there, and going out from thence, he built Phanuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart: Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David,
27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem: and the heart of this people will turn to their lord Roboam, the king of Juda, and they will kill me, and return to him.
28 *And finding out a device, he made two golden calves, and said to them: Go ye up no more to Jerusalem: **Behold thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.
29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other in Dan:
30 And this thing became an occasion of sin: for the people went to adore the calf as far as Dan.
31 And he made temples in the high places,* and priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 And he appointed a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, after the manner of the feast that was celebrated in Juda.  And going up to the altar, he did in like manner in Bethel, to sacrifice to the calves, which he had made: and he placed in Bethel priests of the high places, which he had made.
33 And he went up to the altar, which he had built in Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast to the children of Israel, and went up on the altar to burn incense.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3029.; 2 Par. x. 1.
15:  Supra xi. 31.; A.M. 3030, A.C. 974.
22:  2 Par. xi. 2.
28:  Tob. i. 5. --- ** Ex. xxxii. 8.
31:  2 Par. xi. 15.
====================

3 KINGS 13
CHAPTER XIII.

A prophet sent from Juda to Bethel, foretelleth the birth of Josias, and the destruction of Jeroboam's altar.  Jeroboam's hand, offering violence to the prophet, withereth, but is restored by the prophet's prayer: the same prophet is deceived by another prophet, and slain by a lion.

1 And *behold there came a man of God out of Juda, by the word of the Lord, to Bethel, when Jeroboam was standing upon the altar, and burning incense.
2 And he cried out against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said: O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord: *Behold a child shall be born to the house of David, Josias by name, and he shall immolate upon thee the priests of the high places, who now burn incense upon thee, and he shall burn men's bones upon thee.
3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying: This shall be the sign, that the Lord hath spoken: Behold the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it, shall be poured out.
4 And when the king had heard the word of the man of God, which he had cried out against the altar in Bethel, he stretched forth his hand from the altar, saying: Lay hold on him.  And his hand which he stretched forth against him, withered: and he was not able to draw it back again to him.
5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given before in the word of the Lord.
6 And the king said to the man of God: Entreat the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.  And the man of God besought the face of the Lord, and the king's hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before.
7 And the king said to the man of God: Come home with me to dine, and I will make thee presents.
8 And the man of God answered the king: If thou wouldst give me half thy house I will not go with thee, nor eat bread, nor drink water in this place:
9 For so it was enjoined me by the word of the Lord, commanding me: Thou shalt not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way that thou camest.
10 So he departed by another way, and returned not by the way that he came into Bethel.
11 Now a certain old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came to him, and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: and they told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.
12 And their father said to them: What way went he?  His sons shewed him the way by which the man of God went, who came out of Juda.
13 And he said to his sons: Saddle me the ass.  And when they had saddled him, he got up,
14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under a turpentine-tree: and he said to him: Art thou the man of God who camest from Juda?  He answered: I am.
15 And he said to him: Come home with me, to eat bread.
16 But he said: I must not return, nor go with thee, neither will I eat bread, nor drink water in this place:
17 Because the Lord spoke to me, in the word of the Lord, saying: Thou shalt not eat bread, and thou shalt not drink water there, nor return by the way thou wentest.
18 He said to him: I also am a prophet like unto thee: and an angel spoke to me, in the word of the Lord, saying: Bring him back with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread, and drink water.  He deceived him,
19 And brought him back with him: so he ate bread, and drank water in his house.
20 And as they sat at table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet that brought him back:
21 And he cried out to the man of God who came out of Juda, saying: Thus saith the Lord: Because thou hast not been obedient to the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,
22 And hast returned, and eaten bread, and drunk water in the place wherein he commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat bread, nor drink water, thy dead body shall not be brought into the sepulchre of thy fathers.
23 And when he had eaten and drunk, he saddled his ass for the prophet, whom he had brought back.
24 And when he was gone, a lion found him in the way, and killed him, and his body was cast in the way: and the ass stood by him, and the lion stood by the dead body.
25 And behold, men passing by, saw the dead body cast in the way, and the lion standing by the body.  And they came and told it in the city, wherein that old prophet dwelt.
26 And when that prophet, who had brought him back out of the way, heard of it, he said: It is the man of God, that was disobedient to the mouth of the Lord, and the Lord hath delivered him to the lion, and he hath torn him, and killed him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to him.
27 And he said to his sons: Saddle me an ass.  And when they had saddled it,
28 And he was gone, he found the dead body cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcass: the lion had not eaten of the dead body, nor hurt the ass.
29 And the prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and going back brought it into the city of the old prophet, to mourn for him.
30 And he laid his dead body in his own sepulchre: and they mourned over him, saying: Alas! alas, my brother.
31 And when they had mourned over him, he said to his sons: When I am dead, bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried: lay my bones beside his bones.
32 For assuredly the word shall come to pass which he hath foretold in the word of the Lord, against the altar that is in Bethel: and against all the temples of the high places, that are in the cities of Samaria.
33 After these words, Jeroboam came not back from his wicked way: but on the contrary, he made of the meanest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he filled his hand, and he was made a priest of the high places.
34 And for this cause did the house of Jeroboam sin, and was cut off, and destroyed from the face of the earth.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3030.
2:  4 Kings xxiii. 16.
====================

3 KINGS 14
CHAPTER XIV.

Ahias prophesieth the destruction of the family of Jeroboam.  He dieth, and is succeeded by his son Nadab.  The king of Egypt taketh and pillageth Jerusalem.  Roboam dieth, and his son Abiam succeedeth.

1 At that time Abia, the son of Jeroboam, fell sick.
2 And Jeroboam said to his wife: Arise, and change thy dress, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Silo, where Ahias, the prophet is, *who told me that I should reign over this people.
3 Take also with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a pot of honey, and go to him: for he will tell thee what shall become of this child.
4 Jeroboam's wife did as he told her: and rising up, went to Silo, and came to the house of Ahias; but he could not see, for his eyes were dim by reason of his age.
5 And the Lord said to Ahias: Behold the wife of Jeroboam cometh in, to consult thee concerning her son, that is sick: thus and thus shalt thou speak to her.  So when she was coming in, and made as if she were another woman,
6 Ahias heard the sound of her feet, coming in at the door, and said: Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam: why dost thou feign thyself to be another?  But I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.
7 Go, and tell Jeroboam: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: For as much as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel;
8 And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to thee, and thou hast not been as my servant, David, who kept my commandments, and followed me with all his heart, doing that which was well pleasing in my sight:
9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee, and hast made thee strange gods, and molten gods, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
10 Therefore, behold I will bring evils upon the house of Jeroboam, and *will cut of from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up, and the last in Israel: and I will sweep away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as dung is swept away till all be clean.
11 Them that shall die of Jeroboam in the city, the dogs shall eat: and them that shall die in the field, the birds of the air shall devour: for the Lord hath spoken it.
12 Arise thou, therefore, and go to thy house: and when thy feet shall be entering into the city, the child shall die,
13 And all Israel shall mourn for him, and shall bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall be laid in a sepulchre, because in his regard there is found a good word from the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.
14 And the Lord hath appointed himself a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam in this day, and in this time:
15 And the Lord God shall strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water: and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river: because they have made to themselves groves, to provoke the Lord.
16 And the Lord shall give up Israel for the sins of Jeroboam, who hath sinned, and made Israel to sin.
17 And the wife of Jeroboam arose, and departed, and came to Thersa: and when she was coming in to the threshold of the house, the child died.
18 And they buried him.  And all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by the hand of his servant Ahias, the prophet.
19 And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he fought, and how he reigned, behold they are written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel.
20 And the days that Jeroboam reigned, were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers: and Nadab, his son, reigned in his stead.
21 *And Roboam, the son of Solomon, reigned in Juda: Roboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there.  And his mother's name was Naama, an Ammonitess.
22 And Juda did evil in the sight of the Lord, and provoked him above all that their fathers had done, in their sins which they committed.
23 For they also built them altars, and statues, and groves, upon every high hill, and under every green tree:
24 There were also the effeminate in the land, and they did according to all the abominations of the people, whom the Lord had destroyed before the face of the children of Israel.
25 *And in the fifth year of the reign of Roboam, Sesac, king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.
26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the king's treasures, and carried all off: as also the shields of gold which *Solomon had made:
27 And Roboam made shields of brass instead of them, and delivered them into the hand of the captains of the shield-bearers, and of them that kept watch before the gate of the king's house.
28 And when the king went into the house of the Lord, they whose office it was to go before him, carried them: and afterwards they brought them back to the armoury of the shield-bearers.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Roboam, and all that he did, behold they are written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda.
30 And there was war between Roboam and Jeroboam always.
31 And Roboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David: and his mother's name was Naama, an Ammonitess: and Abiam, his son, reigned in his stead.
____________________
*
2:  Supra xi. 31.
10:  Infra xv. 29.
21:  2 Par. xii. 13.
25:  A.M. 3030.
26:  Supra x. 16.
====================

3 KINGS 15
CHAPTER XV.

The acts of Abiam, and of Asa, kings of Juda.  And of Nadab, and Baasa, kings of Israel.

1 Now *in the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, Abiam reigned over Juda.
2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem: *the name of his mother was Maacha, the daughter of Abessalom.
3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David, his father.
4 But for David's sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
5 Because David had done that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from any thing that he commanded him, all the days of his life, *except the matter of Urias, the Hethite.
6 But there was war between Roboam and Jeroboam all the time of his life.
7 And the rest of the words of Abiam, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?*  And there was war between Abiam and Jeroboam.
8 And Abiam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, *and Asa, his son, reigned in his stead.
9 So in the *twentieth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, reigned Asa, king of Juda,
10 And he reigned one and forty years in Jerusalem.  His mother's name was Maacha, the daughter of Abessalom.
11 And Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, as did David, his father:
12 And he took away the effeminate out of the land, and he removed all the filth of the idols, which his fathers had made.
13 Moreover, he also removed his mother, Maacha, from being the princess in the sacrifices of Priapus, and in the grove which she had consecrated to him: and he destroyed her den, and broke in pieces the filthy idol, and burnt it by the torrent Cedron:
14 But the high places he did not take away.  Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was perfect with the Lord all his days:
15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and he had vowed, into the house of the Lord, silver and gold, and vessels.
16 And there was war between Asa, and Baasa, king of Israel, all their days.
17 *And Baasa, king of Israel, went up against Juda, and built Rama, that no man might go out or come in of the side of Asa, king of Juda.
18 Then Asa took all the silver and gold that remained in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house, and delivered it into the hands of his servants: and sent them to Benadad, son of Tabremon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:
19 There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: therefore I have sent thee presents of silver and gold: and I desire thee to come, and break thy league with Baasa, king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
20 Benadad, hearkening to king Asa, sent the captains of his army against the cities of Israel, and they smote Ahion, and Dan, and Abel-bethmaacha, and all Ceneroth; that is, all the land of Nephthali.
21 And when Baasa had heard this, he left off building Rama, and returned into Thersa.
22 But king Asa sent word into all Juda, saying: Let no man be excused: and they took away the stones from Rama, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasa had been building, and with them Asa built Gabaa of Benjamin, and Maspha.
23 But the rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his strength, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?  But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
24 And he slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David, his father.*  And Josaphat, his son, reigned in his place.
25 But Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, reigned over Israel the second year *of Asa, king of Juda: and he reigned over Israel two years.
26 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father, and in his sins, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
27 And Baasa, the son of Ahias, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and slew him in Gebbethon, which is a city of the Philistines: for Nadab and all Israel besieged Gebbethon.
28 So Baasa slew him in the third year *of Asa, king of Juda, and reigned in his place.
29 *And when he was king, he cut off all the house of Jeroboam: he left not so much as one soul of his seed, till he had utterly destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord, **which he had spoken in the hand of Ahias, the Silonite:
30 Because of the sin of Jeroboam, which he had sinned, and wherewith he had made Israel to sin, and for the offence wherewith he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel.
31 But the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
32 And there was war between Asa and Baasa, the king of Israel, all their days.
33 In the third year *of Asa, king of Juda, Baasa, the son of Ahias, reigned over all Israel, in Thersa, four and twenty years.
34 And he did evil before the Lord, and walked in the ways of Jeroboam, and in his sins, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3046, A.C. 958.
2:  2 Par. xiii. 2.
5:  2 Kings xi. 14.
7:  2 Par. xiii. 3.
8:  2 Par. xiv. 1.
9:  A.M. 3049, A.C. 955.
17:  2 Par. xvi. 1.; A.M. 3051, A.C. 953.
24:  2 Par. xvii. 1.
25:  A.M. 3050, A.C. 954.
28:  A.M. 3051.
29:  Infra xxi. 22. --- ** Supra xiv. 10.
33:  A.M. 3051.
====================

3 KINGS 16
CHAPTER XVI.

Jehu prophesieth against Baasa: his son Ela is slain, and all his family destroyed by Zambri: of the reign of Amri, father of Achab.

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu, the son of Hanani, against Baasa, saying:
2 For as much as I have exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins:
3 Behold I will cut down the posterity of Baasa, and the posterity of his house, and I will make thy house as the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.
4 *Him that dieth of Baasa, in the city, the dogs shall eat: and him that dieth of his in the country, the fowls of the air shall devour.
5 *But the rest of the acts of Baasa, and all that he did, and his battles, are they not written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
6 So Baasa slept with his fathers, and was buried in Thersa: and Ela, his son, reigned in his stead.
7 And when the word of the Lord came in the hand of Jehu, the son of Hanani, the prophet, against Baasa, and against his house, and against all the evil that he had done before the Lord, to provoke him to anger by the works of his hands, to become as the house of Jeroboam: for this cause he slew him; that is to say, Jehu, the son of Hanani, the prophet.
8 In the *six and twentieth year of Asa, king of Juda, Ela, the son of Baasa, reigned over Israel, in Thersa, two years.
9 And his servant Zambri, who was captain of half the horsemen, rebelled against him: now Ela was drinking in Thersa, and drunk in the house of Arsa, the governor of Thersa.
10 *And Zambri rushing in, struck him, and slew him, in the seven and twentieth year of Asa, king of Juda; and he reigned in his stead.
11 And when he was king, and sat upon his throne, he slew all the house of Baasa, and he left not one thereof to piss against a wall, and all his kinsfolks and friends.
12 And Zambri destroyed all the house of Baasa, according to the word of the Lord, that he had spoken to Baasa, in the hand of Jehu, the prophet,
13 For all the sins of Baasa, and the sins of Ela, his son, who sinned, and made Israel to sin, provoking the Lord, the God of Israel, with their vanities.
14 But the rest of the acts of Ela, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
15 In the seven and twentieth year *of Asa, king of Juda, Zambri reigned seven days in Thersa: now the army was besieging Gebbethon, a city of the Philistines.
16 And when they heard that Zambri had rebelled, and slain the king, all Israel made Amri their king, who was general over Israel in the camp that day.
17 And Amri went up, and all Israel with him, from Gebbethon, and they besieged Thersa.
18 And Zambri, seeing that the city was about to be taken, went into the palace, and burnt himself with the king's house: and he died
19 In his sins, which he had sinned, doing evil before the Lord, and walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
20 But the rest of the acts of Zambri, and of his conspiracy and tyranny, are they not written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
21 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: one half of the people followed Thebni, the son of Gineth, to make him king: and one half followed Amri.
22 But the people that were with Amri, prevailed over the people that followed Thebni, the son of Gineth: and Thebni died, and Amri reigned.
23 In the one and thirtieth year *of Asa, king of Juda, Amri reigned over Israel twelve years: in Thersa he reigned six years.
24 And he bought the hill of Samaria of Semer, for two talents of silver: and he built upon it, and he called the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Semer, the owner of the hill.
25 And Amri did evil in the sight of the Lord, and acted wickedly above all that were before him.
26 And he walked in all the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, and in his sins, wherewith he made Israel to sin: to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.
27 Now the rest of the acts of Amri, and the battles he fought, are they not written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
28 And *Amri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria, and Achab, his son, reigned in his stead.
29 Now Achab, the son of Amri, reigned over Israel in the eight and thirtieth year of Asa, king of Juda.  And Achab, the son of Amri, reigned over Israel in Samaria two and twenty years.
30 And Achab, the son of Amri, did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him.
31 Nor was it enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nabat: but he also took to wife Jezabel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians.  And he went, and served Baal, and adored him.
32 And he set up an altar for Baal, in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria;
33 And he planted a grove: and Achab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
34 In his days Hiel, of Bethel, built Jericho: in Abiram, his first-born, he laid its foundations: and in his youngest son, Segub, he set up the gates thereof: according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke in the hand of Josue, the son of* Nun.
____________________
*
4:  Supra xiv. 11.
5:  2 Par. xvi. 1.
8:  A.M. 3074, A.C. 930.
10:  4 Kings ix. 31.
15:  A.M. 3075, A.C. 929.
23:  A.M. 3079, A.C. 925.
28:  A.M. 3086, A.C. 918.
34:  Josue vi. 26.
====================

3 KINGS 17
CHAPTER XVII.

Elias shutteth up the heavens from raining.  He is fed by ravens, and afterwards by a widow of Sarephta.  He raiseth the widow's son to life.

1 And *Elias the Thesbite, of the inhabitants of Galaad, said to Achab: As the Lord liveth, the God of Israel, in whose sight I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to the words of my mouth.
2 And the word of the Lord came to him, saying:
3 Get thee hence, and go towards the east, and hide thyself by the torrent of Carith, which is over-against the Jordan;
4 And there thou shalt drink of the torrent: and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went, and did according to the word of the Lord: and going, he dwelt by the torrent Carith, which is over-against the Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the torrent.
7 But *after some time the torrent was dried up: for it had not rained upon the earth.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying:
9 Arise, and go to Sarephta, of the Sidonians, and dwell there: for I have commanded a widow-woman there to feed thee.
10 *He arose, and went to Sarephta.  And when he was come to the gate of the city, he saw the widow-woman gathering sticks, and he called her, and said to her: Give me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And when she was going to fetch it, he called after her, saying: Bring me also, I beseech thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand.
12 And she answered: As the Lord thy God liveth, I have no bread, but only a handful of meal in a pot, and a little oil in a cruise: behold I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it, for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.
13 And Elias said to her: Fear not, but go, and do as thou hast said: but first make for me of the same meal a little hearth-cake, and bring it to me, and after make for thyself and thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: The pot of meal shall not waste, nor the cruise of oil be diminished, until the day wherein the Lord will give rain upon the face of the earth.
15 She went, and did according to the word of Elias: and he ate, and she, and her house: and from that day
16 The pot of meal wasted not, and the cruise of oil was not diminished, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke in the hand of Elias.
17 And it came to pass after this, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick, and the sickness was very grievous, so that there was no breath left in him.
18 And she said to Elias: What have I to do with thee, thou man of God? art thou come to me, that my iniquities should be remembered, and that thou shouldst kill my son?
19 And Elias said to her: Give me thy son.  And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him into the upper chamber where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 And he cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord, my God, hast thou afflicted also the widow, with whom I am after a sort maintained, so as to kill her son?
21 And he stretched, and measured himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord, my God, let the soul of this child, I beseech thee, return into his body.
22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elias: and the soul of the child returned into him, and he revived.
23 And Elias took the child, and brought him down from the upper chamber to the house below, and delivered him to his mother, and said to her: Behold thy son liveth.
24 And the woman said to Elias: Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true.
____________________
*
1:  Eccli. xlviii. 1.; James v. 17.; A.M. circiter 3092, A.C. 912.
7:  A.M. 3093.
10:  Luke iv. 26.
====================

3 KINGS 18
CHAPTER XVIII.

Elias cometh before Achab.  He convinceth the false prophets by bringing fire from heaven: he obtaineth rain by his prayer.

1 After *many days the word of the Lord came to Elias, in the third year, saying: Go and shew thyself to Achab, that I may give rain upon the face of the earth.
2 And Elias went to shew himself to Achab, and there was a grievous famine in Samaria.
3 And Achab called Abdias the governor of his house: now Abdias feared the Lord very much.
4 For when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord, he took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty and fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water.
5 And Achab said to Abdias: Go into the land unto all fountains of waters, and into all valleys, to see if we can find grass, and save the horses and mules, that the beasts may not utterly perish.
6 And they divided the countries between them, that they might go round about them: Achab went one way, and Abdias another way by himself.
7 And as Abdias was in the way, Elias met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said: Art thou my lord Elias?
8 And he answered: I am.  Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
9 And he said: What have I sinned, that thou wouldst deliver me, thy servant, into the hand of Achab, that he should kill me?
10 As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when all answered: He is not here: he took an oath of every kingdom and nation, because thou wast not found.
11 And now thou sayest to me: Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
12 And when I am gone from thee, the Spirit of the Lord will carry thee into a place that I know not: and I shall go in and tell Achab; and he, not finding thee, will kill me: but thy servant feareth the Lord from his infancy.
13 Hath it not been told thee, my lord, what I did when Jezabel killed the prophets of the Lord; how I hid a hundred men of the prophets of the Lord, by fifty and fifty in caves, and fed them with bread and water?
14 And now thou sayest: Go and tell thy master: Elias is here: that he may kill me.
15 And Elias said: As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whose face I stand, this day I will shew myself unto him.
16 Abdias therefore went to meet Achab, and told him: and Achab came to meet Elias.
17 And when he had seen him, he said: Art thou he that troublest Israel?
18 And he said: I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house, who have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and have followed Baalim.
19 Nevertheless send now, and gather unto me all Israel, unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, who eat at Jezabel's table.
20 Achab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered together the prophets unto Mount Carmel.
21 And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides?  If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.  And the people did not answer him a word.
22 And Elias said again to the people: I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let two bullocks be given us, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it upon wood, but put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under it.
24 Call ye on the names of your gods, and I will call on the name of my Lord: and the God that shall answer by fire, let him be God.  And all the people answering said: A very good proposal.
25 Then Elias said to the prophets of Baal: Choose you one bullock and dress it first, because you are many: and call on the names of your gods; but put no fire under.
26 And they took the bullock, which he gave them, and dressed it: and they called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying: O Baal, hear us.  But there was no voice, nor any that answered: and they leaped over the altar that they had made.
27 And when it was now noon, Elias jested at them, saying: Cry with a louder voice: for he is a god; and perhaps he is talking, or is in an inn, or on a journey; or perhaps he is asleep, and must be awaked.
28 So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood.
29 And after midd-ay was past, and while they were prophesying, the time was come of offering sacrifice, and there was no voice heard, nor did any one answer, nor regard them as they prayed.
30 Elias said to all the people: Come ye unto me.  And the people coming near unto him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, that was broken down:
31 And he took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying: *Israel shall be thy name.
32 And he built with the stones an altar to the name of the Lord: and he made a trench for water, of the breadth of two furrows round about the altar.
33 And he laid the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it upon the wood.
34 And he said: Fill four buckets with water, and pour it upon the burnt-offering, and upon the wood.  And again he said: Do the same the second time.  And when they had done it the second time, he said: Do the same also the third time.  And they did so the third time.
35 And the water run round about the altar, and the trench was filled with water.
36 And when it was now time to offer the holocaust, Elias, the prophet, came near and said: O Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, shew this day that thou art the God of Israel, and I thy servant, and that according to thy commandment I have done all these things.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me: that this people may learn that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart again.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw this, they fell on their faces, and they said: The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.
40 And Elias said to them: Take the prophets of Baal, and let not one of them escape.  And when they had taken them, Elias brought them down to the torrent Cison, and killed them there.
41 And Elias said to Achab: Go up, eat and drink:: for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
42 Achab went up to eat and drink: and Elias went up to the top of Carmel, and casting himself down upon the earth put his face between his knees,
43 And he said to his servant: Go up, and look towards the sea.  And he went up, and looked, and said: There is nothing.  And again he said to him: Return seven times.
44 And at the seventh time: Behold a little cloud arose out of the sea like a man's foot.  And he said: Go up, and say to Achab: Prepare thy chariot and go down, lest the rain prevent thee.
45 And while he turned himself this way and that way, behold the heavens grew dark, with clouds, and wind, and there fell a great rain.  And Achab getting up, went away to Jezrahel:
46 And the hand of the Lord was upon Elias, and he girded up his loins, and ran before Achab, till he came to Jezrahel.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3096, A.C. 908.
31:  Gen. xxxii. 28.
====================

3 KINGS 19
CHAPTER XIX.

Elias, fleeing from Jezabel, is fed by an angel in the desert; and by the strength of that food walketh forty days, till he cometh to Horeb, where he hath a vision of God.

1 And Achab told Jezabel all that Elias had done, and how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2 And Jezabel sent a messenger to Elias, saying: Such and such things may the gods do to me, and add still more, if by this hour to-morrow I make not thy life as the life of one of them.
3 Then *Elias was afraid, and rising up, he went whithersoever he had a mind: and he came to Bersabee of Juda, and left his servant there,
4 And he went forward, one day's journey into the desert.  And when he was there, and sat under a juniper-tree, he requested for his soul that he might die, and said: It is enough for me, Lord; take away my soul: for I am no better than my fathers.
5 And he cast himself down, and slept in the shadow of the juniper-tree: and behold an angel of the Lord touched him, and said to him: Arise and eat.
6 He looked, and behold there was at his head a hearth-cake, and a vessel of water: and he ate and drank, and he fell asleep again.
7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said to him: Arise, eat: for thou hast yet a great way to go.
8 And he arose, and ate and drank, and walked in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God, Horeb.
9 And when he was come thither, he abode in a cave: and behold the word of the Lord came unto him, and he said to him: What dost thou here, Elias?
10 And he answered: With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant: they have thrown down thy altars, they have slain thy prophets with the sword, and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away.
11 And he said to him: Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord: and behold the Lord passeth, and a great and strong wind before the Lord, over throwing the mountains, and breaking the rocks in pieces: the Lord is not in the wind.  And after the wind, an earthquake: but the Lord is not in the earthquake.
12 And after the earthquake, a fire: the Lord is not in the fire.  And after the fire, a whistling of a gentle air.
13 And when Elias heard it, he covered his face with his mantle, and coming forth, stood in the entering in of the cave, and behold a voice unto him, saying: What dost thou here, Elias?  And he answered:
14 With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts: *because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant: they have destroyed thy altars, they have slain thy prophets with the sword; and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away.
15 And the Lord said to him: Go, and return on thy way through the desert, to Damascus: and when thou art come thither, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;
16 *And thou shalt anoint Jehu, the son of Namsi, to be king over Israel: and Eliseus, the son of Saphat, of Abelmeula, thou shalt anoint to be prophet in thy room.
17 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall escape the sword of Hazael, shall be slain by Jehu: and whosoever shall escape the sword of Jehu, shall be slain by Eliseus.
18 *And I will leave me seven thousand men in Israel, whose knees have not been bowed before Baal, and every mouth that hath not worshipped him, kissing the hands.
19 And Elias departing from thence, found Eliseus, the son of Saphat, ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen: and he was one of them that were ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen: and when Elias came up to him, he cast his mantle upon him.
20 And he forthwith left the oxen, and ran after Elias, and said: Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee.  And he said to him: Go, and return back: for that which was my part, I have done to thee.
21 And returning back from him, he took a yoke of oxen, and killed them, and boiled the flesh with the plough of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate: and rising up, he went away, and followed Elias, and ministered to him.
____________________
*
3:  A.M. 3097, A.C. 907.
14:  Rom. xi. 3.
16:  4 Kings ix. 1.
18:  Rom. xi. 4.
====================

3 KINGS 20
CHAPTER XX.

The Syrians besiege Samaria: they are twice defeated by Achab; who is reprehended by a prophet for letting Benadad go.

1 And *Benadad, king of Syria, gathered together all his host, and there were two and thirty kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and going up, he fought against Samaria, and besieged it.
2 And sending messengers to Achab, king of Israel, into the city,
3 He said: Thus saith Benadad: Thy silver, and thy gold is mine: and thy wives, and thy goodliest children are mine.
4 And the king of Israel answered: According to thy word, my lord, O king, I am thine, and all that I have.
5 And the messengers came again, and said: Thus saith Benadad, who sent us unto thee: Thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives and thy children, thou shalt deliver up to me.
6 To-morrow, therefore, at this same hour, I will send my servants to thee, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants: and all that pleaseth them, they shall put in their hands, and take away.
7 And the king of Israel called all the ancients of the land, and said: Mark, and see that he layeth snares for us.  For he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver and gold: and I said not nay.
8 And all the ancients, and all the people said to him: Hearken not to him, nor consent to him.
9 Wherefore he answered the messengers of Benadad: Tell my lord, the king: All that thou didst send for to me, thy servant, at first, I will do: but this thing I cannot do.
10 And the messengers returning brought him word.  And he sent again, and said: Such and such things may the gods do to me, and more may they add, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
11 And the king of Israel answering, said: Tell him: Let not the girded boast himself as the ungirded.
12 And it came to pass, when Benadad heard this word, that he and the kings were drinking in pavilions, and he said to his servants: Beset the city.  And they beset it.
13 And behold a prophet coming to Achab, king of Israel, said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Hast thou seen all this exceeding great multitude? behold I will deliver them into thy hand this day: that thou mayest know that I am the Lord.
14 And Achab said: By whom?  And he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: By the servants of the princes of the provinces.  And he said: Who shall begin to fight?  And he said: Thou.
15 So he mustered the servants of the princes of the provinces, and he found the number of two hundred and thirty-two: and he mustered after them the people, all the children of Israel, seven thousand:
16 And they went out at noon.  But Benadad was drinking himself drunk in his pavilion, and the two and thirty kings with him, who were come to help him.
17 And the servants of the princes of the provinces went out first.  And Benadad sent.  And they told him, saying: There are men come out of Samaria.
18 And he said: Whether they come for peace, take them alive: or whether they come to fight, take them alive.
19 So the servants of the princes of the provinces went out, and the rest of the army followed:
20 And every one slew the man that came against him: and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued after them.  And Benadad, king of Syria, fled away on horseback with his horsemen.
21 But the king of Israel going out overthrew the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22 (And a prophet coming to the king of Israel, said to him: Go, and strengthen thyself, and know, and see what thou dost: for the next year the king of Syria will come up against thee.)
23 But the servants of the king of Syria said to him: Their gods are gods of the hills, therefore they have overcome us: but it is better that we should fight against them in the plains, and we shall overcome them.
24 Do thou, therefore, this thing: Remove all the kings from thy army, and put captains in their stead:
25 And make up the number of soldiers that have been slain of thine, and horses, according to the former horses, and chariots according to the chariots which thou hadst before: and we will fight against them in the plains, and thou shalt see that we shall overcome them.  He believed their counsel, and did so.
26 Wherefore at the return of the year, *Benadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphec, to fight against Israel.
27 And the children of Israel were mustered, and taking victuals, went out on the other side, and encamped over-against them, like two little flocks of goats: but the Syrians filled the land.
28 (And a man of God coming, said to the king of Israel: Thus saith the Lord: Because the Syrians have said: The Lord is God of the hills, but is not God of the valleys: I will deliver all this great multitude into thy hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.)
29 And both sides set their armies in array one against the other seven days, and on the seventh day the battle was fought: and the children of Israel slew, of the Syrians, a hundred thousand footmen in one day.
30 And they that remained fled to Aphec, into the city: and the wall fell upon seven and twenty thousand men, that were left.  And Benadad fleeing went into the city, into a chamber that was within a chamber.
31 And his servants said to him: Behold, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful; so let us put sackcloths on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: perhaps he will save our lives.
32 So they girded sackcloths on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said to him: Thy servant, Benadad, saith: I beseech thee let me have my life.  And he said: If he be yet alive, he is my brother.
33 The men took this for good luck: and in haste caught the word out of his mouth, and said: Thy brother Benadad.  And he said to them: Go, and bring him to me.  Then Benadad came out to him, and he lifted him up into his chariot.
34 And he said to him: The cities which my father took from thy father, I will restore: and do thou make thee streets in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria, and having made a league, I will depart from thee.  So he made a league with him, and let him go.
35 Then a certain man of the sons of the prophets, said to his companion, in the word of the Lord: Strike me.  But he would not strike.
36 Then he said to him: Because thou wouldst not hearken to the word of the Lord, behold thou shalt depart from me, and a lion shall slay thee.  And when he was gone a little from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
37 Then he found another man, and said to him: Strike me.  And he struck him and wounded him.
38 So the prophet went, and met the king in the way, and disguised himself by sprinkling dust on his face and his eyes.
39 And as the king passed by, he cried to the king, and said: Thy servant went out to fight hand to hand: and when a certain man was run away, one brought him to me, and said: Keep this man: and if he shall slip away, thy life shall be for his life, or thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
40 And whilst I, in a hurry turned, this way and that, on a sudden he was not to be seen.  And the king of Israel said to him: This is thy judgment, which thyself hast decreed.
41 But he forthwith wiped off the dust from his face, and the king of Israel knew him, that he was one of the prophets.
42 And he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: *Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man worthy of death, thy life shall be for his life, and thy people for his people.
43 And the king of Israel returned to his house, slighting to hear, and raging came into Samaria.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3103, A.C. 901.
26:  A.M. 3104, A.C. 900.
42:  Infra xxii. 38.
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3 KINGS 21
CHAPTER XXI.

Naboth, for denying his vineyard to king Achab, is, by Jezabel's command, falsely accused and stoned to death: for which crime Elias denounceth to Achab the judgments of God.  Upon his humbling himself, the sentence is mitigated.

1 And *after these things, Naboth the Jezrahelite, who was in Jezrahel, had at that time a vineyard, near the palace of Achab, king of Samaria.
2 And Achab spoke to Naboth, saying: Give me thy vineyard, that I may make me a garden of herbs, because it is nigh, and adjoining to my house, and I will give thee for it a better vineyard: or if thou think it more convenient for thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
3 Naboth answered him: The Lord be merciful to me, and not let me give thee the inheritance of my fathers.
4 And Achab came into his house angry and fretting, because of the word that Naboth, the Jezrahelite, had spoken to him, saying: I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers.  And casting himself upon his bed, he turned away his face to the wall, and would eat no bread.
5 And Jezabel, his wife, went in to him, and said to him: What is the matter that thy soul is so grieved? and why eatest thou no bread?
6 And he answered her: I spoke to Naboth, the Jezrahelite, and said to him: Give me thy vineyard, and take money for it: or if it please thee, I will give thee a better vineyard for it.  And he said: I will not give thee my vineyard.
7 Then Jezabel, his wife, said to him: Thou art of great authority indeed, and governest well the kingdom of Israel.  Arise, and eat bread, and be of good cheer; I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezrahelite.
8 So she wrote letter's in Achab's name, and sealed them with his ring, and sent them to the ancients, and the chief men that were in his city, and that dwelt with Naboth.
9 And this was the tenor of the letters: Proclaim a fast, and make Naboth sit among the chief of the people;
10 And suborn two men, sons of Belial, against him, and let them bear false witness; that he hath blasphemed God and the king: and then carry him out, and stone him, and so let him die.
11 And the men of his city, the ancients and nobles, that dwelt with him in the city, did as Jezabel had commanded them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them;
12 They proclaimed a fast, and made Naboth sit among the chief of the people.
13 And bringing two men, sons of the devil, they made them sit against him: and they, like men of the devil, bore witness against him before the people, saying: Naboth hath blasphemed God and the king.  Wherefore they brought him forth without the city, and stoned him to death.
14 And they sent to Jezabel, saying: Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
15 And it came to pass, when Jezabel heard that Naboth was stoned, and dead, that she said to Achab: Arise, and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezrahelite, who would not agree with thee, and give it thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
16 And when Achab heard this, to wit, that Naboth was dead, he arose, and went down into the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezrahelite, to take possession of it.
17 And the word of the Lord came to Elias, the Thesbite, saying:
18 Arise, and go down to meet Achab, king of Israel, who is in Samaria: behold he is going down to the vineyard of Naboth, to take possession of it:
19 And thou shalt speak to him, saying: Thus saith the Lord: Thou hast slain: moreover also thou hast taken possession.  And after these words thou shalt add: Thus saith the Lord: *In this place, wherein the dogs have licked the blood of Naboth, they shall lick thy blood also.
20 And Achab said to Elias: Hast thou found me thy enemy?  He said: I have found thee, because thou art sold to do evil in the sight of the Lord.
21 *Behold I will bring evil upon thee, and I will cut down thy posterity, and I will kill of Achab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up, and the last in Israel.
22 And I will make thy house like the *house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and like the house of **Baasa the son of Ahias: for what thou hast done to provoke me to anger, and for making Israel to sin.
23 *And of Jezabel also, the Lord spoke, saying: The dogs shall eat Jezabel in the field of Jezrahel.
24 If Achab die in the city, the dogs shall eat him: but if he die in the field, the birds of the air shall eat him.
25 Now, there was not such another as Achab, who was sold to do evil in the sight of the Lord: for his wife, Jezabel, set him on,
26 And he became abominable, insomuch that he followed the idols which the Amorrhites had made, whom the Lord destroyed before the face of the children of Israel.
27 And when Achab had heard these words, he rent his garments, and put hair-cloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and slept in sackcloth, and walked with his head cast down.
28 And the word of the Lord came to Elias, the Thesbite, saying:
29 Hast thou not seen Achab humbled before me? therefore, because he hath humbled himself, for my sake, I will not bring the evil in his days, *but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
____________________
*
1:  A.M. 3105, A.C. 899.
19:  Infra xxii. 38.
21:  4 Kings ix. 8.
22:  Supra xv. 29. --- ** Supra xvi. 3.
23:  4 Kings ix. 36.
29:  4 Kings ix. 26.
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3 KINGS 22
CHAPTER XXII.

Achab believing his false prophets, rather than Micheas, is slain in Ramoth-Galaad.  Ochozias succeedeth him.  Good king Josaphat dieth, and his son Joram succeedeth him.

1 And there passed three years without war between Syria and Israel.
2 And *in the third year, Josaphat, king of Juda, came down to the king of Israel.
3 (And the king of Israel said to his servants: Know ye not that Ramoth-Galaad is ours, and we neglect to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?)
4 And he said to Josaphat: Wilt thou come with me to battle to Ramoth-Galaad?
5 And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: As I am, so art thou: my people and thy people are one: and my horsemen are thy horsemen.  And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Inquire, I beseech thee, this day the word of the Lord.
6 Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them: Shall I go to Ramoth-Galaad to fight, or shall I forbear?  They answered: Go up, and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.
7 And Josaphat said: Is there not here some prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire by him?
8 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man left, by whom we may inquire of the Lord; Micheas, the son of Jemla: but I hate him, for he doth not prophesy good to me, but evil.  And Josaphat said: Speak not so, O king.
9 Then the king of Israel called an eunuch, and said to him: Make haste, and bring hither Micheas, the son of Jemla.
10 Then the king of Israel, and Josaphat, king of Juda, sat each on his throne, clothed with royal robes, in a court, by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 And Sedecias, the son of Chanaana, made himself horns of iron, and said: Thus saith the Lord: With these shalt thou push Syria, till thou destroy it.
12 And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, saying: Go up to Ramoth-Galaad, and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king's hands.
13 And the messenger, that went to call Micheas, spoke to him, saying: Behold the words of the prophets with one month declare good things to the king: let thy word, therefore, be like to theirs, and speak that which is good.
14 But Micheas said to him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever the Lord shall say to me, that will I speak.
15 So he came to the king, and the king said to him: Micheas, shall we go to Ramoth-Galaad to battle, or shall we forbear?  He answered him: Go up, and prosper, and the Lord shall deliver it into the king's hands.
16 But the king said to him: I adjure thee again and again, that thou tell me nothing but that which is true, in the name of the Lord.
17 And he said: I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, like sheep that have no shepherd; *and the Lord said: These have no master: let every man of them return to his house in peace.
18 (Then the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee, that he prophesieth no good to me, but always evil?)
19 And he added and said: Hear thou, therefore, the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left:
20 And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab, king of Israel, that he may go up, and fall at Ramoth-Galaad?  And one spoke words of this manner, and another otherwise.
21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him.  And the Lord said to him: By what means?
22 And he said: I will go forth, and be a lying spirit, in the mouth of all his prophets.  And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive him, and shalt prevail: *go forth, and do so.
23 Now, therefore, behold the Lord hath given a lying spirit, in the mouth of all thy prophets that are here, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.
24 And Sedecias, the son of Chanaana, came, and struck Micheas on the cheek, and said: Hath then the spirit of the Lord left me, and spoken to thee?
25 And Micheas said: Thou shalt see in the day when thou shalt go into a chamber, within a chamber, to hide thyself.
26 And the king of Israel said: Take Micheas, and let him abide with Amon, the governor of the city, and with Joas, the son of Amalech;
27 And tell them: Thus saith the king: Put this man in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction, and water of distress, till I return in peace.
28 And Micheas said: If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me.  And he said: Hear, all ye people.
29 So the king of Israel, and Josaphat, king of Juda, went up to Ramoth-Galaad.
30 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Take thy armour, and go into the battle, and put on thy own garments.  But the king of Israel changed his dress, and went into the battle.
31 And the king of Syria had commanded the two and thirty captains of the chariots, saying: You shall not fight against any, small or great, but against the king of Israel only.
32 So when the captains of the chariots saw Josaphat, they suspected that he was the king of Israel, and making a violent assault, they fought against him: and Josaphat cried out.
33 And the captains of the chariots perceived that he was not the king of Israel, and they turned away from him.
34 And a certain man bent his bow, shooting at a venture, and chanced to strike the king of Israel, between the lungs and the stomach.  But he said to the driver of his chariot: Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the army, for I am grievously wounded.
35 And the battle was fought that day, and the king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians, and he died in the evening: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
36 And the herald proclaimed through all the army, before the sun set, saying: Let every man return to his own city, and to his own country.
37 And the king died, *and was carried into Samaria: and they buried the king in Samaria.
38 *And they washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and they washed the reins according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken.
39 But the rest of the acts of Achab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
40 So Achab slept with his fathers; and Ochozias, his son, reigned in his stead.
41 But Josaphat, the son of Asa, began to reign over Juda, in the fourth year *of Achab, king of Israel.
42 He was five and thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Azuba, the daughter of Salai.
43 And he walked in all the way of Asa, his father, and he declined not from it: and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.
44 Nevertheless, he took not away the high places: for as yet the people offered sacrifices, and burnt incense in the high places.
45 And Josaphat had peace with the king of Israel.
46 But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, and his works which he did, and his battles, are they not written in the Book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?
47 And the remnant also of the effeminate, who remained in the days of Asa, his father, he took out of the land.
48 And there was then no king appointed in Edom.
49 But king Josaphat made navies on the sea, *to sail into Ophir for gold: but they could not go, **for the ships were broken in Asiongaber.
50 Then Ochozias, the son of Achab, said to Josaphat: Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships.  And Josaphat would not.
51 And *Josaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David, his father: and Joram, his son, reigned in his stead.
52 And Ochozias, the son of Achab, began to reign over Israel, in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of *Josaphat, king of Juda, and he reigned over Israel two years.
53 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin.
54 He served also Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
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*
1:  2 Par. xviii. 1.; A.M. 3107, A.C. 897.
17:  Num. xxvii. 17.; Mat. ix. 36.
22:  Vide Mat. viii. 32. and Apoc. xx. 3.
37:  A.M. 3107.
38:  Supra xxi. 19.
41:  A.M. 3090, A.C. 914.
49:  A.M. 3108. --- ** 2 Par. xx. 36.
51:  A.M. 3115, A.C. 889.
52:  A.M. 3106.
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This blog is for serious exhortation to faith in this time of the Great Apostasy.