David's thanksgiving. CHAP. XVIII.

and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

16 And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

17 And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

18 What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy ser vant.

19 O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

20 O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

21 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem, to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

22 For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.

23 Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as thou hast said. 24 Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.

25 For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him a house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.

26 And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

27 Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for

His victories.

tines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.

2 And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.

3 And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thou sand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot-horses, but reserved of them a hundred chariots.

5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

6 Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David's servants, and brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.

9 Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten. all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah;

10 He sent Hadoram his son to king David, to inquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels of gold, and silver, and brass.

11 Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

12 Moreover, Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of Salt eighteen thousand.

13 T And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whither

soever he went.

14 So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.

15 And Joab the son of Zeruiah

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David overcomes the I. CHRONICLES, Ammonites and Syrians

10as over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder; 16 And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Shaysha was scribe;

17 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king. CHAP. XIX. David's Messengers ill-treated. Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.

2 And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.

3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land ?

4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.

5 Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

61 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.

7 So they hired thirty, and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon ga

thered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle..

8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.

10 Now when Joab saw that the

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battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.

11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.

12 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee.

13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.

14 So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.

15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16 1 And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.

18 But the Syrians filed before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.

19 And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.

CHAP. XX.

Rabbah besieged and taken.

AND it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the the children of Ammon, and came army, and wasted the country of and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.

their king from off his head, and 2 And David took the crown of

Philistine giants subdued. CHAP. XXI. The three days' pestilence found it to weigh a talent of gold,, score and ten thousand men that and there were precious stones in drew sword.

it; and it was set upon David's 6 But Levi and Benjamin counthead: and he brought also exceed-ed be not among them: for the ing much spoil out of the city. king's word was abominable to

3 And he brought out the people Joab. that were in it, and cut them with 7 And God was displeased with saws, and with harrows of iron, this thing, therefore he smote and with axes. Even so dealt Israel. David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

41 And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines: at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued.

5 And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear's staff was like a weaver's beam.

6 And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of the giant.

7 But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, slew him.

8 These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his

David numbereth the People, ND Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.

3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people a hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing ? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?

4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I be seech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

9 T And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,

10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee.

12 Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore udvise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

14 T So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the 5 T And Joab gave the sum of the people to be numbered? even I it number of the people unto David. is that have sinned and done evil And all they of Israel were a thou- indeed; but as for these sheep, sand thousand and a hundred what have they done 1 let thy thousand men that drew sword: hand, I pray thee, O LORD my and Judah was four hundred three- God, be on me, and on my father'

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Destroying angel stayed. I. CHRONICLES, David's preparation

house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

18 1 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the

threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.

20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. 21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked, and saw David, and went out of the threshing-floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshing-floor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.

23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt-offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat-offering; I give

it all.

24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt-offerings without

cost.

25 So David gave to Orman for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

CHAP. XXII.
David prepareth for the Temple.

THE
HEN David said, This is the

house of the LORD God, and
this is the altar of the burnt-offer-
ingford David commanded to
Israel.
2
gather together the strangers that
were in the land of Israel; and he
set masons to hew wrought stones
to build the house of God.

3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;

4 Also cedar-trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar-wood to David.

5 And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

6 Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Isracl.

7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house unto the name of the LORD my God.

8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying,, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build a house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

26 And David built there an al- 9 Behold, a son shall be born to tar unto the LORD, and offered thee, who shall be a man of rest; burnt-offerings and peace-offer- and I will give him rest from all his ings, and called upon the LORD; enemies round about: for his name and he answered him from heaven shall be Solomon, and I will give by fire upon the altar of burnt-of-peace and quietness unto Israel in fering. his days.

27 And the LORD commanded the angel and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

28 T At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed

there.

29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt-offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.

10 He shall build a house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

11 Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.

12 Only the LORD give thee wis dom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.

30 But David could not go be- 13 Then shalt thou prosper, if fore it to inquire of God: for he thou takest heed to fulfil the stawas afraid because of the sword of tutes and judgments which the the angel of the LORD. LORD charged Moses with con

CHAP. XXIII. Ordering of the Levites.
Of the Gershonites were
Laadan and Shimei.

cerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.

14 Now behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD a hundred thousand talents 9 The sons of Shimei; Sheloof gold, and a thousand thousand mith, and Haziel, and Haran, talents of silver; and of brass and three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.

25 For David said, The LORD 6 And David divided them into God of Israel hath given rest unto courses among the sons of Levi, his people, that they may dwell in namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Jerusalem for ever;