David numbreth the people. II. Samuel. the king may fee it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4 Notwithstanding, the kings word prevailed againft Joab, and againft the captains of the hoft: and Joab and the captains of the hoft went out from the prefence of the king, to number the people of Ifrael. 5 And they paffed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right fide of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer. 6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodfhi; and they came to Dan jaan, and about to Zidon, 7 And came to the ftrong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the fouth of Judah, even to Beer-fheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerufalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave up the fum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Ifrael eight hundred houfand valiant men that drew the fword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. 10 And Davids heart fmote him, after that he had numbred the people: and David faid unto the LORD, I have finned greatly in that I have done and now I beseech thee, O LORD, take a way the iniquity of thy fervant; for I have done very foolishly. : 11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, Davids feer, faying, 12 Go and fay unto David, Thus faith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choofe thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and faid unto him, Shall feven years of famine come unto thee in thy land or wilt thou flee three months before thine ene.nies, while they purfue thee? or that there be three days peftilence in thy land? now advife, and fee what anfwer I fhall return to him that fent me. 14 And David faid unto Gad, I am in a great ftrait: let us fall now into the band of the LORD, (for his mercies are great) and let me not fall into the hand of man. The plague ftayed. 15 So the LORD fent a peftilence upon Ifrael, from the morning even to the time appointed and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba, feventy thousand men. 16 And when the angel ftretched out his hand upon Jerufalem to deftroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and faid to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: ftay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing-place of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 And David fpake unto the LORD when he faw the angel that_fmote the people, and faid, Lo, I have finned, and I have done wickedly : but thefe fheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my fathers houfe. 18 And Gad came that day to David, and faid unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD, in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebufite. 19 And David,according to the faying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. 20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his fervants coming on toward him: And Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21 And Araunah faid, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his fervant? And David faid, To buy the threshingfloor of thee to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people. 22 And Araunah faid unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what Seemeth good un'o him: behold, here be oxen for burnt-facrifice, and threshing-inftruments, and other inftruments of the oxen for wood. 23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king: and Araunah fid unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. 24 And the king faid unto Araunah, Nay; but I will furely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD my God, of that which doth coft me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor and the ox.n for fifty fhekels of filver. 25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD,and offered burnt-offerings, and peace offerings: fo the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was ftayed from Ifrael." The The Firft Book of the KINGS, commonly called, The Third Book of the K Í NG S. CHAP. I. Abihag cherisheth David. 5 Adonijah ufurpeth the kingdom. 32 Solemon is anointed. 50 Adonijah fleeth. 53 He is difmiffed by Solomon. N OW king David was old, and 2 Wherefore his fervants faid unto him, Let there be fought for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her ftand before the king, and let her cheTifh him, and let her lie in thy bofom, that my lord the king may get heat. 3 So they fought for a fair damfel throughout all the coafts of Ifrael, and found Abifhag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 And the damfel was very fair, and cherished the king, and miniftred to him: but the king knew her not. 5 Then Adonijah the fon of Haggith exalted himfelf, faying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horfemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 And his father had not difpleafed him at any time, in faying, Why haft thou done fo? And he alfo was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Abfalom. 7 And he conferred with Joab the fon of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the prieft and they following Adonijah, helped him. : But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the fon of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. 9 And Adonijah flew fheep and oxen and fat cattle, by the ftone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the kings fons, and all the men of Judah the kings fervants. 10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother he called not. 11 Wherefore Nathan fpake unto Bath-fheba the mother of Solomon, faying, Haft thou not heard that Adonijah the fon of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? 12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray chee, give thee counfel, that thou mayft fave thine own life, and the life of thy fon Solomon, 13 Go, and get thee in unto king Da vid, and fay unto him, Didft not thou, my lord, O king, fwear unto thine handmaid, faying, Afluredly Solomon thy fon fhall reign after me, and he fhall fit upon my throne? why then doch Adonijah reign? 14 Behold, while thou yet talkeft there with the king, I will alto come in after thee, and confirm thy words. 15 And Bath-fheba went in.unto the king, into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abifhag the Shunammire miniftred unto the king. 16 And Bath-fheba bowed, and did obeifance unto the king: and the king faid, What wouldst thou? 17 And the faid unto him, My lord, thou fwareft by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, faying, Affuredly Solomon thy fon fhall reign after me, and he fhall fit upon my throne: 18 And now behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knoweft it not. 19 And he hath flain oxen, and fat cattle, and fheep in abundance, and hath called all the fons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the hoft: but Solomon thy fervant hath he not called. 20 And thou, my lord O king, the eyes of all Ifrael are upon thee, that thou fhouldft tell them who shall fit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise it fhall come to pafs, when my lord the king fhall fleep with his fathers, that I and my fon Solomon fhall be counted offenders. 22 And lo, while the yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet alfo came in. 23 And they told the king, faying, Behold, Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himfelf before the king with his face to the ground. 24 And Nathan faid, My lord O king, haft thou faid, Adonijah fhall reign after me, and he fhall fit upon my throne? 25 For he is gone down this day, and hath flain oxen, and fat cattle, and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the kings fons, and the captains of the hoft, and Abiathar the prieft; and behold, they eat and drink before him, and fay, God fave king Adonijah. 7 Is this thing done by my lord the g, and thou haft not (hewed it unto fervant, who fhould fit on the throne my lord the king after him? 8Then king David answered and , Call me Bath-fheba: and he came o the kings prefence, and stood bethe king. 9 And the king fware, and faid, As LORD liveth, that hath redeemed foul out of all distress, o Even as I fware unto thee by the D God of Ifrael, faying, Affuredly mon thy fon fhall reign after me, he fhall fit upon my throne in my d; even fo will I certainly do this Then Bath-fheba bowed with her to the earth, and did reverence to king, and faid, Let my lord king Dalive for ever. 2¶And king David faid, Call me ok the priest, and Nathan the phet, and Benaiah the fon of Jeida, and they came before the The king alfo faid unto them, te with you the fervants of your lord, caufe Solomon my fon to ride upon e own mule, and bring him down to on. and rejoyced with great joy, fo that the earth rent with the found of them, 41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him, heard it, as they had made an end of eating: and when Jeab heard the found of the trumpet, he faid, Wherefore is this noife of the city, being in an uprore? 42 And while he yet fpake, bebold, Jonathan the fon of Abiathar the pricft came, and Adonijah faid unto him, Come in, for thou art a valiant man, and bringeft good tidings. 43 And Jonathan answered and faid to Adonijah, Verily our lord king Da vid hath made Solomon king. 44 And the king hath fent with him Zadok the prieft, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the fon of Jehoiada, and the Cherechites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the kings mule. 45 And Zadok the prieft, and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoycing, fo that the city rang again: this the noife that ye have heard. 46 And alfo Solomon fitteth on the throne of the kingdom. 47 And moreover, the kings fervants came to blefs our lord king David, fay4 And let Zadok the prieft, and Na-ing, God make the name of Solomon the prophet, anoint him there king better than thy name, and make his Ifrael: and blow ye with the trum-throne greater than thy throne: and the and fay, God fave king Solomon.king bowed himself upon the bed. 5 Then ye fhall come up after him, 48 And alfo thus faid the king, Blef he may come and fit upon my fed be the LORD God of Ifrael, which ne; for he fhall be king in my stead: bath given one to fit on my throne this I have appointed him to be ruler day, mine eyes even feeing it. Ifracl, and over Judah. 6 And Benaiah the fon of Jehoiada wered the king, and faid, Amen: the D God of my lord the king fay fo 7 As the LORD hath been with my the king, even fo be he with Solo, and make his throne greater than hrone of my lord king David. 8 So Zadok the prieft, and Nathan 49 And all the guests that were with Adonijah, were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. Jo And Adonijah feared becaufe of Solomon, and arofe, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 51 And it was told Solomon, faying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, faying, Let king Davids charge to Solomon, Chap. ii. 3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his ftatures and his commandments, and his judgments and his teftimonies, as it is written in the law of Mofes, that thou mayft profper in all that thou doft, and whicherfoever thou turneft thy felf: 4 That the LORD may continue his word which he fpake concerning me, faying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart, and with all their foul, there fhall not fail thee (faid he) a man on the throne of Ifrael. 5 Moreover, thou knoweft alfo what Joab the fon of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hofts of Ifrael, unto Abner che fon of Ner, and unto Amafa the fon of Jether, whom he flew, and fhed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loyns, and in is fhoes that were on his feet. 6 Do therefore according to thy wifdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. 7 But fhew kindness unto the fons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of thofe that eat at thy table: for fo they came to me when Ifled because of Abfalom thy brother. 8 And behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the fon of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which curfed me with a grievous curfe in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I fware to him by the LORD, faying, I will not put thee to death with the (word. His death and buria'. 10 So David flept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the days that David reigned over Ifrael, were forty years: feven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerufalem. 12Then fat Solomon upon the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was eftablished greatly. 13 And Adonijah the fon of Haggith came to Bath-fheba the mother of Solomon, and fhe faid, Comeft thou peaceably? and he faid, Peaceably. 14 He faid moreover, I have fomewhat to say unto thee. And the faid, Say on. 15 And he faid, Thou knoweft that the kingdom was mine, and that all Ifrael fet their faces on me, that I fhould reign: how beit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brothers: for it was his from the LORD. 16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And the said unto him, Say on. 17 And he faid, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king (for he will not fay thee nay) that he give me Abifhag the Shunammite to wife. 18 And Bath-fheba faid, Well, I will fpeak for thee unto the king. 19 Bath-fheba therefore went unto king Solomon to speak unto him for Adonijah: and the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himfelf unto her, and fat down on his throne, and caused a feat to be fet for the kings mother; and the fat on his right hand. 20 Then the faid, I defire one fmall petition of thee, I pray thee fay me not nay. And the king faid unto her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not fay thee nay. 21 And the faid, Let Abifhag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy bro- i ther to wife. 22 And king Solomon answered and faid unto his mother, And why doft thou ask Abifhag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom alfo; (for he is mine elder brother) even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the fon of Zeruiah. 23 Then king Solomon fware by the LORD, faying, God do foto me and more alfo, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. 9 Now therefore hold him not guilt- 24 Now therefore as the LORD liveth lefs: for thou art a wife man, and know-which hath established me, and fet me eft what thou oughtft to do unto him; on the throne of David my father, and but his hoar head bring thou down to who hath made me an houfe, as he pro the grave with blood. mifed, Adonijah fhall be put to d this day. 06 thine own fields, for thou art my of death: but I will not at this put thee to death, becaufe thou the ark of the Lord GOD before d my father, and becaufe thou haft afflicted in all wherein my father afflicted. So Solomon thruft out Abiathar being prieft unto the LORD; that ight fulfil the word of the LORD, h he spake concerning the houfe of n Shiloh. Then tidings came to Joab, Joab had turned after Adonijah, h he turned not after Abfalom) Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the , and caught hold on the horns of altar. And it was told king Solomon that was filed unto the tabernacle of the o, and behold, he is by the altar: Solomon fent Benaiah the fon of ada, faying, Go fall upon him. And Benaiah came to the tabernaof the LORD, and faid unto him, faith the king, Come forth. And id, Nay, but I will die here. And iah brought the king word again, g, Thus faid Joab, and thus he anEd me. And the king faid unto him, Do hath faid, and fall upon him, and him; that thou mayft take away nnocent blood which Joab fhed, me, and from the houfe of my fa And the LORD fhall return his upon his own head, who fell upon men more righteous and better than nd flew them with the fword, my r David not knowing thereof, to wit, r the fon of Ner, captain of the of Ifrael, and Amafa the fon of r, captain of the hoft of Judah. Their blood fhall therefore return the head of Joab, and upon the of his feed for ever: but upon Daand upon his feed, and upon his and upon his throne shall there and go not forth thence any whither. 37 For it fhall be, that on the day thou goeft out, and paffeft over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain, that thou fhalt furely die: thy blood fhall be upon thine own head. 38 And Shimei faid unto the king, The faying is good as my lord the king hath faid, fo will thy fervant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerufalem many days. 39 And it came to pafs at the end of three years, that two of the fervants of Shimei ran away unto Achib, fon of Maachah king of Gath: and they told Shimei, faying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. 40 And Shimei arose, and faddled his afs, and went to Gath to Achish to feek his fervants: and Shimei went and brought his fervants from Gath. 41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerufalem to Gach, and was come again. 42 And the king fent and called for Shimei, and faid unto him, Did I not make thee to fwear by the LORD, and protefted unto thee, faying, Know for a certain, that on the day thou goeft out and walkeft abroad any whither, that thou shalt furely die? and chou faidft unto me, The word that I have heard, 1s good. 43 Why then haft thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee wich? 44 The king faid moreover to Shimei, Thou knoweft all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD fhall return thy wickedness upon chine own head; 45 And king Solomon fball be bleffed, and the throne of David fhall be eftablished before the LORD for ever. 46 So the king commanded Benaiah the fon of Jehoiada, which went out and fell upon him that he died: and the kingdom was established in the hand of |