CHAP. XXI.

Tday there was a (2) fan, year after THEN

HEN there was a (z) famine in the

days of David three years, year after ear; and David inquired (a) of the LORD. And the LORD answered, "It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites." 2. And the king alled the Gibeonites, and said unto them, now the Gibeonites were not of the chilren of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the children of Israel had worn (6) unto them and Saul sought to lay them in his zeal to the children of srael and Judah.) 3. Wherefore David aid unto the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance (c) of the LORD?” 4. And he Gibeonites said unto him, "We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house, neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel." And he said, "What you shall say, that will I do for you." 5. And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, 6. Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did 'choose." And the king said, "I will

And

nor by urim, nor by prophets. 1 Sam. "xxviii. 6." And in Ezekiel's time God commands him to "speak unto the house of "Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the "Lord, Are ye come to inquire of me? As "I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. Ezek. xx. 3." see Ezek. xx. 31. and xiv. 3. Instances in which God answered the inquiries occur, Judges xx. 26. 28.-1 Sam. x. 22.-1 Sam. xxiii. 2. 4.-2 Sam. ii. 1. &c. &c. Well, therefore, might Moses put the question, "What "nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in

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"give them." 7. But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD's oath (d) that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8. But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Michal (e) the daughter of Saul, whom she brought (f) up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9. And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley-harvest. 10. And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until (g) water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them (g) by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. 11. And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah 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 Jabesh-gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa. 13. And he brought up from

"all things that we" (the Israelites) "call 66 upon him for. Deut. iv. 7."

(b) v. 2. "Sworn." "Joshua made peace "with them, and made a league with them, to "let them live: and the princes of the con"gregation sware unto them. Josh. ix. 15." (c) v. 3.. "The inheritance of the Lord," i. e. the Israelites."

(d) v. 7. "Oath." David had sworn unto Jonathan that he would not cut off his kindness from Jonathan's house for ever: and they both sware in the name of the Lord, saying, "The "Lord be between me and thee, and between

my seed and thy seed for ever. 1 Sam. xx. " 15. 42."

(e) v. 8. For "Michal" read "Merab," Michal's sister. It was Merab that was given in marriage to Adriel. See 1 Sam. xviii. 19.

(f) v.8. "Brought up for," or "bare to." (g) v. 10. "Until water dropped," i. e. " till they had rain," which would contribute to relieve their distress," them," i. e. "the seven bodies."

thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son: and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. 14. And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son, buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah in the sepulchre of Kish his father; and they performed all that the king commanded: and after that God was entreated for the land. 15. Moreover, the Philistines had yet war again with Israel, and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines; and David waxed faint. 16. And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, (the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred (b) shekels of brass in weight) he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. 17. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, "Thou shalt go no more out with us to "battle, that thou quench not the light "of Israel.". 18. And it came to pass after this that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. 19. And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim a Beth-lehemite slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 20. And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes; four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. 21. And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah (i) the brother of David slew him. 22. These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. CHAP. XXIV.

AND again the anger of the LORD was

kindled against Israel, and he (k)

moved David against them to say, "Go "number Israel and Judah." 2. For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, "Go now through "all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even "to Beer-sheba, and number (7) ye the "people, that I may know the number of "the people." 3. And Joab said u the king, "Now the LORD thy God ad "unto the people (how many soever the "be) an hundred-fold, and that the "of my lord the king may see it: it "why doth my lord the king delight "this thing?" 4. Notwithstanding, king's word prevailed against Joab, against the captains of the host: and Jo and the captains of the host went out fr the presence of the king, to number t people of Israel. 5. And they passed on Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the mid of the river of Gad, and toward Jaz 6. Then they came to Gilead, and to t land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon. And came to the strong hold of Tyre, anded the cities of the Hivites, and of the C naanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. 8. So when they had gone through all the land, the came to Jerusalem at the end of nine month and twenty days. 9. And Joab gave up sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundre thousand valiant men that drew the sword and the men of Judah were five hundre thousand men. 10. And David's heart smot him after that he had numbered the people and David said unto the LORD, "I have "sinned greatly in that I have done: "now I beseech thee, O LORD, take a "the iniquity of thy servant; for I have "done very foolishly." 11. For en David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet G David's seer (m), saying. 12. Go and

say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose the one of them, that I may do it unto thee." 3. So Gad came to David, and told him, id said unto him, "Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days peftilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me." 1. And David said unto Gad, I am in a eat straight: let us fall now into the hand the LORD, (for his mercies are great) d let me not fall into the hand of man. 5. So the LORD sent a peftilence upon rael, from the morning even to the time pointed: and there died of the people om Dan even to Beer-sheba, seventy Housand men. 16. And when the angel retched out his hand upon Jerusalem to stroy it, the LORD repented him of the il, and said to the angel that destroyed the ople, "It is enough: stay now thine hand.” nd the angel of the LORD was by the reshing-place of Araunah the Jebusite. 7. And David spake unto the LORD when saw the angel that smote the people, and said, "Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house." 18. And Gad came at day to David, and said unto him,

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"Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD, "in the threshing-floor of Araunah the "Jebusite." 19. And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. 20. And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21. And Araunah said, "Wherefore is my lord the king "come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to "build an altar unto the LORD, that the "plague may be stayed from the people." 22. And Araunah said unto David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what "seemeth good unto him: Behold, here be "oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing "instruments and other instruments of the "oxen for wood." 23. All these things did Araunah, as a king, give (n) unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, "The LORD thy God accept thee." 24. And the king said unto Araunah, "Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at "a price: neither will I offer burnt-offer"ings unto the LORD my God of that "which doth cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

"Josiah by name, and upon thee shall "he offer the priests of the high places "that burn incense upon thee, and mens "bones shall be burnt (s) upon thee." 3. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD "hath spoken; "Behold the altar shall be "rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall "be poured out." 4. And it came to pass when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Beth-el, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, "Lay "hold on him." And his hand which he put forth against him dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. 5. The altar also was rent (t), and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, "Intreat now the face of the "LORD thy God, and pray for me, that "my hand may be restored me again." And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again and became as it was before. 7. And the king said unto the man of God, "Come "home with me, and refresh thyself, and "I will give thee a reward." 8. And the man of God said unto the king, "If thou "wilt give me half thine house, I will not 66 go in with thee, neither will I eat bread, "nor drink water in this place: 9. For "so was it charged me by the word of the "LORD, saying, "Eat no bread, nor drink "water, nor turn again by the same way "that thou camest.' 10. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el. II. Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el, and his sons came and told him all the words that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

12. And their father said unto them, "What way went he?" for his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. 13. And he said unto his sons, "Saddle me the ass." So they saddled him the ass, and he rode thereon, 14. and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak; and be said unto him, "Art thou the man of God "that camest from Judah?" And he said "I am." 15. Then he said unto h "Come home with me, and eat bre 16. And he said, "I may not return "thee, nor go in with thee: neither al "I eat bread nor drink water with thee "this place. 17. For it was said to me "by the word of the LORD, "Thou sh "eat no bread, nor drink water there, "turn again to go by the way that tha "camest. 18. He said unto him, "I "am a prophet also as thou art, and a "angel spake unto me by the word of the "LORD, saying, "Bring him back with the "into thine house, that he may eat brea ❝and drink water." But he lied to him. 19. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and de water. 20. And it came to pass as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lo came unto the prophet that brought him back 21. And he cried unto the man

God that came from Judah, saying, "Th "saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou ha "disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, "hast not kept the commandment whit "the LORD thy God commanded the

22. but camest back, and hast eate "bread, and drunk water in the place of "the which the LORD did say to thee, "Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy "carcase shall not come unto the sepulc "of thy fathers." 23. And it cam pass after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the to wit, for the prophet, whom he had

open defiance of the second commandment, and many other of the mosaic injunctions, and sacrificed unto them. On this account he is generally spoken of as " Jeroboam, the son of "Nebat, who made Israel to sin.”

(s) v. 2. "Burnt." This was fulfilled at the distance of about 330 years. Josiah " "spied

"the sepulchres that were in the mount, "took the bones out of the sepulchres, "burned them upon the altar, and pollut "it. 2 Kings xxiii. 16. post."

(t) v.5. Rent, &c. so immediately this sign fulfilled! and yet Jeroboam was reclaimed.

ought back.

24. And when he was ne, a lion met him by the way, and ew him; and his carcase was cast in the ay, and the ass stood by it; the lion 30 stood by the carcase. 25. And beld, men passed by, and saw the carcase st in the way, and the lion standing by the rcase and they came and told it in the y where the old prophet dwelt. 26. And en the prophet that brought him back

from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. 34. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.

CHAP. XVII.

() Elijah (z) the Tishbite, who

is the man of God, who was disobedient xunto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD which he spake unto him." 27. And spake to his sons, saying, "Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. And he went and found his carcase st in the way, and the ass and the lion nding by the carcase: the lion had not ten the carcase, nor torn the ass. 29. And e prophet took up the carcase of the man God, and laid it upon the ass, and ought it back and the old prophet me to the city, to mourn and to bury

m.

30. And he laid his carcase in his vn grave, and they mourned over him ving, "Alas, my brother." 31. And it me to pass after he had buried him, that spake to his sons, saying, "When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre, wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32. For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the high (u) places, which are in the cities of (x) Samaria, shall surely come to pass." 5. After this thing Jeroboam returned not

said unto Ahab (a), "As the LORD God of "Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there "shall not be dew (b) nor rain these years, "but according to my word." 2. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 3. "Get thee hence, and turn "thee eastward, and hide thy self by the "brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

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4. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink "of the brook, and I have commanded "the ravens (c) to feed thee there." 5. So he went, and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before 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 brook. 7. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 9. Arise, get thee to Zarephath, "which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell "there: behold, I have commanded a "widow woman there to sustain thee." 10. So he arose, and went to Zarephath: and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her,

ordinary blessings, and reducing them to want. This is supposed to have been the effect of Elijah's prayers: "Elias prayed earnestly that "it might not rain, and it rained not on the "earth by the space of three years and six "months. James v. 17, 18." See 2 Hales 421. Our Saviour mentions the time the drought continued, Luke iv. 25. "The heaven was "shut up three years and six months, when 66 great famine was throughout all the land.” (c) v.4. 6. " Ravens," or " Orebites," the neighbouring inhabitants. 2 Hales 421.