Rabbah besieged and taken. CHAP. XX, XXI.

David numbers the people. saw that they were put to the worse before 5 T And Joab gave the sum of the numIsrael, they made peace with David, and ber of the people unto David. And all became his servants: neither would the they of Israel were a thousand thousand Syrians help the children of Ammon any and a hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.

more.

AN

CHAP. XX.

ND it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that

6 But Levi and Benjamin counted be kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the not among them: for the king's word was power of the army, and wasted the country abominable to Joab. of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.

7 And God was displeased with this thing, therefore he smote Israel.

8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this 2 And David took the crown of their thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away king from off his head, and found it to the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done weigh a talent of gold, and there were pre- very foolishly.

cious stones in it; and it was set upon 9 T And the LORD spake unto Gad, DaDavid's head: and he brought also ex-vid's seer, saying, ceeding much spoil out of the city.

10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus

3 And he brought out the people that saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; were in it, and cut them with saws, and choose thee one of them, that I may do it with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even unto thee. so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

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

12 Either three years' famine; or three 4 T And it came to pass after this, that months to be destroyed before thy foes, there arose war at Gezer with the Philis- while that the sword of thine enemies overtines: at which time Sibbechai the Hu- taketh thee; or else three days the sword shathite slew Sippai, that was of the chil- of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the dren of the giant: and they were subdued. land, and the angel of the LORD destroying 5 And there was war again with the throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair therefore advise thyself what word I shall slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the bring again to him that sent me. Gittite, whose spear's staff was like a weav- 13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a er's beam.

AND Satan stood up against Israel, and

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

15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusa lem 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.

provoked David to number Israel. 16 And David lifted up his eyes, and 2 And David said to Joab and to the saw the angel of the LORD stand between rulers of the people, Go, number Israel the earth and the heaven, having a drawn from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring sword in his hand, stretched out over Jethe number of them to me, that I may rusalem. Then David and the elders of know it. Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell

3 And Joab answered, The LORD make upon their faces. his people a hundred times so many more 17 And David said unto God, Is it not as they be: but, my lord the king, are they I that commanded the people to be numnot all my lord's servants? why then doth bered? even I it is that have sinned and my lord require this thing? why will he done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, be a cause of trespass to Israel? what have they done? let thy hand,

4 Nevertheless the king's word prevail-pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, ed against Joab. Wherefore Joab depart and on my father's house; but not on thy ed, and went throughout all Israel, and people, that they should be plagued. came to Jerusalem. 18 Then the angel of the LORD COM

David builds an altar.

1. CHRONICLES. Preparations for the temple. manded Gad to say to David, that David 4_Also cedar-trees in abundance: for should go up, and set up an altar unto the the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought LORD in the threshing-floor of Ornan the much cedar-wood to David. Jebusite. 5 And David said, Solomon my son is 19 And David went up at the saying of young and tender, and the house that is to Gad, which he spake in the name of the be builded for the LORD must be exceeding LORD. magnifical, of fame and of glory through20 And Ornan turned back, and saw out all countries: I will therefore now the angel; and his four sons with him hid make preparation for it. So David prethemselves. Now Ornan was threshing pared abundantly before his death. wheat. 6 T Then he called for Solomon his 21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan son, and charged him to build a house for looked, and saw David, and went out of the LORD God of Israel. the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a 22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant house unto the name of the LORD my God. me the place of this threshing-floor, that I 8 But the word of the LORD came to me, may build an altar therein unto the LORD: saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, thou shalt grant it me for the full price: and hast made great wars: thou shalt not that the plague may be stayed from the build a house unto my name, because people. thou hast shed much blood upon the earth

23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it in my sight. to thee, and let my lord the king do that 9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the who shall be a man of rest; and I will oxen also for burnt-offerings, and the give him rest from all his enemies round threshing instruments for wood, and the about: for his name shall be Solomon, and wheat for the meat-offering; I give it all. I will give peace and quietness unto Israel 24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; in his days.

cost.

but I will verily buy it for the full price: 10 He shall build a house formy name for I will not take that which is thine for and he shall be my son, and I will be his the LORD, nor offer burnt-offerings without father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever. 25 So David gave to Ornan for the place 11 Now, my son, the LORD be with six hundred shekels of gold by weight. thee; and prosper thou, and build the house 26 And David built there an altar unto of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of the LORD, and offered burnt-offerings and thee. peace-offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt-offering.

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

sacrificed there.

12 Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge con cerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.

13 Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judg 28 ¶ At that time when David saw that ments which the LORD charged Moses with the LORD had answered him in the thresh-concerning Israel: be strong, and of good ing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he courage; dread not, nor be dismayed. 14 Now behold, in my trouble I have 29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, prepared for the house of the LORD & which Moses made in the wilderness, and hundred thousand talents of gold, and the altar of the burnt-offering, were at that thousand thousand talents of silver; and of season in the high place at Gibeon. brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have prepared; and thou mayest add thereto. 15 Moreover, there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of THEN amanner of work. HEN David said, This is the house of stone and timber, and all manner of cun

30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

CHAP. XXII.

of the burnt-offering for Israel.

16 Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, 2 And David commanded to gather to- and the iron, there is no number. Arise, gether the strangers that were in the land therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be of Israel; and he set masons to hew with thee.

wrought stones to build the house of God. 17 ¶ David also commanded all the 3 And David prepared iron in abun-princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, dance for the nails for the doors of the saying, gates, and for the joinings; and brass in 18 is not the LORD your God with you? abundance without weight; and hath he not given you rest on every

Solomon made king.

CHAP. XXIII, XXIV. The families of the Levites.

side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the 18 Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the land into my hand; and the land is subdu- chief.

ed before the LORD, and before his people. 19 Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the 19 Now set your heart and your soul to first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, third, and Jekameam the fourth.

and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD 20 Of the sons of Uzziel; Micah the God, to bring the ark of the covenant of first, and Jesiah the second.

the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, 21 ¶ The sons of Merari ; Mahli, and into the house that is to be built to the Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and name of the LORD.

CHAP. XXIII.

So when David was old and full of days,

Kish.

22 And Eleazar died, and had no sons,

but daughters; and their brethren the sons

10 he made Solomon his son king over of Kish took them. Israel.

2 T And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

23 The sons of Mushi ; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24 T These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief 3 Now the Levites were numbered from of the fathers, as they were counted by the age of thirty years and upward: and number of names by their polls, that did their number by their polls, man by man, the work for the service of the house of the was thirty and eight thousand. LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.

4 Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:

5 Moreover, four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

6 And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7¶ Of the Gershonites were Laadan and Shimei.

8 The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

9 The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.

10 And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

25 For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever;

26 And also unto the Levites: they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.

27 For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:

28 Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;

29 Both for the shew-bread, and for the fine flour for meat-offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;

11 And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah 30 And to stand every morning to thank the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not and praise the LORD, and likewise at many sons; therefore they were in one even;

reckoning, according to their father's house. 31 And to offer all burnt-sacrifices unto 12 T The sons of Kohath; Amram, Iz- the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new-moons, har, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. and on the set feasts, by number, accord13 The sons of Amram; Aaron and Mo-ing to the order commanded unto them, ses: and Aaron was separated, that he continually before the LORD: should sanctify the most holy things, be 32 And that they should keep the charge and his sons for ever, to burn incense be-of the tabernacle of the congregation, and Lore the LORD, to minister unto him, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge to bless in his name for ever. of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the 14 Now concerning Moses the man of service of the house of the LORD. God, his sons were named of the tribe of CHAP. XXIV. Levi.

the divisions of the sons

15 The sons of Moses were, Gershom, NOW these are the sons of Aaron, Na

the chief.

and Eliezer. dab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 16 Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: there17 And the sons of Eliezer were, Reha-fore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the biah the chief. And Eliezer had none priest's office.

other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were 3 And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech

very many.