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raged to hope, that prayer and penitence would induce the LORD to deliver him also from the pursuit of his unnatural son*.

I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.

I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him; and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.

O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him.

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Come ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry..

The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

*Psalm xxxiv.

The

The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart: and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

The LORD redeemeth the souls of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

SECTION XXI.

SUCCOURS BROUGHT TO THE KING-DAVID GIVETH A CHARGE CONCERNING ABSALOM-ABSALOM HANGETH IN AN OAK-THE KING MOURNETH FOR ABSALOM.

From 2 Samuel, Chap. xvii, xviii.

AND it came to pass when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Amiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Ciladite of Rógelim, brought beds and basons, and earthen vesels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse;

And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine for David, and for the people that were with him to eat ; for they said, the people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.

And David numbered the people that were with him and set captains of thousands, and captai ns of hundreds over them,

And David sent forth a third part of the people under

the

the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zerúiah Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite: and the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

But the people answered thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us, therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.

And the king said unto them, what seemeth you best, I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds, and by thousands.

And the king commanded Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;

Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.

For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country; and the wood devoured more people that day, than the sword devoured.

And Absalom met the servants of David; and Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth, and the mule that was under him went away.

And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said,

Behold I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

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And Joab said unto the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there

there to the ground, and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle?

And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.

Otherwise, I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.

Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

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And ten young men that bare Joab's amour, compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.

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And they took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.

Now Absalom in his life-time had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name,, and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.

Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.

And Joab said unto him, thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.

Then

Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and

hast seen.

ran.

Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing thou hast no tidings ready?

And he said

But howsoever (said he) let me run. unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the plain, and overran Cushi

way of the

And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lift up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.

And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold, another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.

And the watchman said, Methinketh the running of the foremost, is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king, said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.

And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy GOD, which hath delivered up the men that lift up their hand against my LORD the king.

And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

And

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