that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon, And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed. Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

And

And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it, as they had made an end of eating. when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?

And while he yet spake, behold Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.

And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon Solomon king. And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan_the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him. to ride upon the king's mule: and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon and they are come up from

thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. And moreover the king's the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.

And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.

And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold Adonijah feareth king Solomon for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword. And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.

So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.

Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; and keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself.

that the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them.

be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. And, behold, thou hast with thee, Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. Now therefore hold him not guiltless for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

Question.-Why are this and the following book named the Books of Kings?

Answer. They contain the history of the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah, from the time when Solomon became king to the captivity and the end of the king. dom, a period of about 455 years.

Q-Is the history of the kings given in any other part of the Bible?

A. Yes, in the Books of Chronicles, where the history is a great part repeated, with some additions. It will not be necessary in this book to include the Books of Chronicles (which, however, when you grow older, you should attentively read), as the most important acts of the good and bad kings are related here, and the instruction to be gained from their example may be obtained from the Books of Kings.

2.-Who was Adonijah, and why d he say "I will be king?"

A. He was the fourth son of David, and his elder brothers, Amnon, Absalom and Chilcab, being dead, he considered himself entitled to succeed his father. He probably thought that David would leave his crown to Solomon, and therefore, taking advantage of his father's weak state, made his claim at once, so as to secure support before Solomon could be proclaimed. Q.-Why did Adonijah slay sheep and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth?

A. He appears to have intended to make a sacrifice, and so give a solemn character to the assembly of his supporters.

Q-Who were the Cherethites and Pelethites? 4. They were the bodyguard of the king, who appeared with him on state occasions; very probably Philistine soldiers whom he had taken into his service. As they were known to be always in attendance on the king, their appearance, with their leader, Benaiah, and such eminent persons as Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, would show to the people that the proclamation of Solomon as king was made by David's authority. There was no law that a king should be succeeded by his eldest son, and David had a perfect right, if he chose, to appoint Solomon instead of Adonijah. Q.-Why did Solomon ride upon the king's own mule?

A. It was considered an act of treason for any person to ride upon the king's mule or ass, without his express permission, and that permission was one of the highest honours that could be conferred. The sight of Solomon so riding would have a great effect on the people. Q.-How did Solomon behave towards Adonijah, who had fled for protection to the altar?

4. He forgave him, feeling towards him, no doubt, a brotherly affection, and excusing him, being the eldest son, for desiring to become king. Adonijah seems scarcely to have expected to escape without some punishment.

Q-What was the age of Solomon, when his father died?

A.-About twenty years.

Q-In what manner did the dying David speak of Joab?

A.-It may seem that David was more unforgiving than so great a man should have been; but as yet the full light of the Gospel law of love had not shone upon the world, and even David could not always forgive those who had injured him. But we must remember that Joab was a man of great ability and power, very popu lar with the army, and that even David, with all his strength of mind and great authority, had frequently

been greatly troubled by the conduct of Joab, and had found it very difficult to control him. He therefore cautioned his young son against the able and unscrupulous old soldier, and desired him to act "according to his wisdom," and, if necessary, to put into force the judgment which Joab had more than earned by his treason, but which David had not enforced. In the case of Shimei, he was a dangerous man, and Solomon must deal with him also according to his sense of what was necessary for his own security.

How great was the king, who, o'er Israel reigning, Was wealthy and powerful, honoured and great!

He prayed that the Lord would bestow on him wisdom

More precious that gift than his royalty's state.

Our Saviour has told us, more beauteous the lilies
Than Solomon all in his glory arrayed;
Wise Solomon knew that his pomp was worth
nothing

Unless in his heart the Lord's will he obeyed.

THE of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly. And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.

'HEN sat Solomon upon the throne

And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's for it was his from the LORD. now I ask one petition of thee, deny

me not.

And

And she said unto him, Say on. And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.

Bath-sheba therefore went unto king

Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay. And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. Now

therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.

And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.

And unto Abiathar the priest, said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death; but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

Then came tidings to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here.

And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.

And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and

better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.

So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.

And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.

And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy ser vants be in Gath. And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.

And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for