How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan is slain upon thy high places.

I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan :
Very pleasant hast thou been unto me:

Thy love to me was wonderful,
Passing the love of women.

How are the mighty fallen,

And the weapons of war perished!

LXVI

DAVID'S KINDNESS TO JONATHAN'S SON

1

(II Samuel ix: 1-13)

And David said, "Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him unto David; and the king said unto him, “Art thou Ziba?" And he said, "Thy servant is he." And the king said, "Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him?" And Ziba said unto the king, "Jonathan hath yet a son, who is lame of his feet." And the king said unto him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said unto the king, "Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar." Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David, and fell on his face, and did obeisance. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he answered, "Behold, thy servant!" And David said unto him, "Fear not; for I will surely show thee kindness for

And

1. When the message came that Saul and his sons were dead the newe so terrified the nurse in charge of this child that she let him fall.

Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually." And he did obeisance, and said, "What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?"

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, "All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master's son. And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then said Ziba unto the king, "According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do." As for Mephibosheth," said the king, "he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons." And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet.

LXVII

66

DAVID AND URIAH THE HITTITE

(II Samuel xi: 1-27)

And it came to pass, at the return of the year, when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem.

And it came to pass at eventide that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and

the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bath-Sheba, the daughter of Eliam the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

And David sent to Joab,1 saying, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, "Go down to thy house, and wa h thy feet." And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of food from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. And when they had told David, saying, "Uriah went not down into his house," David said unto Uriah, “Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thy house?" And Uriah said unto David, "The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing." And David said to Uriah, "Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart." So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, "Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die." And it came to pass, when

1. "Jehovah is father."

Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; and he charged the messenger, saying, "When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king, it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, 'Wherefore went y so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall?' then shalt thou say, 'Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"

So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for. And the messenger said unto David, "The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate. And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also." Then David said unto the messenger, "Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, ‘Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it and encourage thou him."

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased

Jehovah.

LXVIII

THE ONE LITTLE EWE LAMB

(II Samuel xii:1-25)

And Jehovah sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, "There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own morsel, and drink of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him." And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, "As Jehovah liveth, the man that hath done this is worthy to die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."

And Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man. Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the word of Jehovah, to do that which is evil in his sight? thou hast smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, 1. The prophet.