16 tions; [Even of the covenant] which he made with Abraham, 17 and of his oath unto Isaac; And hath confirmed the same to

Jacob for a law, [and] to Israel [for] an everlasting covenant, 18 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of 19 your inheritance; When ye were but few, even a few, and 20 strangers in it. And [when] they went from nation to nation, 21 and from [one] kingdom to another people; He suffered

no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for 22 their sakes, [Saying,] Touch not mine anointed, and do my 23 prophets no harm. Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew 24 forth from day to day his salvation. Declare his glory among 25 the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations. For

great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised he also [is] to 26 be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people [are] 27 idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Glory and honour

[are] in his presence, strength and gladness [are] in his place. 28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the 29 LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory

[due] unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: 30 worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Fear before him

all the earth the world also shall be stable, that it be not 31 moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and 32 let [men] say among the nations, The LORD reigneth. Let

the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, 33 and all that [is] therein. Then shall the trees of the wood

sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to 34 judge the earth. O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] 35 good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever. And say ye, Save

us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, 36 [and] glory in thy praise. Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

37 So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, $8 as every day's work required: And Obededom, with their

brethren, three score and eight: Obededom also the son of 39 Jeduthun, and Hosah, [to be] porters: And Zadok the priest

and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD, 40 in the high place that was at Gibeon, To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD, upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and [to do] according to all that is written 41 in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel: And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, be. 42 cause his mercy [endureth] for ever: And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals, for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God: and the 43 sons of Jeduthun [were] porters. And all the people departed, every man to his house: And David returned to bless his house.

CHAP. XVII.

David is here forbidden to build God an house; is promised blessings in his seed; his prayer and thanksgiving.

OW it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David

'NOW

said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD [remaineth] un2 der curtains. Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that [is] in thine heart; for God [is] with thee.

3

And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God 4 came to Nathan, saying, Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in: 5 For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and 6 from [one] tabernacle [to another.] Wheresoever I have

walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why 7 have ye not built me an house of cedars? Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheep cote, [even] from following the sheep, that thou shouldst be ruler over my people Is8 rael: And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that [are] 9 in the earth. Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wicked10 ness waste them any more, as at the beginning, And since the time that I commanded judges [to be] over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.

11

And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired, that thou must go [to be] with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will stablish 12 his kingdom. He shall build me an house, and I will establish 13 his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son ;

and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took [it] 14 from [him] that was before thee. But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be estab15 lished for evermore. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

16 And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who [am] I, O Lord God, and what [is] mine house, that 17 thou hast brought me hitherto? And [yet] this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast [also] spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O Lord 18 God. What can David [speak] more to thee for the honour of 19 thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant. O LORD, for thy VOL. III.

Eee

servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all [these] great things. 20 O LORD, [there is] none like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And what one nation in the earth [is] like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem [to be] his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people; whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt? 22 For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; 23 and thou LORD, becamest their God. Therefore now, LORD,

let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as thou hast 24 said. Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, the LORD of hosts [is] the God of Israel, [even] a God to Israel and [let] the house of David thy ser25 vant [be] established before thee. For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore 26 thy servant hath found [in his heart] to pray before thee. And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness un27 to thy servant : Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and [it shall be] blessed for ever.

CHAP. XVIII.

David subdues the Philistines and the Moabites; and smites Hadarezer and the Syrians.

No

TOW after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her 2 towns out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smote Moab ; ⚫ and the Moabites became David's servants, [and] brought gifts. 3. And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as 4 he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

And

David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot [horses,] but reserved of them an hundred chari5 ots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty 6 thousand men. Then David put [garrisons] in Syriadamascus ; and the Syrians became David's servants, [and] brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went. And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Ha8 darezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.

9

Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smit10 ten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah: He sent Hado

ram his son to king David, to inquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and [with 11 him] all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass. Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver, and the gold that he brought from all [these] nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

12

Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites 13 in the valley of salt eighteen thousand. And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

14

i

So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and 15 justice among all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruiah [was] over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, re 16 corder. And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son 17 of Abiathar, [were] the priests; and Shavsha was scribe. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David [were] chief about the king.

CHAP. XIX.

David's messengers sent to comfort Hanun, are disgracefully treated the Ammonites are overcome by Joab and Abishai.

1

N

OW it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his 2 stead. And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the chil3 dren of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and 4 to overthrow, and to spy out the land? Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them Then there went [certain,] and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and [then] return.

5 away.

6

And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah. So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and

the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered them8 selves together from their cities, and came to battle. And when David heard [of it,] he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty 9 men. And the children of Ammon came out, and put the bat tle in array before the gate of the city and the kings that 10 were come [were] by themselves in the field. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put [them] in array 11 against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set [themselves] 12 in array against the children of Ammon. And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help 13 thee. Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD 14 do [that which is] good in his sight. So Joab and the people that [were] with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the bat15 tle; and they fled before him. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16

And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers and drew forth the Syrians that [were] beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the 17 host of Hadarezer [went] before them. And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set [the battle] in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians they 18 fought with him. But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand [men which fought in] chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach 19 the captain of the host. And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.

CHAP. XX.

Rabbah is besieged by Joab, spoiled by David, and the people tor tured; three giants slain by David's servants, in three several battles with the Philistines.

A

ND it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out [to battle,] Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the chil dren of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed 2 it. And David took the crown of their king from off his head,