David is made King.

AUL, the first King of Israel, dead, David the Shepherd reigned instead; The ark in triumph home he brought, And God in all his doings sought.

In Zion was his throne installed,

City of David from him called;
He conquers all his heathen foes,

But kindness to Saul's house he shows.

Full many a Psalm, sweet songs of praise,
He sings whilst on his harp he plays;

But, sad to tell, at last he sins,
And then his grief of heart begins.

But with the sin contrition came,
He bows before his God in shame;
And pardon God in mercy gives,
But he must suffer whilst he lives.

One son, a little infant dies,
Of David's sin the sacrifice,
And many another son he had,
But almost all at heart were bad.

And Absalom, the loved and lost,
Of all, by David loved the most,
Against his father lifts his hand,
And perishes by murderous band.

CHAPTER XXIII.

David succeeds Saul as King.

A

His sin against God, and its

punishment. Absalom. David dies.

ND it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up unto Hebron. So David went up thither, and his men that were with him, and dwelt in the cities of Hebron. And there the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. But Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, reigned over Israel. And there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker. Then came all the tribes of Israel to David, to Hebron, and anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. And he went to Jerusalem, and took the stronghold of Zion, and dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David went on and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.

But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines

came up to seek David. And the Lord said, Go up, for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. And David did so, and smote them from Geba unto Gazer.

Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand, and went to bring back the ark of God whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts, that dwelleth between the cherubims. And David brought up the ark of God into the city of David, with gladness, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. And they set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it, and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed, every one to his house. And David returned to bless his household.

And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies, that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And Nathan said unto the king, Go, and do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee. And it came to pass that night that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, that David should not build an house for the Lord to dwell in, but that his son

should build one. And the Lord said, He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chastise him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. Thy throne shall be established for ever. According to this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. And David said, O Lord God, with Thy blessing let the house of Thy servant be blessed for ever.

And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? And there was of the house of Saul a servant, whose name was Ziba. And he said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son which is lame on his feet. Then king David sent and fetched Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth. And he dwelt in Jerusalem, and did eat bread at the king's table continually. And he was lame on both his feet.

Now David fell into temptation and sin, for seeing Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, he desired that she should be his wife, and commanded his officers to put Uriah, her husband, into the forefront of the hottest battle (for Israel was at war with Ammon), that he might be smitten and die. So Uriah was slain, and when David heard of it he took Bathsheba to be his wife, and she bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. And the Lord sent Nathan the prophet unto

David, and he came and said, 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. did eat of his own meat, and drank 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 unto him.

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said unto Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely 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 the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme,