Absalom, and went to his own home, put his household in order, and hanged himself.

Defeat and death of Absalom.-Then David numbered the people that were with him at Mahanaim, and he sent them forth in three bands against Absalom and his army. And he appointed Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, the Gittite, to command the three divisions, for the people would not allow David to go with the army.

Now David strictly charged the captains, that they should deal gently with Absalom, for his father's sake.

Then the armies met and fought in the wood of Ephraim; and the men of Absalom fled before the servants of David. Absalom fled on his mule from the battle, and was caught by his long hair as he rode under an oak; and when Joab knew of this, he took darts and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, and he died. And they buried him under a heap of stones, and Israel fled to their tents.

And David mourned greatly for Absalom, and said: "Would to God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

Return of David.—And after a time, the people of Judah brought back David to Jerusalem, and the other tribes were jealous of Judah.

And there was a certain Benjamite, named Sheba, son of Bichri, and he counselled the tribes to rebel, and forsake David, and many followed Sheba.

Then David commanded Amasa to gather an army in three days, but Joab was jealous of Amasa, and he killed him as he had before killed Abner.

And David's men followed Sheba to Abel-bethMaacah, and besieged him there, and Joab battered the wall, but a wise woman within the city advised the people, and they cut off the head of Sheba, and

threw it over the wall, and thus ended the rebellion of Sheba.

War with the Philistines.-Then the Philistines made war against Israel, and David went down and fought with them, and was nearly slain by Ishbibenob, one of the giants, but was saved by Abishai, who killed the giant. Also Sibbechai slew Saph; Elhanan, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath of Gath, and Jonathan, the nephew of David, slew another of the sons of the giants, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot.

Three years' famine.-Now the land of Israel was afflicted for three years together with famine; and when David enquired of the Lord what was the cause, he was answered that it was on account of Gibeon, the people of which city had been cruelly slain by Saul. And when David sought to make an atonement, the Gibeonites required that seven of the family of Saul should be given up, that they might hang them in Gibeah of Saul. And David took the two sons of Rizpah, and five others, and delivered them to the Gibeonites, and they hanged them. And Rizpah watched the bodies day and night, that they should not be devoured by beast or bird. And when David heard it, he buried their remains, with the bones of Saul and Jonathan, in the sepulchre of Kish, in Benjamin.

David's mighty men.-The three most mighty men of David, were Adino, the Eznite; Eleazar, son of Dodo; and Shammah, son of Agee. When David was in a hold in the wilderness, and the Philistines were then in Bethlehem, David longed for water, and said: "Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" And these three mighty men brake through the Philistines and brought some water to David. But David would

not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. Beside these were Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, who slew three hundred Philistines; and Benaiah, the son of Kabzeel, who slew two lion-like men of Moab, an Egyptian giant, with his own spear, and a lion in a pit in the time of snow. These did not attain to the first three, but were foremost among thirty other mighty men of valour.

David numbers the people.-And after this, David was tempted to number the people, and he persisted in doing this, in spite of the counsel of Joab, and his other captains. They numbered all the tribes but Levi and Benjamin, and found in Judah five hundred thousand fighting men, and in the other tribes, eight hundred thousand. And when it was finished, the conscience of David smote him.

Then the Lord sent the prophet Gad to David, to offer him a choice of three punishments-seven years of famine, three years of defeat by his enemies, or three days of pestilence.

And David said: "Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great, and let me not fall into the hands of men."

So the Lord sent a pestilence that slew seventy thousand men, and the plague was stayed at the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite.

Then David bought the threshing floor of Araunah, and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver, and, at the command of the Lord, he built an altar there.

EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XXI.

Which of David's sons was killed by Absalom?

Whither did Absalom go? How long was Absalom away? Who procured his return? How did he behave after his return? What was his plan?

What persons shewed kindness to David in this time of trial? Who were Absalom's counsellors? What became of Ahitophel?

Give the particulars of Absalom's death.

How did David re

ceive the news? What offence did Sheba commit? Of whom was Joab jealous? What crime did he commit? What was the fate of Sheba ? What calamity happened to Israel for three years? When did it cease?

Who was Rizpah? How did she shew affection for her sons? Who slew the giant Ishbi-benob? How many sons had the giant? For what did David long while in the wilderness?

Who went to fetch it? Did he drink the water?

Why did he not drink it? Who slew a lion amidst the snow?
Whom did he slay beside? What was David tempted to do?
Where was the census begun?

How many fighting men were in Israel, and in Judah ?
When did David repent the numbering?

Who reproved him? How was he punished?

Where did the plague cease?

What did David at the threshing floor of Araunah?

CHAPTER XXII.

THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS.

THE Books of Kings form an epitome of Jewish history from the death of king David, to the carrying away of the Jews into captivity-a period of about four hundred and twenty years.

The First Book comprises a period of one hundred and twenty-six years, from B.c. 1015, to the death of Jehoshaphat, B.C. 889.

Its chief sections narrate the reign and glory of Solomon; the building of the temple; the political division of the Jewish nation into the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel; the war between Jeroboam and Rehoboam; the taking of Jerusalem by Shishak, king of Egypt, in the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign; the reigns of several kings of each, and the wonderful history of Elijah the prophet.

Adonijah.-Now David was old, and well stricken in years. And Adonijah, the fourth son of David, by his wife Haggith, and brother of Absalom, exalted himself, and said, "I will be king." And Joab and Abiathar the priest helped him.

Then Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, warned by Nathan the prophet, went in unto David, and told him that Adonijah reigned, though David had promised the kingdom to her son Solomon. Nathan the prophet also went to David, and enquired if he had made Adonijah king.

Then David said to Bathsheba, "As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul, assuredly Solomon, thy son, shall sit upon my throne in my stead."

Solomon proclaimed. And David commanded Nathan, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, to place Solomon on the king's mule, and to take him down to Gihon, and there anoint him king, and blow with the trumpets and say, "God save king Solomon.”

And they did so, and all the people followed them with music and rejoicing. Then the people of Adonijah scattered, and Adonijah fled and laid hold on the horns of the altar, but Solomon said no harm should come to him, "if he would show himself a worthy man."

Death of David. 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 show thyself a man; keep the charge of thy God and walk in his ways, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself."

Moreover, David commanded Solomon to punish Joab for his murders and cruelties, and Shimei, the Benjamite, who had cursed David on the sad day when he fled from Absalom; also he desired him to show