Sheba is beheaded 2 SAMUEL, XXI. B. C 1022. 14 ¶ And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, m and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him. m 2Ki.15.29. 2Ch.16.4. n 2Ki.19.32. 15 And they came and besiegedor, against him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and| hey cast up a bank n against the city, and it stood 7 in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab & battered the wall, to throw it down. 16 Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. 17 And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. answered, I do hear. And he Three years' famine, &c. year after year; and David 1 inquired of the LORD And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.a 2 And the king called the Gibeonthe outmosties, and said unto them; (now the wall. Gibeonites were b not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Ju 8 marred to throw down. or, They plainly spake in 9 the begin-dah.) o Ju.5.7. 18 Then she spake, saying, 9 They were wont to speak in old time, 10 his name. saying, They shall surely ask counsel p Ec.9.14-16. at Abel and so they ended the were szatmatter. tered. 19 I am one of them that are peace- q ch.8.16-18. Able and faithful in Israel: thour IKI.4.6. seekest to destroy a city and a mothero in Israel why wilt thou 12 or, remem$ 1Ki.4.3. swallow up the inheritance of the brancer. ch.8.18. Ge.41.45. Ex.2.16. LORD? 20 And Joab answered and said. 13 or, a prince Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. 21 The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, (Sheba) the son of Bichri by 10 name;) hath lifted up his hand against the king, Even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. 22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. p And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they 11 retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king. (CHAP. 21.) 1 sought the face, Nu.27.21. a 1Sa.22. 19. b Jos.9.3-21. c ch.20.19. or, It is not silver nor gold that 2 23 T Now Joab q was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites; 24 And Adoram was over the re tribute: and Jehoshaphat s the son of Ahilud was 12 recorder: 25 And Sheva was scribe and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: 26 And Ira also the Jainte was 13 a chief ruler about David. CHAPTER XXI. The three years' famine for the Gibeonites ceaseth. we have to his house; neither pertains it to us to kill. d Ps.49.6,7. 3or.cut us off. Eze. 18. 19. 1Sa. 10.26. 4 chosen of the LORD. ch.3.7. or, Michal's g 1Sa.20.15. sister. 6 bare to Adriel, 1Sa.18.19. THEN there was a famine in the 1Sa. 15.33. days of David three years, 4 And the Gibeonites said unto him, 2 We will have no silver d nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you. 5 And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that 3 devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah f of Saul, 4 whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, 1 will give them. 6 Let seven men of his sons e be 7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath g that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah h the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of 5 Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite: 9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before i the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barleyharvest. 10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. 11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. Four grants slain. 2 SAMUEL, XXII. 12 And David went and took B. C. 1018. the bones of Saul and the bones of 13 And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. 14 And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, 7 in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was entreated m for the land. 15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. 16 And Ishbi-benob, (which was of the sons of 7 the giant, the weight of 8 whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight,) he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. 8 the staff, or, n ch.18.3. candle, or, o 1Ki. 11.36. p 1Ch.20.4. 10 or, Sippai, q 1Sa. 16.9, (CHAP. 22.) b Ps.18, title. 17 But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then d Ps.91.2. the men of David sware unto him, e Ge. 15.1. saying, Thou shalt go no more Ps.84.11. out with us to battle, that thou fLuke 1.69. quench not the 9 lighto of Israel. g Pr. 18.19. 18 And it came to pass after this, h Ps. 46. 1,11. that there was again a battle with Jer. 16. 19. the Philistines at Goh: then Sib-1 or, pangs. bechai p the Hushathite slew 10 Saph, which was of the sons of 2 Belial. 3 or, cords. Ps.34.6,15. 11 the giant. Hab.3.6, 10 n Ps.97.3,4. 20 And there was yet a battle in waters. Is.30.30. 21 And when he 14 defied Israel, Bervants. CHAPTER XXII. 6 or, anger, Ps.74. 1. Apsalm of thanksgiving for God'sor, great. powerful deliverance and manifold v Is.43.2. blessings. David's psalm. A the words of this song, b in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: ND David spake unto the LORDA 2 And he said, the LORD is my rock, c and my fortress, d and my deliverer; 3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust; he is my shield, e and the hornf of my salvation, my high tower, g and iny refuge, h my saviour; thou savest me from violence. 4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 5 When the 1 waves of death commen made me afraid. passed me, the floods of 2 ungodly 6 The 3 sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; 7 In my distress i I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear k my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. 8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven m moved and shook, because he was wroth. 9 There went up a smoke 4 out of his nostrils, and fire out n of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 10 He bowed o the heavens also, and came down; and darkness p was under his feet. 11 And he rode upon a cherub, q and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings r of the wind. 12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, 5 dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. 13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled. 14 The LORD thundered s from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. 15 And he sent out arrows, t and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. 16 And the channels of the sea a appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his 6 nostrils. 17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of 7 many waters; v 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. 19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay David's psalm 2 SAMUEL, XXIII. 20 He brought me forth also into B. C. 1018. large place: he delivered me because he delighted w in me. w ch.15.26. 21 The LORD rewarded me accord- 1Sa.26.23. ing z to my righteousness: accord-y Job 17.9. ing to the y cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 22 For I have kept z the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. z Pr.8.32. a Ps. 119.30. 9 to him. 9 before his eyes. Mat.5.7. c Lev.26.23. 23 For a all his judgments were efore me and as for his statutes, did not depart from them. 24 I was also upright 8 before him, and have kept myself from mined niquity. 25 Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness 9 in his eye-sight. 26 With the merciful b thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with he upright man thou wilt show chyself upright. 27 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward c thou wilt 10 show thyself ansavoury. 28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save but thine eyes are upon he haughty, d that thou mayest bring them down. 29 For thou art my 11 lamp, O LORD and the LORD will lighten my darkness. 30 For by thee I have 12 run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. 31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is 13 tried he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. 32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? 33 God is my strength and power: and he 14 maketh my way perfect. 34 He 15 maketh my feet e like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. 35 He teacheth my hands 16 to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath 17 made me great. 37 Thou hast enlarged my steps ander me; so that my 18 feet did not slip. 38 I hav pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them. 39 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen funder my feet. 40 For thou hast girded me with trength to battle: them g that 10 or,wrestle. Dan.4.37. 11 or, candie. 12 or, broken. 13 or,refined. 14 riddeth, or looseth. 13 equalleth. e Hab.3.19. for the war, 1 multiplied me. 18 ankles. f Mal.4.3. g Ps.44.5. 19 caused to bow. h Ge.49.8. Jos.10.24. i Pr.1.28. Mi.3.4. k 2Ki. 13.7. 7 Mi.7.10. m ch.3.1. 19.9,14. 20.1,2,22. n Ps.2.8. 20 Sons of the stranger. 21 lie,or, yield feigned obedience, De.33.29. Ps.66.3. o Mi.7. 17. of thanksgiving rose up against me hast thou 19 subdued under me. 41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. 42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, buti he answered them not. 43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust k of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire l'of the street, and did spread them abroad. 44 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings m of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen; n a people which I knew not shall serve me. 45 20 Strangers shall 21 submit themselves unto me; as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me. 46 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close o places. 47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. 48 It is God that 22 avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me. 22 giveth a- 2Th.3.2. Ps.89.29,36. (CHAP. 23.) a Ps.78.70,71. b Lu.24.44. c 2 Pet. 1.21. or, Be thou ruler, &c. Ps. 110.2. d Pr.31.9. e Ex. 18.21. f Pr.4.18. 2Ch.19.7,9. Ps.73.6. A ch.7.14-16. Is.55.3. 2 The Spirit c of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, 1 He that ruleth over men must be just, d ruling in the feare of God. 4 And he shall be as the light fof the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.g 5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an h everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my Catalogue of 2 SAMUEL, XXIIE desire, i although he make it not to B. C. 1018. STOW 6 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, i Ps.73.25,26. 7 But the man that shall touch them must be 2 fenced with iron, and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire k in the same place. 8These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; (the same was Adino the Eznite :) he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. 3 filled. or, Josheb 4 slain. 5 or, for or, the 1Sa.22.1. 7 slain. 11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and 8 great of the people fled from the Philistines. acts. 12 But he stood in the midst of wrought a great victory. God. David's mighty men. | Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chi among three. And he lifted up n spear against three hundred, 7 ane slew them, and had the name among three. 19 Was he not most honourable of three therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three. 20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, 8 who had done many acts, he slew two lion-like men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: 21 And he slew an Egyptian, 10 a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. 23 He was 11 more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him 12 over his guard. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Me bunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohíte, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a 13 And three of the thirty chiefs 10 a man of Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai went down, and came to David in the harvest-time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. 15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate! 16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. countenance, or sight: called, a man of great stature, 1 Ch.11.23. 11 or, honour- 12 at his com mand, or, over council, 1Sa.22.14. out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the 13 brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari 13 or, valleys, the Beerothite, armour-bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 17 And he said, Be it far from me, 38 Iram an Ithrite,Gareb an Ithrite, 39 Uriah n the Hittite: thirty and seven in all. CHAPTER XXIV. David, tempted by Satan, forceth Joab to number the people. The three 2 SAMUEL, XXIV. plagues propounded, ND again a the anger of the B. C. 1017. | thee in thy land? or wilt thou fles A LORD was kindled against Is Pael, and 1 he moved David against a ch.21.1. them to say, Go, b number Israel and Judah. 2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, 2 Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people hat I may know the number c of the people. 3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, (how many soever they be,) an hundred-fold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may seee it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. 1 Satan. b 2 Ja. 1.13,14. Ch.27.23, 24. or, Com pass. c Jer. 17.5. g Jos. 19.28. 5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, d on the right side of the city that hieth in the midst of the 3 river of Gad, and toward Jazer:e 6 Then they came to Gilead, and n Le.26.41, to the 4 land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan,f and o 1Ch.21. 12. about to Zidon, g 43. 7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the 5 or, many. Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. p Ps. 103.8,14. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusa-7 lem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unt the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. 10 T And David's heart smote h him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, Ii have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away k the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, m David's seer, saying, 12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose n thee one of them, shat I may do it unto thee. 13 So Gad came to David, and told nim, and said unto him, Shall sereno vears of famme come untol three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence i thy land? Now advise, and sea what answer I shall return to him that sent me. 14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; (for his mercies are 5 great :)p and let me not fall into q the hand of man. 15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel, from the morning even died of the people from Dan even to to the time appointed: and there Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 16 And when the angel r stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented s him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough:t stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing-place of Araunah z the Jebusite. 17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have v sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, w what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house. 18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of 6 Araunah the Jebusite. CXXXVI. 19 And David, according to the sayPs. 106.41, ing of Gad, went up as the LORD 42. Is.47.6. r Ex. 12.23. t Ps.90.13. 135.14. Is.27.8. 57.16. Joel 2.13, 14. commanded 20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed y from the people. 22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen z for burntsacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. 23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, a give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept b thee. 24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD |