'For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
'And have not wickedly departed from my GOD.
'For all his judgments were before me:

'And as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
'I was also upright before him,

'And have kept myself from mine iniquity.

• Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to 'my righteousness;

According to my cleanness in his eyesight.

With the merciful THOU wilt show thyself merciful, And with the upright man THOU wilt show thyself up

right.

'With the pure THOU wilt show thyself pure ;

• And with the froward THOU wilt show thyself unsavoury. 'And the afflicted people THOU wilt save:

'But thine eyes are upon the haughty, that THOU mayest bring them down.

'For THOU art my lamp, O LORD:

' And the LORD will lighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop:

'By my God have I leaped over a wall. As for GOD, his way is perfect;

The word of the LORD is tried:

'HE is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

'For who is GOD, save the LORD!

'And who is a rock, save our GOD?

'GOD is my strength and power :
'And He maketh my way perfect.
'HE maketh my feet like hinds' feet:
' And setteth me upon my high places.
'HE teacheth my hands to war;

'So that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

•THOU hast also given me the shield of thy salvation : ' And thy gentleness hath made me great.

• THOU hast enlarged my steps under me ;

So that my feet did not slip.

'I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; 'And turned not again until I had consumed them. And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that " they could not rise :

'Yea, they are fallen under my feet.

'For THOU hast girded me with strength to battle :

'Them that rose up against me hast THOU subdued under

'me.

THOU hast also given me the necks of mine enemies,

'That I might destroy them that hate me.

They looked, but there was none to save;

'Even unto the LORD, but He answered them not.

'Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth:

'I did stamp them as the mire of the street,

'And did spread them abroad.

• THOU also hast delivered me from the strivings of my 'people,

THOU hast kept me to be head of the heathen:

'A people which I knew not shall serve me.

Strangers shall submit themselves unto me:

'As soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me. Strangers shall fade away,

' And they shall be afraid out of their close places.

'The LORD liveth;

And blessed be my rock;

'And exalted be the GOD of the rock of my salvation.

'It is God that avengeth me,

' And that bringeth down the people under me, 'And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies : 'THOU also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose

' up against me:

' THOU hast delivered me from the violent man.

'Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD among 'the heathen,

'And I will sing praises unto thy name.

'HE is the tower of salvation for his king: 'And showeth mercy to his anointed,

'Unto David, and to his seed for evermore.'

Now these be the last words of David

'David the son of Jesse said,

And the man who was raised up on high, 'The anointed of the GOD of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, 'And his word was in my tongue. The GOD of Israel said,

The Rock of Israel spake to me,

'HE that ruleth over men must be just,

Ruling in the fear of GOD.

And He shall be as the light of the morning, when the

6 sun riseth,

'Even a morning without clouds ;

'As the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear 6 shining after rain.

6 Although my house be not so with GOD;

'Yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, 'Ordered in all things, and sure:

For this is all my salvation, and all my desire,

'But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns

'thrust away,

'Because they cannot be taken with hands:

'But the man that shall touch them

• Must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear;

' And they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same ' place.'

THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS.

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; and keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to 'walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his command'ments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is ' written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in 'all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest 'thyself.'

So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the

city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and GOD said

'Ask what I shall give thee.'

And Solomon said, 'Thou hast showed unto thy servant 'David my father great mercy, according as he walked 'before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on 'his throne, as it is this day. And now, O LORD my GOD, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David 'my father and I am but a little child: I know not how 'to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst

:

of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, 'that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 'Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to 'judge thy people, that I may discern between good and 'bad for who is able to judge this thy so great a 'people?'

:

And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him