FIRST KINGS II-DAVID'S DEATH

Chapter 2

599

26

1 David, having given a charge to Solomon, 3 of religiousness, 5 of Joab, 7 of Barzillai, 8 of Shimei, 10 dieth. 12 Solomon succeedeth. 13 Adonijah, moving Bath-sheba to sue unto Solomon for Abishag, is put to death. Abiathar, having his life given him, is deprived of the priesthood. 28 Joab fleeing to the horns of the altar is there slain. 35 Benaiah is put in Joab's room, and Zadok in Abiathar's. 36 Shimei, confined to Jerusalem, by occasion of going thence to Gath, is put to death.

JOW the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, 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:

4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

5 Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his foins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.1

7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.

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

11 And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

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

13

And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the

'The American Revision changes "the grave" to "Sheol" both here and in verse 9.

600

FIRST KINGS II—BATH-SHEBA'S PETITION

mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.

15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD.

16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on.

17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

18 And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king. 19¶ Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee: I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

23 Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.

24 Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.

25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.

26¶And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.1

See I. Sam. 2, 27-36 for the prophecy against Eli's house, of which Abiathar was the sole remaining descendant.

David Slays Goliath

BY RAPHAEL, FROM THE SERIES OF FRESCOES IN THE

LOGGIA OF THE VATICAN.

+

"So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him.”I. Sam., 17, 50.

T

HE match between David and Goliath was not

really so unequal as it seemed, except that men find it difficult to change their habits of thought, and thus those accustomed to a certain style of warfare can not easily invent or even conceive another. The fighting of David's day was done body to body, so that brute strength, especially when reinforced by the rare and costly armor, was the main requisite. But any red Indian of the plains, accustomed to arrow and tomahawk, would have declared the chances all in David's favor. He had his sling, and his enemy's face was unprotected by armor. The Israelites were many of them so expert with these slings that they could throw within a hair's breadth. Besides, even if David missed his first cast, he must have counted on being able to keep at a distance from his heavily laden antagonist; for he had picked up not one stone but five.

David's first missile struck the unready Goliath fair between the eyes, crashing into his skull. The giant sank prostrate; and, before his comrades could advance to rescue their fallen champion, David rushed upon him. Casting aside the staff which had aroused Goliath's foolish anger, David snatched up the giant's own sword and hewed off his head.