and gave the sum of the numbering of the people unto David.

And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David prayed unto the Lord, and said, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done: but now, O Lord, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

For thus it is written:

Cursed is the man that trusteth in man,
And maketh flesh his arm,

And whose heart departeth from the Lord.
Woe to them that trust in chariots because they

are many,

And in horsemen because they are very strong! For there is no king saved by the multitude of an host,

Neither is a mighty man delivered by great strength.

For it is not by might, nor by an army,
But by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

II SAMUEL XXIII, XXIV

(I Chronicles xxi)

Now it came to pass in those days, that three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give

me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate! And when they heard this saying, the three mighty men brake through the camp 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. But he would not drink thereof; for he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this! shall I drink the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? Therefore David would not drink it; but poured it out unto the Lord.

And it came to pass on a day, that David went up to rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Now Araunah was threshing wheat. And as David came to Araunah, Araunah looked forth and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build thereon an altar unto the Lord. And Araunah said unto David, Take it thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments and the furniture of the oxen for the wood, and the wheat for the meal offering: all this, my lord, doth Araunah freely give unto the king. And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will verily buy it of thee for the full price: for what is thine I will not take for the Lord, neither will I offer unto the Lord my God burnt offer

ings which cost me nothing! So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for six hundred shekels of gold.

These things did David; being therefore, as it is written, A man after God's own heart.

THE FIRST BOOK

OF THE KINGS

I KINGS II

I Chronicles xxviii

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

I am going the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man. Keep thou the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself. And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, it shall turn to thine hurt. And now, O Lord, give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, and to do all these things, for ever.

I KINGS III

(I Chronicles i)

The Lord appeared unto Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee? And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed 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 evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people?

And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice; behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, even riches and honour. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then will I also lengthen thy days.

And Solomon awoke: and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and worshipped.