"If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth." And he came apace, and drew near. And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, "Behold another man running alone." And the king said, "He also bringeth tidings." And the watchman said, "Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, “He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings." And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, “All is well." And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, "Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king." And the king said, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" And Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.” And the king said unto him, "Turn aside, and stand here.” And he turned aside, and stood still.

David

Absalom

And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, "Tidings, my lord the king: for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee." And the king said unto Weeps for Cushi, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" And Cushi answered, "The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is." And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

And it was told Joab, "Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom." And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son. And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. But the king covered his face,

and the king cried with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

Now king David was old and stricken in years. And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber. And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the

David

omon His Successor

king said, "What wouldest thou?" And she said Names Solunto him, "My lord, thou swarest by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, 'Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne."" And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. And they told the king, saying, "Behold Nathan the prophet." And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. And Nathan said, "My lord, O king, hast thou said, 'Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?' Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" Then king David answered and said, "Call me Bath-sheba." And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. And the king sware, and said, "As the Lord liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, even as I sware unto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, 'Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead'; even so will I certainly do this day." Then Beth-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, “Let my lord king David live for ever."

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 shew thyself a man;

David's

Solomon

and keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk Charge to 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 withersoever thou turnest thyself: 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."" 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.

[I Samuel iii-iv, 18; viii-x, 9; x, 17–24; xiv, 1-23; xv-xvii, 54; xviii, 1-21; xix-xx; xxiv-xxv, 1; xxvixxvii, 4; xxviii; xxxi. II Samuel i-ii, 4; iii, 1; V, 1−5, II-12, 22-25; xi, 1–3, 6–11, 14-27; xii, 1-10, 13-24; xv, 1–18; xvi, 15; xviii-xix, 4. I Kings, i, 1, 15-17, 22-24, 27-31; ii, 1−4, 10, 12.]

SOLOMON

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 shewed unto thy servant Solomon's David my father great mercy, according as he Choice 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, "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 judgment; behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days." And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of

the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

Then came there two women unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, "O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I arose in the morning, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear." And the other woman said, "Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son." And this said, "No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son." Thus they spake before the king.

Solomon a Good Judge

Then said the king, "The one saith, 'This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead': and the other saith, 'Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living."" And the king said, "Bring me a sword." And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other." Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, "O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it." But the other said, "Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it." Then the king answered and said, "Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof." And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great