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there they left their gods; and David and the men who were with him took them.

Again the Philistines proceeded to come up, and made 23 another irruption into the valley of the Titans. And when David inquired of the Lord, the Lord said, Thou shalt not go up to meet them in front. Wheel about from them, and come 24 upon them near Wailing. And when thou hearest the sound of a rustling in the grove of Wailing, then thou shalt go down against them; for the Lord will then go out before thee, to 25 smite in the battle of the Philistines. And David did as the Lord commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Gabaon to the land of Gazera.

VI.

Again David assembled all the young men of Israel, about 2 seventy thousand. And David arose, and set out on his march, he and all the people with him, and some of the chiefs of Juda, to bring up thence the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts enthroned on the cherubims, which are on 3 it. And having put the ark of the Lord in a new car, they brought it from the house of Aminadab, who dwelt on the mount. And Oza, and his brothers the sons of Aminadab, led the 4 car with the ark. His brothers marched before the ark. And 5 David and the Israelites played on high toned instruments of music, accompanied with songs, and on kinyras and on nablas, and on tympanums, and on cymbals, and on harps. 6 But when they came to the threshing floor of Nachor, Oza

stretched forth his hand upon the ark of God to stay it, and 7 took hold of it, because the young bull shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Oza, and he smote him 8 there, by the ark of the Lord, in the presence of God. Now David was disheartened because the Lord had broke out 9 upon Oza, and that place is to this day called Breach of Oza;

and David was afraid of the Lord that day, saying, How shall 10 the ark of the Lord come to me? So David was not willing

that the ark of the covenant of the Lord should turn aside to him, into the city of David, and David caused it to turn aside 11 to the house of Abeddara, the Gethite. And the ark of the Lord abode in the house of Abeddara the Gethite three months, and the Lord blessed the whole house of Abeddara, and all belong12 ing to him. And when they told king David saying, The Lord

hath blessed the house of Abeddara, and all belonging to him, on account of the ark of God, David went and brought up the ark of the Lord out of the house of Abeddara, into the city of 13 David, with rejoicing. Now there were with him seven choirs carrying the ark, and for a sacrifice a young bull and lambs. 14 And David played on well tuned instruments of music be

fore the Lord; and David having put on an unusual robe, he, 15 and all the house of Israel, brought up the ark of the Lord, 16 with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. And as the ark was entering the city of David, Melchol the daughter of Saul looked out at a window, and saw king David dancing, and 17 playing before the Lord, and despised him in her heart. So they brought the ark of the Lord, and when they had set it in its place, in the middle of the tabernacle, which David had erected for it, David offered whole burnt offerings before the 18 Lord, and peace offerings. And when David had made an end of offering the whole burnt offerings, and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, and 19 distributed to all the people through the whole host of Israel, from Dan to Bersabee, both to the men and women, to every one a piece of bread, and a piece of roasted meat, and a sweet cake baked in the pan. Then all the people departed, every one to his house, and David returned to salute his house20 hold. And Melchol the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and when she had saluted him, she said, How was the king of Israel glorified to-day in the eyes of his maid ser21 vants, disrobed as he was like one of the dancers! Whereupon David said to Melchol, I will dance before the Lord. Blessed be the Lord, who hath chosen me in preference to thy father, and in preference to all his house, to make me ru22 ler over his people, over Israel. Wherefore I will play and dance before the Lord, and I will again disrobe myself in the same manner, though I should be despicable in thy sight, and with the maidens, by whom thou hast intimated that I am not 23 honoured. Hence Melchol the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

VII. Now when the king was settled in his house, and the 2 Lord had given him rest on every side, from all his enemies round about, the king said to Nathan the prophet, Behold I

dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth in the 3 midst of the tabernacle. Upon which Nathan said to the king, Whatever may be in thy heart, go and do; for the Lord is 4 with thee. But that night a word of the Lord came to 5 Nathan saying, Go and say to my servant David, Thus

saith the Lord, Art not thou to build me a house to dwell in? 6 Because I did not dwell in a house from the day I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt even to this day, but continued walking about in a temporary abode and in a tabernacle in all the 7 places through which I passed with all Israel, did I ever speak to any tribe of Israel whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, and say, Why have you not built for me a house of cedar? 8 But now, thus shalt thou say to my servant David, Thus saith the Lord Almighty, I took thee from the sheepcot to be ruler 9 over my people-over Israel; and I have been with thee whithersoever thou didst go, and have destroyed all thine enemies from before thee, and made thee renowned according to 10 the renown of the great men on the earth; and I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and plant them, and they shall dwell by themselves, and shall no more be in trouble; nor shall a son of wickedness any more humble them as heretofore, from 11 the days I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will

give thee rest from all thine enemies, and the Lord will tell 12 thee that thou art to build a house for him. And it shall come

to pass when thy days are fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, that I will raise up after thee the seed of thee who shall spring from thy loins, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will raise up again 14 his throne for ever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to

me a son. And when his iniquity shall come, I will correct him with a rod of men, and with scourges of the children of 15 men, but I will not withdraw my mercy from him as I with16 drew it from them whom I removed from my presence. His house and his kingdom shall be established for ever before me and his throne shall be raised up again for ever.

17 According to all these words and according to all this vi18 sion, so did Nathan speak to David. Whereupon king David went in and sat down before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord, my Lord! and what is my house that thou hast loved

19 me to such a degree! Though I was contemptibly little before thee, O Lord, my Lord! yet thou hast spoken respecting the house of thy servant for a great while to come. With regard to this law of the man, O Lord, my Lord! what more shall 20 David presume to say to thee? Now then, thou, O Lord, my 21 Lord! knowest thy servant, and on account of thy servant

thou hast done, and according to thine own heart hast made all this greatness in order to make known to thy servant with 22 respect to the magnifying of thee, O my Lord! that there is none like thee, and that there is not a god besides thee among 23 all that we have heard of with our ears. Moreover what other nation is there on the earth like thy people Israel? How hath God gone before them to redeem a people for himself-to make thyself a name-to display majesty and an appearance of deity to drive out from before thy people, whom thou hadst 24 redeemed for thyself out of Egypt, nations and wandering

hordes! Thou indeed preparedst for thyself thy people Israel to 25 be a people for ever, and thou, O Lord! wast their God. Now therefore, O my Lord, confirm the word which thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and his house, confirm it ever26 lastingly, O Lord Almighty, O God of Israel. And now as thou hast spoken let thy name be magnified for ever.

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O Lord Almighty, O God of Israel, thou hast made a revelation to thy servant, saying, I am to build a house for thee; therefore thy servant hath found this disposition of his heart 28 to make this prayer to thee. And now, O Lord, my Lord, Thou art God, and thy words will be true, and thou hast 29 spoken these good things respecting thy servant, now then begin and bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee. Since thou O Lord, my Lord, hast spoken, therefore with thy blessing, let the house of thy servant be blessed, that it may continue for ever.

VIII. After this David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took the country, appurtenant to the cities, out of 2 the hand of the Philistines. David also smote Moab, and measured them with lines, having caused them to dwell in the country, and there were two lines to be put to death, and two lines to be saved alive. So Moab became servants to David, 3 and brought him gifts. David also smote Adraazar, son of

Raab king of Suba. As he was going to establish his autho4 rity over the river Euphrates, David intercepted a thousand of his chariots, and seven thousand cavalry, and twenty thousand infantry; and David destroyed all the chariots, except 5 one hundred which he reserved for himself. And when Syria of Damascus came to assist Adraazar king of Suba, David 6 smote of the Syrians twenty two thousand men, and David placed a garrison in Syria at Damascus, and the Syrians became ser7 vants to David and brought him gifts. So the Lord preserved David withersoever he went. And David took the breastplates of gold, which were on the servants of Adraazar, king of Suba and brought them to Jerusalem. Now these were they which Susakim king of Egypt took when he came up against 8 Jerusalem, in the days of Roboam son of Solomon. And from Metebak, and from the principal cities of Adraazar, king David took brass in great abundance, of which Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the lavers, and all the ves9 sels of brass. And when Thoou, the king of Emath, heard that David had smitten all the army of Adraazar, Thoou sent his son Jedduram to king David to salute him courteously, 10 and congratulate him for having fought Adraazar, and smitten him; for he was at enmity with Adraazar. And Jedduram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and 11 vessels of brass. And king David dedicated these to the Lord,

with the silver and the gold which he had dedicated out of 12 all the cities which he had subdued-Out of Idumea and Moab, and the children of Ammon, and the Philistines, and Amelek, and the spoils of Adraazar, son of Raab king of Su13 ba. Thus David made himself renowned. And when he returned, he smote of the Idumeans at Gebelim, to the number 14 of eighteen thousand, and placed garrisons in Idumea, throughout the whole extent of it. So all the Idumeans became servants to the king. And the Lord preserved David whithersoever 15 he went. And David reigned over all Israel. And David ex16 ecuted judgment and justice over all his people. And Joab

son of Saruia was at the head of the army, and Josaphat son 17 of Achilud was recorder, and Sadok, son of Achitob, and

Achimelech son of Abiathar, were priests; and Sasa was the 18 scribe; and Banaias son of Jodae was counsellor; and the Che