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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 Shells ..,.Vy S 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
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Copyright by G. S. Suthpen, 1W1. 
 
 FINDING OF MOSES. 
 
BIBLE STORY-LAND 
 
 FOR 
 
 HOME, SCHOOL 
 
 AND 
 
 SUNDAY-SCHOOL 
 
 A BOOK FOR ALL CLASSES 
 
 MOST BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED. 
 
 ^ 0F C0 "Q* t 
 
 (( DEC 22 1891 
 
 MRS. ANNIE R. WHITE, 
 
 Formerly Editor Young Folks' Monthly. 
 
 CHICAGO, PHILADELPHIA, STOCKTON, CAL. 
 
 L. P. MILLER & COMPANY 
 
 1891 
 
3 
 
 v|5" 
 
 Copyrighted by 
 
 CHARLES S. SUTPHEN', 
 
 1S91. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In placing Bible Story-Land before the public, we do it believing 
 that a work is needed which will more thoroughly encourage little 
 children to pursue the study of the Bible. 
 
 We have aimed in this volume to make the stories child like 
 and fascinating to such a degree that even the youngest will find 
 pleasure and take delight in hearing the beautiful stories read and 
 re-read. 
 
 From personal experience, we feel confident in saying that parents 
 and teachers especially will find it a boon in engaging the attention 
 of children who have little or no taste for works of this kind. 
 
 Many interesting histories have been omitted because the compiler 
 
 feared to bvvell the size of the book and judged it better to relate 
 
 principal events in detail than to. give an abridged account of all. 
 
 It is the hope that thousands will here cultivate a taste for the 
 
 " best and greatest of books," and be stimulated to a further study 
 
 of the same. 
 
 THE COMPILER. 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 1. The Creation g 40. 
 
 2 .The Fall of Man 13 41. 
 
 3. Cain and Abel 17 42. 
 
 4. The Flood 22 43. 
 
 5. Abraham, or the Promised Land 31 44. 
 
 6. Abraham 35 45. 
 
 7. Abraham, or the Trial of Love 38 46. 
 
 8. Jacob, or the Heavenly Dream 42 47. 
 
 9. Jacob, or the Long Journey. 51 48. 
 
 10. Jacob, or the Meeting 55 49. 
 
 11. Joseph, or the Pit 60 50. 
 
 12. Joseph, or the Slave .- . 66 51. 
 
 13. Joseph, or the Prisoners 7° 5 2 - 
 
 14. Joseph, or the Butler and Baker. 72 53. 
 
 15. Joseph, or the Release 7° 54. 
 
 16. Joseph, or the Rulerof Egypt 81 55. 
 
 17. Joseph, or the Feast 86 56. 
 
 18. Joseph, or the Forgiving Brother 92 57. 
 
 19. Joseph, or the Long-lost Son 96 58. 
 
 20. Moses, or the Basket of Bulrushes 100 59. 
 
 21. Moses, or the Pious Choice 107 60. 
 
 22. Moses, or the Burning Bush ill 61. 
 
 23. Moses, or the First Plagues of Egypt 117 62. 
 
 24. Moses, or the Last Plagues 121 63. 
 
 25. Moses, or the Red Sea 127 64. 
 
 26. Moses, or the Manna and the Rock 133 65. 
 
 27. Moses, or Mt. Sinai 137 66. 
 
 28. Moses, or the Golden Calf 142 67. 
 
 29. Moses, or the Tabernacle. 148 68. 
 
 30. Moses, or the Priests 152 69. 
 
 31. Moses, or the Journeys of the Israelites. . . 156 70. 
 
 32. Moses, or the Twelve Spies 158 71. 
 
 33. Moses, or the Sin of Moses and Aaron. . . . 162 72. 
 
 34. Moses, or the Serpent of Brass 165 73 
 
 35. Moses, or the Death of Moses 168 74- 
 
 36. Joshua, or Rahab 173 75. 
 
 37. Joshua, or the River Jordan 177 76. 
 
 38. Joshua, or the Walls of Jericho 182 77. 
 
 39. Joshua— His Death 187 78. 
 
 Samuel, or the Pious Mother 190 
 
 Samuel, or the Little Prophet 195 
 
 Samuel, or the Ark in Battle 198 
 
 Samuel, or the God Dagon 201 
 
 Saul, or the King 205 
 
 Saul, or the Disobedient Deed 21.8 
 
 David, or the Young Shepherd 211 
 
 David, or the Harp . 213 
 
 David, or the Giant Goliah 215 
 
 David, or the Javelin 222 
 
 David, or the Cave 226 
 
 David, or the Spear. . 230 
 
 David, or the Promise Fulfilled 233 
 
 David, or the Ark on Zion 237 
 
 David, or Uriah's Wife 241 
 
 David, or the Punishment 246 
 
 David, or the Oak-tree. 250 
 
 David, or the Farewell 254 
 
 Solomon, or the Wise Choice 256 
 
 Solomon, or the Temple 259 
 
 Solomon, or the Queen's Visit 263 
 
 Solomon, or the Idols 267 
 
 Jeroboam, or the Dried-up Hand. ........ 269 
 
 Elijah, or the Ravens 271 
 
 Elijah, or the Widow 274 
 
 Elijah, or the Two Altars 278 
 
 Elijah, or the Rain 284 
 
 Elijah, or the Call of Elisha 288 
 
 Elijah, or the Vineyard of Naboth 291 
 
 Elijah, or the Three Captains 295 
 
 Elijah, or the Chariot of Fire 298 
 
 Elisha, or the Bears 301 
 
 Elisha, or the Little Room 303 
 
 Elisha, or the Little Maid 309 
 
 Hezekiah, or the King who Trusted in God 314 
 Nebuchadnezzar, or the Golden Image. . . . 316 
 Belshazzar, or the Writing on the Wall. . .. 320 
 
 Daniel, or the Den of Lions 324 
 
 The Return to Jerusalem 328 
 
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CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE CREATION. 
 
 My Dear Children : I know that you have heard that 
 God made the world. A man could not make such a world 
 as this. 
 
 Men can make many things, such as boxes and baskets. 
 Suppose you were to shut a man up in a room which was 
 empty and say, "You shall not come out till you have 
 made a box." Would the man ever come out ? No, never. 
 A man could not make a box, unless he had something to 
 make it of. He must have some wood, tin, pasteboard, or 
 something. But God had nothing to make the world of. 
 He only spoke, and it was made. 
 
 Making things of nothing is called "creating." No one 
 can create anything but God. 
 
 God is called the Creator because He created all things. 
 There is only one Creator. Angels even cannot create things. 
 They could not create one drop of water, or one little fly. 
 
 God was six days in creating the world. 
 
 On the first day, God said : " Let there be light ; " and 
 there was light. And God called the light Day, and the 
 darkness Night. 
 
 On the second day, God spoke again, and there was 
 water very high ; that water is called the clouds. There 
 was also water very low. There was nothing but water 
 to be' seen. God filled every place with air; but you know 
 the air cannot be seen. 
 
10 
 
 THE CREATION. 
 
 On the third day, God spoke, and the dry land appeared 
 from under the water; and the water ran down into one 
 deep place. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters 
 Seas. We walk upon the dry land. We cannot walk upon 
 the sea. God spoke, and things grew out of the earth. 
 Grass and corn, and trees and flowers. 
 
 On the fourth day, God spoke, and the sun and moon 
 and stars were made. God ordered the sun to come every 
 
 No. 5. Fifth Day of Creation. 
 
 morning, and to go away in the evening. It is best that it 
 should be dark at night, when we sleep. But God lets the 
 
THE CREATION. 
 
 11 
 
 No. 6. Sixth Day of Creation. 
 
 moon shine, and the stars also ; so that if we go out in the 
 night, we often have a little light. There are more stars than 
 we can count. 
 
 On the fifth day, God began to make things that are 
 alive. He spoke and the water was filled with fishes, and 
 birds flew out of the water, and perched upon the trees. 
 
 On the sixth day, God spoke, and the beasts came out of 
 the earth ; lions, sheep, cows, horses, as well as all kinds of 
 creeping things, such as bees, ants, and worms. 
 
 At last God made a man. God made man's body of 
 the dust, and then breathed into him. The man had a soul 
 
 I^H^^MMMHHHMMa 
 
12 THE CREATION. 
 
 as well as a body. So the man could think of God. And 
 afterward God made the woman from a piece of the flesh 
 and bone from the man's side. 
 
 God gave all the other creatures to Adam and Eve ; 
 He blessed them, and put them into the garden of Eden, 
 and told Adam to take care of the garden. 
 
 When God had finished all His works, He saw that 
 they were good. He was pleased with the things He had 
 made. They were all beautiful. The light was glorious ; 
 the air was sweet ; the earth was lovely, clothed in green ; 
 the sun and moon shone brightly in the heavens ; the birds 
 and beasts and all the living creatures were good and happy ; 
 and Adam and Eve were the best of all, for they could think 
 of God and praise Him. 
 
 You know there are seven days in the week. Now, on 
 the seventh day God did not make anything ; He rested from 
 all His works. He called the seventh day His own day, 
 because He rested on it. This is the reason people rest on 
 the seventh day, and call it God's day. It is the Sabbath-day 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE SIN OF ADAM. 
 
 You remember that God put Adam and Eve in a pretty 
 garden. There they lived very happily. They were kind to 
 each other; were never sick nor in pain. Adam worked in 
 the garden, but not so hard as to tire himself. His work 
 was pleasant, for it was never too hot nor too cold, and there 
 were no weeds nor thistles growing. 
 
 There was one tree of which Adam might not eat. The 
 name of the tree was: The tree of the knowledge of good 
 and evil. 
 
 God said, that if Adam ate of it, he should die. Adam 
 and Eve might eat of all the other trees in the garden. 
 
 They loved God. He was their friend, and used to walk 
 and talk with them. 
 
 You know there are a great many wicked angels; one of 
 them is called Satan. This wicked angel wished to make 
 them unhappy, so he thought : I will try and persuade them 
 to eat that fruit which God has told them not to eat. 
 So Satan put on the body of a serpent, and came into the 
 garden. 
 
 He saw Eve, and pretended to be kind, and said : Why 
 do you not eat of the fruit? 
 
 But she said : God has told us not to eat of that fruit ; 
 if we do, we shall die. 
 
 But the serpent said: No, you shall not die, but this 
 fruit will make you wise like God. 
 
 13 
 
 M^BI 
 
14 
 
 THE SIN OF ADAM. 
 
 The woman was afraid to eat ; but she looked, and 
 thought the fruit nice; she looked again, and thought it 
 pretty. So she took the fruit and ate it, and gave some 
 to Adam. 
 
 By eating they became sinful ; they knew they had done 
 
 No. 7. The Temptation. 
 
 wrong; they were afraid of seeing God. Soon they heard 
 His voice in the garden, and they went and hid themselves 
 among the thick trees, that grew all over the garden. But 
 they did not hide them from God. 
 
 God called Adam, and said : Adam, where art thou ? 
 
■^■H 
 
16 THE SIN OF ADAM. 
 
 Then Adam said : I was afraid, and hid myself. 
 
 Then God said : Have you eaten of that tree ? 
 
 Then Adam said : The woman gave me of the tree, and 
 I did eat. 
 
 God said to the woman : What is this that thou hast 
 done? 
 
 And she said : The serpent deceived me, and I did eat. 
 
 God was angry with them all, but most of all with the 
 serpent. God said to him : You shall always crawl on the 
 ground, and eat dust. 
 
 Then God said to the woman : You shall often be sick, 
 and Adam shall be your master, and you must obey him. 
 
 And God said to Adam : You shall work hard, and dig 
 the ground; thorns and thistles shall grow; you shall have 
 bread to eat, but you shall be obliged to work so hard that 
 drops of sweat shall stand upon your forehead ; you shall be 
 sad while you live, and at last you shall die ; your body was 
 made of dust, and it shall turn into dust again. 
 
 How sad Adam and Eve must have felt when they heard 
 this. But this was not all ; they were not allowed to stay in 
 the pretty garden. God drove them out, and would not let 
 them come into the garden again ; so He sent an angel with 
 a fiery sword to stand near it. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 CAIN AND ABEL. 
 
 After Aclam and Eve were turned out of the garden, they 
 had two little children — Cain and Abel. 
 
 Cain was wicked like Satan, but Abel was good. Abel 
 was always sorry for his sins, and asked God to forgive him. 
 
 Cain and Abel had to work hard like Adam their father. 
 Cain dug the ground and planted trees. Abel took care 
 of sheep; he was a shepherd. 
 
 ADAM AND EVE AFTER THE EXPULSION. 
 17 
 
18 
 
 CAIN AND ABEL. 
 
 God did not walk and talk with people then, as He had 
 done in the garden; but He spoke sometimes, and allowed 
 
 ^tywisS Semlays to remember Him, so He taught 
 them a way of keeping it in their minds. 
 
 SACRIFICES OF CAIN AND ABEL. 
 
 He told them to pile up large stones-this heap was 
 called an altar-then to put some wood upon the altar and 
 take a lamb, or a kid, and bind it w.th a rope to the a fa , 
 then to take a knife and to kill the lamb; and then to burn it. 
 Doing this was called "offering a sacrifice. 
 
CAIN. 
 
 19 
 
 HB 
 
20 CAIN AND ABEL. 
 
 When people did this, God wished them to think how 
 He would one day let His Son die for their sins. 
 
 Abel brought lambs, and offered them up to God ; and 
 Abel thought of God's promise ; so God was pleased with 
 him. But Cain did not obey God, but brought fruit instead 
 of a lamb; so God was displeased with Cain, and did not 
 like his sacrifice. 
 
 Then Cain was very angry, and hated Abel, because he 
 was good, and because God loved him best. 
 
 Then God said: Why are you angry? If you will. love 
 and serve me, I shall be pleased, but if not, you shall be 
 punished. 
 
 Still Cain went on in wickedness. Now hear what he did 
 at last. One day he was talking with Abel in a field, when 
 he rose up and killed him. 
 
 Abel was the first man that ever died. You see Cain 
 began by hating Abel, and ended by killing him, though he 
 was his brother. 
 
 Soon Cain heard the voice of God calling. God said : 
 Where is your brother Abel? 
 
 I know not, answered wicked Cain ; am -I my brother's 
 keeper? 
 
 But God said : I have seen your brother's blood upon the 
 ground; and you must be punished. You shall leave your 
 father and mother, and wander about on the earth. 
 
 Cain said : My punishment is greater than I can bear. 
 
 But he went and lived a great way off, and built houses 
 for himself and his children. 
 
 So Adam and Eve lost both their sons in one day ; Cain 
 
CAIN AND ABEL. 
 
 21 
 
 went a great way off, and Abel died. How they must have 
 wept as they put dear Abel in the ground. But they must 
 have wept still more to think that Cain was so wicked. 
 
 But God had pity on Adam and Eve, and gave them 
 another son, who was good; he was called Seth. 
 
 The children of Seth feared God ; and God loved them, 
 and called them His children. 
 
 I^HMHHBi 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE FLOOD. 
 
 Cain had a great many children ; Seth had a great many 
 children. 
 
 At last Adam and Eve died, and Cain died, and Seth died ; 
 but still there were a great many people in the world. 
 
 NOAH BUILDING THE ARK. 
 
 At first some were good, but at last they all were wicked, 
 except one man : his name was Noah. 
 
 22 
 
THE ARK. 
 
 23 
 
 tmm 
 
24 THE FLOOD. 
 
 God was very angry with the wicked people, and 
 determined to punish them. 
 
 God said to Noah, I will make it rain so much that all 
 people shall be drowned, except you, and your wife, and 
 your children. 
 
 Then God told Noah to make a great ark. 
 
 An ark is like a covered boat or ship. Noah made a very 
 great, ark, which would swim upon the top of the water, when 
 God should drown the wicked people. 
 
 Noah made the ark of wood, cut down trees, and cut 
 boards, and then fastened them together. He made one door 
 in the ark, and one little window at the top. 
 
 Then he told the people that God was going to drown the 
 world, and advised them to leave off their wickedness. 
 
 But they would not mind. They went on eating and 
 drinking, not thinking of God, or trying to please Him. 
 
 God did not choose that all the beasts, birds and insects 
 should be drowned ; so he told Noah to get some birds, some 
 beasts, and some insects of every sort, and to bring them all 
 into the ark. God could make all these animals go quietly in. 
 Noah put corn, fruit and grass into the ark, for them to eat. 
 
 So Noah got some birds of every sort; doves, ravens, 
 eagles, sparrows, larks, robins, and many others, and they 
 flew in at the window. He also got some beasts of every 
 kind, sheep, horses and dogs; and he got insects of every 
 kind, butterflies, ants, and bees. 
 
 All these went into the ark ; for God made them gentle 
 and obedient. Then Noah himself went in, with his wife, 
 his three sons, and their wives. Eight people in all were in 
 
RETURN OF THE DOVE. 
 
 25 
 
 ■■ 
 
 «■ 
 
26 THE FLOOD. 
 
 the ark. But Noah did not shut the door: God shut the 
 door, and Noah knew that he must not open it till God 
 bade him. 
 
 Then it began to rain. It rained day and night. How the 
 wicked people must have wished that they had minded Noah ! 
 If they climbed trees, the water soon reached to the tops; 
 if they went up high mountains, the water rose as high as 
 they; for it rained forty days and forty nights. All beasts 
 and birds and men and children died, except those that 
 were in the ark. 
 
 At last nothing was to be seen but water, and the ark 
 floating upon the top of the water. Noah lived in the ark 
 almost a whole year. 
 
 A long while after it had left off raining, Noah wished to 
 know whether the waters were dried up. He went among 
 his birds and choosing a raven, let it out of the window. A 
 raven is a fierce bird. It did not like the ark ; though there 
 were no trees to be seen, nothing but water, yet the raven 
 would not go back to Noah, but went on flying night and 
 day over the water. 
 
 When Noah saw that the raven did not come back, he 
 went among his birds, and chose a dove. A dove is a gentle 
 bird. Noah put it out at the window ; and when it saw 
 nothing but water, the dove came back. Noah knew when 
 his bird came back — it pecked at the window — and he put 
 out his hand and pulled it in. 
 
 Noah waited seven days, and then he sent the dove out 
 again ; and this time the dove saw some trees. Yet the dove 
 did not stay, but plucked off a leaf with its beak, and cams 
 
THE FLOOD. 
 
 27 
 
 back. Noah must have loved his good little dove for coming 
 back to him again. 
 
 Noah waited seven days more, and then he sent out the 
 
 COMING OUT OF THE ARK. 
 
 dove again, and this time it did not come back. Now Noah 
 knew that the earth was dry, but he waited in the ark till 
 God told him to go out. 
 
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 ^ 
 
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 28 
 
 THE FLOOD. 
 
 At last God said : Go out of the ark, you and your wife, 
 your three sons and their wives, and the birds, the beasts, 
 the insects, and all the creeping things. 
 
 When the door was open, the beasts came out. How 
 glad the sheep must have been to lie down again upon the 
 soft grass, and the goats to climb the high hills. 
 
 When the window was open, the birds flew out. How 
 glad they must have been to perch again among the trees. 
 
 Noah saw all the green hills and fields again; but where 
 were all the wicked people? He would never see their faces 
 again. 
 
 Noah remembered God's goodness in saving him from 
 being drowned. He made a heap of stones for an altar; he 
 took some beasts and birds, and offered a sacrifice to God. 
 
 Then God made a kind promise to Noah. He said: I will 
 
NOAH'S SACRIFICE. 
 29 
 
 MB^^H 
 
30 THE FLOOD. 
 
 never drown the world again. When it rains, do not think 
 there will be a flood. Look up in the sky after the rain, and 
 
 ? you will see a bow. That shall be the sign that I remember 
 
 i my promise. 
 
 What beautiful colors a rainbow has. It puts us in mind 
 of God's kind promise not to drown the world any more. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 ABRAHAM, OR THE PROMISED LAND. 
 
 Noah's sons had many children, and they had many 
 children, until at last there were a great many people in the 
 world. These people were bad. They did one very wicked 
 thing. They cut down trees, and made the wood into little 
 
 images like dolls, and kneeled down and prayed to the images, 
 and said : These images are our gods. 
 
 All of them spoke one language. But they grew to think 
 less and less about God, and finally resolved to build a great 
 tower, and in this way make themselves a great name. 
 
 So they laid the foundation of an enormous tower, and 
 built upon it until it was very high. But it was never finished, 
 for God was not pleased, and he confused their language so 
 they couid not understand each other. 
 
 31 
 
32 
 
 ABRAHAM, OR THE PROMISED LAND. 
 
 The name of the tower was Babel, 
 which means confusion. There are 
 ruins to this day near the river Euphra- 
 tes, which are thought to be those of 
 the Tower of Babel. 
 
 Most of the people in the world 
 worshiped idols, instead of the true 
 God. Sometimes these idols were 
 made of wood and sometimes of stone, 
 or silver, or gold. 
 
 God looked down from heaven, and 
 saw the people worshiping idols, and 
 He was very angry. 
 
 Then God said : I will choose one 
 man, and teach him to love and be my 
 servant. Now there was a man called 
 Abraham. His father and his friends 
 worshiped idols. God said to Abraham : Leave your own 
 home and friends, and go to a country which I will show, 
 you ; and 1 will bless and take care of you. 
 
 Abraham did not know where God would tell him to go, 
 yet he went because he was obedient. 
 
 Abraham had a wife called Sarah, whom he loved very 
 much. Sarah went with him. He took some sheep, cows and 
 servants. 
 
 There were very few houses to be seen; only fields and 
 trees. Abraham slept in a tent. He made the tent with long 
 sticks, covering it with skins of beasts. 
 
 He could move his tent from place to place ; over high hills 
 
 — ""W-^ 3 ^ 
 
BUILDING BABEL. (AFTER NOAH.) 
 33 
 
34 
 
 ABRAHAM, OR THE PROMISED LAND. 
 
 and wide rivers. At last he came to a beautiful country called 
 Canaan, full of trees, flowers, grass and corn. This was the 
 place that God chose for him to live in. 
 
 Sometimes he made a heap of stones, called an altar, and 
 offered sacrifices to God. Abraham never worshiped idols ; but 
 nil the people in Canaan did. 
 
 God often spoke to Abraham, and said : I will bless you and 
 fake care of you. God was pleased that Abraham had left his 
 own home when He told him to, without asking a question. 
 
 ANIMALS USED FOR SACRIFICE. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ABRAHAM, OR THE PROMISED CHILD. 
 
 Abraham and Sarah lived in a tent in the land of Canaan, 
 They had no little child. Abraham was very old, and Sarah was 
 very old too. They were both much older than your grand- 
 father and grandmother. Abraham was almost one hundred, 
 and Sarah was almost ninety. 
 
 One night God said to Abraham: Come out and look up 
 to the sky. The sky was full of stars, more than could be 
 
 THE PROMISE TO ABRAHAM. 
 35 
 
36 ABRAHAM, OR THE PROMISED CHILD. 
 
 counted. God said: You shall have a great many grandchildren 
 and great-grandchildren, and they shall have more children, and 
 they too, shall have more children, till there are as many people 
 as there are stars in the sky; and they shall live in the land of 
 Canaan, and the wicked people shall be turned out. 
 
 Now Abraham had not even one little child; yet he believed 
 that God would do as He had promised. 
 
 One day Abraham was sitting in his tent. It was about 
 twelve o'clock, and very hot. He looked up, and saw three 
 men. He ran to meet them, and said : Pray come and rest 
 yourselves, and let me bring a little water to wash your feet, 
 and a little bread for you to eat. 
 
 These men were angels, though they looked like men. 
 They had come from heaven with a message. Angels are often 
 near us, though we cannot see them. 
 
 The angels sat outside under the tree. Sarah was in the 
 tent. Abraham said to Sarah : Take some flour, make some 
 cakes, and bake them quickly. Then Abraham took a fat 
 calf, and said to a servant : Kill it, and roast it quickly. 
 
 When it was ready the three men began to eat. 
 
 While they were eating, they said to Abraham: Where 
 is Sarah? Abraham said: She is in the tent. Then one of 
 the men said: Sarah shall have a son. 
 
 Sarah heard what the angel said, and she could not believe 
 that she would really have a child given to her, now she was 
 so very old ; so she laughed to herself. 
 
 The next year Sarah's little son was born. His name was 
 Isaac. He was a good child, and God loved him. Abraham 
 and Sarah were much pleased with their little son. 
 
CHILDREN OF BETHEL. 
 
 37 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ABRAHAM, OR THE TRIAL OF LOVE. 
 
 At last, Isaac grew up to be a man. He also lived in a tent. 
 They all three loved God, and loved each other very much. It 
 was a happy little family. 
 
 Abraham was a very rich man. He had cows, horses, 
 sheep and goats, tents and servants, silver and gold. But he 
 had one thing that he loved more than these. That was his 
 son, his dear son Isaac. 
 
 Yet there was one Being whom Abraham loved even better 
 still. That was God. 
 
 At last, God said He would try Abraham, to see whether lie 
 loved Him more than any thing in the world — more even than 
 he loved his son Isaac. 
 
 You have heard how Abraham used to burn lambs upon 
 altars. Now God said to Abraham : Take your dear son 
 Isaac, and offer him up on an altar in a place that I will 
 show you. 
 
 This was a very hard thing for Abraham to do. But Abra- 
 ham wished to do all God told him, because he loved God so 
 much. So. Abraham cut down some wood to burn; he told 
 two of his servants and Isaac to come with him. He left Sarah 
 in the tent at home. They all four walked on for three days; 
 at last they saw a high hill a great way off. 
 
 Abraham knew that was the place where he was to build the 
 altar ; so he said to his servants, Stay here while Isaac and I go 
 and worship God. He took the wood and bound it round 
 
 38 
 

 
 s 4 xy v \ M 
 
 
 
 ABRAHAM AND ISAAC. 
 
40 
 
 ABRAHAM, OR THE TRIAL OF LOVE. 
 
 Isaac with a rope. Then he took some fire and a knife, and 
 Abraham and Isaac walked up the hill together. 
 
 Isaac did not know that his father was going to offer him as 
 
 THE SACRIFICE OF ISAAC 
 
 a sacrifice ; he thought that his father would offer a lamb. So 
 he said, Father. Abraham answered, Here am I, my son. And 
 Isaac said, Here is fire and wood ; but where is the lamb? My 
 son, said Abraham, God will find a lamb. But Abraham did 
 
ABRAHAM, OR THE TRIAL OF LOVE. 41 
 
 not tell Isaac that he was to be the lamb, and the boy expected 
 to find one. 
 
 At last they came to the top of the hill. Then Abraham 
 took stones, and built an altar; and he took the wood off Isaac's 
 back, and laid it on the altar. Now the time was come when 
 Isaac must know who was to be the lamb. The rope that had 
 bound the wood was fastened round the hands and feet of 
 Isaac, and he was laid upon the wood like a lamb. 
 
 Then Abraham took the knife, and lifted up his hand to 
 kill Isaac, when he heard a voice calling, Abraham, Abraham ! 
 It was an angel speaking from heaven. The angel said : Do 
 not kill your son, or hurt him at all ; for now God knows that 
 you love him, because you have given Him your only son. 
 
 How glad was Abraham to untie the rope that bound Isaac, 
 and to find that he need not kill him. 
 
 Abraham saw a lamb caught in the bushes ; and he took it, 
 and offered it up as a sacrifice instead of Isaac. Abraham 
 thanked God very much for having given him back his son r 
 and the angel called to him out of heaven again, and said : God 
 is much pleased with you for having given up your son ; and 
 God will bless you and all your children and grandchildren, 
 and their children, and one of your children's children shall 
 make all people happy. 
 
 When the angel had done speaking, Abraham and Isaac 
 went down the hill together — there was no wood now on 
 Isaacs back. 
 
 They found the servants where they had left them, and 
 they all went back together to Sarah. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 JACOB, OR THE HEAVENLY DREAM. 
 
 In time Abraham and Sarah became very old. At last 
 Sarah died, and Abraham wished to bury her, but he had not a 
 piece of ground in Canaan to bury her in; so he gave some of 
 his silver to the people in Canaan, and bought a field. 
 
 The field was full of trees, and there was a cave in it. 
 Abraham took the dead 
 body of Sarah, and put it in 
 the cave. 
 
 Abraham now knew that 
 God would soon take him 
 away from this world, so 
 he wished to see his son 
 happily married, but was 
 very much puzzled to know where to find him a wife, for 
 Isaac was forty years old, and had never asked any woman to 
 marry him. In those days fathers could force their sons to 
 do whatever they ordered, and if a man became a grandfather, 
 he was almost a king in his family. Abraham didn't like the 
 young women of the country in which he lived, so he deter- 
 mined to find a wife for his son in another country in which 
 most of his earlier life had been spent. The old man was too 
 feeble to go there himself, and he was afraid his son might 
 make a mistake if he went, so his head servant agreed to go, 
 and he was sent to this distant country with camels and rich 
 presents of gold and silver. This was a very odd errand, to 
 
 42 
 
 ANCIENT JEWISH TOMB. 
 
REBEKAH AT THE WELL. 
 43 
 
 BBB 
 
44 
 
 JACOB, OR THE HEAVENLY DREAM. 
 
 ANCIENT WELL. 
 
 go and hunt a wife for another man, for most men like to 
 
 look around for themselves, if they intend to marry. 
 
 Well, this old servant at last 
 reached the edge of a city in the 
 land he was sent to, and he saw a 
 large well there with cold, delicious 
 water in it, and a number of young 
 women filling their leather bottles, 
 and carrying them into the city to 
 their homes. His master had told 
 him that God had sent His angel on 
 before him to help him to select the 
 
 proper woman; and this was true, for in a few minutes 
 
 after the servant's arrival at the well, a beautiful young woman 
 
 came up to draw water, and she allowed the servant to drink 
 
 out of her bottle, and then she filled the trough with water, 
 
 that all of his camels might drink also. 
 
 After the camels had taken a good long drink of water, 
 
 the old servant asked this kind 
 
 young girl where she lived in 
 
 the city, and whether her father 
 
 would let him sleep in his 
 
 house, and let his camels be fed 
 
 in his barn. He gave her gifts 
 
 of gold, and found that she was 
 
 one of his master's distant re- I 
 
 lations. She invited him to the ■ 
 
 house, and treated him very 
 
 kindly. When they reached the 
 
 EASTERN PITCHERS. 
 
ISAAC GOING OUT TO MEET REBEKAH. 
 
 45 
 
46 
 
 JACOB, OR THE HEAVENLY DREAM. 
 
 house, the old servant told her mother and brother that he 
 wished her to go to the country he had come from, and 
 marry his young master. 
 
 CARRYING WATER. 
 
 1 once knew a young lady who went all the way to 
 England, from this country, to marry the gentleman to whom 
 she was engaged; but, of course, she had known him very 
 well before and loved him deeply; but just think of it, this 
 
JACOB, OR THE HEAVENLY DREAM. 
 
 47 
 
 beautiful maiden, about whom I am writing, said that she was 
 willing to leave her mother and her home, and travel right off, 
 without delay, to another land to marry a man she had never 
 seen, nor had she even heard of him until that day. God's 
 angel must have whispered something to her to induce her to 
 make such a journey. All this time the young master was 
 wondering what sort of wife was to be brought to him; and 
 late one afternoon, as he was tak- 
 ing a walk, he saw the camels re- 
 turning home, and one of them 
 had a young woman sitting on its 
 back, but she had veiled herself, 
 and he could not tell what she 
 looked like. Then he took her 
 into the tent in which his dear 
 mother had died some years be- 
 fore, and she removed her veil 
 from her face, and he made her 
 his wife, and they were a very 
 happy couple, I assure you. 
 
 At last Abraham died, and 
 Isaac his son buried him in the 
 same cave where Sarah lay. 
 
 Isaac and Rebekah had two little sons. They were called 
 Esau and Jacob. They were twins; that is they were of the 
 same age. Their faces were unlike, and their hearts were 
 unlike. Esau was wicked; but Jacob was good, and loved 
 God. When Esau was a man, he became a hunter. He had 
 a bow and arrows; he used to go into the woods and hunt 
 
 EASTERN WOMEN VEILED. 
 
48 JACOB, OR THE HEAVENLY DREAM. 
 
 game, and bring it home, and dress it for dinner; and he gave 
 some of the meat to his father Isaac. 
 
 Jacob was a shepherd: he staid at home near his tent with 
 his father and mother, and his sheep and goats. He loved 
 God, and prayed to God very often. 
 
 I am sorry to tell you that Isaac loved wicked Esau better 
 than he loved good Jacob. 
 
 But Rebekah loved her son Jacob, and God loved Jacob, 
 and God was not pleased with Esau. Do you think that Esau 
 and Jacob loved one another? 
 
 They did not. Jacob sometimes behaved unkindly to 
 Esau. One day Esau said: My father will soon die, and then 
 I will kill my brother Jacob. 
 
 Rebekah heard that Esau meant to kill Jacob some day; so 
 she was frightened, and called Jacob, and said to him: Your 
 brother Esau means to kill you. Go to your uncle, who lives 
 a great way off, and stay with him. Soon Esau will leave off 
 being angry; then I will send for you. 
 
 Jacob did as his mother advised. He took leave of his 
 father. Jacob did not ask his father to give him anything. 
 He took no servant with him, no sheep, -not even a horse to 
 ride upon. He only took a stick in his hand, and set out on 
 his journey. Jacob felt very sad. He was a poor stranger, 
 and was going to a far country which he had never seen. 
 
 He had no tent, nor house to sleep in by the way; so when 
 night came, he took some stones for a pillow, and lay down to 
 sleep on the ground. There were bears and wolves, but God 
 took care of him. God knew how sad he was, and made him 
 dream the sweetest dream that you ever heard. 
 
JACOB'S DREAM. 
 49 
 
5° 
 
 JACOB, OR THE HEAVENLY DREAM. 
 
 In his sleep Jacob saw a great many steps reaching up to 
 the sky, and on the steps beautiful angels; some going up, and 
 some coming down: and at the top he saw God Himself. 
 Then Jacob heard a voice, and God spoke to him, and said: I 
 am the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and I will take care of 
 you wherever you go; and I will bring you home again, and 
 your children shall live in this land of Canaan, where you 
 are sleeping. 
 
 Then Jacob awoke out of his sleep, and knew that God and 
 His angels were watching over him. He wished never to 
 forget the place where he had this sweet dream; so he took 
 the stones which had been his pillow, and made them into a 
 heap. Now, he thought, I shall be able to find the place 
 when God lets me come back to Canaan. 
 
 TOMB OF RACHEL. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 JACOB, OR THE LONG JOURNEY. 
 
 Then Jacob went on his journey. He traveled many days. 
 At last he came to a place where there was a great deal of 
 grass. In that place there was a well, with a great stone upon 
 the top of the well. Many sheep were round the well; and 
 men were with the sheep. These men were shepherds. 
 There was very little water in that country where Jacob was. 
 
 Jacob said to the shepherds: Do you know a man called 
 Laban ? — that was the name of his uncle. 
 
 Yes, said they, we do. 
 
 Then Jacob said : Is he well ? 
 
 The shepherds answered: He is well; and here is his 
 daughter Rachel coming with the sheep. 
 
 Jacob was very glad to hear this, for Rachel was Jacob's 
 cousin. He ran to her and kissed her, and wept. 
 
 Jacob had not seen a friend for a long while, and he was 
 glad to see his cousin. 
 
 Rachel did not know who Jacob was, till he said: I am your 
 cousin, and am come from a great way off. 
 
 Then Rachel said to her father : My cousin Jacob I found 
 sitting by the well. 
 
 Then Laban was glad, and ran out to meet him; he kissed 
 him, and said : You must come to my house : I am your uncle. 
 
 Jacob's Uncle Laban had two daughters, one of whom was 
 very pretty, while the elder one was plain. Jacob wanted to 
 marry his pretty cousin, and his uncle agreed to the marriage, 
 
 51 
 
 HH 
 
52 
 
 JACOB, OR THE LONG JOURNEY. 
 
 JACOB'S WELL. 
 
 if he would work seven years for him. So Jacob took charge 
 of his uncle's sheep and goats, and at the end of the seven 
 years he asked for his cousin to be given him in marriage. 
 But the uncle told him he must first marry the elder daughter, 
 and at the end of seven years more he would give him the 
 younger daughter also, for in those days a man could have 
 a number of wives. So Jacob labored for seven years more, 
 
RACHEL AND JACOB AT THE WELL. 
 
 53 
 
54 
 
 JACOB, OR THE LONG JOURNEY. 
 
 and then married his younger cousin also. So Jacob had two 
 wives. People must not have two wives now; but then they 
 might have two wives, and even more than two. 
 
 God gave Jacob a great many little children. I will not tell 
 you their names, because there were so many. Jacob lived a 
 long while in tents with his wives and his little children. He 
 took care of Laban's sheep; but Laban gave him sheep and 
 goats for his own. Jacob had plenty of bread to eat and 
 raiment to wear, as God had promised; for God always keeps 
 his promises. 
 
 But Jacob could not forget his father and mother, and 
 Canaan. Here he had lived when he was a little boy. 
 
 EASTERN SHEEPFOLU. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 JACOB, OR THE MEETING. 
 
 At last Jacob said to Laban his uncle: 1 have been your 
 servant a long while, and now I want to go home. 
 
 FLIGHT OF JACOB. 
 
 Once, while Jacob was taking care of the sheep in the 
 field, he fell asleep, and had a dream, and in his dream he 
 heard God say to him : Go home to your father, and I will 
 be with you. 
 
 55 
 
56 JACOB, OR THE MEETING. 
 
 When Jacob awoke, he sent a servant to call Rachel and 
 Leah, for he wanted to speak to them; and he said : God has 
 spoken to me in a dream, and told me to return to my father. 
 
 Then Rachel and Leah said : We will go with you. 
 
 Then Jacob packed up all his things — his tents, clothes and 
 furniture. He put his things on the backs of his camels, 
 placed his wives and children on camels too. He told his 
 servants to drive all his sheep, cows, goats and camels. So 
 they all set out. 
 
 Jacob was pleased to go back to Canaan; but there was 
 one thing that frightened him. He remembered that Esau had 
 once said that he would kill him; and he was afraid lest he 
 should now come and kill him and his children. 
 
 Soon Jacob heard that Esau was coming with four hundred 
 men. Jacob thought Esau was coming to kill him: so he 
 began to pray to God, and said: God, Thou hast been very 
 kind to me, and given me a great many things; do not let 
 Esau come and hurt me, and kill my wives and my little 
 children. Thou didst promise to take care of me. God 
 heard Jacob's prayer. 
 
 Jacob thought to himself, I will send a present to show 
 Esau that I wish to behave kindly to him. So he took a great 
 many goats, sheep and cows, and told his servants to tell Esau 
 that he had sent them as a present. 
 
 In the morning Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and 
 four hundred men with him. Jacob did not run away; but 
 went up to Esau. 
 
 Esau put his arms around Jacob's neck and kissed him, and 
 they both wept. God had made Esau's heart more kind. 
 
JACOB, OR THE MEETING. 
 
 57 
 
 How glad Jacob was to find his brother so kind. Jacob 
 prayed to God to make him kind, and God had heard his prayer.. 
 
 Esau looked up, and saw Rachel and Leah and the little 
 children; and Esau said: Who are these? 
 
 And Jacob said: These are my children. 
 
 MEETING OF JACOB AND ESAU. 
 
 Then Esau said to Jacob : I met a great many sheep, and 
 cows, and goats ; why did you send them on before you ? 
 
 Jacob said : They were a present for you. 
 
 Esau answered: I have enough, my brother; keep what you 
 have for yourself. 
 
58 JACOB, OR THE MEETING. 
 
 Pray take my present, said Jacob, for God has given me a 
 great deal. And Jacob begged Esau so much to take it, that 
 at last he did. 
 
 Esau said to Jacob : Let us take our journey together ; and 
 I will go on first. 
 
 ESAU DEPARTING. 
 
 But Jacob said : I cannot go as fast as you, for I have many 
 little children, young lambs and goats; and if one day we were 
 to drive them too fast, they would die. 
 
 Then Esau went home to his own house, which was a great 
 
JACOB, OR THE MEETING. 
 
 59 
 
 way off; for Esau did not live in Canaan. But Jacob staid in 
 the land of Canaan, for he wished to live there. 
 
 You see that God let Jacob come back to Canaan, as He 
 had promised. Jacob did not forget the sweet dream I told 
 you of. He went to that very place once more : he had made 
 a heap of stones to mark the place, so that he could find it 
 again. There he built an altar, and offered sacrifices to God, 
 who had been so very kind to him. God had given him food 
 and clothes, as He had promised, and He had given him many 
 more things besides; He had given him wives and children, 
 and servants, and cattle ; and God had made his brother 
 kind to him. 
 
 =s» ^^g^-cs 'was - . ~ 
 
 ANCIENT ALTAR. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE PIT. 
 
 Jacob saw his old father, Isaac, again; and then Isaac died, 
 and Jacob and Esau buried him. 
 
 Jacob chose to live in Canaan, with his children and his 
 cattle. 
 
 All the sons were grown up to be men except Benjamin, 
 who was still a little babe. Joseph was older than Benjamin. 
 He was a big boy, and the best of all the children. The ten 
 
 JACOB'S ARRIVAL IN EGYPT. 
 60 
 
JOSEPH'S DREAM. 
 
 61 
 
62 JOSEPH, OR THE PIT. 
 
 eldest were wicked. They used to take care of sheep and 
 goats; and when Joseph was with them, they grieved him by 
 their wicked behavior; they were unkind to him, and spoke 
 roughly. Jacob loved Joseph the best, and this made the 
 others envious. They hated him because he was the pet 
 and the darling. 
 
 Jacob loved Joseph too much. He gave him a pretty coat 
 made of many colors, yellow, blue, green, pink, red, purple; 
 and Joseph used to wear it. 
 
 One night Joseph had a very strange dream. He thought 
 he was in a field of corn with all his brothers, and were 
 making up large bundles called sheaves. He thought each of 
 his brothers made a sheaf, and that all his brothers' sheaves 
 bowed down to his sheaf. Joseph thought this a very 
 strange dream, and he told it to his brothers. 
 
 But when they heard it they were angry, and said : We 
 suppose you mean that we shall bow down to you. And so 
 they hated him still more. 
 
 Soon after Joseph had another strange dream. He thought 
 he saw the sun, moon, and eleven stars in the sky, and that 
 they bowed down to him. This dream was -more strange 
 than the other, and he told it to his father as well as to his 
 brothers. 
 
 His father was surprised, and said: Does the sun mean 
 me, and the moon your mother, and the stars your brothers; 
 and shall we bow down to you ? 
 
 Yet Jacob thought that God had sent the dream to Joseph, 
 and would make it come true; but the brothers were more 
 and more angry. 
 
JOSEPH, OR THE PIT. 
 
 63 
 
 Now Joseph's brethren had a great many sheep and goats 
 to take care of, and there was not enough grass for them all 
 round the tents; so they took their flocks a great way off, that 
 they might eat fresh grass. Joseph staid at home with his 
 
 SUN, MOON AND STARS. 
 
 father; and Benjamin staid at home, because he was such 
 a little child. 
 
 At last Jacob wished to know how his sons were; so he 
 said to Joseph, Go and see your brothers, and come and tell 
 me how they and the flocks are. 
 
64 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE PIT. 
 
 Joseph was always ready to do what his father wished; so 
 he set out on his way. He took no servant, but putting on 
 
 JOSEPH APPROACHING HIS BROTHERS. 
 
 his pretty coat, he wished his dear father good-bye. He little 
 thought how long it would be before he should see him again. 
 
JOSEPH, OR THE PIT « 65 
 
 Joseph went a great way, but could not find his brothers. 
 At last a man saw him, and said: For whom are you looking? 
 
 And Joseph answered : I am looking for my brothers; can 
 you tell me where they are ? 
 
 Now the brothers saw Joseph coming, and they said to 
 each other, Here this dreamer comes; let us kill him, and 
 throw him into a deep pit, and tell our father that a lion or a 
 bear has eaten him up. 
 
 When Joseph came up they seized hold of him. 
 
 The brothers were going to kill him, when one of them 
 named Reuben said : Do not kill him, but only throw him into 
 a pit. This brother was a little kinder than the rest, and 
 meant to take him out and bring him back to Jacob. But 
 they first took off his pretty coat. 
 
 Oh ! how bitterly he cried when he saw what they were 
 going to do to him; how he begged them to spare him, and 
 to let him return to his father ! But they would not hear, for 
 their hearts were harder than stone. 
 
 They threw him into the deep, dark pit; there he lay, 
 hungry and thirsty and weary, without one drop of water to 
 quench his thirst. How it must have grieved Joseph to think 
 that he should not return to his dear father; and his father 
 perhaps would think that he was dead. 
 
 The wicked brothers cared not for his groans, but they sat 
 down and began to eat their dinner. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE SLAVE. 
 
 While the brothers were eating their dinner, they looked 
 up and saw some people coming. As they came nearer, they 
 saw camels, and men riding them. 
 
 These men lived in the country a great way off, and had 
 been to some hills where some very costly things grew, called 
 spice and balm. They had plucked these things, and had put 
 them in large bundles on the backs of their camels. They 
 were going to carry them to a country a great way off, and 
 sell them for money. 
 
 This was their way of getting their living, and it was a good 
 way; yet they were wicked men, as you will see. 
 
 One of the brothers named Judah, said: Let us sell Joseph; 
 for it would be better to sell than to kill him: we shall get 
 some money if we sell him; and it would be cruel to kill him. 
 
 The other brothers said that they thought it was a good 
 plan. So they called to the men, and asked if they would buy 
 a young boy. 
 
 And the men said: Yes. We will give you twenty pieces 
 of silver for him. 
 
 The brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit. Perhaps he 
 thought they were going to let him return to his father. 
 
 Poor Joseph! He soon found that his brothers were not 
 going to be kind. The men paid the money, and took Joseph 
 and carried him away. 
 
 When Joseph was gone, the brothers said : What shall we 
 
 66 
 
JOSEPH'S COAT DIPPED IN BLOOD. 
 67 
 
68 JOSEPH, OR THE SLAVE. 
 
 tell our father? We will not say we have seen Joseph, but will 
 say we have found his coat on the ground. 
 
 Then the brothers killed one of their goats, and dipped the 
 pretty coat in the blood. We will show our father this coat, 
 said they. So they carried the coat home, all covered with 
 blood. 
 
 Jacob had been thinking of his sons while they were gone. 
 How glad he must have been when he heard the bleating of 
 their sheep, and knew they had come. He looked to see 
 whether Joseph was with them. But no. His sons came up 
 to him. In their hands they held a bloody coat. They showed 
 it to Jacob, and said: We have found this. Do you think it is 
 your son's coat? 
 
 Jacob knew that coat, and said: A lion or bear has eaten 
 him up, and has torn Joseph to pieces. 
 
 How Jacob wept for his darling child ! How sorry he was 
 that he had sent him alone to seek his brothers ! The wicked 
 brothers tried to comfort Jacob, and said: Do not weep so 
 much. But Jacob would not hear. 
 
 No, I shall die, and then I shall be with Joseph; for I shall 
 never be happy any more. 
 
 How sad it was for this old man, leaning on his staff, his 
 hair gray, and his face full of sadness, while he thought that 
 his dear boy had been eaten up. His little Benjamin was a 
 comfort to him; Jacob would never let him go away, nor would 
 he trust him with his brothers, though he did not know how 
 wicked they had been. 
 
JOSEPH'S COAT 
 
 69 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE PRISONER 
 
 The men who had bought Joseph, took him to Egypt. 
 
 When they got there they sold him as if he had been a 
 horse or a cow. In some countries men are sold, and are 
 called slaves. Poor Joseph was sold as a slave. There was a 
 very rich man, and he bought Joseph for a slave. His name 
 was Potiphar. He took Joseph home with him. He did not 
 send him to work in the field, but made him a servant in the 
 house. So Joseph had no very hard work to do. 
 
 Joseph tried to be a good servant. Though he wished 
 to be with his father, he did not waste his time fretting, but 
 took great pains to please his master. When his master told 
 him to do anything, he did it so well that his master was 
 pleased with him. It was God who made Joseph able to do 
 his work well; and Joseph's master knew that it was God that 
 helped him to do things well. I suppose Joseph had told him; 
 for his master did not know the true -God, but worshiped 
 
 idols. 
 
 His master liked him better every day. At last, he said 
 to Joseph, I can trust you so well that 1 will give you the 
 charge of the other servants when I am out. Take care of the 
 house, and all the things in it, of the garden and of the fields; 
 for I can trust you. 
 
 So Joseph had the care of everything. He behaved the 
 same as if his master were watching him; for he knew the eye 
 of God was always upon him. There are many children who 
 
JOSEPH, OR THE PRISONER. 71 
 
 behave ill as soon as their parents go out of the room: such 
 children do not fear God. 
 
 Though Joseph had the care of nice things to eat, and 
 beautiful things to wear, he only took what his master allowed 
 him to take. God made the things grow well in the field, and 
 the work to go on right in the house, so that Potiphar had 
 no trouble himself, but found that Joseph would manage all 
 for him. 
 
 Joseph had now all he could wish for; but he could not 
 forget his father, and his little brother Benjamin. 
 
 Now Potiphar had a very wicked wife. She wished poor 
 Joseph turned out of the house; for he had found out how bad 
 she was, and so she did not like to see Joseph. 
 
 This wicked woman said to Potiphar: Your slave, that you 
 think so good, is wicked, and when you are out he behaves 
 very ill. 
 
 Potiphar was so foolish as to believe her, and he said: 
 Joseph shall be put in prison. 
 
 There were a great many men in the prison, and most of 
 them had done very bad things, but Joseph had done nothing 
 wrong. God still loved Joseph, and he could make him happy, 
 even in a prison. 
 
 At last the keeper took the chains off Joseph's feet, and 
 allowed him to walk about the prison, and take care of the 
 prisoners. The keeper found that he could trust him, and that 
 Joseph managed things well. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE BUTLER AND BAKER. 
 
 The prison was in the house of Potiphar. One day, 
 Potiphar brought two men to Joseph, and said to him: 
 Take great care that these men do not get out of prison. 
 I give them under your charge. You see Potiphar thought 
 
 Joseph could be trusted; 
 perhaps he had found 
 out that Joseph was not 
 so bad as he had once 
 thought. 
 
 These men were the 
 servants of the king of 
 Egypt. The king of Egypt 
 had a great many servants 
 to wait on him. One of 
 his servants used to bring 
 him wine in a cup to 
 drink. This servant was 
 called his butler. Another 
 used to bake things for 
 his dinner. He was called 
 the baker. 
 
 The butler and the baker had both offended the king: I 
 do not know what they had done, but they were shut up in 
 prison. 
 
 Then Potiphar brought them to Joseph, and told him to 
 
 JOSEPH INTERPRETING THE DREAMS. 
 
JOSEPH OR THE BUTLER AND BAKER. 
 
 73 
 
 keep them safe. Joseph shut them up in a room together, 
 and gave them bread and water every day, and took care of 
 them. 
 
 One morning when Joseph came to see them, he observed 
 that, they looked very sad. He said to them: Why do you 
 look sad? 
 
 They answered: We have each had a strange dream to- 
 night, and we think our dreams have some meaning, but we 
 cannot find it out; and there is nobody in the prison who 
 can tell us. 
 
 Then Joseph said: But 
 my God knows all things; 
 he could tell me the 
 meaning. Only tell me 
 your dreams. 
 
 The butler told his 
 dream the first. He said: 
 I thought I saw a tree 
 such as grapes grow upon 
 — a vine. It had three 
 branches, but no grapes. While I was looking, I saw little 
 buds, and they turned into grapes, and they grew ripe. I 
 picked the grapes, and squeezed them into a cup, and made 
 wine, and then brought the cup to the king for him to drink. 
 
 This was the butler's dream, and God told Joseph the 
 meaning of it. 
 
 You saw three branches, said Joseph; something will 
 happen you in three days. The king will send for you to be 
 his butler again. 
 
 THE BUTLER'S DREAM. 
 
74 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE BUTLER AND BAKER. 
 
 When the baker heard this pleasant meaning, he thought 
 that his dream would be pleasant too; so he began to tell it. 
 The baker said: I dreamed that I was carrying three white 
 baskets on my head, the one on the top of the other. In the 
 baskets there were baked meats and birds came and picked 
 the meat out of the top basket. 
 
 Something will happen to you in three days, said Joseph. 
 
 The king will send for 
 you, and will hang you 
 upon a tree, and the birds 
 will pick your flesh off 
 your bones. 
 
 So while the butler 
 was pleased with what 
 Joseph had told him, the 
 poor baker was sorry, 
 because he knew thai 
 he must die. 
 
 Joseph had one little 
 favor to ask of the butler. 
 Tell the king I am shut 
 up in prison, and cannot 
 get out. 1 once lived in a land a great way off, and ws.s 
 stolen, and now I am shut up in this prison, though I ha\e 
 done nothing wicked. Beg the king to let me out. 
 
 You see Joseph did not tell of his brothers' wickedness in 
 having sold him. 
 
 In three days the king sent men to the prison for the 
 butler and the baker. It was the king's birthday, and he had 
 
 THE BAKER'S DREAM. 
 
JOSEPPH, OR THE BUTLER AND BAKER. 75 
 
 made a feast for his servants, and he had thought of the 
 butler and baker, and had said: Let the butler come back to 
 me; and let the baker be hanged; I will not forgive him. So 
 now both the butler and the baker knew that Joseph had told 
 them the truth. 
 
 The butler forgot to tell the king about Joseph. I 
 suppose he was thinking of the fine things he saw, of eating 
 and drinking, of money and clothes. The butler was unkind, 
 and worse than unkind; he was ungrateful. 
 
 Poor Joseph waited in vain. No one came to let him out 
 of prison. One day passed, and then another — summer 
 came, and then winter, but Joseph was still shut up. Yet 
 God had not forgotten him. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE RELEASE. 
 
 I have told you of the great king of Egypt. His name was 
 Pharaoh. He had a great many servants. He sat upon a 
 throne, wore beautiful clothes, a chain of gold around his neck, 
 a ring upon his hand, and a crown upon his head. He lived in 
 a fine house, and rode out in a fine chariot drawn by many 
 horses; and as he passed by, people bowed down to the 
 ground. One night, this great king had two very strange 
 dreams. 
 
 He thought he was standing by a river, and seven fat cows 
 came out of the river, and began to eat the grass. This was a 
 pleasant sight; but, soon after, he saw seven very thin cows 
 come out of the river, and they ate up the seven fat cows; and 
 yet, after they had eaten them, they looked as thin as they did 
 before. Then the king awoke. 
 
 But soon he fell asleep, and dreamed that he saw a stalk of 
 corn with seven fine ears growing on it. While he was looking 
 he saw another stalk with seven very bad -ears of corn on it;' 
 and these bad ears ate up the seven good ears. 
 
 These were Pharaoh's two dreams. He thought them 
 strange, and longed to know their meaning. In the morning 
 he told his servants to find some one who could tell the mean- 
 ing of dreams. A great many men came who pretended to be 
 wise; but they could not tell the king the meaning of his 
 dreams. 
 
 At last the butler thought of Joseph, and said: You know, 
 
 76 
 
JOSEPH, OR THE RELEASE. 
 
 77 
 
 O king, that you were once angry with me and with your baker, 
 and you shut us up in prison. While we were in prison, the 
 baker and I each had a dream, and a young man told us the 
 meaning of our dreams, and said that the baker would be 
 hanged, and that I should be let out of prison; and so it was, 
 
 PHARAOH HONORS JOSEPH. 
 
 just as the young man had said. Then Pharaoh told his ser- 
 vants to bring this young man out of prison. 
 
 So the servants came to the prison for Joseph. Joseph 
 must have been glad to hear this, but he was dressed in very 
 poor clothes, not fit for a king to see. So the servants gave 
 him neat clothes. 
 
^™ 
 
 78 JOSEPH, OR THE RELEASE. 
 
 It was a long, long while since Joseph had felt the sweet 
 air blow upon his face, and had seen the green fields. He 
 looked pale and sick. 
 
 He came into the king's fine house, and stood before him. 
 The king said, I hear that you can tell the meaning of dreams. 
 
 It is not myself, said Joseph, that can tell the meaning, but 
 my God can. Then Pharaoh told Joseph his two dreams. 
 
 When he had done speaking, Joseph answered: Both your 
 dreams have the same meaning. This is what is going to hap- 
 pen. The next seven years a great deal of corn will grow in 
 the fields; but afterward hardly any corn will grow for seven 
 years. The seven fat cows mean the seven years when much 
 corn will grow; and the seven thin cows mean the seven years 
 when very little corn will grow. God sent you these dreams, 
 that you might know what is going to happen. 
 
 Now what could the king do? First there would be a great 
 deal of corn, then scarcely any. Joseph gave the king some 
 advice. He said: Save up some of the corn when there is sj 
 much, that you may have some when there is none growing. 
 You should look for a very wise man, who will save up t\-t 
 corn, and put it in large barns; or the people will die whca 
 no corn grows in the fields. • 
 
 Pharaoh was much pleased with Joseph for telling him tr e 
 meaning of his dreams; he believed what Joseph said. Arc! 
 the king said: Joseph shall save up the corn. 
 
 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: You are so very wise ttoit 
 you shall help me to manage all the people in the land. Evei y 
 one shall mind you as they do me, and you shall be the greatest 
 person next to me. 
 
CONCERT IN EGYPT. 
 79 
 
^= 
 
 80 JOSEPH, OR THE RELEASE. 
 
 Then Pharaoh took the ring off his hand, and put it on 
 Joseph's hand; and he gave him beautiful clothes, and a gold 
 chain to wear round his neck. He gave him a fine chariot to 
 ride in, and told the people to obey him. 
 
 So Joseph was made a great ruler; but he would not be 
 idle. He went about all the country in his chariot to get corn, 
 and built large barns, and filled them with corn, and so he did 
 for seven years. 
 
 • He was glad he was out of prison, and thanked God very 
 much. He was not happy because he wore fine clothes; but 
 he was glad to be able to do good to people, by saving up corn. 
 He married a wife, and had two little boys; yet still he thought 
 of his dear old father, and hoped that he should one day see 
 him again; and he thought of little Benjamin, and he hoped 
 that his brothers were sorry for their wickedness. He did not 
 feel angry with them for the great wrong they had done him. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE RULER OF EGYPT. 
 
 A great deal of corn grew in the fields next year and the 
 year after, and for seven years then scarcely any corn grew. 
 The poor people came to the king and said: We have nothing 
 to eat, and Pharaoh said: Go to Joseph; he can help you. So 
 the people went to Joseph, and he opened his large barns full 
 of corn, and sold the corn to the people. They brought money, 
 and large bags or sacks. Joseph took the money, and filled 
 the sacks with corn. A great many people came to buy corn: 
 some from a long way off; but Joseph had enough corn 
 for all. 
 
 Among the people who came, there were ten men who 
 had come from a far country. Who do you think these were? 
 They were Joseph's brothers. When Joseph saw them he 
 remembered them, though he had not seen them for twenty 
 years. He knew those cruel brothers who had sold him for 
 twenty pieces of silver. If he pleased, he might have punished 
 them. 
 
 The brothers thought Joseph was a great ruler, and they 
 did not know that they had seen him before; for he wore fine 
 clothes, and he was grown to be a man, and he had another 
 name, which the king had given him. 
 
 So, when the ten brothers saw him, they bowed upon 
 the ground. Then Joseph remembered his dream about tht 
 sheaves bowing down to his sheaf, and he saw that God had 
 made it come true. 
 
 6 81 
 
82 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE RULER OF EGYPT. 
 
 Joseph felt ready to forgive his brothers; but he wished 
 first to see whether they were sorry for their wickedness, and 
 whether they loved their father and little Benjamin. Joseph 
 did not tell them who he was. He even pretended to be 
 
 AND JOSEPH KNEW HIS BRETHREN. 
 
 unkind. He spoke to them in a rough voice, and said: Where 
 do you come from ? 
 
 From the land of Canaan, they said; to buy food. 
 
 But Joseph said he did not believe they spoke truth. You 
 come, he said, to see what a bad land this is, with no corn 
 growing, and you mean to bring some king with soldiers to 
 fight us. 
 
JOSEPH, OR THE RULER. OF EGYPT. 83 
 
 No, indeed, said Joseph's brothers, we do not. We are ten 
 poor brothers, and we have come to buy food. 
 
 But Joseph pretended he would not believe what they 
 said. 
 
 Joseph's brothers answered: We are all brothers, and once 
 there were twelve of us, but one is dead, and the youngest is 
 with our father, who is an old man. They tried to make 
 Joseph believe what they said, but he would not; that is, he 
 pretended not to believe them. 
 
 At last Joseph said: I must see your youngest brother. 
 I shall send one of you to bring him, and I shall keep the rest 
 in prison till he comes back with the youngest brother. 
 
 The brothers knew their father would not part with 
 Benjamin. So not one of the brothers said he would go 
 and bring Benjamin. 
 
 Joseph put them all in prison, and kept them shut up 
 together for three days. While they were shut up, they had 
 time to think. 
 
 At last Joseph came to them and said: This is what you 
 must do, and then you shall live; for I fear God. 
 
 How glad and surprised the brothers must have been 
 when they heard him say he feared God; for the other people 
 in Egypt worshiped idols. 
 
 Joseph said: I will keep only one of you shut up in the 
 prison; all the rest of you may go back, and take corn home 
 with you; but when you come again, you must bring your 
 youngest brother with you, or I shall think you have not 
 spoken truth; but if you do bring him, I will believe you. 
 
 The brothers were glad to think they might go back, yet it 
 
84 JOSEPH, OR THE RULER OF EGYPT. 
 
 made them sad to hear that one of them would be kept in 
 prison. 
 
 Joseph heard what they said, and it made the tears run 
 down his cheeks; so that he was obliged to go out of the 
 room to weep. He did not like to see them unhappy; but 
 you know he wanted to find out whether they were kind to 
 Benjamin, and if they loved their aged father, and were sorry 
 for all they had done. 
 
 When Joseph came back, he took one of the brothers, 
 called Simeon, and said that he would keep him in prison till 
 the others brought their youngest brother with them. So 
 Joseph had Simeon bound with ropes, or chains, while the 
 other brothers stood round. 
 
 Then they must have remembered how once poor Joseph 
 had been bound, and sold for a slave. 
 
 Simeon was left alone in the prison, and he did not know 
 whether his brothers would ever come back, or whether he 
 would ever be let out. 
 
 Before the brothers set off to go home, Joseph said to 
 his servants: When you fill those men's sacks with corn, put 
 back into their sacks the money that they paid me for it, and 
 give them also some food by the way. 
 
 When they were come home, they told their father all that 
 had happened. There was a great ruler they said, who sold 
 corn to the people; and he spoke very roughly to us, and said 
 that we were not come to buy corn, but that we only wanted 
 to see the land, that we might bring men to fight the poor 
 hungry people that lived there. He called us spies. We told 
 him that we were not spies, but were twelve brothers; that 
 
JOSEPH, OR THE RULER OF EGYPT. 85 
 
 one was dead, and that one was with our father in the land of 
 Canaan. But he would not believe us, and told us we must 
 bring our youngest brother with us; and he took Simeon, and 
 shut him up in prison, and said that he would not let him out 
 till we came back with Benjamin. 
 
 Poor old Jacob was very sorry when he heard this. Then 
 the brothers began to open their sacks of corn, and were sur- 
 prised to find their money at the top of their sacks; but they 
 were not pleased; they thought that some one had put the 
 money there to get them in disgrace, and that when they went 
 back to Egypt, they should be punished for stealing. 
 
 They were more afraid than ever of going back to Egypt, 
 and seeing the great ruler; yet they wished very much to go, 
 for they had only bought a little corn, and they wanted more; 
 and they knew that poor Simeon would remain in prison till 
 they went back. 
 
 Jacob said: No, I cannot trust Benjamin with you, lest 
 some harm should happen to him. You have taken away two 
 of my children, Joseph and Simeon. If any evil were to 
 happen to Benjamin, you would bring down my gray hairs 
 with sorrow to the grave. Jacob felt that it would break his 
 heart to lose Benjamin, he loved him so very much. 
 
 So the brothers were obliged to stay in Canaan; for they 
 knew it would be of no use to go to Egypt, unless Benjamin 
 went with them. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE FEAST. 
 
 But soon they had eaten up all their corn, and none grew 
 in their fields. 
 
 Jacob saw how hungry they were, and at last he said: Go 
 again, buy us a little food. 
 
 Then they said: We cannot go without Benjamin; for the 
 man who sold corn said we should not see him, unless we 
 brought our youngest brother. If you let Benjamin come with 
 us, then we will go. 
 
 Jacob said: Why did you tell the man you had a brother? 
 
 Then the brothers answered: The man asked us so many 
 questions. He said to us: Is your father alive? Have you 
 another brother? 
 
 Still, Jacob did not like to let Benjamin go. 
 
 One of the brothers called Judah, said, I will take care of 
 Benjamin, if you will let him go. I promise to bring him 
 back to you. 
 
 Jacob saw it was of no use to refuse any more. So he 
 gave Benjamin into the care of Judah. 
 
 But Jacob was afraid of the man being unkind to them, and 
 of his saying they had stolen the money. So he said to them, 
 Carry the man a present. 
 
 Pick some nuts and almonds off your trees, said Jacob; 
 and take a little balm and myrrh, and some spices, and a little 
 honey with you as a present. 
 
 The man was very rich, and did not want anything, but 
 
 86 
 
JOSEPH, OR THE FEAST. 87 
 
 the present would show him that they wished to please him, 
 and do right. 
 
 Besides, said Jacob, take the money back that you found in 
 your sacks; take more money in your hands to buy more corn, 
 and take Benjamin, and go to the man. 
 
 Jacob's heart was full of pain when he said this. Then, he 
 began to pray to God. 
 
 When Jacob wished his dear Benjamin good-bye, he 
 thought of how he once had parted with his Joseph, the day 
 he sent him to look for his brothers, when he put on his 
 pretty coat. 
 
 The brothers took the present, and they each took some 
 money in their hands, and they took their asses, and their 
 empty sacks; and Judah took care of Benjamin. 
 
 So they parted from their old father, and their wives, and 
 their little children, and they set out on their journey. 
 
 They all felt very sad that day. They were afraid they 
 should be taken up as thieves when they got to Egypt. 
 
 At last they came to Egypt. They went to the place where 
 Joseph was selling the corn. He looked to see whether Ben- 
 jamin was with them. How pleased he was. 
 
 Benjamin was very young when Joseph had seen him last, 
 yet Joseph knew him. 
 
 As soon as he saw his brothers, he called his servant, who 
 managed his house, and said: Take those ten men to my 
 house, and get a great dinner ready; for they must dine with 
 me to-day. 
 
 The brothers did not understand what Joseph said to the 
 servant, for he spoke in another language. The servant came 
 
88 JOSEPH, OR THE FEAST. 
 
 and told them to come with him. So he brought them to 
 Joseph's own house, a fine large house. Yet the brothers 
 were not pleased, but very frightened. 
 
 Ah! said they, we are going to be put in prison; and we 
 shall be kept in Egypt, to work hard. 
 
 They thought of their poor father, and of what he would do. 
 
 When they got to the door of the house, they came up to 
 the servant, and said: O sir! we came here once before to buy 
 a little food, and we paid money for it; but when we got home 
 we opened our sacks, and found the money in them, and here 
 we have brought it back; and we have brought more money 
 to buy more corn. We cannot tell who put the money in 
 our sacks. 
 
 The servant answered them very kindly, and said: Fear not. 
 
 How happy the brothers were now! They soon found 
 that they were not going to be put into a prison, but that they 
 were to dine in a fine house. What could make the man 
 so kind? 
 
 While they were waiting, the servant went and brought 
 poor Simeon out of prison. He had been shut up a long while. 
 
 The servant told them that dinner would not be ready till 
 noon; and while they were waiting, he brought. them water to 
 wash their feet, and gave some food to their poor tired and 
 hungry beasts. ' 
 
 The brothers said: Let us get our present ready, while we 
 are waiting for the master to come. 
 
 So they went out, and got ready the balm and spices, the 
 honey, and nuts, and almonds. 
 
 At last Joseph came, and the brothers came into the house, 
 
^■■■^B 
 
90 JOSEPH, OR THE FEAST. 
 
 and brought the present, and they bowed down upon the 
 ground. 
 
 This time Joseph spoke very kindly to them. He asked 
 how they were; but most of all he wanted to know how his 
 dear father was. 
 
 Is your father well? he asked; the old man of whom you 
 spoke ? Is he yet alive ? 
 
 They said: Yes, our father is well, and he is alive. 
 
 Then Joseph looked for Benjamin, and when he saw him, 
 he longed to throw his arms round his neck, and kiss him, but 
 he would not do it yet. He only said: Is this your younger 
 brother that you told me of ? 
 
 And then he made this little prayer: God be gracious to 
 thee, my son. 
 
 When Joseph had said this, he felt the tears coming into 
 his eyes, and he could not help crying; so he went into his 
 own room, and there he cried. He was a very tender-hearted 
 man, and he loved this young brother very much. 
 
 Now the dinner was ready; so Joseph would not stay in his 
 room; but washed his face, that no one might see that he had 
 been crying; and tried to look cheerful. 
 
 In the room where they were to dine, there were three 
 tables. One was for Joseph's servants, another was for 
 Joseph himself — for he always dined at a table by himself — 
 and the other table was for the eleven brothers. 
 
 Joseph told them where to sit; he made the eldest sit first, 
 and then the second, just according to their age, and he made 
 Benjamin sit last. The brothers were surprised at Joseph's 
 knowing which was eldest and which was second, for it is hard 
 
JOSEPH, OR THE FEAST. 
 
 91 
 
 to tell how old a grown-up man is; but Joseph knew them 
 better than they thought he did. 
 
 Now they all sat down to dinner. It was long since they 
 had such a dinner, and they had made a great journey, and 
 were tired and hungry and thirsty. 
 
 Joseph could see them all, and it was a pleasant sight. 
 Once they had eaten their dinner while he lay in the pit, and 
 they had given him none. Yet he would not treat them so, 
 but would return good for evil. 
 
 WBmmmKmmmmmm 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE FORGIVING BROTHER. 
 
 The brothers spent a happy day with Joseph. They did 
 not go home that day, but waited to set out on the morrow. 
 
 You know that they had come to buy corn, and they had 
 brought empty sacks with them. Joseph called his servant, 
 and said to him secretly: Fill the sacks of those eleven men 
 with corn, and put their money that they have given me for 
 the corn back into their sacks. And put my silver cup into 
 the sack of the youngest. 
 
 The servant filled the sacks with corn, and put the money 
 into them. And he put the silver cup into Benjamin's sack. 
 They did not know that the servant had put money and a 
 cup into them. 
 
 The next morning, as soon as it was light, the brothers 
 rose up, took their beasts and their sacks, and set off to 
 return home to their father. How glad they were to get 
 away safely, not one left behind! 
 
 What a pleasant history they should have to tell their 
 father! How much surprised he would be to hear of the 
 great man's kindness, and how glad he would be to see Ben- 
 jamin again! 
 
 But soon was all their joy turned into grief. 
 
 They had gone but a little way, when some one called 
 them. It was Joseph's servant; he came running after them. 
 
 What made you, said he, behave so ill to my master, after 
 all his kindness to you? Why have you stolen his silver cup? 
 
 92 
 
— 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE FORGIVING BROTHER. 93 
 
 The brothers were much surprised to hear that the cup 
 was stolen. We would not do such a thing, they said. Did 
 we not bring back the money, when we thought it had been 
 put in our sacks by mistake? And now would we steal a 
 silver cup? None of us have taken it. 
 
 Then the servant told them to open their sacks: so the 
 eldest brother took down his sack; the servant looked in 
 among the corn, but could find no cup. Then the second 
 opened his sack, but there was no cup hid in it. The third 
 showed his, and each brother showed his in his turn. At last 
 Benjamin showed his. How much were they all surprised 
 when they found the silver cup in it. 
 
 You know that Benjamin had not stolen it. You know 
 that the servant had put it in the sack when he filled it 
 with corn. 
 
 The servant said to Benjamin: You must come back with 
 me to my master. He was going to take him for a slave, 
 and never let him return home; but he said that his brothers 
 might go home. 
 
 And would they go and leave Benjamin behind? 
 
 No, said they, we will go back with Benjamin. 
 
 You see that they loved Benjamin, and they would not 
 leave him alone in his distress. 
 
 They put their sacks again on their beasts, and followed 
 the servant to Joseph's house. Their hearts were bursting 
 with grief, and they cried as they went. 
 
 Joseph was in his house waiting for them. 
 
 Joseph was glad to see them all come back with Benjamin. 
 Now Joseph saw that they loved Benjamin. 
 
94 JOSEPH, OR THE FORGIVING BROTHER 
 
 Joseph spoke to them as if he was angry, and said: What 
 is this wicked thing that you have done ? 
 
 You remember that Judah had promised to take care of 
 Benjamin. So Judah began to beg Joseph to forgive Benjamin. 
 
 Judah knew that it would be of no use to say that Benjamin 
 had not taken the cup, so he only begged Joseph to take 
 pity on them. 
 
 God is punishing us for our sins, said Judah, and we can 
 say nothing; we must all be your slaves. 
 
 No, said Joseph, not all, only he who stole the cup; he 
 shall be my slave; let the others go back to their father. 
 
 Joseph wanted to see whether the brothers would go back, 
 and leave poor Benjamin to be a slave. 
 
 Judah then came nearer to Joseph, and began to beg for 
 Benjamin with all his heart. 
 
 I promised my father that 1 would take care of Benjamin. 
 I cannot go home without him. If I were to go back without 
 Benjamin, we should see our father die. Let me be your 
 slave instead of Benjamin, and let him go home to his 
 father; for I could not bear to see my father die of grief. 
 
 Now Joseph saw that Judah did indeed love Benjamin 
 and his old father. 
 
 Joseph felt ready to burst into tears, yet he did not go out 
 of the room to weep as he had done before; but he said to all 
 his servants, Go out of the room; and Joseph was left alone 
 with his brothers. He cried so loud, that all his servants 
 heard him, though they were not in the room. 
 
 At last he said: I am Joseph. Thy brother whom ye sold 
 into Egypt. Is my father yet alive? 
 
JOSEPH, OR THE FORGIVING BROTHER. 95 
 
 Joseph's brothers were frightened; they could not speak, 
 and they dared not come near him. 
 
 Joseph did not wish to frighten them; he longed to put 
 his arms round them, and kiss them. 
 
 He saw that they were unhappy at the thoughts of their 
 wickedness, so he tried to comfort them. 
 
 Do not grieve because you sold me, said he. God let you 
 do it, that I might save corn to feed your children. I wish you 
 all to come and live with me here. You must bring my old 
 father with you, and your children, and I will feed you all. 
 Look at me, and you will see that I am indeed your own 
 brother Joseph. It is my mouth that speaks to you. Go and 
 tell my father what fine things I have in Egypt, and bring him 
 here to live with me. 
 
 This was the loving way in which Joseph spoke. Then he 
 threw his arms round Benjamin's neck, and wept as he kissed 
 him; and Benjamin wept too upon Joseph's neck. Afterward 
 Joseph kissed all his brothers, and wept as he kissed each; and 
 then his brothers no more felt afraid of him, but began to talk 
 with him. They saw Joseph had quite forgiven them, and 
 that he loved them with all his heart. 
 
ESSBBaSBI^HHEl^H 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 JOSEPH, OR THE LONG-LOST SON. 
 
 The servants were glad to hear that Joseph had found his 
 brothers. Pharaoh the king heard of the brothers being found' 
 and he was glad, for he loved Joseph. 
 
 He called Joseph, and said to him: Your brothers must 
 come and live near you, and you must send for your father 
 and for all the little children. We will give them houses fields' 
 and gardens, and they shall live together. We must send 
 wagons to bring the little children, their mothers, and your 
 aged father. 
 
 You see how kind the king was. 
 
 When all the things were ready, Joseph told his brothers 
 to go to Canaan, and to come back quickly. He gave them one 
 piece of advice before they went. Take care, he said, that you 
 do not quarrel by the way. 
 
 Old Jacob had been longing to see them. At last they 
 came, and no one was missing. 
 
 They told him quickly the joyful news: Joseph is alive- and 
 he is the great ruler that sells corn in the land of Egypt. 
 
 No, said he, my son has long been dead. 
 
 But we have seen him. 
 
 It cannot be true, said Jacob. 
 
 Then the brothers told him that Joseph desired them all to 
 come and live with him. 
 
 Still, Jacob could not believe them. 
 
 Only come and see the wagons he has sent, said they 
 
 96 J 
 
JOSEPH, OR THE LONG-LOST SON. 9? 
 
 beliet.^ *** ** "* t0 See the « and he did 
 go andVeeS' * ** J ° S6ph * S0 " is * a,ive; . wil. 
 
 ^ old, he in a wagoni b * ;ri er f w ° ake r £ 
 
 They ^ Z to?' T S ' g ° atS and Camds < and a » «2 thlgs" 
 At last they all came into the land of Egypt 
 
 that time y had Jacob s P ent since 
 
98 JOSEPH, OR THE LONG-LOST SON. 
 
 So Joseph went to the king, and said: My father and 
 brothers, and their flocks, and all that they have, are come. 
 
 And Pharaoh said to them: What is your employment? 
 
 We are shepherds. 
 
 Pharaoh said that he would give them a great many fields, 
 and that they might live there altogether, with their children 
 and their flocks. 
 
 Joseph wished them to live altogether, because the people 
 in Egypt worshiped idols. 
 
 Joseph wished the king to see his dear old father; so he 
 brought him in to the king. The king treated him with great 
 respect. 
 
 Jacob lifted up his hands over Pharaoh's head, and prayed 
 God to show him kindness. This was called blessing him. 
 Jacob blessed Pharaoh, because he had been good to Joseph, 
 and paid him so many honors. 
 
 Pharaoh said to Jacob: How old are you? Jacob said: I 
 am one hundred and thirty years old. 
 
 Jacob at last fell sick, and knew that he should die. He 
 sent for his sons, that he might bless them before he died. 
 When his sons came, he sat upon the bed,- and called them one 
 by one, that he might give a blessing to each. 
 
 Joseph fell upon his father's face, when he was dead, and 
 wept and kissed him. 
 
 A very sad thought came into the minds of the brothers: 
 Perhaps Joseph has only been so kind to us to please his father; 
 perhaps he has not really forgiven us; and now perhaps he will 
 punish us. But Joseph said: Fear not: it was wrong in you to 
 sell me, yet God made it turn out for good. I will still feed 
 
JOSEPH, OR. THE LONG-LOST SON. 99 
 
 you and your children. He spoke very kindly, and comforted 
 them. 
 
 Joseph lived to be a very old man, and at last he died. 
 
 You have heard the history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 
 God loved them all three. Abraham was the grandfather, 
 Isaac the father, and Jacob the son. 
 
 God had promised the land of Canaan to the children of 
 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; that is, to their descendants. 
 God would not forget that promise. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE BASKET OF BULRUSHES. 
 
 You have heard how Joseph and his brothers lived happily 
 in Egypt for a long while. At last they grew old and died, 
 but they left a great many children; and their children had 
 a great many children, till at last there were hundreds and 
 thousands. These people were the grandchildren of Jacob, 
 and his great-grandchildren and their children. 
 
 Did you know that Jacob had two names ? 
 
 His other name was Israel. It was a name that God had 
 given him. 
 
 All the sons of Jacob were called the children of Israel, or 
 the children of Jacob, and the grandchildren of Jacob were 
 called by this same name, Children of Israel. There were 
 some men, and some women, and some children, and all of 
 them together were called Children of Israel. 
 
 The grown-up people were called Children of Israel. 
 
 They did not live in Canaan, you remember; they had left 
 Canaan, because no corn grew there for a long while; they 
 lived in Egypt, and took care of their sheep. While the good 
 king Pharaoh lived they were happy. At last he died, and 
 there was another king of Egypt: he too was called Pharaoh. 
 
 This new king knew that the children of Israel had come 
 from a great way off, and he said: There are so many of them, 
 perhaps they may some day fight against me with swords, and 
 kill me and my servants. I will make them work hard, and I 
 will try to kill them with hard work. 
 
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 ^A'SiClffiW'lljr,. 
 
 j .A f, Vs,,, . j; 3^11 
 
102 MOSES, OR THE BASKET OF BULRUSHES. 
 
 So he ordered them to make a great many bricks, and 
 build very high walls. He sent some of his men to make 
 them work hard. 
 
 The children of Israel were used to taking care of sheep, 
 and that is a pleasant employment. Shepherds lead their 
 sheep to the green fields, and by the side of the quiet waters, 
 and they sit under the shade of a tree when the sun is hot. 
 But now the children of Israel were obliged to dig up the 
 clay, and to make bricks, and to dry them in the sun; and if 
 they did not make a great number of bricks, the men whom 
 Pharaoh had sent, beat them. So now they were very 
 unhappy: they often sighed and groaned, and shed tears. 
 
 Yet all this hard work did not kill them; so the king 
 thought of another plan. He said: Let every boy that is born 
 be thrown into the river. He did not order the girls to be 
 drowned, because they would not be able to fight with swords 
 when they grew up. 
 
 Whenever the king heard that one of the children of Israel 
 had a little boy born, he sent his men to throw it into the 
 river. 
 
 There was a very good woman, who had a- .little boy babe; 
 she was one of the children of Israel. This woman knew that 
 God would take care of her child. She hid her babe, so that 
 Pharaoh's men could not find it. I do not know where she 
 put it, but God taught her to hide it in a very safe place. 
 
 When the child was three months old, she found that she 
 could not hide him any more. What should she do with him? 
 
 You have heard of the great river of Egypt. Close by the 
 river there grew a great many reeds and bulrushes, which are 
 
Hi 
 
 .-.:..' 
 
 m 
 
 ■n 
 
104 MOSES, OR THE BASKET OF BULRUSHES. 
 
 like very high, thick grass. She took some bulrushes, and 
 made them into a large basket. She wished to make a basket 
 into which the water could not come; so she got some pitch, 
 and covered the basket with pitch. Then she put her little 
 boy inside, and took the basket in her arms. No one could 
 tell what was in the basket. 
 
 She went to the river-side, and laid the basket among the 
 great rushes, close by the water. She knew that God would 
 not let the child be killed; and so she left it, trusting in Him. 
 
 She had a little girl much older than the babe. This little 
 girl stood a great way off, to see what would become of her 
 little brother. Soon she saw ladies walking by the river-side. 
 One of them was King Pharaoh's daughter. She was a 
 princess. The other ladies were her maids, and they were 
 going with the princess to some place where she could bathe; 
 for Egypt is a very hot country, and people bathe often in 
 hot countries. 
 
 The princess was looking at the rushes, when she saw 
 something very strange peeping out among them. When she 
 saw it, she said to one of her maids, Go, and see what that is. 
 So the maid went, and found the basket. She took it up and 
 brought it to the princess. The princess opened the basket, 
 and saw a sweet babe. It was fair and lovely. 
 
 It began to weep. Poor infant! it was used to lie in its 
 mother's arms, but now there was no one to feed it or comfort 
 it. The princess pitied the child. She had heard that her 
 father had ordered every man-child to be thrown into the 
 river, and she said: I suppose this is the child of one of the 
 children of Israel. She did not wish it thrown into the river. 
 
MOSES BROUGHT BEFORE PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 105 
 
 BOH 
 
 Hi 
 
106 MOSES, OR THE BASKET OF BULRUSHES. 
 
 The babe's sister had come nearer, and saw that the 
 princess pitied it; so she said: If you want a nurse, I could 
 find you one who would nurse the child for you. The 
 princess said: Go. 
 
 Whom did she call? The child's mother. When she had 
 come, the princess said to her: Take this child, and nurse it 
 for me, and 1 will give you wages. 
 
 How glad the mother was to take care of it! She saw that 
 God had heard her prayers, and saved her child from being 
 drowned. 
 
 The mother could teach him about God as soon as he could 
 understand. But when he was a big child, the princess sent 
 for him to come and live with her, and she called him her son. 
 She gave him a name. I shall call him Moses, she said — which 
 means "drawn out," for he was- drawn out of the water. 
 
 The princess lived in a fine house, and had many servants. 
 Moses had beautiful clothes, nice things to eat, and servants to 
 wait upon him. He had no hard work to do, yet he was not 
 idle, but learned a great many things. The princess told wise 
 men to teach him. 
 
 He knew the names of the stars, the beasts, birds, and 
 plants. He grew very wise. One thing these wise men could 
 not teach him — about God; for they worshiped idols. Yet 
 Moses did know about God, for his father and mother knew 
 the true God, and when he was a child, Moses lived with them. 
 Of all the things Moses knew, this was the best. He was wiser 
 than all the men in Egypt, for he knew the true God. 
 
 He was brave as well as wise, and the people in Egypt 
 praised him, and paid him respect. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE PIOUS CHOICE. 
 
 I have told you how the children of Israel worked making 
 bricks. When Moses became a man, he thought, I live in a 
 fine house, and am as great as a prince. I have no work to do; 
 but my poor cousins, the children of Israel, are working like 
 slaves. Cannot I help them? This thought made him very 
 sorrowful. 
 
 Do you remember the promise God made to Abraham 
 about his children and children's children ? These children of 
 Israel were the descendants of Abraham. 
 
 Abraham's child was called Isaac; Abraham's grandchild was 
 Jacob; and Abraham's great-grandchildren were Joseph and 
 his brothers. Now Joseph's children were Abraham's great- 
 great-grandchildren, and their children were his great-great- 
 great-grandchildren. The children of Israel called Abraham 
 their great-great-great-grandfather; only they had never seen 
 him; he died before they were born. 
 
 I will tell you about these great-great-grandchildren of 
 Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and about their children, and I 
 shall call them the Children of Israel. 
 
 God had said that they should live in the land of Canaan — 
 that fine land, full of hills and rivers, grass and flowers, sheep 
 and cows, milk and honey. God had said to Abraham, I will 
 give this land to your children. Not to Isaac, but to his great- 
 great-great-great-grandchildren. 
 
 Moses had heard of this promise; probably his mother told 
 
 107 
 
108 
 
 MOSES, OR THE PIOUS CHOICE. 
 
 him. He had heard how he had been saved from being 
 drowned when a little babe, and, he believed that God would 
 let him bring the children of Israel into Canaan. He wished to 
 save them from being slaves among the wicked people of Egypt- 
 and to make them happy in that pleasant land of Canaan. 
 
 ISRAELITES IN BONDAGE IN EGYPT. 
 
 Moses left the king's fine house and all his fine things, and 
 went to the place where the poor Israelites were working. 
 The children of Israel were sometimes called Israelites. 
 
 He wished to see whether they remembered God's promise 
 to Abraham, and whether they wished to go to Canaan. 
 
MOSES, OR THE PIOUS CHOICE. 
 
 109 
 
 When Moses came to the place the sight he saw was a sad 
 one. They were laboring in the heat of the sun. They worked 
 from morning to night. They dug up the clay to make bricks; 
 that was hard work. When they made the bricks, they put 
 them in heaps to dry in the sun. Then they carried them to 
 
 MOSES SMITING THE EGYPTIAN. 
 
 build the great walls for Pharaoh, which was very hard labor for 
 these poor men. 
 
 They were forced to make a great many bricks. They 
 groaned and cried, but still they were made to do their tasks. 
 
 For the men set them a task; not such a little task as you 
 
110 MOSES, OR THE PIOUS CHOICE. 
 
 have, but a great task. The men said: You must make so 
 many bricks. 
 
 One day he saw one of the task- masters beating one of the 
 children of Israel. Moses could not bear to see the poor 
 slaves treated so cruelly. Moses looked to see whether there 
 were any more task-masters near: he saw no one. So he 
 killed the task-master, and then dug a hole in the ground, and 
 covered his body over with the earth. 
 
 Do you think it was wrong in Moses to kill the task-master? 
 It is very wicked to kill people, for God has commanded people 
 not to kill each other. 
 
 But Moses had been sent by God to kill this wicked man, 
 that he might show the Israelites that he had come from God 
 to make them happy. So it was not wrong in Moses to kill 
 the man, because God had sent him to do it. 
 
 One of the Israelites saw him, and soon King Pharaoh 
 heard of it, and Pharaoh was very angry, and tried to find 
 Moses, that he might punish him. So Moses was obliged to 
 go into a country a great way off, where the king could not 
 find him. God loved Moses, and took care of him wherever 
 he went. 
 
 Moses might have lived always in a fine house, and ridden 
 in a chariot, and had many servants; but you see how much 
 he loved the children of Israel. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE BURNING BUSH. 
 
 Moses was grieved to have the poor children of Israel 
 groaning in Egypt; but he was forced to hide himself from 
 Pharaoh. He took nothing with him on his journey — no 
 servant or companion. 
 
 At last Moses came to a place where there was grass, and 
 a great many sheep. Here, also, there was a well, and he sat 
 down by the side of it; for he had taken a long journey. He 
 had no house, no bed, and no friends. 
 
 Soon there came seven girls to the well. They were sisters, 
 and took care of their father's sheep. They brought their 
 sheep to give them water. First they let down pails into the 
 well, and then poured the water into troughs that stood near. 
 The sheep drank out of the troughs. While they were doing 
 this, some shepherds came to the well, and tried to drive them 
 away, that their own sheep might drink; but the girls had filled 
 the troughs with water and it would have been unfair to have 
 taken the water from their sheep. But the men were stronger 
 than they were, and often behaved in this way to them. 
 
 Moses did not like to see weak people ill-treated, and he 
 was very strong; so he stood up, and would not let the 
 shepherds send the girls away, but helped them to draw water 
 for their sheep. 
 
 The poor girls thought that Moses was very kind, because 
 
 he was only a stranger, and yet he had helped them. 
 
 When they went home their father said: How is it that you 
 
 in 
 
112 
 
 MOSES, OR THE BURNING BUSH. 
 
 are home so soon to-day? And they said: A stranger was by 
 the well, he helped draw water for our sheep. 
 
 Then the father answered: Where is the man? Ask him 
 to come and eat bread with us. So the girls called Moses. 
 
 The old father asked Moses to live with him and his 
 
 JY1T. HOREB. 
 
 daughters; and Moses said he would. Moses took care of the 
 father's sheep, and married one of the girls. Then the father 
 became Moses' father-in-law. 
 
 Moses had once been a fine prince, and had ridden in a 
 chariot; but now he led his sheep to eat grass among the 
 green hills. 
 
MOSES, OR THE BURNING BUSH. 
 
 113 
 
 There was one thing that must have made Moses sad. He 
 knew that the children of Israel were still groaning at their hard 
 work. King Pharaoh had died; but there was another king 
 Pharaoh as wicked as he had been. 
 
 At last the children of Israel cried earnestly to God to help 
 
 MOSES AND THE BURNING BUSH. 
 
 them, and God heard their prayers, and He determined to 
 save them. 
 
 I presume you have all heard of Mt. Horeb. 
 
 One day Moses was with the sheep among these high hills. 
 He was quite alone. He looked up, and saw a bush on fire. 
 He saw the bush was still burning, but did not burn up. This 
 
114 MOSES, OR THE BURNING BUSH. 
 
 surprised him very much, and he said: I will go and look at 
 the bush, and see why it is not burnt up. 
 
 He was just going up to it, when he heard some one 
 speaking. The voice came out of the bush. It was the voice 
 of God, who said to him: Moses, Moses! 
 
 He answered: Here am I. 
 
 Then God said: Come not near this place, for I am here. 
 I have heard the children of Israel crying, and I remember that 
 I promised Abraham that his children should live in Canaan, 
 and I am going to send them there. Moses, you must go to 
 Pharaoh, and tell him to let them go. 
 
 This was a hard thing for Moses to do, but God said: I 
 will be with you, and help you. 
 
 Then Moses said: But perhaps the children of Israel will 
 not choose to come out of Egypt. They will say: We will 
 not go with you, Moses; you are not speaking the truth. 
 What shall I do then ? 
 
 God said that He would teach him to do wonderful things. 
 God said: What do you hold in your hand? 
 
 Now Moses had a long stick in his hand, called a rod. He 
 used to help his sheep to get out of holes with his rod, and 
 when he climbed high hills, he leaned upon it. So when 
 God said, What do you hold in your hand ? Moses answered, 
 A rod. 
 
 Throw it upon the ground, said the Lord. And Moses 
 did, and it was turned into a serpent. Moses was afraid of 
 the serpent, and began to run away. 
 
 Then God said: Take hold of it by thr tail. So Moses 
 took hold of it, and it was turned again into 2 rod. 
 
MOSES, OR THE BURNING BUSH. 115 
 
 God said to Moses: When you go to Egypt, do this 
 wonderful thing before the children of Israel, to show them 
 that I have sent you: but if they will not believe you, do this 
 thing too, that I will show you. Put your hand into your 
 bosom. 
 
 So Moses put in his hand, and then he drew it out, and it 
 was leprous, that is, it was all covered oVer with white spots. 
 What a frightful sight. 
 
 Then God said: Put your hand in again; and he put it in, 
 and pulled it out again, and then it was as well as before. 
 
 Then God said to Moses: If the children of Israel will not 
 believe I have really spoken to you, let them see you do this 
 wonder. 
 
 But, said Moses, I do not know what words to say. Then 
 God told Moses that Aaron, his brother, should go with him 
 and speak for him. You have not heard of Aaron before. 
 He could speak well, he was a good man, and loved God. 
 So God was willing that he should help his brother. 
 
 Moses went back to his father-in-law, and told him that he 
 must go back to Egypt; and he took his wife and his two 
 little sons with him. 
 
 As Moses was going to Egypt, he met his brother Aaron, 
 who was glad to see him, and kissed him. Then Moses and 
 Aaron went together to the land of Egypt. 
 
 They found the poor Israelites at their hard work. Aaron 
 said to them, God has sent us to tell Pharaoh to let you go 
 to the land of Canaan. Then Aaron did the wonders that 
 God had shown Moses when He spoke to him from the bush. 
 
 The people of Israel believed what Aaron said. They 
 
116 MOSES, OR THE BURNING BUSH. 
 
 wished to go the land of Canaan, and they thanked God for 
 having heard their prayers. 
 
 They said, We will go; and they bowed their heads, and 
 thanked the Lord for his goodness. 
 
 But Moses could not take them out of Egypt till Pharaoh 
 had given him leave. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE FIRST PLAGUES. 
 
 The next day Moses and Aaron, and some of the children 
 of Israel, went in to speak to King Pharaoh. He was a proud 
 and wicked man who worshiped idols. 
 
 Do you think Pharaoh let them go? No; he said: Who is 
 the Lord, that I should obey His voice? 
 
 He was now more unkind than before to the children of 
 Israel, and ordered the taskmasters to make them work 
 harder. 
 
 As Moses and Aaron came out from king Pharaoh, they 
 saw some of the children of Israel waiting for them. They 
 said : You have done us harm by asking Pharaoh to let us go. 
 He makes us work harder than ever. 
 
 It was ungrateful to speak in this manner to Moses, who 
 had tried to help them. But he was very meek and gentle, 
 and he did not answer angrily, but went and prayed to God. 
 
 God told him to go to king Pharaoh, and show him the 
 wonder of the serpent. So Moses said to Aaron: Take this 
 rod and throw it on the ground. Aaron did so, and it became 
 a live serpent; then afterward turned into a rod again. 
 
 Would Pharaoh now say he would let Israel go? No, he 
 would not; his heart was very hard. 
 
 So God told Moses to do another wonderful thing. 
 
 Moses and Aaron went early in the morning down to the 
 side of the river, and waited there till Pharaoh came to 
 bathe. Then they said to him: Because you would not do 
 
 117 
 
118 
 
 MOSES, OR THE FIRST PLAGUES. 
 
 as God desired, and let Israel go, now you shall see what 
 God can do. 
 
 Then Aaron took the rod, and lifted it up over the waters; 
 and in a moment, the water was turned into blood. 
 
 AARON CAST DOWN THE ROD. 
 
 When Pharaoh saw this wonder, he turned back, and went 
 into his house, and would not obey God. 
 
 The people of Egypt had nothing to drink, for all the water 
 n the ponds was turned into blood, and all the water in jugs, 
 and basins, and cups, was turned into blood. The fish in the 
 
MOSES, OR THE FISRT PLAGUES. 119 
 
 i iver died. The water was blood for a whoie week, and could 
 not be used. 
 
 As Pharaoh would not mind, God sent him another plague. 
 
 Aaron stretched out the rod, and thousands and thousands 
 of frogs came hopping out of the river, and out of the ponds. 
 They went into the streets, into the houses, into the bedrooms, 
 and into the beds; they went into kitchens, and got among the 
 food; they even went into Pharaoh's house, and into his bed. 
 
 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said to 
 them, Pray God to take away the frogs. I will tell the children 
 of Israel to go. 
 
 Moses went and prayed to God, and God made all the frogs 
 die; but then Pharaoh said: I will not let the people go. 
 
 So God sent another plague. 
 
 Aaron stretched out the rod, and turned all the dust into 
 vile little insects, that crawled over men and over beasts; but 
 Pharaoh would not mind this plague. 
 
 Then God sent swarms of flies, that came in at the 
 windows, in doors and out of doors. But no flies came near 
 the children of Israel. 
 
 Then Pharaoh said: I will let you go, if God will take away 
 the flies. Then Moses prayed, and God took the flies away. 
 Then Pharaoh said again : I will not let the people go. 
 
 So another plague was sent. 
 
 The beasts fell very sick — the horses, camels, cows, and 
 the sheep — and many of them died. Yet Pharaoh would not 
 let the people go. 
 
 Afterward God made a great many boils come on all the 
 men and women and children; but not upon the children of 
 
 wmtm 
 
120 MOSES, OR THE FIRST PLAGUES. 
 
 Israel. They were so sick they could not stand; yet Pharaoh 
 would not mind, for his heart grew harder and harder. 
 
 I have now told you of six plagues. Try and remember 
 what thev were. 
 
 1. Water turned into blood. 2. Frogs. 3. Small insects. 
 4. Flies. S. Death of the beasts. 6. Boils. 
 
 I shall soon tell you of some more plagues that God sent 
 to Pharaoh. 
 
 God was much stronger than Pharaoh, and was able to 
 make him do what He commanded, and it was very foolish in 
 Pharaoh not to mind God. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE LAST PLAGUES. 
 
 One morning Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and said: 
 To-morrow God is going to rain great hail-stones, such hail- 
 stones as were never seen in Egypt before. They will kill all 
 men and beasts that are out of doors. 
 
 A great many of the men of Egypt heard Moses and Aaron 
 say this. Some of them believed their words. They kept 
 their beasts in their stables, and told their servants to keep in 
 doors. But some did not believe, and let their beasts remain 
 in the field. 
 
 The next dav Moses stretched out his rod, and God sent 
 thunder, hail, and fire, which ran along the ground. It was a 
 dreadful storm — such a storm as was never seen before. The 
 noise of the hail-stones, and thunder, made every one tremble. 
 But how glad those must have been who were in their houses. 
 Many beasts and men were killed, the grass and corn were 
 burned up by the fire, and the trees were broken. Yet there 
 was no hail where the children of Israel were. 
 
 This storm frightened Pharaoh, and he sent for Moses and 
 Aaron, and said: I have sinned; pray the Lord to send no more 
 thunder and hail, and I will let the children of Israel go. 
 
 Moses said: I will stretch out my hands to God, and He 
 will not send any more thunder and hail; but still I know you 
 will not obey God. 
 
 Then Moses stretched out his hands, and God mzde the 
 hail and thunder stop, and the rain leave off. 
 
 121 
 
122 MOSES, OR THE LAST PLAGUES. 
 
 When Pharaoh saw that the storm was over, he would not 
 let the children of Israel go. 
 
 Then Moses and Aaron went to king Pharaoh again, and 
 said: God will now send locusts into your country. 
 
 Locusts are insects about the size of a child's thumb. 
 Thousands of them fly close together in the air, and they perch 
 upon the trees, and eat up the leaves and fruit. 
 
 Moses stretched out the rod, and God made the wind blow 
 hard, and next day the wind blew locusts into Egypt. The 
 locusts made the sky look black, as the wind blew them along; 
 but they did not stay in the air: they perched on the trees, and 
 ate all the fruit that the hail had left; they covered the grass 
 and ate it up, and they even came into the houses. 
 
 Pharaoh and his servants thought that they should soon 
 have nothing to eat. Pharaoh sent quickly for Moses and 
 Aaron. I have sinned, he said. Only forgive me this once, 
 and pray God to take away the locusts, and I will let Israel go. 
 
 So Moses prayed to the Lord. God sent another wind, 
 and it blew the locusts away. 
 
 But Pharaoh still said: I will not let Israel go. 
 
 How sad it must have been to have walked in the fields 
 after the locusts had been there. It was the pleasant spring, 
 but it looked like winter. There were no leaves on the trees, 
 there was no tender grass; all was bare as in winter. What 
 misery Pharaoh's wickedness had brought upon the land! 
 
 The next time Moses did not tell Pharaoh what God was 
 going to do. Mioses stretched out his rod toward heaven, and 
 in a moment God made it darker than ever it is at night, 
 except where the children of Israel lived; there it was light. 
 
MOSES, OR THE LAST PLAGUES. 
 
 123 
 
 The people of Egypt were frightened. They were doing 
 their work, or eating, or walking, when all at once this darkness 
 came on. They sat down and never moved, night nor day. 
 Now they had time to think of all their wickedness. 
 
 It was dark three days and three nights, and then it grew 
 light. 
 
 But was Pharaoh sorry for his wickedness? No; his heart 
 was harder than ever. He said to Moses, Get away; you shall 
 never see my face again. 
 
 God spoke to Moses 
 again, and said: I am going 
 to send another plague. 
 At night I shall come into 
 every house in Egypt, and 
 kill the eldest son of every 
 person. But this is what 
 I desire the children of 
 Israel to do. Let each 
 man take a lamb, a lamb 
 without spot, and kill it, 
 and eat it to-night with his family: and let him take the blood 
 of the lamb, and put the blood outside the door, and when I 
 pass I shall see the blood, and I will not kill the eldest son in 
 that house. Let the people in the house stand round the table 
 while they eat the lamb. Let them all be dressed ready for a 
 journey. 
 
 So all the children of Israel killed young lambs, roasted 
 them, and ate them at night. They stood around their tables 
 with their walking sticks in their hands. They ate bread with 
 
 EGYPTIAN DOORWAY. 
 
124 
 
 MOSES, OR THE LAST PLAGUES. 
 
 the lamb, and bitter herbs. They put blood on the posts of 
 the door, for then they knew they were safe. 
 
 The men of Egypt went to bed that night as usual, but in 
 the middle of the night the eldest son in each house died. No 
 one saw God's angel enter in, but yet he came. No bars nor 
 
 DEATH OF THE FIRST-BORN. 
 
 bolts could keep him out; but when he saw the blood on a 
 door, then he passed over that house. 
 
 What a dreadful cry the fathers and mothers made in Egypt 
 when they found their eldest sons were dead! They rushed 
 out of their houses weeping. Our darling son is dead! said 
 
MOSES, OR THE LAST PLAGUES. 12> 
 
 one. And so is mine! said another. And mine! And mine! 
 There never was such dreadful lamenting heard in Egypt 
 before. 
 
 Even Pharaoh's eldest son was killed, as well as the sons 
 of poor people. Pharaoh rose up at night, and called for 
 Moses and Aaron, but it was dark, so that they did not see 
 his face. 
 
 Go, said Pharaoh, and take the children of Israel with you; 
 they may take their sheep and cows with them, and all that 
 they have. 
 
 The men of Egypt begged them to go as fast as possible, 
 for they were afraid that God would kill them all. 
 
 Then the Israelites said to the women of Egypt, Give us 
 some gold and silver before we go. 
 
 And they said: We will give you whatever you want; only go. 
 
 The Israelites had done a great deal of work in Egypt, and 
 it was right they should have some money for it. 
 
 So they gave them a great many beautiful things. 
 
 The Israelites went away in a great hurry. They took 
 their things just as they were. They put bread in their bags 
 — they drove their sheep, cows, and camels, and asses, 
 before them, and set out in the night. 
 
 There was a great crowd of people. More people than 
 live in any great town, except London. No little child could 
 have counted them. 
 
 So at last they came out of Egypt, where they had been 
 slaves so long. God had remembered His promise to 
 Abraham. 
 
 God said to Moses: They must never forget my kindness 
 
126 
 
 MOSES, OR THE LAST PLAGUES. 
 
 in bringing them out of Egypt. They must eat a lamb every 
 year, as they have done to-night. Eating the lamb shall be 
 called eating the Passover. This supper was called the Feast 
 of the Passover, because God passed over the doors where 
 the blood was seen. 
 
 EGYPTIAN ASSES. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE RED SEA. 
 
 The children of Israel had begun their journey to Canaan; 
 they had to travel a long way before they could reach that 
 pleasant place. 
 
 God showed them the way. He went before them in a 
 dark cloud. The cloud moved, and they moved after it. But 
 a black cloud could not be seen at night, so at night God 
 made the cloud shine like fire. When the cloud or the fire 
 stopped, then Moses desired all the people to set up their 
 tents on the ground. 
 
 As soon as the cloud moved, the people folded up their 
 tents, placed them on the backs of their camels, and went on 
 their journey. 
 
 The children of Israel went very fast till they came to the 
 seaside. Then the cloud stopped, and they set up their tents 
 close by the sea. This sea was called the Red Sea; the water 
 was like other water, though it was called the Red Sea. 
 
 They had not been long in their tents, before they heard a 
 great noise of wheels and horses. They looked, and saw a 
 great way off, Pharaoh and a host of soldiers in chariots, 
 and on horses. Pharaoh had been sorry that he had let 
 them go. 
 
 The Israelites were frightened. They could not get over 
 the sea, for they had no ships; yet, if they staid where they 
 were, Pharaoh and his men would soon overtake them. What 
 could they do? They cried to God to help them. This was 
 
 127 
 
128 
 
 MOSES, OR THE RED SEA. 
 
 right; but they did something else that was not right, they 
 began to speak angrily to Moses. 
 
 It was ungrateful, but he answered them meekly: Do not 
 be afraid; God will fight for you, and you shall never see the 
 faces of Pharaoh and his men again. 
 
 Then Moses prayed to God; for Moses knew that God 
 would save them. 
 
 God said to Moses: Lift up your rod over the sea, and I 
 
 will make a dry path for the 
 Israelites to walk upon. 
 
 So Moses lifted up his rod, 
 and the waters obeyed him; and 
 part of the waters were lifted 
 up on one side, and part on the 
 other, and seemed like two 
 walls of water, while a dry path 
 was seen between. 
 
 The Israelites walked in the 
 path, and all their cattle with 
 them. It was the evening when they began to cross the sea, 
 and they were walking, across all the night; yet it was not 
 dark, because the cloud in the sky shone brightly in the 
 night, and gave light; God did not choose that Pharaoh should 
 see the light; so God made the bright cloud move backward, 
 and it stood in the sky between the Israelites and Pharaoh: 
 the bright side was turned toward the Israelites, and the dark 
 side toward Pharaoh, so the Israelites saw a bright light. The 
 hosts of Pharaoh were in the dark, and they could not go fast 
 because it was dark; but the Israelites walked quickly along 
 
 VIEW ON THE RED SEA. 
 
CROSSING THE RED SEA. 
 129 
 
139 MOSES, OR THE RED SEA. 
 
 the dry path, and by the morning they got to the land that 
 was on the other side of the sea. They had not yet got to 
 Canaan, but they had got over the sea, and were on their 
 journey to Canaan. 
 
 When Pharaoh and his men came to the edge of the sea, 
 they saw a dry path through the sea, and the walls of water 
 on each side; so they went along the dry path. When they 
 had gone about half way across the sea, and were hoping soon 
 to overtake the Israelites, God looked at them. Pharaoh and 
 his men heard dreadful noises, and they were very much 
 frightened. 
 
 They could not make their chariots go on, and they thought 
 that God was going to help the Israelites to kill them; so they 
 said to each other, Let us turn back. 
 
 But it was now too late; God was going to destroy those 
 wicked men: they drove as fast as they could, that they might 
 get out of the water, but it was too late; for the walls of water 
 fell down and covered them all, and they were drowned in the 
 midst of the sea. 
 
 This was the end of Pharaoh and his wicked servants. As 
 soon as the Israelites got over, God desired Moses to lift up 
 his rod, and let the walls of water fall down and cover the dry 
 path. Moses had done as God told him; and Pharaoh 
 and his men, who were in the middle of the sea, had been 
 drowned. 
 
 Now the Israelites saw that the cruel men could hurt them 
 no more. God had punished them for their wickedness, and 
 had saved the poor children of Abraham as He had promised. 
 
 This was a happy morning for the Israelites. They thanked 
 
MIRIAM AND HER MAIDENS. 
 
 131 
 
132 
 
 MOSES, OR THE RED SEA. 
 
 God for His goodness, and they sung together a beautiful song 
 of praise. 
 
 Miriam, the prophetess, took a timbrel in her hand, and 
 with all the others rejoiced. 
 
 How pleasant it must have been to see the Israelites sing- 
 ing and rejoicing. A little while before, they had been working 
 hard in the sun, now they were on their way to a good land, 
 where they might live happily. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE MANNA AND THE ROCK. 
 
 The children of Israel were very glad to get away from 
 their cruel masters. Now they had no hard work to do, and 
 they had a kind master. Ought they not to be good and 
 happy ? 
 
 They were now in a very large wilderness. There were no 
 men nor houses in this wilderness, but there were lions and 
 bears, who roared and howled; there were serpents that bite, 
 and scorpions that sting; there were no rivers nor brooks, but 
 there were high hills, and dark pits. There were scarcely any 
 fruit-trees or corn-fields, so that there was very little to eat; 
 and the Israelites could not sow grain, nor plant fruit-trees, 
 because they were traveling. 
 
 There was such a number of people that they wanted a 
 great deal of food to feed them. They had taken but little 
 bread with them in their bags, when they left Egypt, and soon 
 they ate it up. 
 
 God loved them, and would not let them starve. Still these 
 ungrateful Israelites murmured. They went to Moses and 
 Aaron, and said: We wish we had died in Egypt. At least, 
 we there had bread and meat, as much as we could eat; but 
 now we shall be starved. 
 
 How ungrateful they still were to Moses and to God. 
 
 Moses did not answer roughly. He knew that God heard 
 their wicked words; and God called to Moses, and said: I have 
 heard them, and I will feed them. 
 
 133 
 
134 MOSES, OR THE MANNA AND THE ROCK. 
 
 Next morning, when they looked out at their tent-doors, 
 they saw the ground was white. They looked to see what 
 made the ground white, and saw little round white things on 
 the ground. They said to each other: What can this be? We 
 never saw anything like it before. 
 
 Then Moses said: This is the bread that God has sent you 
 from heaven; gather it, and take it to your tents. 
 
 So all the men got jugs, and baskets, and gathered the 
 manna for themselves, for their wives, and for their little 
 children; and there was enough for them all. They tasted it, 
 and found it was as sweet as honey, and they called it 
 "manna." 
 
 Then they took it home, and their wives cooked it for 
 dinner; they crumbled it, and baked it, and made it into cakes. 
 They had manna for breakfast, for dinner, and for supper; 
 nothing but manna. It was very nice and wholesome. It was 
 more fit for angels than for men to eat, because it came from 
 heaven, and did not grow out of the ground as corn does. 
 God sent it very early, before it was light, and every one was 
 obliged to get up early to gather it, because, when the sun was 
 hot, it melted away; so that if the Israelites did not get up 
 soon, they had no food. 
 
 Moses said to them : Do not save any of the manna, for 
 God will send you some every day. If it is all gone at night, 
 do not be afraid; trust God. He will send you more. 
 
 But some of the people chose to save some of the manna. 
 They were disobedient. They looked at their manna next 
 morning, but it was full of worms. They could not eat it, but 
 threw it away. 
 
 i . 
 
MOSES ON THE MOUNT. 
 
 135 
 
136 MOSES, OR THE MANNA AND THE ROCK. 
 
 Soon afterward the people had no water to drink. There 
 was no river in the wilderness, and very few wells or ponds. 
 
 These unbelieving Israelites thought God would let them 
 die of thirst. So they went to Moses, and spoke very angrily. 
 
 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt ? You mean to kill 
 us, and our little children, and our cattle with thirst. 
 
 They were very angry. Moses did not answer, but began 
 to pray to God: What shall I do for these people? 
 
 Then God said to Moses: Take your rod, and go up a hill, 
 and let some of the people go with you. Then, when you are 
 come to a high place, close by a rock, strike the rock, and 
 water shall come out. 
 
 So Moses took some people with him, and struck the rock, 
 and water came running out. 
 
 The people at the bottom of the hill saw water running 
 down like a river, and flowing upon the dry ground. 
 
 What a pleasant sight for the thirsty people! Their mouths 
 were dry, and their tongues were stiff, their throats burning; 
 but now they might stoop down and drink, or they might fill 
 their jugs with water. The poor cows, and sheep, and horses, 
 ran to the water to drink. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 MOSES, OR MOUNT SINAI. 
 
 The Israelites went on through the wilderness, which was 
 very large, and it would be a long while before they could get 
 to Canaan. 
 
 They soon came to a very high mountain, called Amount 
 Sinai. It was the same mountain where Moses had seen the 
 bush on fire when he was keeping his sheep. Now he had 
 brought the children of Israel to that very place where God 
 first had spoken to him. 
 
 The Israelites placed their tents near the bottom of 
 the mountain; for the cloud had stopped, and so the Israelites 
 knew that they were to wait in that place. 
 
 God told Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, 
 for he had something to say to him. So Moses went up. Then 
 God said to him: You see how kind I have been to the children 
 of Israel in bringing them out of Egypt; go down and ask them 
 whether they will do what I command them; if they will, they 
 shall always be my people. 
 
 So Moses went down and asked them if they would obey 
 God. And they said: Yes, we will do all that the Lord tells us. 
 
 Then Moses went up to the top of the mountain again, and 
 told God the people would do all that He commanded. 
 
 Then God said: I am going to let the people hear my 
 voice, and they shall see me speaking to you. Go down and 
 tell them to get ready. 
 
 So Moses went down and said: In three days you will 
 
 137 
 
138 
 
 MOSES, OR MOUNT SINAI. 
 
 hear God's voice, and see him in a cloud at the top of the 
 mountain. Get ready. 
 
 So the people washed their clothes, that they might all 
 stand in clean white clothes before the Lord. Moses desired 
 
 men to put rails all 
 round the mount, 
 that no one might 
 go up the mount, 
 or even touch it; 
 even the sheep 
 must not eat the 
 grass, for it was 
 the mount of God. 
 In three days, 
 early in the morn- 
 ing, the people 
 heard a loud voice, 
 and they all trembled. Moses desired them to come out of 
 their tents, and to look upon God. 
 
 What a dreadful sight they saw. The mountain was shaking 
 and moving up and down. On the top a great fire was seen, 
 and a thick cloud, and such a smoke went up as filled the sky 
 with blackness. There were thunders and lightnings, and a 
 sound came out of the fire like the sound of a trumpet, and 
 every moment it grew louder and louder. Even Moses himself 
 was frightened, and said: I tremble, and am afraid. 
 
 The Lord said to Moses: Come up to me on the top of 
 the mount. 
 
 So Moses went up, and all the people saw him go. He 
 
 IN THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI. 
 
MOSES, OR MOUNT SINAI. 139 
 
 went upon the shaking mount, and into the midst of the 
 smoke. 
 
 When Moses came up, God said to him: Go tell the 
 people not to come up after you, for they must not come up 
 this mountain. 
 
 And Moses said: I have put rails round the mount. 
 
 But still God said: Go and tell them not to come near; 
 for God knew how bold and disobedient the people were. 
 
 So Moses went down and said: Do not dare to touch the 
 mountain. 
 
 Then God spoke very loud indeed, so that all the people 
 heard; and as they heard they trembled. 
 
 These are, in substance, God's words: I am the Lord, thy 
 God, that brought thee out of the land of Egypt. 
 
 I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 
 
 II. Thou shalt not make images, and worship them. 
 
 III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, 
 in vain. 
 
 IV. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 
 
 V. Honor thy father and thy mother. 
 
 VI. Thou shalt not kill. 
 
 VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 
 
 VIII. Thou shalt not steal. 
 
 IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 
 
 X. Thou shalt not covet. 
 
 God said this on the mount, and then He said no more. 
 
 The people were glad when God had left off speaking, for 
 they could not bear the sound of that terrible voice; but while 
 He was speaking, they had gone farther and farther away. 
 
140 
 
 MOSES, OR MOUNT SINAI. 
 
 Soon they came to Moses, and they said to him: Ask God 
 never to let us hear His voice again, it frightens us so much. 
 We wish God to tell everything to you, and you can tell us 
 what He says. 
 
 MOSES GIVING THE PEOPLE THE COMMANDMENTS. 
 
 So Moses went up again to the dark cloud at the top of the 
 mount, and told God what the people had said. They do not 
 wish to hear Thee speak to them again, said Moses. 
 
 And God said: They have done well in not wishing to 
 hear my voice. I shall speak to you, and you shall tell them; 
 and ohl that they would obey me, and that 1 might bless them 
 
MOSES, OR MOUNT SINAI. 
 
 141 
 
 always. God told Moses to come up to Him quite alone, and 
 to stay with Him at the top of the mountain; and so Moses 
 staid with God forty days and forty nights, and all that time 
 he neither ate bread nor drank water; but God kept him alive, 
 and talked to him out of the thick cloud. 
 
 At the end of the time, God gave Moses a book. It was 
 not made of paper, like the books you have seen, but it was 
 made of stone. It had only two leaves, and on those leaves 
 very little writing, God had written in it with His own finger. 
 
 You would like to know what was written in it. God had 
 written in it all the words He had spoken in the loud voice 
 from the cloud. The ten things God had told the Israelites, 
 are called the ten commandments. 
 
 He had written them down that Moses might read them to 
 the children of Israel, so that they might never forget God's 
 commandments. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE GOLDEN CALF. 
 
 .While Moses staid in the mount, at first the Israelites behaved 
 well, but at last they grew tired of waiting. They wanted to go 
 on to Canaan quickly, but the cloud stopped at the top of the 
 mountain, and they were not allowed to go on unless it moved. 
 Moses was on the top of the mountain and they began to think 
 he would never come back; so they went to Aaron, and said: 
 Make us some gods to go before us, for we do not know what 
 is become of Moses. 
 
 This was a wicked thing to ask, but you know they had 
 lived in Egypt, where they had seen people worship idols, and 
 they had learned to do the same. 
 
 Aaron was afraid that they would kill him if he did not make 
 an image that would please them, so he said: Bring me your 
 gold ear-rings. And the people did s<\ 
 
 The women of Egypt had given chem gold before they set 
 out on their journey. 
 
 Aaron melted all the . ear-rings in the fire, then, when the 
 gold was soft, he formed it into an image. He made it in the 
 shape of a calf. The people in Egypt worshiped calves, and so 
 he chose that animal for them to worship. 
 
 As soon as the Israelites saw it they began to praise it, and 
 say: This is he who brought us out of Egypt. Then Aaron put 
 it on a high place, and built an altar before it, and said that they 
 would have a great feast the next day. 
 
 The next day they rose up early. They spent the day in 
 
 142 
 
MOSES, OR. THE GOLDEN CALF. 
 
 143 
 
 worshiping the calf. They took their lambs and goats, and 
 offered them on the altar, and then rose up to sing. 
 
 You remember that they had promised a little while ago 
 always to obey God; but they did not keep their promise. One 
 
 WORSHIPING THE CALF. 
 
 of the ten commandments was: Thou shalt not make an 
 image and bow down to it. How soon they broke that com- 
 mandment! 
 
 Moses was at the top of the mountain talking with God. 
 
144 
 
 MOSES, OR THE GOLDEN CALF. 
 
 He did not know what they were doing, but God knew, and He 
 said to Moses: Go down; the people you brought out of 
 Egypt have made a golden calf, and are worshiping it. I am 
 very angry with them, and 1 will kill them all; but I will save 
 you and your children. 
 
 MOSES BREAKING THE TABLES OF STONE. 
 
 Moses was grieved to hear that the Lord was angry, and he 
 entreated God to forgive the people. Remember, he said, how 
 you brought them out of Egypt, and how you promised Abra- 
 ham that you would bless his children. And the Lord heard 
 Moses' prayer; and determined that He would not kill them all. 
 
 ■B 
 
MOSES, OR THE GOLDEN CALF. 
 
 145 
 
 Then Moses went quickly down the mount, with the book 
 of stone in his hand. When he had almost come to the bottom 
 he heard the noise of singing, and he knew that it was the 
 Israelites praising their calf. At last he came to the tents, and 
 he saw the calf, and the people .dancing round it, like mad or 
 
 MOSES DESTROYING THE IDOLS. 
 
 drunken people. It was a dreadful sight for Moses to see. 
 He grew more angry still, and he threw down the stone book 
 upon the ground, and broke it into pieces. ' The Israelites had 
 broken God's law, and Moses broke the book in his grief. 
 Moses would not give that stone book to these wicked people. 
 
146 
 
 MOSES, OR THE GOLDEN CALF. 
 
 They had thought they should never see Moses again, but 
 he had caught them in their wickedness. 
 
 He took the calf, no one trying to hinder him, and threw it 
 again into the fire; then afterward ground it into powder, and 
 
 MOSES AND AARON. 
 
 threw it into some water, and made the Israelites drink that 
 bitter water. 
 
 Moses was very angry with Aaron for having made the 
 calf. Moses said to him: Why did you let the people be so 
 wicked ? 
 
MOSES, OK THE GOLDEN CALF. 147 
 
 Aaron said: Do not be angry with me; the people chose 
 to be wicked, and they asked me to make the calf; I did it to 
 please them. ( 
 
 You have heard how the stone book was broken. God did » 
 not make a new one Himself, but He called Moses up into the 
 mountain again, and then God wrote the ten commandments in 
 a new book of stone, which he told Moses to make. God 
 talked to Moses as friends talk to one another. He did not 
 speak in that loud voice which had frightened the Israelites. 
 Moses liked being with God upon the mountain. God let 
 Moses see some of His glorious brightness; but God would 
 not let him see His face. The angels in heaven see God's face, 
 but men upon earth could not bear such brightness. 
 
 Moses ate no bread, and drank no water when he was alone 
 with God. 
 
 At last Moses came down again to the people, with the 
 stone book in his hand. This time the Israelites were not 
 worshiping an image; they came up to Moses to speak to him; 
 but when they looked at his face, they were afraid to come near 
 him; even Aaron, Moses' brother, was afraid. 
 
 The reason was, Moses' face shone like the sun, and they 
 could not bear such brightness. 
 
 He had been talking with God and looking upon his glory, 
 and this had made his face so bright. For God is brighter than 
 the sun, and the angels who look upon God are bright like him. . 
 
 When Moses knew why the people could not come near | 
 him, he took a thick veil, and covered his face, for he wanted 
 to tell them what God had said. 
 
 Then Aaron and the people came to him. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE TABERNACLE. 
 
 Moses had been vv'th God upon the mount a great many 
 days. God was showing him how to make a beautiful house, 
 which was to be " the house of God." God did not need a 
 house, for His throne is in the sky. 
 
 Then Moses called the people and said: First, God com- 
 mands you to do no work on the Sabbath day, but to worship 
 Him; and He is going to have a beautiful house made, where 
 you can come and pray to Him. Who will bring me things 
 with which to make the house ? 
 
 You remember that the women of Egypt had given them 
 a great deal of gold, and silver, and cloth, and linen. They had 
 made a calf with some of their gold, but they had a great deal 
 more besides. 
 
 But do you think they would give these things to God? 
 Or would they say: We cannot spare our things; we mean 
 to make fine clothes, and to make our tents look pretty 
 inside. Do you think they would part with their pretty things? 
 Yes, they would. They all went into their tents, after Moses 
 had spoken to them. They opened their boxes and their 
 baskets, and they took out gold and silver rings and ear-rings, 
 and they took out beautiful pieces of cloth; some were blue, 
 some were purple, and some were scarlet; and a great deal of 
 fine white linen, and skins of sheep and goats, and beautiful 
 kinds of wood. They brought all these things to Moses. 
 
 Some of the rich men had beautiful shining stones, and 
 
 148 
 
MOSES, OR THE TABERNACLE. 149 
 
 sweet spices, and oil; and they brought them all to Moses as 
 gifts toward building a house for the worship of God. 
 
 Moses was pleased to see that the people would give their 
 things to God, and most of all he was glad that they liked to 
 give them. If we feel sorry when we give things, God is not 
 pleased. 
 
 Moses called the children of Israel, and said: God has made 
 two of you very skillful in cutting stones, in carving wood, and 
 in making all kinds of curious things, and He has told me their 
 names. 
 
 Then Moses called these two men, and gave them all the 
 beautiful things, and said: Now begin to make the house, and 
 I shall tell you what you shall make. And Moses called every 
 one to help them ; and he told the two skillful men to teach 
 the others. 
 
 So all the people began to work. The women spun blue, 
 and purple, and scarlet thread and worsted. The men made 
 the thread into linen and cloth; they cut the wood with saws 
 and hammers ; they melted the gold and silver in the fire, and 
 then made altars, candlesticks, shovels, tongs, basins, and many 
 other things. They worked hard for many months till all the 
 things were finished. 
 
 I will now tell you what sort of a house God had told Moses 
 to make, and you will soon see how well he obeyed this com- 
 mand of God. 
 
 It was not made of bricks nor stone, because this house 
 was to be moved from one place to another; so it was not 
 fastened to the ground, but was made like a tent, and could be 
 moved easily. 
 
150 MOSES, OR THE TABERNACLE. 
 
 You never saw so large a tent as this was. It was as big 
 as a very large room. It was called the Tabernacle. 
 
 A great many boards were placed upright on the ground, 
 and close together. These boards were the walls of the house : 
 but there were no boards at the top ; curtains were thrown 
 over the house to cover the top. There was no door to the 
 house, but a curtain hung down in front, and that curtain was 
 used instead of a door. 
 
 There was no floor to the house : green grass was the only 
 floor. 
 
 The house was very beautiful; for the boards were covered 
 with gold, and the curtains were blue, purple, and scarlet, and 
 there were five posts of gold in front, over which a curtain 
 hung down for the door. 
 
 The house had two rooms inside. The first room was the 
 largest. 
 
 In this room there were three very beautiful things: 
 
 1. In the middle an altar of gold; but no lamps were 
 burned upon it, only sweet spices, which gave the tabernacle a 
 very sweet smell. The burning spices were called "incense." 
 
 2. On one side there was a golden table, and on the table 
 twelve loaves. They were called the shew-bread, or holy 
 bread. There was fresh bread put there every Sabbath day. 
 
 }. On the other side there was a golden candlestick with 
 seven lamps. There was no window in the tabernacle, but 
 these lamps made it light. 
 
 This room was very beautiful, but there was another room 
 still more beautiful. 
 
 It was the inner room, on the other side of the curtain. 
 
MOSES, OR THE TABERNACLE. 
 
 151 
 
 There was a curtain between the large and the small room. 
 This curtain was instead of a door. It was called The Veil. 
 
 In the little room there was a golden box, with golden 
 angels on the top. This box was called The Ark. Inside the 
 box the book of stone was placed. But what made this room 
 so glorious was, that God used to come down in His cloud, 
 and fill this small room with His brightness. 
 
 The cloud rested between the golden cherubims, or angels, 
 on the top of the box. 
 
 The top of the box was called the mercy-seat, because God 
 sat there, and God is full of love and mercy. This little room 
 was called The Holy of Holies. 
 
 It had no window in it, and no candle, but yet it was light. 
 The glory of God made it light, for God, you know, is brightei 
 than the sun. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE PRIESTS. 
 
 I have told you what kind of a place the tabernacle was. I 
 am now going to tell you of some things that were placed out- 
 side of it. Houses often have a garden round them. The 
 tabernacle had no garden round it, but there was a large piece 
 of ground near it, called The Court; and there were posts 
 round the court. These posts were placed at a little distance 
 from each other, and curtains were hung between the posts; 
 so there was a wall of curtains round the tabernacle. 
 
 In this court there were two things, of which I shall speak: 
 
 1 . A brass altar. 
 
 This altar was very large. It was not like the little altar of 
 gold inside the tabernacle. This altar was not for the burning 
 of spices, but for the bnrning of beasts, such as sheep, goats, 
 and calves. You know that God had told people to offer beasts 
 to Him as sacrifices. 
 
 This brass altar was for the sacrifices. 
 
 2. A brass basin was placed in the court. It was very 
 large, and was filled with water for people to wash in. 
 
 God said that Aaron should be high-priest: Aaron was to 
 offer the sacrifices, to burn the incense, and to light the lights 
 in the candlestick. 
 
 God said that Aaron might go into the little room, the Holy 
 of Holies; God would not allow any person but Aaron to go in 
 there, and he only allowed him to go in once every year. Aaron 
 might lift up the veil, and see the cloud upon the mercy-seat 
 
 152 
 
MOSES, OR THE PRIESTS. 
 
 153 
 
 Moses might go in as well as Aaron; and God promised to 
 speak to him in that little room. 
 
 God told Moses to have some beautiful clothes made for 
 
 A HIGH-PRIEST. 
 
 Aaron to wear. The two skillful men of whom 1 told you 
 before, knew how to make them. 
 
 1. He was to wear a white dress with long sleeves. 
 
 2. A robe of blue. He was to wear this over the white 
 
154 MOSES, OR THE PRIESTS. 
 
 dress. Little golden bells were hung round the edge of it; 
 and they would sound sweetly as Aaron moved along. 
 
 3. An ephod made of white linen, worked all over with 
 purple, scarlet, and gold. Aaron was to wear the ephod over 
 the blue robe. 
 
 4. A band round his waist called a girdle. It was made of 
 white linen, and was worked with purple, scarlet thread, and 
 with gold wire. 
 
 5. A breastplate. Aaron was to wear this in front. It was 
 made of linen, covered with twelve shining stones. It was to be 
 fastened to Aaron's shoulders by gold chains.. 
 
 6. Aaron was to wear a high white cap upon his head, 
 called a mitre. A piece of gold was on the mitre, and on the 
 gold was written, Holiness to the Lord. Aaron ought to be 
 holy, because he was to offer sacrifices to God. 
 
 He was to wear no shoes upon his feet; but was often to 
 wash his feet and his hands in the brass basin. 
 
 Aaron had four sons. God said that they should help him 
 to offer sacrifices. Aaron's sons were to wear white clothes, 
 but not the same beautiful clothes as Aaron. They were to be 
 called Priests, and Aaron was to be called High-priest. 
 
 It was a long while before the tabernacle was made. Though 
 the people worked very hard, yet the things were not finished 
 for almost a year. 
 
 At last God commanded Moses to set up the tabernacle. 
 
 Moses set up the boards for the walls of the tabernacle, and 
 covered the top with curtains; and he placed the ark in the 
 Holy of Holies; and he put the table, and the candlestick, and 
 the golden altar in the largest room; and he set up the posts, 
 
MOSES, OR THE PRIESTS. 
 
 155 
 
 and the curtains, all round the court; and he put the brass altar 
 and basin in it. Then Moses poured sweet oil upon all the 
 things; pouring this oil was called "anointing." 
 
 Then Moses put upon Aaron his beautiful clothes, and put 
 the white clothes upon Aaron's sons; and he poured sweet oil 
 upon their heads and anointed them. 
 
 Then God came down in His cloud, and His brightness 
 filled the whole place. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE ISRAELITES' JOURNEY. 
 
 Now the Israelites had a place in which to worship God. 
 
 Every morning the priests offered up a lamb on the brass 
 altar, and burned incense on the golden altar in the tabernacle. 
 And every evening they offered another lamb, and burned some 
 more incense. 
 
 God sent some fire down from heaven to burn the sacrifices 
 with, and the priests never let the fire go out. Every Sabbath 
 day the priests placed some fresh bread on the golden table, 
 and then took away all the old bread, eating it themselves. The 
 bread must be fresh on this table. 
 
 While the people had been making the tabernacle, they had 
 staid in one place near the great mount, Sinai; but soon after it 
 was finished, the cloud of God moved. Then the priests blew 
 two silver trumpets, to tell the people that they were to move 
 to another place. 
 
 Then the people packed up their tents and furniture, and 
 put them on the backs of their camels, for they were going 
 away, as they were told to do. 
 
 Then the priests went into the tabernacle, and covered all 
 the things in it. Then they gave them to men to carry upon 
 their shoulders; but the priests covered the ark with the 
 beautiful veil, and carried it themselves. There were two long 
 golden sticks fastened to it; the priests held the ends of the 
 sticks, and carried it in this way. 
 
 Then the priests had men carry the curtains, the posts, and 
 
 156 
 
MOSES, OR THE ISRAELITES' JOURNEY. 
 
 157 
 
 the boards of the tabernacle. The priests went first with the 
 ark, and all the people followed them, and God in the cloud 
 showed them the way. 
 
 When the cloud stopped, the priests and the people stopped, 
 and set up the tabernacle. 
 
 In this manner the Israelites traveled all through the 
 wilderness. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE TWELVE SPIES. 
 
 At last the Israelites came near the land of Canaan. 
 
 They could see the tops of the high hills that were in 
 Canaan, and they wished to know what sort of a land it was, 
 and what sort of people lived in it. 
 
 So the Israelites came to Moses and said: We wish to send 
 some men to look at the land; and we wish them to come 
 back and tell us what kind of a land it is. 
 
 Moses waited to know whether God would like to have 
 some men go. 
 
 Soon God said to Moses: Send twelve men into Canaan 
 to see the land. So Moses called twelve of the children of 
 Israel, and said to them: Go into Canaan, and walk up among 
 the high hills, and look at the land; see whether there are 
 many people there, and what kind of people they are; whether 
 they are strong or weak; see whether there are many trees, 
 and much corn and grass. Bring back some fruit, to show us 
 the kind of fruit that grows. 
 
 So the twelve men set out on their journey. These men 
 were called spies. They walked up and down the hills, and by 
 the side of the water. They saw sweet gardens, and fields 
 covered with sheep, and fields full of corn, and trees laden with 
 fruit, and they saw holes in the trees, which the bees had filled 
 with honey, so that honey dropped to the ground. They saw 
 large towns with high walls around them, and they saw many 
 strong men, and some of them were giants. 
 
 158 
 
MOSES, OR THE TWELVE SPIES. 
 
 159 
 
 At last they came to a brook or pond. A vine grew by it, 
 and on the vine there were ripe grapes; one of the bunches 
 was very, very large. They said: Let us carry it back, to 
 show to the children of Israel. One man could not carry this 
 
 CARRYING THE GRAPES TO SHOW TO MOSES. 
 
 bunch by himself. So they took a staff or stick, and fastened 
 the bunch of grapes to the staff, and one man held one end of 
 the staff, and another held the other. The rest of the men 
 picked figs and other fruit, and carried them back to the tents. 
 The spies were forty days looking at the land of Canaan. 
 
160 MOSES, OR THE TWELVE SPIES. 
 
 When they came back, the people saw the beautiful bunch 
 of grapes. There were no such grapes in the wilderness. 
 The spies then said: The land of Canaan is a fine land, full 
 of milk and honey; but we cannot get into it, for the people 
 live in great towns with high walls; they are very strong, and 
 some of them are giants. 
 
 Then the children of Israel were frightened, and began to 
 weep. 
 
 Ah! said they, we shall be killed if we try to get in. 
 
 It was wicked to say this, because God had promised to 
 help them. 
 
 Two of the spies were very good men; their names were 
 Joshua and Caleb. They did not wish to frighten the people; 
 and Caleb stood up and said: Let us go into the land, for we 
 can conquer the people that are in it. 
 
 But the other ten spies said: No, we cannot; because the 
 people of Canaan are stronger than we. 
 
 These ten spies were wicked men, because they knew that 
 God had promised to help the Israelites to conquer the men 
 of Canaan, and they ought to have told the people to trust 
 in God. 
 
 The Israelites cried all night long, and said: Oh! that we 
 had died in Egypt, or in the wilderness. The people of Canaan 
 will kill us. 
 
 At last they said : Let us go back into Egypt. 
 
 They knew that Moses would not take them back, and so 
 they said: We can make another man captain, and he will 
 take us back. 
 
 Moses and Aaron heard these wicked words; they were 
 
MOSES, OR THE TWELVE SPIES. 161 
 
 full of grief, and they fell down on the ground upon their 
 faces. 
 
 Then Joshua and Caleb stood up and said to the people: 
 We have seen the land, and it is very beautiful; if we trust in 
 God, He will help us. The people of Canaan have no God to 
 help them; therefore we ought not to be afraid of them. 
 
 The children of Israel would not listen to Joshua and Caleb, 
 but were going to kill them with stones, when God shone 
 brightly upon the tabernacle, so that the people saw that He 
 was angry. 
 
 Moses was lying on his face on the ground, but God spoke 
 to him, and said: How long will this people provoke me? 
 
 Then Moses prayed to God for the people. 
 
 Oh! pardon this people, he said. Thou hast forgiven them 
 many times. 
 
 God heard Moses' prayer, and said: I have pardoned them. 
 They shall not come into Canaan; only their children shall 
 come in. They shall stay in the wilderness forty years, and 
 they shall all die in it; and when their children are grown up, 
 they shall go into the land of Canaan. But there are two of 
 the men who shall go into Canaan; they are Caleb and Joshua. 
 
 Moses told the children of Israel what God had said, and 
 when the people heard it, they were very unhappy. 
 
 How sad it was for the people to think that they should 
 never see that sweet land of Canaan, but should die in the 
 wilderness. Yet they deserved to die, because they had no'; 
 believed what God had said. 
 
 11 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE SIN OF MOSES AND AARON. 
 
 The children of Israel lived in the wilderness a great many 
 years. They moved about from place to place. 
 
 At last they came to a place where there was no water 
 
 They murmured against Moses and Aaron, as they always 
 did when they were unhappy. 
 
 They said: Oh! that we had died before this time! Why 
 did you bring us out of Egypt into this wilderness? Here 
 there are no figs, no grapes, no kind of fruit; and now there 
 is no water to drink. 
 
 They forgot that it was because of their own wickedness 
 that they were still in the wilderness; for if they had obeyed 
 God, they would then have been sitting under their own 
 fruit in Canaan. 
 
 Moses and Aaron were very much grieved to hear them 
 murmur. 
 
 God said: Take the rod and call the people, and go to 
 the rock and speak to it, and water shall come out of the rock, 
 and then the people and the beasts shall drink. 
 
 So Moses took the rod — the rod was kept near the ark. 
 Then Moses and Aaron called the people together, and told 
 them to look at what they were going to do. 
 
 Moses and Aaron felt very angry with the people, and they 
 said: Hear now, ye rebels (which means murmurers), must we 
 fetch water for you out of this rock? 
 
 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice 
 
 162 
 
MOSES, OR THE SIN OF MOSES AND AARON. 163 
 
 with his rod; and the water came flowing out in streams, and 
 the people and the cattle began to drink. 
 
 Do you think that Moses and Aaron had behaved right? 
 Had God told them to strike the rock? 
 
 God had said: Speak to the rock. 
 
 Was it right to speak so impatiently, and to say, Must we 
 fetch water for you, rebels? 
 
 Moses and Aaron had been in a passion. God was dis- 
 pleased with them. 
 
 God loved Moses and Aaron; yet He would punish them 
 when they did wrong. He would forgive them and take them 
 to heaven, but He would give them some punishment. 
 
 Soon after, God said to Moses and Aaron: Because you 
 have done this, you shall not go into Canaan; you shall die in 
 the wilderness. 
 
 What a great punishment this was. Moses had often 
 longed to see that good land of Canaan; he had often wished 
 to see the Israelites happy in their own houses and gardens; 
 he had longed to see the place where Abraham had built altars 
 and worshiped God; and now he must die in the wilderness. 
 He prayed to God to spare him this punishment, but God 
 would not. God said: Ask me no more to do this. Then 
 Moses knew that he must bear this punishment. 
 
 Moses was the meekest man in all the world. The Israelites 
 had often spoken ungratefully to him, and he had made no 
 answer. Yet at last he himself fell into a passion. 
 
 At last the time came for Aaron to die; for God chose that 
 Aaron should die first. God said to Moses: Go up to the top 
 of the hill with Aaron, and take Aaron's eldest son with you; 
 
164 
 
 MOSES, OR THE SIN OF MOSES AND AARON. 
 
 and Aaron will die on the top, and you must put his c /thes 
 upon his son. God chose Aaron's son to be high-priest 
 instead of Aaron; so he was to wear Aaron's clothes. 
 
 So Aaron put on his beautiful high-priest's clothes; his blue 
 robe with golden bells, and his shining ephod over it, his 
 shining breast-plate, and his white mitre, with the golden 
 writing upon it. Then Aaron walked with Moses and his son 
 to the top of the hill, and all the people looked at them. Aaron 
 knew that he should never walk down the hill, but he obeyed 
 God, and bore his punishment meekly. 
 
 When they were come to the top, Moses took the beautiful 
 clothes off his brother Aaron, and put them on Aaron's son. 
 
 Moses parted from his brother Aaron on the top of that 
 hill; for there Aaron died. Moses and the son left him dead 
 upon the top, and came down the hill together. Then the 
 people saw that Aaron was dead, and that there was another 
 high-priest. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 MOSES, OR THE SERPENT OF BRASS. 
 
 The children of Israel traveled in the wilderness a great 
 many years. Sometimes when they were close to Canaan, the 
 cloud moved the other way, and 'they were obliged to go on 
 traveling. This made them unhappy, for they longed to get 
 into the happy land of Canaan. 
 
 How do you think they bore their punishment? You know 
 they were always ready to murmur. They spoke against God, 
 and against Moses. 
 
 God sent them a dreadful punishment this time. You know 
 there were wild beasts and horrible serpents and scorpions in 
 the wilderness; but God took care of the Israelites, so that they 
 were not hurt by them; but now God sent serpents, whose 
 mouths burned like fire. These serpents came rushing among 
 the tents. The Israelites could not get away. If they climbed 
 up a high place, the serpents could climb too, and get through 
 the smallest places. 
 
 Many of the Israelites were bitten. After they had been 
 bitten they grew sick, and got worse and worse, till at last they 
 died. There was no medicine that could cure these bites; no 
 plaster would make them well; every person who was bitten 
 was sure to die. 
 
 The Israelites came to Moses, and said: We have sinned; 
 we have spoken against the Lord, and against you; pray to the 
 Lord that He take the serpents from us. 
 
 Moses was kind and forgiving, and he prayed for the people. 
 
 165 
 
166 
 
 MOSES, OR THE SERPENT OF BRASS. 
 
 The Lord heard Moses' prayer, and He did more than 
 Moses asked; for God not only called away the serpents, but 
 He told him how to cure the people who were bitten. 
 
 He did not tell Moses to give them medicine, or to put a 
 plaster over the bites. He said: Take some brass, and make 
 
 THE BRAZEN SERPENT. 
 
 it into the image of a serpent, and put it on a pole, and tell the 
 people who are bitten to look at it; and those that look shall be 
 made well. 
 
 Moses believed God. He took some brass, and made it 
 
MOSES, OR THE SERPENT OF BRASS. 
 
 167 
 
 soft In Ihe fire; and then made it like one of the fiery serpents, 
 and put it on a pole, and lifted it up where every one could see 
 it, and called to the sick people to look quickly at the serpent, 
 and be made well. 
 
 The people who were bitten could crawl to the doors of 
 their tents, and lift up their dying eyes toward the serpent. 
 After they had looked, their pain went away; they felt well and 
 strong; they could walk and praise God. 
 
 VIEW ON THE NILE. 
 
 , 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 THE DEATH OF MOSES. 
 
 The time had almost come for Moses to die. The Israelites 
 were soon to go into Canaan, but Moses was not to go there 
 with them. 
 
 Moses had written a great many books; and now he had 
 almost finished them. 
 
 He had written about how God made the world, how Adam 
 ate the fruit, how Cain killed Abel. He had written about 
 Noah and Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob; he had written about 
 Joseph and his wicked brethren; he had written about himself, 
 how he had been saved from the water when he was a babe. 
 He had written about the ten plagues and the ten command- 
 ments and the tabernacle; he had written about his own sin. 
 All I have told you, Moses had written down in five books; 
 they have all been copied into other books, and we can read all 
 Moses wrote, for it is in the Bible. 
 
 Moses did not write in such books as you have seen. His 
 paper was rolled up like a piece of cloth. He wrote five rolls; 
 and these he called his books. If you had read in Moses' 
 book, you must have unrolled it as you read it. 
 
 When Moses had done writing his books, he called the 
 priests, and told them to take care of them. Moses said to 
 them: You must read these books to all the Israelites, to the 
 men, the women, and the little children, that they may know 
 how to please God. 
 
 Moses wished that some good man should take care of the 
 
 168 
 
THE DEATH Of MOSES. 169 
 
 Israelites after he was dead; for he loved them very much, 
 though they had behaved ill to him. So Moses begged God to 
 give them to the care of some good man; and God heard his 
 prayer, and said to Moses: I have found a man who will take 
 care of the children of Israel after you are dead. 
 
 Who do you think this man was? It was Joshua, one of 
 the good spies; he had helped Moses to do God's work for 
 forty years, so that Moses had taught him a great deal. Moses 
 was glad that Joshua would take up his work. 
 
 Moses called Joshua, and said to him: God will let you 
 take the children of Israel into Canaan; you must be very 
 brave, for you will have to fight against the wicked people; but 
 God will help you, so do not be afraid. God will never leave 
 you, nor forsake you. 
 
 Moses wished to speak to the people before he died, and 
 advise them to be good; so Moses called all the people together^ 
 and told them he was going to die. I am very old, said he; I 
 am a hundred and twenty years old this day. I offended God ? 
 and I must not go into the land of Canaan; but Joshua will 
 take you there. Remember to obey God, and to love Him,, 
 and he will always bless you; but if you worship idols, and are 
 wicked, God will punish you. 
 
 God told Moses to teach the people a song, that they might 
 sing it after he was dead. 
 
 After Moses had taught the people the song, he blessed 
 them, and left them forever. 
 
 God said to Moses: Go up that high mountain alone. \ 
 cannot let you go into Canaan, but I will let you see the beauti- 
 ful land of Canaan from the top of that mountain. 
 
70 
 
 THE DEATH OF MOSES. 
 
 MOSES' VIEW OF THE PROMISED LAND. 
 
 Moses was glad that he might see Canaan, though he might 
 not go in. So Moses went up the mountain alone. He was 
 very old, yet he was not weak; he could walk as well as when 
 he was young, and he could see as well, for his eyes were not 
 dim; he read and wrote, and saw things far off. 
 
 I think the Israelites must have felt very sad when they 
 saw Moses go up all alone, and when they knew they should 
 see him no more. 
 
 When Moses was at the top of the hill, he looked and saw 
 the land of Canaan a great way off. It was a beautiful land, 
 
MOSES. 
 171 
 
172 
 
 THE DEATH OF MOSES. 
 
 full of green hills and rivers, of fields ripe with corn, trees 
 laden with fruit. 
 
 When Moses had looked at the land, he died. No friend 
 was near to close his eyes, or to hear his last sigh. 
 
 God himself buried Moses, not upon the top of the hill, 
 but in some secret place under the hill. No one knows where 
 Moses lies but the angels, who carried his soul to God. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 JOSHUA, OR RAHAB. 
 
 The Israelites were now close to the land of Canaan. They 
 were sorry that Moses was dead; but Joshua was left to take 
 care of them, and tell them what to do. God would speak to 
 Joshua, and he would tell them what God said. 
 
 The Israelites would soon have to fight the wicked people 
 who lived in Canaan. God chose that they should be killed 
 for their wickedness, and God chose that the Israelites should 
 live in their land instead of them. 
 
 There was a great river between the wilderness and Canaan 
 which the Israelites would be obliged to cross. They could see 
 the green hills of Canaan on the other side of the river, and 
 they saw a great town also, with high walls all round it. This 
 town was called Jericho. It was in Canaan, and wicked people 
 lived in it. The Israelites knew that they would soon have to 
 fight against the people who lived in this town. 
 
 Joshua told two of the Israelites to go to the town, and to 
 come back, and tell him about it, and about the people. These 
 men were called spies, because they were sent to spy, or look 
 at the town. 
 
 Joshua did not wish the people of Jericho to know when 
 these two spies came into the town, lest the wicked people 
 should kill them. So they went when it was almost dark. The 
 spies got over the river; there was one place in the river where 
 the water was not very deep, and where people could get over. 
 This was called a ford. 
 
 173 
 
174 
 
 JOSHUA, OR RAHAB. 
 
 The gate of Jericho used to be shut when it was dark; but 
 the spies came just before the gate was shut. They went to 
 the house of a woman named Rahab, who kept an inn. Her 
 house was built upon the wall of Jericho. Some people had 
 seen them, and these people went and told the king of Jericho 
 that two Israelites were in Rahab's house. The king of Jericho 
 __ __ _ knew that the I sraelites meant 
 
 % z = to come and fight against 
 him; so he wanted to kill 
 these two spies, and he sent 
 some men to Rahab's house 
 to get them. But God put 
 it into Rahab's heart to be 
 kind to them. Rahab had 
 taken the spies to the top of 
 her house to hide them. The 
 roof of her house was not slanting, like the roof of your house; 
 it was flat, like the floor. On the roof of Rahab's house there 
 were a great many stalks of flax. Flax is a plant; and its stalks 
 are made into thread. Rahab had spread these stalks upon the 
 roof of her house to dry. When the spies had climbed up the 
 stairs, she told them to lie down; and she covered them over 
 with the stalks, so that no one could see them. 
 
 The men who went to bring the spies to the king of Jericho, 
 could not find them; so they looked for them outside the city, 
 among the hills, and by the riverside. 
 
 When the king of Jericho's men were gone, Rahab crept up 
 the stairs to speak to the spies. It was night, so she could talk 
 to them on the roof without being seen. The men came from 
 
 ON THE HOUSE TOP. 
 
JOSHUA, OR RAHAB. 
 
 175 
 
 under the heaps of flax. Rahab had been taught to worship 
 idols; but you see that she now believed in the true God, and 
 not in idols. She was very much afraid lest, when the Israelites 
 should come over the river to fight against Jericho, they would 
 
 ESCAPE OF THE TWO SPIES. 
 
 kill her and her friends; so she begged the spies to save her 
 and those she loved. 
 
 Poor Rahab said: I know that God will let the people of 
 Israel come and live in Canaan. Everybody is frightened lest 
 you should kill them. We have heard how your God helped 
 you to pass through the Red Sea. I know that your God is 
 
176 
 
 JOSHUA, OR RAHAB. 
 
 the only true God. I have been kind to you, and will you be 
 
 kind to me? 
 
 The spies said: If you will not tell anybody about our 
 
 having come here, we promise to save your life, and the life of 
 
 your father and mother, and brothers and sisters. 
 
 Then Rahab helped the spies to get out of the town. It was 
 
 night, and the gates were shut. If the spies waited till morning, 
 
 the people of Jericho would see 
 them going out, and would kill 
 them; but Rahab found a way of 
 letting them go. 
 
 Her house was built on the wall 
 of Jericho; one of the windows in 
 her house looked toward the green 
 hills outside of Jericho. This win- 
 dow was high; so Rahab took a 
 rope, and tied the rope round one 
 of the men, and let him down from 
 
 the window; and then she tied the rope round the other man, 
 
 and let him down. 
 
 When the men were standing on the ground outside the 
 
 wall of Jericho, they called to Rahab, who was looking out of 
 
 the window, and said: Take that red rope, and bind it to your 
 
 window; bring your father and mother, and brothers and 
 
 sisters, into your house. 
 
 RAHAB'S WINDOW. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 JOSHUA, OR THE RIVER JORDAN. 
 
 The people of Israel were now close to Canaan; but a deep 
 river ran between the wilderness and Canaan — the river Jordan. 
 How were the Israelites to get over the river? 
 
 You shall hear what God told Joshua to do. 
 
 Joshua rose up early in the morning, and he said to the 
 people: Look and see where the priests take the ark, and 
 follow them; but do not go too near. 
 
 Then Joshua said to the priests: Take up the ark, and 
 walk on. 
 
 The ark was a golden box, covered with a blue cloth, that 
 none might see it, or see the golden angels on the top. Two 
 long sticks were run through little rings joined in the ark, and 
 the priests held the ends of the sticks. 
 
 The priests took up the ark when Joshua bade them. They 
 went to the edge of the water, not knowing what they were to 
 do. They were dressed in white, and their feet were bare. 
 
 Joshua called to them to stand still. Then he said to the 
 people: You will see a great wonder that God is going to do; 
 when the priests put their feet in the water, a dry path shall 
 be made. 
 
 All the people had come out of their tents. 
 
 They had got all their things ready for the journey, and 
 were looking at the priests. 
 
 As soon as the priests touched the water, it stood up like 
 a wall on each side, and there was a dry path made through the 
 
 12 177 
 
178 
 
 JOSHUA, OR THE RIVER JORDAN. 
 
 river. The priests walked along, till they came to the middle 
 of the river; then they stopped, and Joshua said to the people: 
 Now, pass over Jordan. 
 
 While the people were crossing, the priests stood still in the 
 middle of the river. At last, all the people got over into the 
 
 ISRAEL CROSSING THE RIVER JORDAN DRY SHOD. 
 
 land of Canaan, except twelve men that Joshua had told to 
 stay on the other side. 
 
 Joshua said to them: See where the priests are standing; 
 there are great stones lying near them; take up twelve great 
 stones, and bring them over with you into Canaan. These 
 
ISRAELITES PASSING JORDAN. 
 
 179 
 
180 
 
 JOSHUA, OR THE RIVER JORDAN. 
 
 twelve men walked through the dry path; each took up a great 
 stone in his arms, and carried it to the other side. Then Joshua 
 said to them: Put the twelve stones by the side of the river 
 in Canaan. 
 
 The stones were to be put there that the people might 
 never forget this great wonder of making a path in Jordan. 
 
 ISRAELITES BEING CARRIED. 
 
 God knew, that a long time afterward, little children would see 
 the twelve stones, and would say to their fathers: What are 
 these stones for? 
 
 Then their fathers would say: These stones were once at 
 the bottom of the water; but God made a path for us, and we 
 
JOSHUA, OR THE RIVER JORDAN. 
 
 181 
 
 have put the stones here, to keep God's kindness in our 
 minds. 
 
 All the time the twelve men were walking through with the 
 stones, the priests were standing still in the river. 
 
 At last Joshua said to the priests: Come up out of Jordan. 
 So the priests came up out of the river. When they put their 
 feet on the dry land, the water rolled back again, and the river 
 looked as it had done before. 
 
 How happy the Israelites must have been. They had 
 wandered forty years in the wilderness, but at last they had 
 arrived safely in Canaan. God had been very good to them, 
 and he would help them to fight against the wicked people of 
 Canaan. 
 
 The king of Jericho saw the Israelites come over the river. 
 He could look at them from his high walls. He was very much 
 frightened, and so were all the people in Jericho. Only Rahab 
 was not frightened; she knew she was safe; she believed in 
 the true God. 
 
 The priests put down the ark; all the Israelites set up their 
 tents, and waited outside Jericho. 
 
 The gates of Jericho were kept fast shut, that the Israelites 
 might not get in; no one in Jericho went out, and no one 
 came in. 
 
asi 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI11. 
 
 JOSHUA, OR THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 
 
 The children of Israel had placed their tents all round the 
 city of Jericho, but they waited till God told them what to do. 
 They could not get through the strong gates, unless God 
 helped them. 
 
 Joshua was the captain of the Israelites. He was very 
 brave. He trusted in God to help him. 
 
 One day Joshua, when outside of Jericho, looked up and 
 saw a man standing before him a little way off. The man 
 looked like a soldier, and he held a sword in his hand. Joshua 
 knew that this man was not one of the Israelites; but he could 
 not tell who he was. 
 
 Joshua went up to the man, and said: Are you come to 
 help us fight; or are you come to help the people of Jericho? 
 
 The man answered: I am come as captain of the army of 
 the Lord. 
 
 Now Joshua knew who this man was. - 
 
 He was greater than a man, greater than an angel. He was 
 the Lord from heaven, even Jesus Christ. 
 
 When Joshua knew who the man was, he fell down with 
 his face upon the ground, and worshiped Him, saying: What 
 will my Lord say to His servant? 
 
 Joshua called himself God's servant. 
 
 Then the great Captain of God's army said to Joshua in 
 a loud voice : Take your shoes from off your feet, because 
 this is holy ground where you stand. 
 
 182 
 
JOSHUA, OR THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 183 
 
 Then Joshua took them off, and waited to know what the 
 Lord would say to him. 
 
 Why was the ground holy? Because God was there. You 
 know the priests wore no shoes when they walked in God's 
 house. 
 
 The Lord told Joshua how he was to fight against Jericho. 
 
 A LEVITE. 
 
 Such a way of fighting was never known before. 
 
 When the Lord had gone back to heaven, Joshua called the 
 priests, and all the people of Israel, and showed them what they 
 must do. Joshua told some of the priests to take up the ark. 
 
™™ 
 
 184 JOSHUA, OR THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 
 
 Then he called seven more priests, and said: Each of you 
 must take a ram's horn, and blow with it, like a trumpet, and 
 walk before the ark. You know that a ram is a sheep, and has 
 crooked horns. 
 
 Then Joshua called all the soldiers, and told them to go 
 
 DESTRUCTION OF JERICHO. 
 
 before the priests, and he told the rest of the people that had 
 no swords or spears, that is, the women and children, to walk 
 behind the priests. 
 
 You never saw such a great number of people walking along. 
 
JOSHUA, OR THE WALLS OF JERICHO. 185 
 
 Before they set out, Joshua told them not to make any 
 shoutings, but to wait till he said, Shout. 
 
 Soldiers shout when they have conquered. The Israelites 
 were not to shout till Joshua told them. 
 
 The people of Jericho heard the trumpets blowing, and they 
 saw the men with swords and spears. 
 
 I dare say they thought the Israelites were going to shoot 
 their arrows over the walls, and try and beat down the walls. 
 Rahab took care to keep in her house, with all her dear friends. 
 The Israelites walked once round Jericho, and then Joshua 
 brought them back to their tents. 
 
 The next day Joshua made the people and the priests walk 
 round once more, and then brought them home again. Then, 
 next day after, they went round again; and the next day, and 
 the next day. Six days, one after the other, they walked round 
 Jericho, and came home to their tents again, without having 
 fought. 
 
 The Israelites behaved well in doing as Joshua told them, 
 instead of asking why they must walk round. 
 
 At last, after six days, Joshua told the Israelites to get up 
 very early, as soon as it was light. He told them to walk all 
 round as before; but when they had walked round, he did not 
 tell them to go back to their tents, but to walk round again. 
 That day they walked round seven times; they spent the whole t 
 day in walking round and round the city of Jericho. * 
 
 When they had finished walking round the seventh time, 
 Joshua said to the people: Now when the priests blow again 
 with the trumpets, you may shout; for God has given you the 
 city. You will soon get in; you must kill all the people except 
 
186 JOSHUA, OR THE W ALLS OF JERICHO. 
 
 Rahab and her friends that are in her house. You will find 
 many beautiful things in Jericho; but you must not keep any- 
 thing yourselves; but you must bring the cups of gold and silver 
 and brass and iron to the Lord; bring all you find to the house 
 of the Lord. 
 
 When Joshua had done speaking, the priests blew again with 
 the trumpets, and the people gave a great shout. At the same 
 moment, the walls of Jericho fell down. How horrible was the 
 crash of those great walls. Now the men of Jericho saw that 
 the day had come when they must die. 
 
 The two spies ran quickly to Rahab's house, and brought 
 her out, and her father and mother, and brothers and sisters, 
 and led them to a safe place near the tents of the Israelites. 
 Rahab and her friends brought all their things with them out of 
 the house, so they could make tents and live together. 
 
 But what happened to the people in Jericho? They were 
 all killed; the men, the women and the children. The Israel- 
 ites killed them with their swords. Then they set fire to the 
 houses, and burnt them up; but the cups and basins made of 
 gold and silver and brass and iron, they brought to the priests 
 for God's house. 
 
 All the other people in Canaan heard about Jericho, and 
 they were more frightened than before. They said: What a 
 great captain Joshua is ! 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 JOSHUA — HIS DEATH. 
 
 There were a great many other cities in Canaan besides Jericho. 
 
 The Israelites fought against the 
 other cities. 
 
 All the people in Canaan heard 
 of it, and were afraid of Joshua; but 
 still they took their swords and 
 spears, and fought against him. 
 
 God always helped the Israelites; 
 so they always conquered. They 
 went all through Canaan. First they 
 went to one city, and slew the people 
 in it, as God had commanded them 
 to do; then they went to another 
 city, and slew the people in it; so 
 they went to many cities, till they 
 
 FRUITS OF PALESTINE. 
 187 
 
188 
 
 JOSHUA— HIS DEATH. 
 
 
 had slain a large part of the people in Canaan. God did not 
 make the walls of the other cities to fall down, like the walls 
 of Jericho; but the Israelites were obliged to fight very hard 
 before they could get in. 
 
 At last Joshua said to the children of Israel: Now the 
 oeople of Canaan are dead, I will give you places to live. So 
 
 he gave to each of the Israelites 
 a house, full of nice and con- 
 venient things; a garden, a field, 
 and a well of water. 
 
 Now the Israelites rested. 
 They sat down under the fig- 
 trees and vines in their own 
 gardens, and ate the figs and 
 grapes that grew on them, and 
 they drank water out of the wells 
 in their gardens. 
 
 The Israelites lived in the 
 
 houses of the people of Canaan. 
 
 The wicked, people had built the 
 
 houses, and dug the wells, and 
 
 planted the trees in the garden; but God had taken them 
 
 away from these wicked people, and had given them to the 
 
 Israelites. 
 
 There was one thing which Joshua did not forget to do, 
 that was to place the tabernacle in Canaan. He set it up at a 
 place called Shiloh. The Israelites would not be obliged to 
 move it about any more. 
 
 Joshua told them to come up and worship God in the 
 
 FIG TREE AND FRUIT. 
 
JOSHUA— HIS DEATH. 
 
 189 
 
 tabernacle; but some lived so far off that they could not come 
 often. So they came occasionally to the tabernacle. 
 
 God warned the Israelites not to worship the idols that the 
 wicked people had made. The Israelites would find these 
 idols in the fields and gardens, and some were made of silver 
 and gold; but they were not to keep them, even if they were 
 pretty; they were not to take the idols into their houses, but 
 were to burn them in the fire, because God hated idols. 
 
 At last Joshua grew very old, and he knew that he must die. 
 So he called a great many of the Israelites together, that he 
 might speak to them. 
 
 He stood near a great oak tree while he spoke. He said: 
 I am soon to die. After I am dead, will you worship idols, or 
 will you worship God, who has been so kind to you? 
 
 They all said: We will worship God. 
 
 Then Joshua said: If you choose to worship God, you 
 must not worship idols too. 
 
 Then they answered: We will serve God. 
 
 Now, said Joshua, you have promised to serve God only. 
 You must keep your promise. 
 
 Then Joshua took a book and wrote down what the people 
 had said. Afterward Joshua took a great stone, and set it up 
 under the oak, and said: See this stone; I have put it here to 
 make you remember your promise. 
 
 Very soon afterward Joshua died, 
 hundred years old. 
 
 He was more than a 
 
CHAPTER XL. 
 
 SAMUEL, OR THE PIOUS MOTHER. 
 
 You have heard how the Israelites came into Canaan. 1 
 shall now tell you what happened to them in Canaan, after 
 Joshua was dead. 
 
 HANNAH'S PRAYER. 
 
 You remember that the tabernacle was placed in Shiloh. 
 The high-priest lived in Shiloh, that he might offer sacrifices in 
 the tabernacle. 
 
 190 
 
LITTLE SAMUEL LEFT IN THE TEMPLE. 
 191 
 
s 
 
 192 SAMUEL, OR THE PIOUS MOTHER. 
 
 I am now going to tell you of a high-priest called Eli. 
 
 Eli was a very good old man. A great many people used 
 to come up every year to Shiloh, to worship God in the 
 tabernacle. 
 
 Among the people who came up to worship, was a man 
 who had two wives. People might have two wives a long 
 while ago, though they must not have two now. 
 
 One of these wives was a very good woman; her name was 
 Hannah, but she had no child. The other wife was unkind 
 and wicked; but she had many children. The unkind wife 
 laughed at Hannah, and said that God gave Hannah no child 
 because He did not love her. This was not true, for God 
 loved Hannah very much. Poor Hannah used sometimes to 
 •cry when the other wife spoke unkindly to her. 
 
 Once, when Hannah came to Shiloh, and the other wife had 
 been laughing at her, she went to the tabernacle to pray to 
 •God. Eli was in the court of the tabernacle. He was sitting 
 upon a high seat, and saw her come into the court. Now 
 Hannah was praying to God in a very low voice, and her eyes 
 were red with weeping. When Eli saw her, he thought she 
 had been drinking wine, and spoke roughly. But she answered 
 very meekly, and said: I have not been drinking wine; 1 have 
 been praying to God, for I am very unhappy. 
 
 When Eli heard this, he spoke kindly, and said: May God 
 give you what you have been asking for. 
 
 She had been praying for a little child, and she had been 
 promising God to bring him up to serve God, and to teach 
 people about God. 
 
 Hannah was very glad when Eli spoke so kindly to her, and 
 
SAMUEL AND HIS COAT. 
 193 
 
194 SAMUEL, OR THE PIOUS MOTHER. 
 
 she wiped away her tears, and she went home looking quite 
 happy; and God gave her a little babe, and she called his name 
 Samuel. 
 
 While Samuel was a babe, Hannah did not go up to Shiloh; 
 but when he was a little child about three or four years old, 
 she took him up to Shiloh with her. 
 
 Hannah did not forget her promise to teach her child about 
 God; and she did not mean to keep him always at home with 
 her, though she loved him very much. She wished the good 
 old high-priest Eli to bring him up, and teach him. So she 
 brought the child to Eli, and said: I am the woman that you 
 once saw in the court of the tabernacle, praying to God; I was 
 praying for this child, and God has heard my prayer, and 1 
 wish the child to be brought up to serve God. 
 
 Eli took the little boy to live with him. Hannah sung a 
 beautiful song of praise to God for His goodness in hearing 
 her prayers, and then she left her dear little Samuel, and she 
 went home again with her husband. 
 
 Do you think she ever came to see her child? Yes, every 
 year, and she always brought him a present- of a dress, such as 
 the people wore in those days, it was a linen dress, and had 
 long sleeves. God had put His spirit into Samuel's heart. He 
 liked serving the Lord in the tabernacle, and seeing the sacri- 
 fices offered, and hearing the Lord praised. As he grew older, 
 he pleased God more and more, and a great many people loved 
 him. How glad Hannah must have been when she came to 
 see him, to hear that he was a good child. It makes your 
 parents, dear children, very happy to hear that you are good. 
 
CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 SAMUEL, OR THE LITTLE PROPHET. 
 
 Eli and Samuel did not live in the tabernacle, but in some 
 tents very near it. Eli had two sons, who were grown-up men, 
 and they were priests, and offered sacrifices at the altar. 
 
 I suppose you think that Eli's sons were good, because Eli 
 was good; but I am sorry to tell you that they were wicked 
 men. They did not love God; they only cared for eating, and 
 amusing themselves. 
 
 Eli heard of the wicked things that his sons did; and he 
 said: Why do you do such wicked things? Everybody tells me 
 of your wickedness. Oh! my sons, the Lord will be very 
 angry, and will punish you. But they would not mind what 
 their father said, but went on in their bad ways. 
 
 At last a good man came to Eli, and told him that Goa was 
 very angry, and that he would let both his sons be killed in 
 one day. 
 
 One evening old Eli was lying in bed; and little Samuel was 
 lying in another bed a little way off. Samuel heard a voice 
 calling him: Samuel ! Samuel thought that Eli called him, and 
 he answered: Here'am I. And then he got out of bed and 
 ran to Eli, to know what he wanted. See what a kind little 
 child Samuel was, and how ready he was to wait upon 
 old Eli. 
 
 But Eli said to Samuel: I did not call you. Then Samuel 
 went and lay down again. 
 
 Soon afterward Samuel heard some one calling again; so he 
 
 195 
 
196 SAMUEL, OR THE LITTLE PROPHET. 
 
 went again and said: Here am I. But Eli said: I did not call, 
 my son; lie down again. 
 
 Then Samuel lay down, and he soon heara the voice again, 
 saying: Samuel ! Then he felt sure that it was Eli who called 
 him, and he went to him and said: Here am I. 
 
 Eli told Samuel to lie down again, and when he heard the 
 voice, to answer: Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth. 
 Samuel was to call himself God's servant. 
 
 So Samuel went and lay down again, and soon the Lord 
 came and stood by him, and called as before : Samuel, Samuel ! 
 Then Samuel answered: Speak, for Thy servant heareth. God 
 had never spoken to Samuel before. Samuel must have longed 
 to know what He had to say to him. It was something sad 
 and dreadful; it was about Eli. 
 
 God told Samuel that He should soon punish Eli's sons for 
 their wickedness, and that he was displeased with Eli for not 
 having punished them. 
 
 After God had done speaking, Samuel remained in his bed, 
 and Eli did not call him. 
 
 So when the morning came, Samuel began to open the 
 doors round about the .tabernacle; for it "was his business to 
 open the doors. Soon Eli called Samuel; he wanted to know 
 what God had said to him. Eli begged Samuel to tell every- 
 thing to him, and to hide nothing from him. Then little Samuel 
 told Eli all that God had said. 
 
 After this, God often spoke to Samuel, and told him how 
 He would punish wicked people; and Samuel used to tell 
 people what God had said. All that Samuel told them came 
 true. He was a prophet. A prophet is a person to whom the 
 
SAMUEL, OR THE LITTLE PROPHET. 
 
 197 
 
 Lord tells what He means to make happen, so that he can tell 
 others and warn them. 
 
 People paid great attention to what Samuel said, but still 
 many people went on doing wicked things. The people in 
 Shiloh were very wicked, and God determined soon to punish 
 them, as well as Eli's sons. 
 
 LILY OF PALESTINE. 
 
CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 SAMUEL, OR THE ARK IN THE BATTLE. 
 
 I shall tell you soon how God punished Eli's sons; but first 
 I must speak to you of some people who lived in the land of 
 Canaan, called the Philistines. 
 
 They were wicked people, who worshiped idols, and hated 
 the Israelites; they often fought against the Israelites, and took, 
 away their things. When God was pleased with the Israelites, 
 He did not let the Philistines hurt them. 
 
 One day a great number of Philistines came out of their 
 towns to fight against the Israelites. They brought tents, and 
 slept in them at night. The Israelites heard that the Philistines 
 were coming to fight against them; so a great number of them 
 took their swords and spears, and placed their tents near the 
 tents of the Philistines. In the morning the Philistines and 
 the Israelites fought with each other. God did not help the 
 Israelites, as he used to do, so the Israelites were frightened, 
 and ran back into their tents. 
 
 Now the Israelites ought to have prayed to God; but instead 
 of praying, they said. Let us send for the ark of God. If 
 the ark were here, we should be able to conquer the Philistines. 
 
 You remember that the ark was a golden box, on which 
 God sometimes sat in a cloud. 
 
 The Israelites sent a man to Shiloh to ask the priests to 
 bring the ark. The sons of Eli were priests. They brought 
 the ark to the tents of the Israelites. When the Israelites saw 
 the ark, they were delighted, and they gave a very loud shout 
 
 198 
 
SAMUEL, OR THE ARK IN THE BATTLE. 
 
 199 
 
 to show their joy. The shout could be heard a great way off. 
 The Philistines heard the shout, and they asked why the 
 Israelites shouted. Soon they heard that the ark of the God 
 of Israel was come to the tents of the Israelites. Then the 
 Philistines were afraid, and said, If the God of the Israelites 
 
 DEATH OF ELI. 
 
 should help them, what should we do? for their God once 
 killed Pharaoh and all his men, and He could kill us too. Ohl 
 let us be very brave, and let us fight with all our strength. 
 
 So the Philistines and the Israelites came out of their tents 
 to fight, and the priests brought the ark on their shoulders. 
 
200 SAMUEL, OR THE ARK IN THE BATTLE. 
 
 But God did not help the Israelites. A great many or 
 them were killed; and the two sons of Eli were killed, as God 
 had said. 
 
 The Philistines took the ark of God. How pleased they 
 were to get it! They carried it back to the towns where they 
 lived. 
 
 Eli had not come to the battle. He had staid in Shiloh; he 
 was very unhappy about the ark. He wanted to know what 
 had become of it; so he sat upon a high seat just at the gate 
 of Shiloh. 
 
 At last a man came running along the road; he had been 
 fighting in the battle, and he came to tell the people in Shiloh 
 all that had happened. He had put dust upon his head, and 
 had torn his clothes, to show that he had sad news to tell. 
 But Eli was old and blind, and did not see the man. When the 
 man told the people in Shiloh what had happened, the people 
 cried out very loud with grief; and Eli heard them crying, and 
 asked why they cried; then the man answered, I am just come 
 from where the Israelites were fighting. A great many Israel- 
 ites have been killed, and your two sons are dead, and the ark 
 of God is taken. 
 
 When Eli heard this he was very unhappy; he was sitting 
 on a high seat that had no back, and he fell backward in his 
 grief and broke his neck; for he was a very old man, and very 
 heavy. He was almost a hundred years old. 
 
 How grieved Samuel must have been when he heard how 
 Eli had died ! 
 
CHAPTER XLIII. 
 
 SAMUEL, OR THE GOD DAGON. 
 
 The Philistines were much delighted at 
 getting the ark, for they knew it belonged 
 to a great God. The Philistines took the 
 ark to one of their cities, and put it in the 
 house of their idol. This idol's name was 
 Dagon. The Philistines had made an image 
 like a man, and they called it Dagon ; they 
 had built a house for Dagon, and had set 
 Dagon up on a high place. They used to 
 come and worship very often in this house. 
 The Philistines left the ark all night in 
 the house of Dagon: the next morning they 
 got up early, and went into the idol's house. 
 But what do you think they saw when they 
 went in? They saw their idol Dagon fallen 
 down from the high place, and lying upon his face prostrate 
 before the ark. 
 
 God had thrown Dagon down. He wished to show the 
 Philistines that He was stronger than idols. 
 
 The Philistines were not sure that it was God who had 
 done this; so they lifted up Dagon and set him in his place 
 again, and left him.' 
 
 The next morning they rose early, and came into the idol's 
 house. 
 
 201 
 
202 SAMUEL, OR THE GOD DAGON. 
 
 Again Dagon had fallen down upon his face before the ark; 
 and this time Dagon was broken; his head and his hands were 
 broken off. The Philistines were sorry their idol was broken. 
 I do not know whether they mended their idol, or whether they 
 set him up again; but God soon made something much worse 
 happen to the Philistines. God made them very ill indeed, and 
 full of pain. They said to one another, What shall we do with 
 the ark? for it shall not stay in this city any longer. So they 
 sent it to another city, where some other Philistines lived. 
 
 But they fell very ill indeed, and a great many died. So the 
 people of that city sent it to another city. The people of the 
 other city were frightened when they saw the ark coming. 
 They said, We too shall die, now the ark is brought here. 
 
 Soon they fell very ill, and a great many of them died, and 
 the city was full of people groaning and crying. 
 
 At last the Philistines thought they would send the ark back 
 to the Israelites; but they did not feel quite sure that the God 
 of Israel had been angry with them for keeping the ark. 
 
 They made a plan for sending it back. Their plan was this: 
 We will take two cows that have never drawn a cart before ; 
 and we will tie them to the cart, and we will shut up their 
 calves. No one shall drive the cows, but we will see what they 
 will do. If the cows leave their calves, and go to the place 
 where the Israelites live, then we shall be quite sure that it was 
 the God of Israel who made us so ill, to punish us for keeping 
 the ark. 
 
 This was the plan of the Philistines. They had heard how 
 God once sent plagues on Pharaoh. They said, We will not 
 harden our hearts, as Pharaoh and the people of Egypt did. 
 
SAMUEL, OR THE GOD DAGON. 203 
 
 The Philistines took two cows and tied them to the cart, 
 then laid the ark upon the cart, and watched to see what the 
 cows would do. 
 
 Then God made the cows do a wonderful thing. They 
 drew the cart, without being driven, along the road which led to 
 the place where the Israelites lived. They lowed as they went, 
 and never once turned out of the road. 
 
 Some of the Philistines followed the cart. 
 
 At last the cart came to a place where some of the Israelites 
 were reaping corn in a field. They looked up, and saw the cart 
 coming, and they saw the ark, and then they were glad indeed. 
 The cows brought the cart into the field, and then stopped by 
 the side of a great stone. 
 
 The Philistines were much surprised at the wonderful thing 
 that God had done, and they went back to their own land. 
 Don't you think, dear children, they should have left off wor- 
 shiping idols, when they saw how great the God of Israel was? 
 
 They should have burned their idols, and only worshiped the 
 true God. But they went on worshiping idols, and God was 
 angry with them for it. 
 
 The Israelites did a thing that displeased God. They looked 
 into the ark. God did not allow any one to do this. The 
 book of stone in which the ten commandments were written 
 was inside the ark. 
 
 God is angry when people dare to disobey Him; He made 
 those Israelites fall ill, and they were afraid of keeping the 
 ark in their city; so they sent messages to some other Israelites 
 to take it. They did so, and put it in the house of a man who 
 lived upon a hill. He and his son took care of it. 
 
204 SAMUEL, OR THE GOD DAGON. 
 
 The ark was not sent back to the tabernacle at Shiloh because 
 God was angry with the people at Shiloh for all their wick- 
 edness. The people in Shiloh had worshiped idols, and so God 
 would not let the ark go back to Shiloh. 
 
 ANCIENT TRUMPETS. 
 
CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 SAUL, OR THE KING. 
 
 When Samuel was grown up he was called a judge ; but he 
 was not king. He used to tell the people what God wished 
 them to do ; and he used to punish bad people. Moses had 
 once been the judge of Israel, and Joshua had once been the 
 judge, and Eli had once been the judge. Now, Samuel was the 
 judge. He did not sit on a throne or wear a crown, as kings 
 do. He always asked God to tell him what the people ought 
 to do. The Israelites ought to have been very glad that God 
 was their king. No other king was as good and as great as He. 
 
 You will be sorry to hear that at last they grew tired of 
 having God for their King. They said, We should like to have 
 a king that would go out to battle before us. They wanted to 
 have a king that they could see. So they came to Samuel, and 
 said. Give us a king. 
 
 Samuel was very sorry to hear this, and he went and prayed 
 to the Lord. God was displeased with them for wishing for a 
 king; but as they wanted a king He said they should have one. 
 So Samuel called the Israelites together, and said, God will 
 let you have a king ; but he will not treat you as well as God 
 has. He will make your sons to work for him; some will run 
 before his chariots; some will make swords for him; some will 
 plow his ground, and reap his corn. He will take away many 
 of your fields and gardens, and give them to whom he pleases; 
 and then you will be sorry that you wished for a king, and you 
 will cry to God, and He will not hear you. 
 
 205 
 
206 SAUL, OR THE KING. 
 
 Still the Israelites wished for a king. They would not mind 
 what Samuel said ; but they cried out, We will have a king. 
 
 God was to choose the king. 
 
 There was a young man whose father had some fields, and 
 sheep, and cows, and horses. One day three horses were lost; 
 so the young man went to look for them among the hills. The 
 young man's name was Saul. He took a servant with him, and 
 looked for the horses a long while, but he could not find them. 
 At last Saul came near the city where Samuel lived. 
 
 The servant said to Saul, I have heard that there is a man in 
 that city who is a prophet: all he says comes true. Let us ask 
 him where the horses are. Then Saul said to his servant, 
 Come, let us go. So they went into the city, and as they went 
 along they met Samuel. They had never met Samuel before; 
 so they did not know who he was. Samuel was an old man, 
 and his hair was long, and he used to wear a cloak. 
 
 Saul spoke to this old man, and said, Can you tell me where 
 the prophet's house is ? 
 
 Samuel answered, I am the prophet. 
 
 Samuel knew who Saul was. Though Samuel had never 
 seen him before, God had told Samuel that he would meet a 
 man just at that time who would be the king of Israel. 
 
 Before Saul had told him what he wanted, Samuel said, The 
 horses that you lost three days ago are found. And Samuel 
 told Saul that he had a great deal to say to him, and that he 
 must come home with him that evening. 
 
 So Saul and the servant went to Samuel's house, and Samuel 
 took Saul to the top of his house, and talked to him alone. 
 
 The next morning they all got up very early, and Samuel 
 
SAUL, OR THE KING. 
 
 207 
 
 walked with Saul and the servant through the city. When they 
 were come to the outside of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid 
 the servant pass on before. So the servant passed on, and 
 Samuel and Saul stood still together. 
 
 Then Samuel took a bottle of oil, that he had brought with 
 him, and poured it on Saul's head, and said, God has chosen 
 thee to be king over Israel. 
 
 Samuel poured the oil upon Saul's head as a sign that he 
 was to be the king. Pouring oil upon a person is called anoint- 
 ing him. 
 
 After Samuel had anointed Saul they parted. Saul went on 
 his way, and returned to his friends: but he did not tell any 
 one that he was to be the king of Israel. 
 
 Soon afterward Saul called all the Israelites together, and 
 showed the people who was to be their king. When the 
 people saw Saul they were very much pleased, for he was taller 
 than any of the Israelites; no one else reached higher than his 
 shoulder. The Israelites wished to have a king that would look 
 very grand when he went out to battle. 
 
 The Israelites shouted when they saw him, and cried out, 
 God save the king! 
 
CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 SAUL, OR THE DISOBEDIENT DEED. 
 
 I have told you how God made Saul the king of Israel. 
 Saul sat upon a throne, wore a crown, and went to battle in a 
 chariot. He was brave, and could fight well against wicked 
 soldiers who tried to hurt the Israelites. 
 
 Samuel used to come and see him, and advise him to serve 
 God. Samuel wished Saul to be good, and he often prayed 
 for him. 
 
 At last God chose to see whether Saul would do all He 
 desired him to do. You remember how God once tried 
 Abraham ; and how Abraham did what God desired him, 
 because he loved God. 
 
 There were some wicked people who lived near the land of 
 Canaan, called the Am-a-lekites. God was displeased with 
 them. 
 
 One day Samuel came to Saul, and said, God commands 
 you to go and fight against the Amalekites, and kill them all. 
 
 Saul got a great army of Israelites, and went to the Ama- 
 lekites, and conquered them. Then Saul ordered his soldiers 
 to kill them with their swords, as God had told him. But he 
 thought he should like to take the king of the Amalekites back 
 to Canaan with him; so he would not let him be killed. I think 
 Saul liked to bring the king home with him, because he thought 
 it was a grand and fine thing to have a king shut up near him in 
 
 Canaan. Neither did Saul kill the fat and strong oxen and 
 
 208 
 
SAUL, OR THE DISOBEDIENT DEED. 209 
 
 sheep; he only killed those that were thin and weak. Saul 
 wished to be rich, and to have a great many cattle. 
 
 That night God spoke to Samuel, and told him that He was 
 much displeased with Saul. 
 
 Samuel was grieved, and prayed all night. 
 The next morning Samuel went to Saul, for God had told 
 him many things to say. 
 
 Saul did not know that Samuel knew of his wickedness, and 
 tried to make him think that he had done as God had told him_ 
 
 When Saul saw Samuel he pretended to be glad to see him, 
 and said, I have done the commandment of the Lord. Then 
 Samuel said, What is this bleating of sheep and lowing of oxen 
 that I hear? 
 
 Now Saul saw that it would be of no use to say that he had 
 not saved the sheep and oxen, so he began to make excuses 
 for himself. 
 
 Then Samuel told Saul that God was angry with him, and 
 did not intend that he should be king much longer. 
 
 Saul was much frightened when he heard that God would 
 punish him, and said, Stay and pray to God with me. But Saul 
 was not really sorry ; he was only afraid of being punished. 
 Samuel knew this, and would not stay. Then Saul took hold of 
 Samuel's cloak, to hinder him from going away, and tore the 
 cloak. 
 
 Samuel stopped, and said to Saul, God has torn the land of 
 Canaan from you, and He has given it to a man that is better 
 than you are. God has done it already, and He will not 
 change His mind. 
 
 Saul begged Samuel very much to stay and to pray with 
 
210 
 
 SAUL, OR THE DISOBEDIENT DEED. 
 
 SAUL TEARING THE ROBE OF SAMUEL. 
 
 him, that the people might not know that God was angry. 
 You see that Saul cared more about what people thought than 
 about God's being pleased with him. 
 
 Finally Samuel consented to stay a little while, and then left 
 him. 
 
CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE YOUNG SHEPHERD. 
 
 Samuel did not know whom God intended to make king 
 instead of Saul. God said to him, Fill a horn with oil, and go 
 to Jesse who lives in Bethlehem, for I have chosen one of 
 his sons as the king. 
 
 Jesse was an old man, and had many sons, who were 
 grown men. Samuel found Jesse and his sons in Bethlehem. 
 
 Now the eldest son was a tall, fine-looking man, who 
 seemed fit to be a king, and Samuel thought to himself, Surely 
 this is the one that God will choose. 
 
 But God told Samuel that He had not chosen him. God 
 does not care how a person looks, but he cares for the heart. 
 Now the heart of Jesse's oldest son did not please God, and 
 this time God was going to choose a king who loved Him in 
 his heart. 
 
 Then Samuel looked at Jesse's second son ; but God had 
 not chosen him. Then Samuel looked at the third son ; but 
 God had not chosen him. Then at the fourth, neither had 
 God chosen him; then at the fifth, next at the sixth, and last of 
 all, at the seventh; and yet God had not chosen any of them. 
 
 So Samuel said to Jesse, Have you any more children ? 
 
 Jesse answered, I have one more child, the youngest, who 
 is keeping the sheep. Then Samuel said, Send for him. 
 
 So Jesse sent for this youngest son. 
 
 The name of this son was David. He was only a boy. He 
 
 211 
 
212 DAVID, OR THE YOUNG SHEPHERD. 
 
 had a beautiful color on his cheeks, and his eyes had a pleasant 
 look. 
 
 When he came in, God said to Samuel, Arise and anoint 
 him, for this is he. So Samuel took the horn of oil and 
 anointed him. 
 
 Then Samuel went to his own house. 
 
 You will hear a great deal about David. God did not mean 
 that he should become king for a long while ; but David knew 
 that he certainly should be king some day. He went on keep- 
 ing his father's sheep. As he watched them he played on his 
 harp, and sung sweet songs of praise to God. His songs are 
 called psalms. 
 
CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE HARP. 
 
 Samuel did not tell Saul who was to be king. 
 
 Yet Saul was unhappy. He felt uneasy, and could not rest. 
 He lived in a fine house called a palace, but this did not make 
 him happy; he had many servants, but they could do him no 
 good. 
 
 Saul's servants saw that he had a wicked spirit, and they 
 said, Shall we look for a man who can play very sweetly on the 
 harp? Perhaps if you were to listen to sweet music, you 
 might get well. 
 
 Then Saul told them to look for such a man. 
 
 One of the servants had heard of David, and he said, I have 
 seen one of the sons of Jesse, who lives at Bethlehem ; he can 
 play beautifully on the harp ; is a very brave young man, can 
 speak wisely, and is handsome. God too, loves him: shall I 
 send for him? 
 
 Saul said that he would like this young man. Some of 
 Saul's servants went to Jesse and said, King Saul wishes to see 
 your son David, who takes care of the sheep. 
 
 Jesse said that David might go; and he told David to take a 
 present to King Saul. When Saul saw David he loved him very 
 much. Perhaps Saul loved him because he had a sweet look, 
 and could play well on the harp; but God loved him because 
 he wished to please Him. 
 
 Saul liked David so much that he wished him to stay a long 
 while, and to be near him. 
 
 213 
 
214 DAVID, O/v THE HARP. 
 
 David very often played to Saul upon the harp, and when 
 David played he grew better, until at last he was quite well. 
 
 After a while David went away from Saul, and fed his 
 father's sheep as he used to do. 
 
 1 think David liked taking care of sheep better than living 
 with Saul ; for Saul was wicked, and many of his servants were 
 wicked also. 
 
 David was happy when alone, thinking about God. Did you 
 ever hear any of David's psalms? In one of his psalms he calls 
 God his Shepherd. David took great care of his sheep, and 
 led them to places where green fresh grass grew, and to 
 smooth and clear water; and he made them lie down on 
 the softest grass in cool places 'by the river's side. While 
 David was taking so much care of his sheep he thought that 
 God took still more care of him; and he said, The Lord 
 is my Shepherd, I shall not want; He maketh me to lie down 
 in green pastures, and beside still waters. 
 
CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE GIANT GOLIATH. 
 
 You remember who the Philistines were. They were 
 wicked people, who lived in some of the cities of Canaan. 
 
 One day a great number of Philistines came, and placed 
 their tents on the top of a hill in Canaan. When Saul heard it, 
 he came with a great number of Israelites, and placed their 
 tents on another hill. The Philistines and the Israelites could 
 see each other, and they intended to fight, but they did not 
 choose to fight at once. 
 
 There was one man among the Philistines whose name was 
 Goliath. He was called a giant because he was ten feet high. 
 He was very tall indeed. 
 
 He was very strong and big, and could fight well. He wore 
 clothes made of iron and brass; people used to wear armor, 
 that arrows and swords and spears might not hurt them easily. 
 
 He wore a cap of brass upon his head, and he wore a coat 
 of iron: his legs were covered with brass. He held a great 
 spear in his hand, and had a great sword by his side; and a 
 man went before him with a shield. A shield is a great piece 
 of iron or brass, like a large tray, which men used to hold 
 before their faces in battle to prevent the arrows hurting 
 them. 
 
 The giant thought that no one could kill him. Every day 
 he used to call out with a loud voice, Will one of the Israelites 
 come out and fight with me? If he is able to kill me, then all 
 the Philistines will obey the king of Israel; but if I kill him, 
 
 215 
 
216 DAVID, OR THE GIANT GOLIATH. 
 
 then the Israelites must obey the Philistines. Is there any 
 man that will fight with me? 
 
 Would any of the Israelites fight with the giant? 
 
 No, not one. When Saul heard the Philistine giant, he was 
 frightened, and all the Israelites were frightened. They all 
 thought they should be killed, if they fought with him. 
 
 One day Jesse said to his son David, Go to the tents of 
 Israel, and see how your brethren are. 
 
 So David rose up very early, and left his sheep with another 
 shepherd, and went a long way, till he came to the hill where 
 the tents of the Israelites were. Then he ran to look for his 
 brothers. As he was talking, he heard a man speaking in a 
 very loud voice, saying, Who is able to fight with me? It was 
 the giant Goliath. David had never heard the giant speak 
 before, but the people who were near David told him about 
 the giant, and they said, King Saul has promised to give any 
 man who kills the giant a great many things as a reward. 
 
 David was surprised that people should be afraid of fighting 
 with the giant, because he knew that God could help an 
 Israelite to conquer him, and he knew that the gods of the 
 Philistines could not help them because they were idols ; so 
 David said, Who is this Philistine, that he should speak in this 
 manner to the people of God? And David felt in his heart that 
 he should not be afraid to fight with him. 
 
 Soon some one went and told Saul that there was a young 
 man come who said he would fight with the giant. So Saul 
 desired the young man to come before him. Saul had seen 
 David before, but had forgotten him. Saul was surprised that 
 David, who was so young, should wish to fight with the giant; 
 
 ■HlnHHMMniAMl 
 
DAVID THROWING THE STONE. 
 
 217 
 
218 DAVID, OR THE GIANT GOLIATH. 
 
 and said, You are not able to fight with that Philistine; you 
 are very young, and he has been used to fighting. Then 
 David answered, Once when I was keeping my father's sheep, 
 a lion came and took a lamb out of the flock, and I went after 
 the lion and met him, and took the lamb out of his mouth; 
 and when the lion tried to kill me, I caught him by his hair and 
 killed him. And once a bear came, and I killed him too. I 
 shall kill this Philistine, as I killed the lion and the bear. It was 
 God who delivered me from the lion and the bear, and He will 
 deliver me from this Philistine. 
 
 You see, David was not proud of his strength, but he knew 
 that God could help him. 
 
 When Saul heard these words, he told him to go and fight 
 the giant. But David had no sword, or coat of iron, so Saul 
 lent him his own armor, and his own sword; he put a cap of 
 brass on David's head, and dressed him in a coat of iron. But 
 David had not been used to wear armor; so he said to 
 Saul, I cannot wear this armor, and took it off again; 
 neither would he take a sword, or a spear. He went to the 
 brook and chose five smooth stones, and put them in a bag 
 which he had, and took the bag with him. In the other hand 
 he held a staff. Then David went to meet the giant. 
 
 The giant heard that one of the Israelites was ready to fight 
 
 When the giant saw David he was surprised; he had ex- 
 pected to see a great man like himself, dressed in armor, and 
 holding a spear in his hand. 
 
 But David was very young, and his face was rosy like a 
 child's, and he only wore a shepherd's dress, and held a staff 
 in his hand. 
 
DAVID, OR THE GIANT GOLIATH. 
 
 219 
 
 The giant was angry when he saw him; then he began to 
 laugh, and said, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the 
 birds. 
 
 But David was not afraid. He said, You have a sword, a 
 npear, and a shield, but God will fight for me. He will help 
 
 DAVID AND GOLIATH. 
 
 me, and everybody will see that the God of Israel is the true 
 God, and that He can save whom He pleases. 
 
 Then the giant came still nearer to David, and David ran 
 toward him quickly, put his hand in his bag, drew out a stone, 
 and put it in the sling that he had; then holding one end of the 
 
220 DAVID, OR THE GIANT GOLIATH. 
 
 sling, he threw the stone with all his strength. It hit the giant 
 in the forehead, and he fell upon the ground. 
 
 Then David ran to him, and taking the giant's sword, cut 
 off his head. When the Philistines saw what a great wonder 
 God had done, they were frightened; and the Israelites 
 shouted, for they saw that their God fought for them. 
 
 David thanked God for helping him to conquer the giant. 
 He sung God's praises, and played upon his harp. David did 
 not wish people to praise him; he wished everybody to praise 
 God. He wished all people to say, How great God is! He 
 helped the poor young shepherd to conquer the great giant. 
 
JONATHAN AND DAVID. 
 221 
 
CHAPTER XLIX. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE JAVELIN. 
 
 Saul was glad that David had killed the giant. Saul said to 
 David, Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, 
 I am the son of Jesse, who lives at Bethlehem. 
 
 While Saul was talking to David there was a person standing 
 near, of whom you have not heard; it was the son of Saul. He 
 was very brave, and very good; his name was Jonathan; he was 
 a prince, because he was the king's son, and the king's son is 
 called a prince. 
 
 Jonathan began to love David very much indeed. He loved 
 David because he was brave and good. David had also a very 
 sweet look. Jonathan told David that he loved him, and they 
 both promised to be kind to each other. Jonathan gave his 
 own clothes to David, and wore other clothes; he also gave 
 him his sword. 
 
 Saul told David that he must not go back to live with his 
 father again, but must stay with him. So David and Jonathan 
 saw each other often. 
 
 After the Philistines had been killed in battle, the Israelites 
 went to their homes. Jonathan and David went with the king. 
 As they were going along, they saw a great many women with 
 harps, and they sung and danced. These are the words they 
 sung: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 
 
 David did not wish to be praised; he wished God to be 
 praised. He would have liked to hear the women say that God 
 had helped a poor shepherd to kill the giant. 
 
 222 
 
DAI/ID, OR THE JAVELIN. 
 
 223 
 
 But when Saul heard these songs he was angry; he wished 
 to be praised, and could not bear to hear David praised more 
 than himself. Do they say that David is braver than I am? 
 How wicked Saul was. He was envious. 
 
 Saul thought, perhaps David is the man who is to be king 
 
 SAUL'S ATTEMPT TO KILL DAVID. 
 
 instead of me. He remembered that Samuel told him God 
 had chosen a better man to be king. 
 
 Then Saul hated David, and wished to kill him. Saul had 
 these wicked thoughts in his mind when he reached his own 
 house. Instead of thanking God for his kindness in having 
 
224 DAVID, OK THE JAVELIN. 
 
 helped the Israelites to conquer the Philistines, he was thinking 
 how he could kill David. 
 
 David saw that Saul was ill, and unhappy. 
 
 He took his harp as he used to do, and began to play sweet 
 
 music. Saul had a sharp thing in his hand called a javelin; and 
 
 Saul thought, I will throw this at David, and it shall go through 
 
 his body. But David saw the javelin coming, and slipped out 
 
 of the way, so that Saul did not hurt him. Then Saul threw it 
 
 again, but he could not hurt David. God took care of him. 
 
 Every one loved David, and this made Saul still more 
 envious. 
 
 David behaved so well, that Saul could not find any fault 
 for which to punish him. Then Saul told David to take some 
 men, and to go and fight against the Philistines. Saul hoped 
 that the Philistines would kill David in battle. David went, but 
 no one hurt him. Everybody praised him more, and called 
 him brave. Saul grew more angry. At last Saul told his 
 servants to kill him, but they loved David, and would not. 
 Jonathan was afraid lest some wicked person should mind 
 Saul, and kill David; so Jonathan told David to hide, and said to 
 his father, Why do you wish to kill David? What has he done? 
 Did he not once kill the giant? Then you were glad: why are 
 you angry with him now? 
 
 Saul promised that he would not have David killed. Then 
 Jonathan called David and brought him to Saul, and David was 
 with him as he used to be. 
 
 But soon Saul began to hate him again. Saul had a javelin 
 in his hand, and threw it at David; but David slipped out of the 
 way, and the javelin stuck in the wall. 
 
DAVID, OR THE JAVELIN. 
 
 225 
 
 Now David was afraid of staying any more with Saul; and 
 he fled away that night. 
 
 He did not go back to his father; for Saul would have found 
 him; but he hid in a great many places, and God took care of 
 him. 
 
 DAVID SPARES THE LIFE OF SAUL. 
 
CHAPTER L. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE CAVE. 
 
 When David fled from Saul he was obliged to leave his dear 
 friend Jonathan. They kissed each other and shed many tears 
 when they parted; but Jonathan chose to stay with his father, 
 king Saul. There were very high hills in Canaan, and there 
 were large holes in these hills, called caves, and in one of these 
 David hid himself. 
 
 Very few people lived among these hills; but sheep fed on 
 the fresh grass that grew on them, and goats leaped and 
 sported on the tops of the hills. 
 
 David was not alone. His brothers came to him, besides a 
 great many poor people. These people liked to be with David. 
 
 David and his friends lived together in a large cave, for 
 some caves are very large, and will hold as many people as you 
 see at church on Sunday. 
 
 Kind people gave them food. Saul was angry when he heard 
 that all were kind to David. Saul used to tell people that David 
 was wicked, and that David wished to kill* him. Some people 
 believed what Saul said, and thought David was really wicked. 
 
 Poor David! It made him sorry to think that people 
 believed that he wanted to kill Saul. But it was a comfort to 
 him that God knew he did not want to kill Saul. He some- 
 times asked God to look into his heart, to see whether he 
 wished to kill Saul. David had his harp with him in the cave; 
 he often sung psalms, and praised God for keeping him from 
 being hurt. 
 
 226 
 
DAVID, OR THE CAVE. 
 
 227 
 
 David did not always live in the same cave, lest wicked 
 people should tell Saul where he was hid. Sometimes he hid 
 among the thick trees in the wood, and sometimes in one cave, 
 and sometimes in another. 
 
 Saul took a great many soldiers, and came to look for David 
 among the hills, but God did not let Saul find him. Saul said 
 to the people he met, Have you seen David and his men? If 
 you love me, you will tell me where he is, for David wants to 
 kill me. Then some people would tell Saul, He is in the cave 
 in that hill. But when Saul got to the place he could not find 
 David; for David had heard that Saul was looking for him, and 
 had gone to another cave. 
 
 Saul was almost tired of looking for David, when something 
 happened which you will like to hear. 
 
 Caves are dark inside, very dark; because, though there is 
 
 a hole to go in at, there are no windows to let in the light. 
 
 ^-^^^ __ One day David was in a very large 
 
 cave with his men, when Saul and 
 his men passed that way. Saul did 
 not know David was in the cave. 
 But Saul saw the cave, and he wished 
 to go in to sleep for a little while; 
 so he left his men outside, and came 
 in alone. David and. his men saw 
 S him come in, but Saul did not see 
 them, because they were in the dark 
 parts of the cave. David and his 
 entrance to cave. men remained very quiet, and Saul 
 lay down to rest. Then David's men said to him in a low 
 
228 
 
 DAVID, OR THE CAVE- 
 
 voice, Now you can kill Saul if you wish it. No, said David, I 
 will not hurt the man whom God made king. And David 
 would not let his men hurt Saul; but he went gently up to Saul 
 as he lay asleep, and cutoff a piece of his clothes. 
 
 After a little while Saul rose up, and went out of the cave; 
 and he and his men went on looking for David among the hills. 
 
 SEE THE SHIRT, ETC 
 
 Then David came out of the cave, and called in a loud voice 
 after Saul, My lord the king! Then Saul looked behind him, 
 and David bowed himself down to the ground. 'Then David 
 spoke very meekly to Saul, and said, Why do you think that I 
 
DAVID, OR THE CAVE. 
 
 229 
 
 wish to kill you? You came into the cave where i was, and 
 some people advised me to kill you; but I would not do it. 
 Then David held up the piece of Saul's clothes that he had cut 
 off. Look, my father, said David, at this; I cut it off. I could 
 have killed you; but I would not. Why then do you hunt after 
 me? The Lord will keep me safe, and will not let you hurt me. 
 
 When David had done speaking, Saul said, Is that your 
 voice, my son David? And Saul began to weep. He had once 
 loved David, and when he saw how good David was, he felt 
 that he had been wicked; but he did not feel sorry that he had 
 offended God. 
 
 Yes, said Saul, I see that you are much better than I am, 
 and that you do not wish to kill me; and 1 know that you will 
 be king one day. 
 
 So Saul did not try to kill David that day, and he left off 
 looking for David, and went home with his men to his own 
 house. 
 
 But David did not go and live with Saul, for he could not 
 trust him. Once before, Saul had promised Jonathan that he 
 would not try to kill David again, and yet he had broken his 
 promise, and David knew that perhaps he would soon try to 
 kill him again. So David went back to his cave. 
 
CHAPTER LI. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE SPEAR. 
 
 Saul left off looking for David, but he soon began to hate him 
 again. One day some wicked men came to him, and said, We 
 can tell you where David has hid himself. 
 
 Saul was glad to hear where David was, and he took a great 
 many soldiers with him and went to the place where he heard 
 David was. 
 
 Saul directed his men to set up their tents on a hill, and to 
 dig a deep ditch all round the tents, that nobody might come 
 to the tents to hurt them. In the night Saul and his men 
 would sleep in their tents, and in the daytime they would look 
 for David. 
 
 Then David went with some of his friends near the place 
 where the tents were, and he said to his friends, Who will go 
 with me among the tents? And one of David's friends said, 
 I will. Then David and his friend went In the night, and 
 walked among the tents; but no one saw them or heard them; 
 for God had made them sleep: even the people whom Saul 
 had desired to watch, to prevent anybody coming, had fallen 
 fast asleep. God did not choose that David should be hurt; 
 therefore he made the people sleep. 
 
 David got over the great ditch that had been dug; for there 
 was nobody watching near to hinder him. 
 
 David went into the tent of Saul. He found him sleeping; 
 and by his pillow he saw his spear stuck into the ground, and a 
 
 230 
 
DAVID, OR THE SPEAR. 23 1 
 
 jug of water; and he saw other people who ought to have 
 watched over him, asleep round about him. 
 
 Saul little knew that David was so near him, looking at him 
 as he slept. 
 
 .Then David's friend said to him, Let me take this spear 
 and kill Saul; 1 will pierce his body through in a moment. 
 
 No, said David, do not kill him: it would be very wicked to 
 kill the man whom God has made king. Only take the jug of 
 water, and the spear, and let us go. 
 
 So they took the jug of water and the spear, and they went 
 away from the tents; and nobody woke while they were 
 passing. 
 
 You remember why David had once cut off some of Saul's 
 clothes. It was for the same reason he now took the jug and 
 spear. He wished to show Saul that he had been near his bed 
 while he was asleep, and that he might have killed him, if he 
 had chosen it. 
 
 Then David went down the hill where Saul's tents were, 
 and went up another hill; so there was a great way between 
 Saul and him. Then David cried out with a very loud voice to 
 men that were sleeping round king Saul, and said, Why do you 
 let people come near the king when he is asleep? 
 
 Then David showed the people the king's spear and the jug 
 of water. 
 
 When Saul heard David's voice he rememoered it, and wept. 
 
 He said, Is this thy voice, my son David? 
 
 And David said, It is my voice, O king. Why do you look 
 for me? What have I done? Have any wicked men told you 
 that I wish to hurt you? 
 
232 DAVID, OR THE SPEAR. 
 
 Then Sajl said, I have sinned. Go to your home again. I 
 will never hurt you again, because you did not kill me to-day, 
 when you might have done it. 1 have done very wickedly. 
 
 Then David said, Here is the king's spear. Send one of 
 
 your servants to get it. 
 
 David would not bring the spear to Saul himself. He could 
 not trust Saul; he was not sure that Saul would not kill him. 
 
 And then Saul went home, but David went into the part of 
 Canaan where the Philistines lived, that Saul might not be able 
 
 to hurt him. . 
 
 David ought not to have gone to live with the Philistines, 
 
 because they worshiped idols. 
 
CHAPTER LII. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE PROMISE FULFILLED. 
 
 When Saul heard that David was gone to the Philistines, he 
 went to look for him no more; because if Saul had gone to 
 them, they would have tried to kill him. 
 
 The time* had now almost come when Saul must die. 
 
 You know that the Philistines hated the people of Israel, 
 and used to fight against them. One day the king of the 
 Philistines called a great many of his soldiers together, and took 
 them to a place in the land of Canaan where they might fight 
 with the Israelites. When Saul heard they had come, he took 
 his soldiers and went to fight against them. Saul's good son 
 Jonathan went with his father to the battle. 
 
 The Philistines and the Israelites fought together upon some 
 hills, and the Philistines conquered. God was angry with the 
 Israelites, and he did not help them to conquer. The Israelites 
 ran away from the Philistines; even Saul and Jonathan, though 
 they were very brave, ran away; and the Philistines ran after 
 them, and they killed Jonathan. Some men with bows and 
 arrows shot at Saul, and some of the arrows went into his 
 body, so that he could not run away any more; yet Saul was 
 not killed by the arrows; he was only hurt. 
 
 When Saul found that he could not run away, he was afraid 
 that the Philistines would get hold of him, and treat him very 
 cruelly; so he wished very much to die before they overtook 
 him. Then Saul said to one of his soldiers, Take your sword, 
 and run it through my body. 
 
 233 
 
234 DAVID, OR THE PROMISE FULFILLED. 
 
 The soldier would not kill Saul. Then Saul took his own 
 sword, and fell upon the point of it; so it ran through his body, 
 and he died. 
 
 The Philistines praised their idols, and said that their idols 
 were greater than the God of Israel, because they said their 
 
 DEATH OF SAUL. 
 
 idols had helped them to conquer the Israelites. Then they 
 took Saul's armor, and put it in one of the houses where they 
 worshiped idols. 
 
 David all this time was in the land of the Philistines. He 
 knew that Saul and Jonathan had been fighting a battle, and he 
 
DAVID, OR THE PROMISE FULFILLED. 235 
 
 longed to know who had conquered. At last a man who had 
 been at the battle came to David, to tell him about it. The 
 man bowed down to David, and said, I come from the tents of 
 Israel. 
 
 Then David said, Pray tell me what has happened. 
 
 And the man said, The Israelites have run away, and many 
 are dead, and Saul and Jonathan are dead. 
 
 The man thought that David would have been very glad to 
 hear that Saul was dead. But David was not, for he still loved 
 Saul, and was sorry too that the Philistines had conquered him, 
 because he knew that -the Philistines would praise their idols, 
 and speak against the God of Israel, and David loved God so 
 much, that he wished everybody to praise him. And David 
 was very sorry for Jonathan his friend. He would never see 
 his face again in this world. 
 
 David sung a sweet song about Saul and Jonathan. He said 
 that Saul and Jonathan had been like eagles and lions, they had 
 been so brave : he said they had lived together, and had died 
 together. And then he said in his song, I am distressed for 
 thee, my brother Jonathan; thy love to me was wonderful. 
 He called Jonathan his brother because he had been so very 
 kind to him. 
 
 David did not speak of Saul's wickedness, he only spoke 
 of his bravery; for he did not like to speak against the king. 
 
 Now the time had come when David was to be king. God 
 put it into the hearts of the Israelites to ask him to be their 
 king. 
 
 David praised God on his harp for keeping his promise, for 
 taking him from keeping sheep, and making him king over all 
 
236 
 
 DAVID, OR THE PROMISE FULFILLED. 
 
 the land. David wished to be a good king, and to do all that 
 God told him, and to teach all his people to love God. He 
 knew that God would bless him, and keep him from all harm. 
 
 SAMUEL ANOINTING DAVID 
 
CHAPTER LIU. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE ARK ON ZION. 
 
 At last David was made king, as God had promised. David 
 was born at Bethlehem, and there he kept sheep, but when he 
 was king he lived at Jerusalem. 
 
 Jerusalem was a beautiful city. There were a great many 
 hills in it. One of the hills was called Mount Zion. 
 
 David directed some men to build him a house upon Mount 
 Zion. A king's house is called a palace. 
 
 David loved God very much, and so he thought he should 
 like to have God's ark very near his palace. 
 
 You remember that the ark was once at Shiloh, and that the 
 Philistines took it in battle, and that they sent it back to the 
 Israelites: but the ark was never taken back to Shiloh. The 
 ark had been kept in a man's house; David knew where it was, 
 and he went himself to bring it. So they brought the ark from 
 the man's house to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. David was 
 dressed in a white ephod, and all the singers and players of 
 music were dressed in white, and the priests were dressed in 
 white. 
 
 David played upon his harp, and he went with the players 
 and singers; and the ark came afterward with the priests. 
 
 A great many of the Israelites came to see this beautiful 
 sight. They saw their king praising God upon his harp. 
 
 The ark was taken up the hill called Mount Zion. There 
 were walls round the top of Mount Zion, and large gates; the 
 gates were opened wide to let the king come in, and the ark, 
 
 237 
 
 .,' ■ •■ 
 
238 DAVID, OR THE ARK ON ZiON. 
 
 which was the throne of the Lord. David had made a new 
 tabernacle, close to his own palace. 
 
 David also offered some sacrifices upon Mount Zion, and 
 David blessed all the people that stood round. 
 
 Some used to sing in the day, and some used to sing in the 
 night. The angels in heaven can sing night and day without 
 resting, but these singers could not do so. When David v/as 
 in his palace, he could hear them singing God's praise. 
 
 David wrote the psalms himself. He sung the psalms to 
 his own harp, and he wrote them down, and sent them to the 
 singers, that they might sing them near the ark. 
 
 David did not always stay in his palace on Mount Zion. He 
 was often obliged to go out to fight against the Philistines, and 
 God helped David and his men conquer them. Then David 
 used to return to Mount Zion, and sing psalms to God for 
 having helped him to conquer. 
 
 One day David was sitting in his beautiful palace, and he 
 said to his friend Nathan, I live in a fine house, but God's ark 
 is placed under curtains. And David wished to build a beautiful 
 house for it. 
 
 Nathan, David's friend, was a very wise and a very good 
 man, and he advised David to build a house for the Lord. 
 
 In the night God spoke to Nathan and said, Go tell David 
 not to build me a house; I am pleased with David for wishing 
 to build it, but I do not choose to have him build me one, 
 because he has fought so many battles, and killed so many 
 people; I will give David a son who shall build me a house. 
 
 Then Nathan came to David in the morning, and told him 
 what God had said. 
 
DAVID, OR The ARK ON ZION. 
 
 David was much pleased to hear that God would bless him, 
 and that he would give him a son who should build a house for 
 God. So David went to thank God for his kind promises. 
 
 * God liked David's prayer. David was not proud. He 
 wondered that God should be kind to him, and that He should 
 have taken him from being a shepherd to be a king. 
 
 Although David might not build a house for the Lord, it 
 was his chief delight to make preparations so as to enable his 
 sons to carry out his plans. He collected gold and silver in 
 great quantities, and arranged with the king of Tyre to send 
 him cedar from the mountains of Lebanon. The men of Tyre 
 were famous sailors; they were the first to send ships around 
 the Mediterranean Sea, and even beyond into the wide, 
 unknown ocean. 
 
SCENE AT TYRE. 
 
CHAPTER LIV. 
 
 david, or Uriah's wife. 
 
 David was a good man; he loved God, and tried to please 
 Him. Yet there was still wickedness in David's heart, as well 
 as goodness. I am going to tell you how David once displeased 
 the Lord. 
 
 Once. David's men went out to fight against some wicked 
 people who lived near Canaan. David did not go himself to 
 fight this time, but he told a man called Joab to take his 
 soldiers to fight. 
 
 So David staid at Jerusalem. 1 do not know why he did 
 not go out to fight himself. 
 
 One day when it was hot David lay upon his bed, and when 
 it grew cool he got up and walked on the top of his house, 
 which was flat and level like a floor. As he was walking there, 
 he looked down and saw a woman whom he liked very much 
 as soon as he saw her. David wished to have her for his wife; 
 so he sent his servants to ask what her name was; and they 
 came back and told him that her name was Bath-she-ba, and 
 that she was married to a man called Uriah. 
 
 David ought to have prayed to God to keep him from 
 thinking about Bathsheba any more; but he kept on thinking, 
 and wishing that she could be his wife; and he thought, If 
 Uriah was dead, then Bathsheba could be his wife. Now 
 Uriah was a very brave and good man, and he had gone with 
 Captain Joab a great way off to fight against some wicked 
 people. 
 
 241 
 
 L 
 
2 42 DAVID, OR URIAH'S WIFE. 
 
 David wished that Uriah might get killed in the battle. At 
 last a very wicked plan came into his heart. David wrote a 
 letter to Joab the captain, and said, When you take the people 
 out to fight, let Uriah stand in a place where the wicked, people 
 will shoot him. 
 
 David sent the letter to Joab. Joab ought not to have done 
 
 DAVID AND BATHSHEBA. 
 
 this wicked thing. But he was a very wicked man, so he 
 determined to do as the king told him. 
 
 Soon afterward Joab took his soldiers to fight against a 
 great city with walls all round it, and he told Uriah to go with 
 
DAVID, OR URIAH'S WlbE. 243 
 
 some of the soldiers very near the walls of the city, and some 
 of the men in the city shot arrows from the walls, and killed 
 Uriah. 
 
 Then Joab sent a man to tell King David that Uriah was 
 dead. 
 
 David was not sorry when he heard that Uriah was killed. 
 He pretended to be sorry, but he felt glad in his heart, Now 
 Bathsheba could be his wife; so he sent for Bathsheba, and 
 married her, and she came and lived with him in his palace. 
 
 But God was displeased with what David had done. 
 
 One day Nathan, who was a prophet, came to David. 
 
 God had told Nathan what David had done. 
 
 Nathan began by telling David a little history. He said, 
 There were two men in one city; the one was rich and the 
 other poor; the rich man had a great many sheep; the poor 
 man had only one little lamb, which he had taken care of since 
 it was first born: he fed it and gave it drink out of his own 
 cup, and he nursed it in his bosom, and loved it as one of his 
 children. One day a visitor came to the rich man's house, and 
 the rich man sent and took the poor man's lamb, and killed it, 
 and prepared it for dinner for his visitor. Then said Nathan, 
 What shall be done to the rich man? 
 
 And David felt very angry with the rich man, and he said 
 to Nathan, He shall die; and he shall give the poor man four 
 lambs instead of the one which he took. 
 
 Then Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. 
 
 Nathan did not mean that David was the man who had 
 taken the poor man's lamb. David had not taken a lamb, but 
 he had taken Uriah's wife, and that was much more wicked. 
 
244 
 
 DAVID, OR URIAH'S WIFE. 
 
 Nathan told him this history to show him what a wicked thing 
 he had done. 
 
 Nathan said to David, God has been very kind to you, and 
 made you king. Why have you disobeyed his commandments? 
 God will punish you for your wickedness. 
 
 NATHAN REBUKING DAVID. 
 
 David was very sorry when he heard that God was angry 
 with what he had done, and he said, I have sinned against the 
 Lord. 
 
 David was really sorry for what he had done. He was not 
 
DAVID, OR URIAH'S WIFE. 
 
 like Saul, who only cared for the punishment; he was most 
 sorry because he had displeased God. 
 
 He asked God in his psalm to wash out his sins. These 
 were some of David's words: Wash me, and I shall be whiter 
 than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God! and renew a 
 right spirit within me. 
 
 You see that David prayed to God to forgive him, and God 
 did forgive him; yet still, God would punish David, that all 
 people might know that God hated wickedness. 
 
CHAPTER LV. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 God said he would punish David, though he had forgiven 
 him. 
 
 David had a great many children. I cannot tell you about all 
 his children, but 1 will tell you of one called Absalom. He was 
 a very proud young man, handsome, had beautiful hair, and 
 was very vain of his beauty; he also told lies, and even killed 
 one of his brothers who had offended him. When David 
 heard how Absalom had killed his brother, he was angry with 
 him for a long time, and would not see him; but at last he let 
 him come to his palace, and kissed him, and forgave him. 
 David ought never to have allowed Absalom to come to 
 Jerusalem again after he had killed his brother; but David was 
 too fond of Absalom. 
 
 Yet Absalom did not love his father David. He wished to 
 be king instead of David, and so he behaved very kindly to all 
 the people in Jerusalem, that they might love him better than 
 they loved his father, and make him king. He used sometimes 
 to kiss the poor people that he saw, and tell them that if he 
 were king he would be very kind to them. 
 
 This kind way of behaving made the people love Absalom; 
 for they thought that he really cared for them. 
 
 When Absalom saw that many of the people loved him, he 
 asked David's leave to go from Jerusalem into the country. 
 David did not know what a wicked plan Absalom had made. 
 
 Absalom had directed a great many men to wait till they 
 
 246 
 
L 
 
 KING DAVID FORGIVING ABSALOM. 
 247 
 
248 DAVID, OR THE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 heard the sound of a trumpet, and when they heard it, to cry 
 out, Absalom is king. So, when Absalom had left Jerusalem, 
 and come into the country, he desired the trumpet to be 
 blown, and a great many of the people called out, Absalom is 
 king! 
 
 David was in Jerusalem, and a messenger came and told 
 him that Absalom had made himself king. 
 
 He could not bear to think that his son was so wicked as to 
 make himself king. Then David thought of his own sin, and 
 felt that he deserved to be punished. He knew that it was God 
 that let all these things happen to him. 
 
 David would not stay in Jerusalem, for he thought that 
 Absalom would soon come there, and would perhaps kill him 
 and his servants. So the king left his palace on Mount Zion, to 
 go a great way off. There were many people in Jerusalem 
 who loved David, and went with him. 
 
 They crossed a little river that was outside Jerusalem, and 
 as they went all the people wept. 
 
 Then David and his servants went up a high hill, and David 
 wept as he went up, and covered his head.. He wore no shoes 
 on his feet: he did these things to show he was unhappy, and 
 all the people with him did the same. You see how much the 
 people loved David. 
 
 And when David came to the top of a hill he prayed to 
 God. 
 
 Then he went on his journey. Soon he met a very wicked 
 man who hated him, and who called David very bad names, 
 and even threw stones at David and his soldiers. This wicked 
 man called David a child of the devil, and said, You killed Saul, 
 
DAVID, OR THE PUNISHMENT. 249 
 
 and his children, and now God is punishing you for your 
 wickedness. 
 
 At last David and his men came to a place where they 
 rested, for they were very tired. David and his soldiers 
 traveled a long way. At last they crossed over the river Jordan. 
 On the other side there was a place called a wilderness. 
 
 There were three very rich men who lived near the wilder- 
 ness, and who heard of David and his men coming; and these 
 rich men said, They must be very hungry and thirsty, and 
 weary in the wilderness; so they brought David and his men a 
 great many things: beds to rest their weary limbs, cups to 
 drink out of, corn, vegetables, honey, and sheep to eat. These 
 rich men were very kind. 
 
 David asked God to comfort him. He felt that he deserved 
 to be punished. 
 
CHAPTER LVI. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE OAK TREE. 
 
 David lived in a city that had walls and gates. 
 
 Absalom soon heard where David was, and came after him 
 with a great army. Absalom crossed over the river Jordan, 
 while his men set up their tents near the city where David was. 
 
 Then David saw that his wicked son meant to fight. So 
 David one morning directed his soldiers to go out of the city. 
 David was going with them; but they begged him not to come, 
 lest he should be killed in battle. These people loved him very- 
 much. Then the king said, I will do as you think best. David 
 did not wish to go to this battle, for he did not like to fight 
 against Absalom. 
 
 David told the soldiers, before they went, not to hurt 
 Absalom; for David still loved his wicked son. 
 
 Absalom and his soldiers came out to fight against David's 
 men. They fought in a wood. This was not a good place for 
 fighting, for a great many people were knocked against the 
 trees, and bruised, and killed. 
 
 David's men conquered, because God helped them, and 
 Absalom's men tried to run away. 
 
 Absalom rode upon a mule — which is a beast very much 
 like a horse. As he was riding, he passed under a great oak 
 tree, and his beautiful long hair was caught in the boughs; and 
 the mule ran away, and left him hanging by the hair in the 
 tree, with his feet lifted up from the earth'. One of David's 
 soldiers saw him, and went to the captain, and said, I saw 
 
 250 
 
DAVID GOING TO HIS CHAMBER. 
 251 
 
 ■■H 
 
252 
 
 DAVID, OR THE OAK TREE. 
 
 Absalom hanging to an oak. Then Joab said, Why did you not 
 kill him? If you had, 1 would have given you a great deal of 
 silver, and some clothes. But the man answered, If you would 
 have given me a thousand pieces of silver, I would not have 
 
 DEATH OF ABSALOM. 
 
 hurt Absalom, for 1 heard the king desire that no one should 
 
 hurt him. 
 
 When Absalom was dead, Joab blew a trumpet to call back 
 his soldiers; for, now Absalom was dead, the Israelites might 
 leave off fighting. Absalom's soldiers went back to their tents, 
 and Joab took his soldiers back to the city where David was. 
 
DAVID, OR THE OAK TREE. 255 
 
 But before they went two men ran to tell David what had 
 happened. 
 
 David sat near the gates inside the city. A man stood upon 
 the wall near the gate, to watch whether any person was 
 coming. Soon the watchman saw a man running. Then said 
 David, No doubt he brings some message. Soon afterward the 
 watchman saw another man running. The*. David said, He 
 also brings a message. 
 
 Soon the first man came up, and cried out, All is well. 
 
 He said all was well, because David's men had won the 
 battle. Then the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe> 
 The messenger knew that Absalom was dead, but he did not 
 like to grieve David by telling him this sad news; so he said, 
 There was a good deal of noise and confusion when Joab sent 
 me here. 
 
 Soon the other man came running up to David, and said, 
 God has punished the wicked people who fought against the 
 king. Then the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? 
 
 And the messenger answered, May all people who fight 
 against the king be as Absalom now is. The king knew then 
 that Absalom was dead. How very unhappy he was when he 
 heard this. He went into a room that was near the gate, and 
 wept, and said, "0 my son Absalom! my son, my son 
 Absalom! Would God I had died for thee! " 
 
 When David's soldiers came back, they heard how the king 
 grieved for Absalom, and they felt unhappy, because they loved 
 the king. The king did not come out to meet them, and to 
 thank them for having gained the battle. 
 
 L 
 
CHAPTER LVII. 
 
 DAVID, OR THE FAREWELL. 
 
 Absalom was dead, David could now return to Jerusalem. 
 The people who had said that Absalom was king now wished 
 David to be king again. 
 
 SOLOMON ANOINTED KING. 
 
 David was very glad to come back to Jerusalem, because he 
 wished to worship God near his ark, and to hear all the people 
 praising God. 
 
 254 
 
DAVID, OR THE FAREWELL. 255 
 
 One of David's sons was good. God loved him, and made 
 him good. His name was Solomon. God told David that he 
 was to be king after him. At last David grew very old and 
 weak, and he knew that he should die. So he wished to make 
 Solomon king before he died. He told the high priest to pour 
 oil upon his head; and so the high priest anointed Solomon to 
 be king. 
 
 Then David called his people together to a place in 
 Jerusalem, and spoke to all before he died. The king stood up, 
 and said, I once wished to build a house for the ark of God; 
 but God would not let me build a house, because 1 had fought 
 so many battles, but said that my son should build it. 
 
 Then David spoke to Solomon and said, My son, serve 
 God, and He will bless you. Then David showed Solomon the 
 things for building the house: gold, silver, iron, stones, and 
 wood. 
 
 Then David prayed to God, and thanked Him for letting 
 Solomon build Him a house, and for letting the people give 
 their things to God. And David asked God to make Solomon 
 love Him, and obey Him. David offered a great many sacrifices 
 to God. Soon after David died. 
 
CHAPTER LVIII. 
 
 SOLOMON, OR THE WISE CHOICE. 
 
 Almost the first thing Solomon did when he became king, 
 was to offer sacrifices to God. 
 
 The night after Solomon had offered the sacrifices, God 
 spoke to him while he was asleep, and said, Ask what I 
 shall give thee. 
 
 Now Solomon had just been made king, and he saw what a 
 hard thing it was to be a good king; for Solomon would judge 
 the people: people who quarreled with each other would come 
 to Solomon ; and it is very hard, when people quarrel, to find 
 out who is in fault, and who ought to be punished. 
 
 Solomon wished very much to judge the people well; and 
 so he asked God to make him very wise. 
 
 Solomon said to God, Thou hast made me a king over a 
 great many people, and I am very young; and I do not know 
 what I ought to do. Make me very wise, that 1 may judge the 
 people well. 
 
 God was very much pleased with Solomon, and said, You 
 did not ask me to make you rich, or make you live a long while, 
 or make you conquer your enemies, but you asked for wisdom; 
 therefore 1 will make you wiser than any man that ever lived; 
 and I will make you very rich too; so that no other king shall be 
 as rich, or as great as you; and if you love me, and serve me 
 as David did, I will make you live a long while. 
 
 256 
 
Copyright by C. & Suthpan, IBM. 
 
 SOLOMON'S JUDGMENT. 
 
SOLOMON, OR THE WISE CHOICE. 257 
 
 Then Solomon woke. How pleased he must have been to 
 think of the promises that God had made him. He went back 
 to Jerusalem, and offered up more sacrifices near the ark. 
 
 Now I will tell you of something that happened, which 
 showed that God had made Solomon as wise as He said He 
 would. 
 
 One day there came two women to Solomon. They had 
 quarreled with each other. Solomon was the judge, and the 
 women stood before him. 
 
 One of these women held a dead babe and the other held a 
 living babe. Both the babes were very little creatures, only a 
 few days old, so that the living babe was not old enough to sit 
 up, or to look about it, or to smile. 
 
 The woman who held the dead babe seemed very unhappy, 
 and said to the king, This dead babe is not my own child. The 
 other babe is mine. 1 lived in the same house with that woman, 
 and no one lived in the house but us two; and one night that 
 woman lay upon her child in bed, and killed it; and she got up 
 and put her dead babe into my bed while I was asleep, and took 
 my living babe into hers. When I woke in the morning, I was 
 going to feed my child, but found only this dead child; but 
 when I had looked at it I saw it was not my own child. 
 
 Then the other woman said, You do not speak the truth; 
 the living child is mine and the dead one is yours. Then the 
 other woman said again, No, the living child is mine, and the 
 dead one is yours. 
 
 Which of these women spoke the truth, and which of them 
 told untruth? How could Solomon find out? How could he 
 tell which ought to have the living babe ? 
 
258 SOLOMON, OR THE WISE CHOICE. 
 
 But God had made Solomon very wise, and he thought of a 
 way to find out who spoke the truth. 
 
 Solomon called out, Bring me a sword. And the servants 
 brought a sword to the king. Then Solomon said, Cut the liv- 
 ing child in two, and give half to one woman, and half to the 
 other; because both the women say the child is theirs, so let 
 them each have half. 
 
 Then one of the women cried out, Oh! do not cut the child 
 in two, but let that woman have it; only do not kill it. 
 
 But the other woman said, Let the child be cut in two, and 
 let us each have half. 
 
 Now which do you think was the mother of the living child ? 
 Was it not the one who said, Do not let it be killed ? 
 
 Solomon knew which was the mother, and he said to his 
 servant, Give her the living child and do not kill it; she is the 
 mother of it. 
 
 Why had Solomon desired the man at first to cut the babe 
 in two? Had he intended to have it killed? Oh! no. He only 
 wanted to see what the women would say, that he might find 
 out which was the mother. Was that not a wise plan of Solo- 
 mon's ? God had really made him wise as He had promised 
 He would. 
 
 All the Israelites heard of what the king had said to the 
 women, and they were surprised at his wisdom, and were afraid 
 of him. 
 
CHAPTER LIX. 
 
 SOLOMON, OR THE TEMPLE. 
 
 Solomon should build a house for the Lord. 
 This house was to be called a temple; and it was to be very 
 beautiful. 
 
 BUILDING THE TEMPLE. 
 
 Solomon had a great many things to build it of: gold and 
 silver, and iron, and brass, and stones, and wood; and he had a 
 
 259 
 
260 SOLOMON, OR THE TEMPLE. 
 
 great many servants to build it. David, his father, had told him 
 how to build it. 
 
 Solomon did not build the temple upon Mount Zion, but 
 upon another high hill in Jerusalem. 
 
 Solomon ordered a great many large stones to be laid upon 
 the ground for the beginning of the house; then he directed his 
 servants to cut down trees. Solomon built the wall and the 
 roof of wood, and covered the inside of the house with gold. 
 
 How beautiful the house must have been inside. How 
 bright it must have shone when the candlesticks were lighted. 
 
 At last the temple was quite finished, and it was the most 
 beautiful house in the world. 
 
 It could not be moved about as the tabernacle had been in 
 the wilderness; but Solomon never wished to move it from 
 Jerusalem. It was a great deal larger than the tabernacle. 
 
 When it was finished, Solomon sent for all the people to 
 come to the temple. They came, and carried the ark into a 
 little room in the temple, called the Holy of Holies; Solomon 
 had made a great door to the little room, and he had placed a 
 great curtain or veil over the door, and had made two very 
 large cherubim, or angels, of wood covered with gold, and had 
 placed them in the little room. The large cherubim stood up- 
 right, and each had two great wings stretched out all across the 
 little room. The priests left the ark under the wings of the 
 great cherubim, and no one could see into the little room be- 
 cause of the great door, and the curtain. 
 
 The other part of the temple was filled with priests, and 
 with singers all clothed in white, and holding harps and other 
 
SOLOMON, OR THE TEMPLE. 261 
 
 kinds of musical instruments in their hands — and some of the 
 priests blew trumpets. These were the words the singers 
 sung: 
 
 "Oh! give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good, for His 
 mercy endureth forever." 
 
 As soon as the priests naa left ^he ark in the little room, 
 and while the priests and singers were praising the Lord in the 
 temple, the Lord Himself came down in a cloud, and filled the 
 temple so that the priests ancl singers were obliged to go out 
 of the temple, and to stand in the court- 
 How glad Solomon was to see that the Lord had come into 
 the house that he had built for Him. Solomon liked to see the 
 brightness of the Lord. 
 
 Solomon had made a high place of brass; and put it near the 
 brass altar in the court, and stood upon this high place, so that 
 all the people could see him. 
 
 And Solomon knelt down on this place, and spread wide his 
 arms, and began to pray to God. His prayer was very long; 
 but I will only tell you a small part of it. He asked God to hear 
 all people who were unhappy and who were sorry for their sins, 
 and to forgive them. 
 
 When Solomon had ended his prayer, there came down fire 
 from heaven, and burned up the beasts that had been killed and 
 spread upon the altar. The fire did not hurt the people; it only 
 burned the dead beasts on the altar. 
 
 When the people saw the fire, and the glory of God, they 
 bowed themselves down to the ground, and praised the Lord, 
 and said, He is good; His mercy endureth forever. 
 
262 
 
 SOLOMON, OR THE TEMPLE. 
 
 At last the people went home to their own houses, but they 
 very often came to offer sacrifices at the temple, and to pray to 
 God. 
 
 SOLOMON'S THRONE. 
 
CHAPTER LX. 
 
 SOLOMON, OR THE QUEEN'S VISIT. 
 
 You remember how God once spoke to Solomon in the 
 night, and how He let him choose what he would have. 
 
 A long while afterward God spoke to Solomon again in the 
 night. 
 
 God said, I have heard your prayer and if you obey me as 
 David did, I will bless you; but if you do wicked things, and 
 worship idols, then I shall be very angry, and this beautiful 
 house that you have built shall be thrown down. 
 
 Solomon was very rich and very wise, as God had promised. 
 He built a great many ships, a palace, and a great many towns; 
 and he made a great throne with six steps all covered with gold, 
 and images of two lions on each of the steps, a lion on each 
 side, and a seat at the top for himself. 
 
 When Solomon spoke, he said such wise things that people 
 came from a great way off to hear him, and brought him pres- 
 ents; some brought cups of gold or silver, and some brought 
 clothes, and others brought spices, and some brought horses 
 and mules. 
 
 So Solomon grew very rich. He sent his ships to far 
 countries over the sea, and they came back full of gold, silver, 
 and ivory. Solomon was the richest king in the world. 
 
 I told you that people came from far countries to hear him 
 say wise things, for Solomon knew a great deal: he knew all 
 about the plants from the highest tree down to the least plant 
 
 263 
 
QUEEN OF SHEBA. 
 264 
 
SOLOMON, OR THE QUEENS VISIT. 
 
 265 
 
 that grows; he knew about the beasts, birds, fishes, worms, and 
 insects; but he knew something much better than these things, 
 he knew about God and how to please Him, and he gave peo- 
 ple very wise advice. 
 
 THE QUEEN OF SHEBA AND SOLOMON. 
 
 Now there was a queen who lived a great way off, who heard 
 of Solomon, and how wise he was; and she wished very much 
 to hear him talk, and to see the house he had built. 
 
 She had a great many questions to ask him: I believe that 
 her questions were about God. She had not been taught 
 about God in her own country, and she wanted to know a great 
 
266 SOLOMON, OR THE QUEEN'S VISIT. 
 
 deal about Him. She was called the queen of Sheba. She was 
 very rich, so she brought a great many servants with her, and a 
 great many camels with spices and gold, as presents. 
 
 Solomon was very kind, and answered all the questions that 
 she asked. He showed her all the things he had built. The 
 queen was quite surprised at all she saw and heard, and said to 
 king Solomon, How happy are your servants who are always 
 standing near you, and who hear the wise things you say. 
 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has made you king. 
 
 Then she gave a great deal of gold and silver to king Solo- 
 mon, and he gave her all the things that she desired; and then 
 the queen went back with her camels and her servants into her 
 own country. 
 
 The queen of Sheba brought back to her own home some- 
 thing better than her presents; she brought a great deal of wis- 
 dom in her mind. I hope that she left off worshiping idols, 
 and loved the true God. 
 
 A great many of the wise things that Solomon said, are writ- 
 ten down in the Bible; they are called "The Proverbs." When 
 you are older, my dear children, I hope you will read them. I 
 think even now you would understand some of them. 
 
CHAPTER LXI. 
 
 SOLOMON, OR THE IDOLS. 
 
 God had appeared to Solomon twice. The first time God 
 promised to make Solomon wise; and the next time to bless 
 him, if he served him. 
 
 IDOLATRY OF SOLOMON. 
 
 I must now tell you of the wicked things that Solomon did, 
 when he was old. 
 
 He married a great many wives. This was wrong. People 
 
 267 
 
268 SOLOMON, OR THE IDOLS. 
 
 might then have had two wives, or a few wives; but God liked 
 best that they should only have one. You remember that Jacob 
 had two wives. If a man now was to have two wives, he would 
 be punished; then he might have two wives, but not so many 
 as Solomon had. 
 
 Solomon had seven hundred wives. I think that Solomon 
 had grown proud, and that he wished to be a very grand king, 
 and it was thought very grand for a king to have many wives. 
 
 These wives were wicked: they worshiped idols. At last 
 these wives persuaded Solomon to like their idols, and to build 
 altars for the idols on the high places round Jerusalem; and 
 Solomon did even worse than this, he worshiped some of the 
 idols himself. You did not think that he could have been so 
 wicked. He was very foolish to worship idols, which are only 
 made of wood, or stone. Solomon knew what was right, but 
 he did not do it. 
 
 God was very angry with Solomon, and said to him, Be- 
 cause you have done this, one of your servants shall make him- 
 self king; he shall take away a great deal of the land of Canaan 
 from your son, as soon as you are dead. 
 
 I believe Solomon was sorry for his wickedness before 
 he died; but I am not quite sure that he was. It must have 
 made him very sorry to know that God would punish him. 
 
 When a king dies, the king's son is king instead of his 
 father. So, when Solomon died, his son was king instead of 
 him; but very soon one of Solomon's servants tried to make 
 himself king. The servant's name was Jer-o-bo-am. This 
 servant made himself the king over a great part of Canaan; but 
 Solomon's son was still king over the rest of the land. 
 
CHAPTER LXII. 
 
 JEROBOAM, OR THE DRIED-UP HAND. 
 
 Jeroboam made himself king over part of Canaan. Jerusa- 
 lem was not in Jeroboam's part of Canaan; it was in the part 
 that Solomon's son was king over. It was a good thing for 
 Solomon's son that he had Jerusalem. The temple was in 
 Jerusalem; and in the temple, God came down in a glorious 
 cloud. 
 
 You know that God had desired all the people in Canaan to 
 come to Jerusalem very often to worship him. Jeroboam 
 ought to have come to Jerusalem to worship God; but he 
 would not. He was very wicked, and he told his people not to 
 go to Jerusalem. 
 
 He did not like to go, because there was another king in 
 Jerusalem. He did not wish his people to go to a place where 
 there was another king, lest they should like the other king 
 best. Then Jeroboam did a very wicked thing: he made two 
 golden calves, and set them up in his part of Canaan, one calf 
 in one town and the other calf in anothei town. He set up the 
 calves that people might worship them instead of God. He said, 
 Do not go to Jerusalem, it is too far off; worship these golden 
 calves. 
 
 Jeroboam worshiped the calves himself. One day God 
 sent a prophet to tell him of his wickedness. Jeroboam was 
 standing by an altar burning incense to a golden calf, when the 
 prophet came, and told him how angry God was with the peo- 
 
 269 
 
270 JEROBOAM, OR THE DRIED-UP HAND. 
 
 pie who worshiped the golden calves, and how he would punish 
 them. And the prophet said, This is a sign that God is angry; 
 the altar shall be broken and the ashes that are on it shall fall to 
 the ground. 
 
 When king Jeroboam heard this he was angry, and he 
 wished to punish the prophet; so he stretched out his hand, 
 and said to his servants, Lay hold on him. Now while Jero- 
 boam's hand was stretched out, God made it grow dry and stiff, 
 so that he could not pull it back; at the same time the altar 
 was broken, and the ashes fell upon the ground, as the prophet 
 had said. 
 
 Jeroboam must have been frightened then. He knew that 
 no one could make his hand well but God; so he said to the 
 prophet, Pray thou to the Lord thy God for me, that my hand 
 may be made well. 
 
 The prophet prayed to God, and God made the king's hand 
 well. 
 
 Then Jeroboam did not try to hurt the prophet any more, 
 because he was afraid; but Jeroboam did not repent of wor- 
 shiping idols and turn to God; he went on teaching his people to 
 pray to the golden calves. And God was angry with Jeroboam. 
 
CHAPTER LXIII. 
 
 ELIJAH, OR THE RAVENS. 
 
 Jeroboam was called king of Israel; and Solomon's son was 
 called king of Judah. At last Jeroboam died, and there was 
 another king instead of him; and at last that king died, and then 
 there was another king; and at last he died, and then there was 
 another king, so there were a great many kings, one after the 
 other. I am sorry to say that they were all wicked, and that 
 they all worshiped the golden calves that Jeroboam had made. 
 I will not tell you the names of these kings; and my reason is, 
 I am afraid that you will not remember them. But I will tell 
 you the name of one of them. 
 
 At last, after a great many kings had died, one after another, 
 there was a king called Ahab. 
 
 He was more wicked than any of the other kings. One of 
 the worst things he did, was to marry a wicked woman who 
 worshiped idols. This woman was the daughter of the king of 
 another country; she had been brought up to worship idols, 
 and she was very fond of idols, and did a great many wicked 
 things. This woman's name was Jezebel. 
 
 The name of Jezebel's favorite idol was Baal; and she per- 
 suaded Ahab to worship Baal, as well as the golden calves: and 
 Ahab built a temple for Baal in the town where he lived. There 
 were a great many men who used to teach people to worship 
 Baal, and these men were called the prophets of Baal: and Jez- 
 ebel was very kind to them, but she tried to kill the people who 
 
 271 
 
 i 
 
272 
 
 ELIJAH, OR THE RAVENS. 
 
 loved God. There were some people in the land of Israel who 
 would not worship Baal. 
 
 One very good prophet that lived in the land of Israel 
 was named Elijah: he would not worship idols, and he tried to 
 persuade other people to love the true God. God often spoke 
 
 THE RAVENS FEEDING ELIJAH. 
 
 to him, and told him what would happen, and Elijah prayed very 
 often to God. 
 
 Ahab and Jezebel hated Elijah because he was good, and they 
 would have liked to kill him. Elijah was very sorry to see so 
 many people in the land worshiping Baal; and he wished very 
 
ELIJAH, OR THE RAVENS. 273 
 
 much that they should be sorry for their wickedness. At last 
 God sent the people a punishment. 
 
 God did not send any rain for a great many months, nor 
 did He let any dew come on the grass in the morning; so the 
 hot sun scorched the grass, and the corn did not grow, and the 
 trees did not bring forth fruit. All the people were very un- 
 happy. 
 
 How did Elijah get food when there was no rain? God told 
 him to go to a place where there was a brook, in a secret place, 
 where he might hide himself from Ahab: and God promised to 
 send some ravens to feed him. 
 
 So Elijah went to this brook, and he drank of the water of 
 the brook; and in the morning some ravens flew to him, and 
 brought him some bread and meat; and in the evening they 
 came again, and brought him some more bread and meat; and 
 the next day they came again, both morning and evening; so 
 Elijah had breakfast and supper every day, and he wanted noth- 
 ing more. 
 
 Most ravens are wild, but God made these ravens gentle. 
 Elijah must have been glad when he saw them coming with 
 the food. How he must have thanked God for sending them 
 every day. 
 
 Elijah lived quite alone by the brook, but he knew that God 
 was with him. After a while there was very little water in the 
 brook; the sun dried up the water, and no rain came to fill it 
 up. At last there was none left. 
 
CHAPTER LXIV. 
 
 ELIJAH, OR THE WIDOW. 
 
 When the brook was dried up, he told Elijah to go a great 
 way off to a place where a poor widow lived, who would give 
 him food. 
 
 Elijah went across the land of Canaan, till he came to a town 
 just outside Canaan. Now the people who lived in this town 
 were heathen, and worshiped idols. 
 
 When Elijah came to the gate of the town, he saw a poor 
 woman gathering sticks, and Elijah knew that she was the 
 widow who was to give him food: he called to her, and said, 
 Bring me, I pray thee, a little water in a cup, that I may drink. 
 
 I do not wonder that Elijah was thirsty, for he had walked 
 a long way, and there was now very little water in the land of 
 Canaan. 
 
 This widow was kind, and started for the water for Elijah. 
 Then he called her again, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a 
 morsel of bread. 
 
 Then the poor widow said, I have no -bread: I have only a 
 handful of flour, and a little oil in a jar, and I was just gathering 
 some sticks that I might make a fire, and make the flour and 
 oil into a little cake, that I and my son might eat it; and as we 
 have no more food, when we have eaten it we must die. 
 
 Elijah said to the widow, Go and make a little cake for me 
 first, and afterward make one for you and your son: for God 
 has said, that there shall always be flour in your barrel, and oil 
 in your jar. till He sends rain again upon the earth. 
 
 274 
 
ELIJAH, OR THE WIDOW. 275 
 
 What a wonderful promise this was. She went and made a 
 fire, and mixed the flour and oil together, and made some bread 
 for Elijah, and then she made some for herself and her son; 
 and still there was flour in the barrel, and oil in the jar; and 
 every day she found enough for them all. 
 
 Elijah came and lived with this poor widow; he lived in a 
 room up-stairs. She found it was a good thing to have such 
 a man in the house. Elijah could teach her about God; for you 
 know that she had been brought up to worship idols. 
 
 Now you shall hear of a very sad thing that happened to 
 this poor woman. One day her son, who was a little boy, fell 
 sick, and he was so very sick that he died. The poor widow was 
 unhappy. She knew that God had let him die, and she thought 
 that God was angry with her; and she wished that Elijah had 
 not come to her house; so she went to Elijah, and spoke 
 angrily to him. It was very ungrateful in her to behave in this 
 manner. Then Elijah said, Give me thy son. 
 
 Now the widow was holding the dead child in her arms, 
 and Elijah took the child in his own arms, and carried him to 
 his own room, and laid him on his bed. Then Elijah began to 
 pray to God. O Lord my God! he said, hast thou made this 
 sad thing happen to the widow ? 
 
 Then Elijah stretched himsef upon the child, as it lay dead; 
 he did so three times, and he prayed to God, saying, O Lord, 
 my God! I pray thee let this child's soul come into him again. 
 
 And the Lord heard Elijah's prayer, and let the child's soul 
 come into him again, and then the child was alive. Then it was 
 warm, and it breathed. 
 
ELIJAH RESTORING THE WIDOW'S CHILD. 
 276 
 
 i 
 
ELIJAH. OR THE WIDOW. 277 
 
 Elijah took the child in his arms, and brought him down 
 stairs, and gave him to his mother, and said, See, thy son is 
 alive. Was she angry now with Elijah? Oh no. Now, said 
 she, I see that you are a man of God, and all that you tell me 
 about God is true. 
 
CHAPTER LXV. 
 
 ELIJAH, OR THE TWO ALTARS. 
 
 Elijah lived a long while with the poor widow. Ahab and 
 Jezebel, the wicked king and queen, did not know where he 
 was. They would have been glad to find him. Ahab sent to 
 all the countries round; but no one could find him. Ahab was 
 angry with Elijah because Elijah had told Ahab that God was 
 angry with him for worshiping idols. 
 
 The Israelites were very unhappy because they had so little 
 food; even king Ahab had not grass enough in his fields for his 
 horses, so that a great many of them died. 
 
 Elijah was sorry for the Israelites, and prayed to God to 
 send rain, that more corn and grass might grow. God heard 
 this prayer, and he told Elijah that he would send rain; but first 
 he told Elijah to go and show himself to king Ahab. 
 
 Elijah did what God told him; for he knew that God would 
 take care of him. So Elijah left the widow and her son, and 
 set out on a long journey. I think that the widow must have 
 been sorry when Elijah went, he had fed. her and taught her 
 about God; but God had promised to make her flour and oil 
 last till he sent rain. 
 
 Now while Elijah was on his way to king Ahab, he met a 
 good servant of Ahab's. 
 
 This servant was looking for grass for king Ahab's horses. 
 The servant knew Elijah. 
 
 Then Elijah said, Go and tell king Ahab, that I am here. 
 
 278 
 
ELIJAH, OR THE TWO ALTARS. 279 
 
 The servant was afraid, for he thought that while he was 
 gone to tell Ahab, God would take away Elijah, and that Ahab 
 would be angry and kill him. Ahab was a cruel master, and 
 his servant was afraid of making him angry. 
 
 But Elijah promised that he would stay till Ahab came, so 
 the servant believed Elijah's promise, and went to look for 
 Ahab. 
 
 His servant told him that Elijah was waiting to see him. So 
 Ahab came to the place. 
 
 When Ahab saw Elijah, ne spoke angrily, and said, Are you 
 the man that troubles the people of Israel? 
 
 Ahab thought it was Elijah who had asked God not to let 
 the rain come. 
 
 Then Elijah said to Ahab, It is not I that trouble the people 
 of Israel. It is you that have made these troubles come by your 
 wickedness. You have not obeyed God, and you have wor- 
 shiped Baal. 
 
 Then Elijah told Ahab to get all the propnets of Baal to- 
 gether, and send them to him on a very high hill. 
 
 Would Ahab do what Elijah had asked? Yes, because he 
 wanted rain, and he thought that Elijah could ask God to 
 send it. 
 
 One morning very early Elijah was on the high mountain 
 with Baal's wicked prophets, and a great many people were 
 standing all round; and king Ahab was there. 
 
 Elijah wanted them to see that his God was the true God; 
 so he said to them, Let Baal's prophets take a bullock and kill 
 it, and lay it on the altar, and then let them ask Baal to send fire 
 from heaven to burn up the bullock. I will take another bul- 
 
280 ELIJAH, OR THE TWO ALTARS. 
 
 lock and kill it, and lay it on the altar. I will ask the Lord to send 
 fire from heaven; and if Baal send fire, then you will know that 
 He is the true God; but if my God send fire, then you will 
 know that He is the true God. 
 
 The people liked what Elijah said, and they answered, It is 
 well spoken. 
 
 Then Elijah told Baal's prophets to take their bullock first. 
 So they took it and killed it, and put it on the altar with some 
 wood; but they put no fire to the wood. Then they began to 
 pray to their god to send fire. They cried, O Baal, hear us. 
 They went on calling out, Baal! hear us, till twelve o'clock; 
 and they jumped about the altar, as they used to do when they 
 prayed to him. 
 
 At last Elijah said to them, Cry louder. Perhaps your god 
 is talking, or perhaps he is hunting, or perhaps he is taking a 
 journey, or perhaps he is asleep, and you must wake him. 
 
 Was Elijah in earnest? Oh! no; he knew that Baal was 
 nothing at all: only those foolish people said that there was a 
 god called Baal. 
 
 Still the prophets of Baal went on praying for fire; and at 
 last they cut themselves with knives, and made blood flow, be- 
 cause they thought it would please Baal; they thought he was a 
 cruel god that liked their blood. So they went on till three 
 o'clock n the afternoon; but no fire came from heaven. 
 
 Then Elijah said it was time to ask his God to send fire; so 
 Elijah built an altar with twelve stones, and laid some wood on 
 the altar and laid the bullock on the wood; and then he desired 
 the people to throw twelve barrels of water over the altar. 
 There was a river just at the bottom of the hill. Elijah made a 
 
ELIJAH, OR THE TWO ALTARS. 
 
 281 
 
 iitch all around the altar, and this ditch was quite filled with 
 water, and the altar was wet. 
 
 Elijah wished the water to be poured over the sacrifice, to 
 show the people that he had not hid any fire in the altar, or 
 near it; for if he had, the water would have put it out. 
 
 DEATH OF THE PRIESTS OF BAAL. 
 
 All the people were standing round, while he prayed before 
 the altar. 
 
 This is what he said: Lord God of Abraham, of Isaac, and 
 of Jacob, let it be known this day that Thou art God, and that 
 I am Thy servant. 
 
282 ELIJAH, OR THE TWO ALTARS. 
 
 And God heard Elijah. Fire came from heaven, and burnt 
 up the bullock and the altar; yes, the fire burnt the stones, and 
 even the water that was in the ditch. 
 
 How surprised the people were at this sight. They fell on 
 their faces and said, The Lord He is the God. 
 
 Now they saw that Baal was not the true God. So Elijah 
 desired the people to take hold of the wicked prophets of Baal, 
 and to bring them down to the river at the bottom of the hill, 
 and to kill them with swords. These prophets had taught the 
 people to worship Baal, so God chose that they should die. 
 
 Did the people leave off worshiping Baal? We shall soon 
 hear what they did. 
 
ELIJAH'S SERVANT SEEING THE CLOUD. 
 283 
 
CHAPTER LXVI. 
 
 ELIJAH, OR THE RAIN. 
 
 You have heard how the prophets of Baal were killed. Now 
 Elijah knew that God would soon send rain; so he told Ahab 
 that there would soon be rain, and that he might go and eat 
 and drink. But Elijah did not eat and drink. He went up to 
 the top of the hill to pray. He threw himself upon the 
 earth, and bent down hi-s head very low. 
 
 Elijah told his servant to stand up while he himself was pray- 
 ing, and to look a great way off over the sea, and to tell him 
 what he saw. Do you know what Elijah wished his servant to 
 see? Elijah wanted God to send clouds in the sky, that there 
 might be rain. The servant went up and looked and said, 
 There is nothing. Then Elijah told him to go and look seven 
 times. The seventh time the servant came and said, 1 saw a 
 little cloud a great way off, as big as a man's hand. 
 
 Elijah knew that God had heard his prayer, and that the 
 cloud would grow larger, and that rain would soon come down. 
 So he told the servant to tell Ahab to get -ready his chariot and 
 horses, and to drive fast to his own house, which was a great 
 way off; for that there would soon be a great rain. 
 
 So Ahab rode in his chariot with his horses, and God made 
 Elijah so strong that he ran faster than the horses, and got first 
 to the city where Ahab lived. While Ahab was driving, and 
 Elijah was running, there were a great many clouds in the sky, 
 an 1 soon there was a great rain. 
 
 How glad the people were when the rain came down. It 
 
 284 
 
ELIJAH IN THE WILDERNESS. 
 285 
 
286 ELIJAH, OR THE RAIN. 
 
 filled the dried-up ponds, refreshed the withered grass, and 
 softened the hard ground. Now the people knew that more 
 corn and grass would soon grow in the fields. 
 
 When Ahab got to his own city where he lived, he found 
 the queen Jezebel there, and he told her all that had happened: 
 he told her how Baal did not send fire from heaven, and how 
 God did; and he told her how Elijah had killed the prophets of 
 Baal. 
 
 Jezebel was very angry with Elijah, and she sent a man to 
 tell him that she would kill him the next day. 
 
 When Elijah heard that Jezebel wished to kill him, he was 
 afraid, and would not stay in the city where she lived; but he 
 went very quickly all through the land of Canaan, till he came to 
 a great wilderness. He did not take his servant with him, but 
 went there alone. In the wilderness there were trees and hills, 
 but very few houses and people. 
 
 Elijah was quite alone. He sat down under a tree, and 
 prayed to God to let him die. He was afraid that Jezebel 
 would kill him; but he was more unhappy because Jezebel went 
 on in her wickedness. After Elijah had prayed, he lay down 
 under the tree, and went to sleep. Soon some one touched 
 him. It was an angel. The angel said, Arise and eat. 
 
 Then Elijah looked, and saw a fire, and some bread near it 
 that had just been baked; and a jug of water was close to his 
 head. Who could have got ready the bread and the water? 
 It must have been the angel. So you see that an angel was his 
 servant. God sends his angels to wait upon people who love 
 Him. They fly down quickly from heaven, when God tells 
 them to. 
 
ELIJAH, OR THE RAIN. 287 
 
 Elijah ate and drank the bread and water, and then lay down 
 again, and slept. But soon the angel woke him again, and said, 
 Arise and eat, for you will soon walk a great way. 
 
 So Elijah ate and drank again, and afterward walked a great 
 way in the wilderness; but the angel's food had made him 
 strong, and he lived without eating and drinking for forty days. 
 
 ■M 
 
CHAPTER LXVH. 
 
 ELIJAH OR THE CALL OF EUS* 
 
 : : iDced fori days in the wilderness, till at last he 
 
 le } a mount Rierehe wind .. ; e and le went in 
 and slept • • t le e. God spoke andas sd him why he nd 
 oc nc . « e 
 
 rhen E ah said The people ;:" Israel have thro i ;.; i 
 God's its and! ed God's prophets and lam the on 
 
 and ie me. 
 
 rhan God told limtc come /..: : the cave Elijah c 
 /... and s »d upon : le mou ... n. And Sod n rik a - 
 g Eat id : tore the mounts i then ie made the 
 
 mounts i shake and ire Dome. How dreadful it must 
 been to see and hea these things Bu: God ited to shov 
 f • \ sfc mi§ -: as sc le might kno^ I ta1 God Dot d 
 i ;.. ec urn, and punish ckedpeopk : : ed to hurt 
 ■ 13 F iec G :/. spc etc : : . " in a gentle : :; and ler le 
 k d his ice ie cc ea ed ) s face : i ■ s c :..-. and e it 
 ; stood is ok I le ca e 
 
 God as :ed : : a i aga i ly he : n^ the : and E /. ■ :; .;. 
 me Lord aga n that me people ere :ked and rhai the 
 i :- c ' "" 
 
 rhan God told f ah that He would soon punish the eked 
 :;;:.; ; > - : \c dots and God said : a: : :hc ae;;\c 
 did not worship Baa and that there ere a great mar i srad 
 •; ad ■: ■ ; :; edthe knees tc Baa 
 
 88 
 
ELIJAH, OR THE CALL OF ELISHA. 
 
 289 
 
 God told Elijah to go and find a man called Elisha, and 
 anoint him prophet. 
 
 Then Elijah left the cave, and went to look for Elisha. At 
 last he came to a field where a man was plowing. There were 
 
 ELIJAH PASSED BY HIM. 
 
 twenty-four oxen drawing the plow. They were harnessed 
 two and two; and each pair had a great piece of wood over their 
 necks, called a yoke. A man was walking by the side of the 
 last oxen. This man's name was Elisha. 
 
 Elijah came up to the man, and taking off his own cloak. 
 
 ~2HM 
 
 ' ■ - *■ ■NP*V 
 
290 ELIJAH, OR THE CALL OF ELISHA. 
 
 threw it over the other's shoulders. Why did he throw the 
 cloak over the man? He wished to show him that he was to 
 come with him; and the man knew what Elijah meant. He 
 left his oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, I will come with 
 thee; only let me first go and kiss my father and mother. 
 
 —7 
 
CHAPTER LXVIII. 
 
 ELIJAH, OR THE VINEYARD OF NABOTH. 
 
 I am going to tell you of a very wicked thing that Ahab did. 
 He was very rich. He had two houses. One of his houses 
 as in one town, and the other was in another town. Near one 
 )i these houses there was a garden full of vines. A garden of 
 vines is called a vineyard. This vineyard was close to Ahab's 
 house, and belonged to a man called Naboth. Ahab wished 
 very much to have this vineyard. So Ahab said to Naboth, If 
 you will give me your vineyard, I will give you a better one in- 
 stead, or I will give you some money for it. 
 
 But Naboth answered, No; my father gave it to me, and 1 
 do not choose to sell it. 
 
 Ahab was angry, because he could not get the vineyard, and 
 went home to his other house. He was so unhappy that he lay 
 down and turned away his face, and would not eat any bread. 
 
 Ahab was foolish to be unhappy about a vineyard. He had 
 a great many beautiful things, yet he wanted more. 
 
 Jezebel saw how unhappy Ahab seemed, and she went to 
 him, and said, What makes you so sad? 
 
 And Ahab said, I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard, and 
 he said, "I will not sell it." 
 
 Then Jezebel said, Are you not a king? Do not be unhappy: 
 eat and drink; I will give you the vineyard. 
 
 Jezebel had a wicked plan in her mind — she meant to have 
 Naboth killed! So she wrote some letters to some wicked 
 
 291 
 
■gMMpHBIMj^jilH 
 
 JEZEBEL LOOKING OUT ON JEHU. 
 292 
 
 >_ 
 
NABOTH'S VINEYARD. 
 293 
 
294 ELIJAH, OR THE VINEYARD OF N A BOTH. 
 
 judges who lived near Naboth, and told them to get some other 
 wicked people to say that they had heard Naboth say very 
 wicked words against God and the king; and then to order 
 people to kill him for it. 
 
 Then Jezebel sent these wicked letters to the judges in the 
 town where Naboth lived. When they had read them, they 
 did as she told them. They desired two men to say that they 
 had heard Naboth say very wicked words against God and the 
 king. And then the judges said that Naboth must be killed; 
 and the people took him out of the city, and threw great stones 
 at him till he died. God saw the blood of Naboth, and was 
 very angry with the wicked Jezebel, who had ordered him to 
 be killed; and God was angry with Ahab too, because he had 
 allowed Jezebel to write the letters. 
 
 Jezebel said to Ahab, Go, and take the vineyard of Naboth; 
 for he is not alive but dead. Then Ahab went where the vine- 
 yard was, to take it for his own. 
 
 God spoke to Elijah, and said, Go to the vineyard where 
 Ahab is, and tell him that dogs shall one day lick his blood. 
 
 So Elijah went to the vineyard. 
 
 I am glad to tell you that Ahab was frightened at the mes- 
 sage, and was very unhappy. If Ahab had not cared for what 
 God had said, God would have been still more angry with him. 
 A long while afterward, Ahab went to fight a battle against 
 some people who lived near Canaan. Ahab went to the battle 
 in a chariot drawn by horses. A man there shot an arrow into 
 his body, and the blood began to flow out. The driver of the 
 chariot took Ahab back to the land of Canaan, and as Ahab was 
 on the way, he died. 
 
CHAPTER LXIX. 
 
 ELIJAH, OR THE THREE CAPTAINS. 
 
 When Ahab was dead, there was another king. He was 
 one of Ahab's sons, and his name was A-ha-zi-ah. He was 
 wicked like his father Ahab, and his mother Jezebel. He wor- 
 shiped idols too. 
 
 After he had been king a little while, he met with a dread- 
 ful accident. He was in a room upstairs, and fell out of the 
 window. He thought that perhaps he should die, and he 
 wanted very much to know whether he would get well. Aha- 
 ziah was so foolish that he thought an idol could tell whether 
 he should die or live. So he sent his servants a great way 
 off, to an idol. 
 
 As the servants were going to the idol, they met a man, 
 but did not know who he was. This man was dressed in the 
 skins of beasts with the hair outside, and he wore round his 
 waist a piece of leather called a girdle. It was Elijah. God had 
 told him to speak to the servants of king Ahaziah. 
 
 Elijah told the servants that God was angry with Ahaziah for 
 sending to an idol to know whether he should get well; and 
 that he should surely die. 
 
 How surprised the servants must have been when they 
 found that the man they met knew where they were going, and 
 what the king's message was. They did not go on to the idol's 
 house, but they went back to tell Ahaziah what the prophet had 
 said. He said to the servants, What sort of a man was he? 
 
 295 
 
296 . ELIJAH, OR THE THREE CAPTAINS. 
 
 And the servants said, He wore clothes covered with hair, 
 and a leathern girdle. 
 
 Then Ahaziah said, It is Elijah. 
 
 Ahaziah was very angry with Elijah for having said that he 
 should die, and he wanted to see him; but he knew that Elijah 
 could do wonders, so he determined to send a great many men 
 to find Elijah, and to make him come. So he ordered a cap- 
 tain to take fifty soldiers with him, and to go and bring Elijah. 
 
 The captain found Elijah sitting on the top of a hill; and the 
 captain spoke to him in a rude manner, and said, Thou man of 
 God, the king hath said, Come down. 
 
 Elijah said, If I be a man of God. then let fire come down 
 from heaven, and burn up you and your fifty men. And the 
 fire came down from heaven, and burned up the captain and 
 his fifty men. 
 
 Ahaziah found that the captain and the soldiers did not come 
 back. Then Ahaziah sent another captain with fifty soldiers; 
 and this captain found Elijah on the top of the hill; and he said, 
 O man of God! thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. 
 You see that this captain spoke even more rudely than the 
 other captain had done, for he said, Come down quickly. 
 
 And Elijah answered, If I be a man of God, let fire come 
 down from heaven, and burn you up and your fifty men. And 
 the fire of God came down from heaven, and burned them up. 
 So these soldiers never returned to king Ahaziah. 
 
 Then he sent another captain and fifty other soldiers. Now 
 this captain had. heard what had happened to the other captains. 
 What could this poor captain do? The king would have been 
 very angry if he had said he would not go. This is what the 
 
ELIJAH, OR THE THREE CAPTAINS. 297 
 
 captain did. He went to Elijah, and behaved in a very humble 
 manner. He threw himself down upon his knees and begged 
 Elijah to spare his life. The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, 
 Go down with him; be not afraid. 
 
 So Elijah went with this captain to the king. 
 
 Elijah found Ahaziah lying sick in bed, and he told him that 
 because he had sent to ask the idol whether he should get well, 
 God would let him die. 
 
 Very soon afterward king Ahaziah died, and there was an- 
 other king instead of him, and he was wicked. 
 
CHAPTER LXX. 
 
 ELIJAH, OR THE CHARIOT OF FIRE. 
 
 Elijah once wished to die. But God chose that he should 
 never die, but go up to heaven without dying. When Elijah 
 knew that he was soon going up into heaven, he went to a 
 great many places where his friends lived. 
 
 I think they must have felt sorry to part with him; only they 
 knew that he was going to be happy. 
 
 Elisha wished very much to see Elijah go up to heaven, so 
 he determined to keep close to him. Elijah said, Pray stay at 
 this place, while I go to another place, where the Lord has told 
 me to go. 
 
 And Elisha said, I will not leave thee. 
 
 Soon afterward Elijah said, Stay at this place while I go on. 
 
 No, said Elisha, 1 will not leave thee. 
 
 Soon Elijah said again, Stay at this place while I go on. 
 
 No, said Elisha, 1 will not leave thee. 
 
 So Elijah and Elisha walked a great way together from place 
 to place. At last they came to the river Jordan. Then Eli- 
 jah took off his cloak, and folded it up, and struck the waters 
 with it; and God made a path through the waters, and Elijah 
 and Elisha walked through the river on dry ground. 
 
 After they were gone over the river, Elijah said to Elisha, 
 Ask what 1 shall do for thee before 1 be taken. 
 
 Elisha wished to be such a prophet as Elijah was, so he 
 asked for a great deal of his spirit. He did not want people to 
 praise him; he wanted them to praise God. 
 
 298 
 
ELIJAH TAKEN UP IN THE CHARIOT. 
 299 
 
300 ELIJAH, OR THE CHARIOT OF FIRE. 
 
 Elijah said, You have asked a hard thing, but if you see me 
 when I am taken, it shall be so; but if not, it shall not be so. 
 
 They still walked on, and talked to each other. I think they 
 talked of God, and of heaven, and of what they could do to 
 please God. 
 
 As they were talking, there came down from heaven a. 
 chariot, and horses of fire — that is, angels, who are bright like 
 the fire — and Elijah was taken away from Elisha, and carried up 
 into heaven: and Elisha cried out, Aly father, my father! 
 
 Elisha loved Elijah as if he had been his father; for he had 
 taught him about God. As Elijah was taken away, his cloak 
 f ell from him, and Elisha picked it up, and when he came ba 
 to the river Jordan, he struck the waters with it as Elijah had 
 done, and the waters went up on each side, and there was a dry- 
 path, and Elisha walked over alone. 
 
 Then Elisha saw that God had made him such a prophet as 
 Elijah had been. Some of Elijah's friends were standing on 
 the other side of the river, and they saw the wonder that Elisha 
 had done, and they said, The spirit of Elijah is in Elisha. And 
 they came, and bowed themselves down to him. 
 
 Now Elisha began to go about from place to place, as Elijah 
 had once done, and teach people about God, and do wonders,, 
 to show people that his God was the true God. 
 
CHAPTER LXXI. 
 
 ELISHA, OR THE BEARS. 
 
 People who loved God loved Elisha, but wicked people 
 hated him. There were some people who even laughed at him; 
 there were even some little children who dared to mock him. 
 I will tell you about these children. 
 
 People who have no hair, or only a little hair, on their heads, 
 are called bald. Elisha was bald. One day Elisha came near a 
 town where a great many people lived, who worshiped idols. 
 Little children came out and met Elisha; they mocked him, and 
 said, Go up, thou bald head. They told Elisha to go -up to 
 heaven as Elijah had done, that they might not see him any 
 more. 
 
 Elisha turned, and said that God would send them a dread- 
 ful punishment. 
 
 The children soon found that Elisha had spoken truth; for 
 two bears came out of the wood, and tore forty-two of these 
 children into pieces. 
 
 No doubt the children tried to run away, when they saw the 
 bears coming, but it was of no use; they could not escape. 
 
 You have now heard what became of wicked children 
 who mocked Elisha, and you shall hear next of his kindness to 
 a poor woman who had lost her husband. Her husband had 
 been a good prophet, but poor, and had not been able to pay for 
 all the things he had bought. 
 
 The woman came to Elisha and said, My husband is dead, 
 
 301 
 
302 ELISHA, OR THE BEAKS. 
 
 and I cannot pay my debts. A man is come to take away my 
 two sons to be slaves. 
 
 The woman was very unhappy at the thought of losing 
 her dear boys. Elisha was sorry and said, What hast thou in 
 the house? 
 
 And the woman said, I have nothing but one pot of oil. 
 Sweet oil was used for food. 
 
 Elisha said, Go and borrow a great many empty cups, jugs, 
 and basins, and bring them into thy house, and shut the door 
 upon thee and thy sons, and pour the oil into all these cups 
 and basins, and put them by. 
 
 The woman knew that Elisha could do miracles, because 
 God was with him to help him, so did as Elisha had told her. 
 
 She poured, and poured, and still there was oil left in her 
 pot. At last she said to her son, Bring me another cup. But 
 he said, There is no more. So she went to Elisha, and he said, 
 Go and sell your oil, and pay your debt; and when the debt is 
 paid, keep all the money that is over to buy bread for yourself 
 and your children. 
 
CHAPTER LXXII. 
 
 ELISHA, OR THE LITTLE ROOM. 
 
 Elisha used to go from place to place to teach people about 
 God. 
 
 There was one very rich lady who used to ask Elisha to 
 come in. 
 
 This kind woman wished that she had a room for Elisha to 
 sleep in, and she said to her husband, Let us make a little room 
 close to our house; and let us put in it a bed, a table, a stool, 
 and a candlestick, that Elisha may sleep in it when he comes 
 this way. 
 
 And the lady's husband allowed her to have such a little 
 room built. Soon afterward Elisha came that way, and slept in 
 the room. Elisha must have liked it very much — he could sit 
 there alone, and think of God; he could write because there 
 was a table, and when it was dark he could light the candle, and 
 go on writing or reading. 
 
 Elisha thought the woman had been very kind to make a 
 room for him, and he wished to do something to please her, 
 for he was grateful: he was very kind to people who were kind 
 to him. Now Elisha had a servant called Gehazi. Elisha told 
 Gehazi to ask the woman to come to him. And she came. 
 Elisha thanked her for her kindness and asked whether she 
 would like to have him speak to the king about her, so that the 
 king might take notice of her. 
 
 Then the woman said, No, she would rather stay where she 
 
 303 
 
304 ELISHA, OR THE LITTLE ROOM. 
 
 was. So Elisha said to Gehazi, What shall I do for heiv And 
 Gehazi said, She has no child. 
 
 Gehazi thought that she would like to have a little child. 
 Then Elisha told Gehazi to call her again, and she came, and 
 stood at the door. And Elisha said, Next year you shall have a 
 son. 
 
 The woman was very much surprised to hear this, and 
 could hardly believe it. Next year she had a son. She was 
 very fond of him indeed. She thought it was very kind in 
 God to give him to her. 
 
 One day when the child was grown [old enough to talk, 
 he went out with his father into a field where men were reap- 
 ing; for his father had a great many fields full of grain. It was 
 morning, yet the sun was hot, and the child soon cried out, My 
 head, my head! The child felt such a pain in his head, that he 
 could not stay in the field. 
 
 So the father said to one of his servants, Carry him to his 
 mother. The servant carried him home to his mother, and he 
 sat on her knees till twelve o'clock, and then died. Oh! how 
 sad the mother was, when she found her little boy was dead. 
 
 The mother went into the room she had made for Elisha, 
 and laid him on his bed, and shut the door. Elisha lived at a 
 place a great way off, and the lady wished very much to go 
 and see him. She asked her husband to allow her to have one 
 of the servants go with her, and one of the horses for her 
 to ride upon, that she might go to Elisha. And her husband 
 said, Why do you want to go to Elisha to-day? This is not the 
 Sabbath day. Because Elisha used to teach people about God 
 on the Sabbath day. 
 
DEATH OF THE WOMAN'S CHILD. 
 
 305 
 
306 ELISHA, OR THE LITTLE ROOM. 
 
 And the woman said, It shall be well. But she did not tell 
 him why she wanted to go; I suppose she was afraid of griev- 
 ing him. A servant went with the lady, " and she said to the 
 servant, Go quickly and do not stop, unless I tell you. 
 
 At last they came to the hill where Elisha was. He was 
 with his servant Gehazi; and he saw the woman coming, while 
 she was a great way off, and he wanted to know why she was 
 coming to him so quickly, for he thought that something was 
 the matter. So he said to Gehazi, Run now to meet her, and 
 say, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it 
 well with thy child? 
 
 So Gehazi ran, and asked the woman. And she said, It is 
 well. She knew that it was well, or right, because God had 
 made her child die. Yet the poor lady felt very unhappy. 
 
 When she came up to Elisha, she got off her horse and 
 threw her arms round Elisha's feet. Gehazi was going to 
 thrust her away. But Elisha would not let him do so, but said, 
 Let her alone; she is very unhappy, and God has not told me 
 what has happened to her. 
 
 Then the woman said to Elisha, Did I ask you for a son? 
 
 Then Elisha saw that her son was "dead. So he gave his 
 own staff or stick to Gehazi, and told him to go quickly, and to- 
 lay the staff upon the face of the child. 
 
 Gehazi went and laid the staff on the child's face, but the 
 child remained quite dead. So Gehazi went and met Elisha 
 coming, and said, The child is not awakened. 
 
 At last Elisha came to the house. He went into his own 
 little room, and found the child lying dead on the bed; he shut 
 the door, and prayed to God to make him alive again; and then 
 
EL1SHA, OR THE LITTLE ROOM. 
 
 307 
 
 lay upon the child, putting his mouth upon the child's mouth, 
 and his eyes upon the child's eyes, and his hands upon the 
 child's hands, and the child's flesh began to grow warm. Soon 
 the child sneezed seven times, and then opened his eyes. 
 
 ELISHA RESTORING THE SON TO HIS MOTHER. 
 
 Then Elisha called Gehazi, and desired him to go and tell the 
 woman to come. When she came into the room, Elisha said, 
 Take up thy son. Before she took up the child, she fell at 
 Elisha's feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and then she 
 took up her child, and went out of the room. 
 
308 ELISHA, OR THE LITTLE ROOM. 
 
 Elijah once made a widow's child alive again; and now 
 Elisha made a child alive; for Elisha was such a prophet as 
 Elijah had been, and could do wonders like him. God had 
 promised that he should be like Elijah, if he saw him taken up 
 to heaven; and God kept his promise. 
 
CHAPTER LXXIII. 
 
 ELISHA, OR THE LITTLE MAID. 
 
 There were a great many heathen people lived outside 
 the land of Canaan. You know that people who worship 
 idols, are called "heathen." Some of these heathen people used 
 often to come into Canaan, and rob them. 
 
 Once some of those heathen people came, and took away a 
 little girl; and they sold her for a slave to wait on a rich lady in 
 a country a great way off. The lady's husband was called 
 Naaman. He was a great captain, and could fight well in battle. 
 
 But Naaman was very unhappy, for he had a dreadful 
 disease called the leprosy. He had very sore white places on 
 his body. He could not find anybody who could cure him of 
 his disease. No doctors could cure him; nor could any of the 
 priests of his idols. Now the little girl who waited on his wife 
 had heard of the wonders that Elisha did, and she felt sure that 
 he could cure him, and said, Oh! that my master were with the 
 prophet; for he would cure his leprosy. 
 
 Somebody heard what the little girl said, and told Naaman. 
 Naaman wished very much to be made well, and determined to 
 go and ask Elisha to make him well. 
 
 Elisha heard that he was coming, and knew God would help 
 him to make Naaman well. He hoped when Namaan was-well, 
 he would worship the true God, who could do such wonders; 
 for Elisha did not wish people to praise him, but he wished 
 them to praise God. 
 
 Naaman came into Canaan in a fine chariot with horses, and 
 
 309 
 
NAAMAN'S CAPTIVE MAID. 
 310 
 
ELISHA, OR THE LITTLE MAID. 311 
 
 brought a great many servants. He was proud, and he ex- 
 pected that Elisha would pay him respect, because he was so 
 rich. He drove up to the door, but Elisha did not come out to 
 meet him; he only sent a messenger, who said, Go and wash in 
 the river of Jordan seven times; and your flesh shall be well. 
 
 Then Naaman was very angry, and said, I thought that the 
 prophet would come out to me, and would have stood, and 
 called on the name of the Lord his God, and struck his hand 
 over the sore place and made me well. Besides being angry at 
 this, Naaman did not like to wash in a river of Canaan; he would 
 rather have washed in one of the fine large rivers of his own 
 country. Naaman was so very angry that he was going home 
 to his own country without washing in Jordan; but his servants 
 came to persuade him to wash in Jordan. They said, If the 
 prophet had desired you to do some very hard thing, would you 
 not have done it, that you might have been made well? Now 
 he tells you to do a very easy thing; only to wash in the river 
 Jordan; and will you not do it? 
 
 Naaman listened to what they said; he went to Jordan, and 
 did so seven times, and his flesh grew as soft and smooth as 
 the flesh of a child. 
 
 Now Naaman was glad that he had done as Elisha had told 
 him. Where do you think that Naaman went, when he was 
 well? Did he go home immediately to his own country again? 
 Oh! no; that would have been very ungrateful. He went first 
 to Elisha's house, and brought all his servants with him. 
 
 He did not feel so proud as he had done before; he did not 
 expect Elisha to come out to him, but he went in; and told him 
 
312 ELISHA, OR THE LITTLE MAID. 
 
 that he was sure his God was the true God, and he promised 
 that he would never worship idols any more. 
 
 Naaman wished to give Elisha some money and some beau- 
 tiful things, as a reward, so he begged him to take some of the 
 things he had brought with him. But Elisha would not take 
 anything. He wished to show Naaman that he had not made 
 him well in order to get money. 
 
 Naaman begged Elisha very much to take something; but 
 Elisha still said he would take nothing. You see that. Elisha did 
 not care for money. 
 
 Then Naaman set out in his chariot to go back to his own 
 country. You remember that Elisha had a servant called Ge- 
 hazi. Gehazi heard his master Elisha say he would not take any- 
 thing from Naaman, and Gehazi wished very much that he 
 could get some of the beautiful things himself; so he thought 
 of a way of getting them by telling an untruth. 
 
 So Gehazi ran after Naaman's chariot; at last they saw him 
 running, and he stopped the chariot, and got out, for he was 
 afraid that something was the matter. Naaman said, Is all well? 
 And Gehazi said, All is well, but there are two visitors at our 
 house, very good men, who are very poor, and my master 
 would like some silver, and two suits of clothes, to give to 
 them. 
 
 This was not true, but Naaman did not know that Gehazi 
 was telling lies; so he gave Gehazi twice as much silver, and 
 put it in two bags, and gave him two suits of clothes. 
 
 Then Gehazi went to Elisha's house to wait upon him. He 
 little thought that Elisha knew of his wickedness; but there was 
 
ELISHA, OH THE LITTLE MAID. 3l3 
 
 One who saw him. God told Elisha that Gehazi meant to buy 
 vineyards, fields, sheep, oxen, and slaves with the money. 
 
 Elisha said to Gehazi, Where do you come from? And 
 Gehazi said, I have not been anywhere. You see that Gehazi 
 told another untruth to hide his wickedness. Then Elisha said, 
 Did not my heart go with thee? Let the leprosy of Naaman be 
 upon thee forever. Immediately sore white places came on 
 Gehazi's skin, and he went out of Elisha's sight. Gehazi could 
 not live with Elisha any more, for people who had the leprosy 
 were obliged to live by themselves. 
 
 At last Elisha died. God did not take him up to heaven in 
 a chariot of fire. He died in his bed, and his spirit went to 
 heaven, but his body was buried in the ground. After Elisha 
 was dead, the people of Israel grew still more wicked. King 
 Ahab had been a wicked king, and Ahaziah his son had been 
 wicked; and the next king was wicked; there was another king, 
 and he was wicked; and at last he died, and there was another 
 king, and he was wicked; and there were a great many kings of 
 Israel, one after the other, and they were all wicked. At last 
 God determined to send a great punishment to all the people 
 of Israel. 
 
 There was a king who lived a great way off, in a country 
 called Assyria. He was a heathen king, was very rich, and had 
 a great many soldiers. The King of Assyria came with his sol- 
 diers into the land of Canaan, and fought against the people, 
 and conquered them; the soldiers got into all their towns, and 
 took away all their things. 
 
 This was the punishment God sent them at last, because 
 they would worship idols, and do many wicked things. 
 
CHAPTER LXXIV. 
 
 HEZEKIAH, OR THE KING WHO TRUSTED IN GOD. 
 
 When Solomon's son died, his son was king of Judah; and 
 when he died, his son was king — and so there were a great 
 many kings, one after another. At last there was a good king 
 
 HOUSE ON THE CITY WALLS. 
 
 called Hez-e-kiah, who lived at Jerusalem, and liked to worship 
 God in the temple, and he persuaded a great many people to 
 come and worship God; for Hezekiah loved God. 
 
 The king of Assyria sent some of his soldiers to Jerusalem; 
 and they brought their tents, and waited all round the city, and 
 tried to get in. The walls around the city were high and 
 strong, and the people shut the gates fast; still they were afraid 
 
 314 
 
HEZEKIAH, OR THE KING WHO TRUSTED IN GOD. 315 
 
 lest the king of Assyria's soldiers should get in at last. But 
 Hezekiahknew that God could keep them from being hurt. 
 One day the king of Assyria wrote a letter, and sent it to Hez- 
 ekiah. It was a very wicked letter. He said: Your God can- 
 not save you from the king of Assyria, who has conquered a 
 great many countries : the gods of those people could not save 
 them, neither can your God save you. 
 
 Some men brought this letter to king Hezekiah, and he read 
 it. He could not bear to read such wicked words against God; 
 so he took it into the temple, and spread the letter before God, 
 and began to pray. He said, God! Thou art the true God; 
 Thou hast made heaven and earth. Other gods are only idols, 
 made of wood and stone; they could not keep people from be- 
 ing hurt. Oh! save us from the king of Assyria, that every- 
 body may know that Thou art the only God. 
 
 God heard Hezekiah's prayer. He sent that night His 
 angel to kill a great many of the people of Assyria as they lay 
 in their tents. The angel did not kill them all; but the rest 
 were frightened, and went back to their own country. 
 
CHAPTER LXXV. 
 
 NEBUCHADNEZZAR, OR THE GOLDEN IMAGE. 
 
 At last Hezekiah died, and there was another king; and at 
 last he died, and there was another king; and at last he died, 
 and there was another king; and so there were a great many 
 kings, one after another, and most of them were wicked. Most 
 all the people in Jerusalem were wicked, and worshiped idols. 
 So God sent prophets to tell them that He would not keep 
 them from being hurt any more, and that He would let some 
 heathen king take them a great way off. You remember that 
 the people in the other part of Canaan, who were called the 
 people of Israel, had been taken away by the king of Assyria; 
 and God said that the people of Judah should be taken away by 
 some other king. 
 
 At last there came a rich, proud king, called Nebuchadnez- 
 zar, to fight against the people in Jerusalem. This king came 
 from a country called Babylon. He had a great many soldiers, 
 who got into the city, broke down the wall, and burnt many 
 houses, and even burnt the beautiful temple that Solomon had 
 built, and took away the golden things he had put in it. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar also took the king that was at Jerusalem, 
 and put out both his eyes, and brought him to Babylon, and 
 kept him in prison till he died. He killed a great many people, 
 and he took a great many more with him to be slaves. 
 
 They sat down by the rivers of Babylon, and wept, and they 
 would not sing psalms as they used to do, but they hung their 
 harps upon the willow trees that grew by the water side- 
 
 3)6 
 
NEBUCHADNEZZAR. 
 
 317 
 
318 
 
 NEBUCHADNEZZAR, OR THE GOLDEN IMAGE. 
 
 m^pfy^" 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar made a very large image of gold; higher 
 than a tree. This image was placed out of doors, and Nebu- 
 chadnezzar sent for all the judges and captains in his land, and 
 for many rich people to come and see it. Nebuchadnezzar had 
 made three young men, who would not worship idols, judges; 
 
 so they were obliged to come too, 
 to see the golden image. Then 
 they all stood round the image, 
 and a man called out, Oh! people, 
 when the music begins to play, fall 
 down and worship the golden 
 image. Whoever does not fall 
 down and worship, shall immedi- 
 ately be cast into a burning fiery 
 furnace. 
 Very soon the music began to 
 play, and then some men came to Nebuchadnezzar, and said, 
 O king! live forever. There are three men who have not 
 minded what you said: they never worship your gods, nor have 
 they worshiped the golden image you set up.- 
 
 Then Nebuchadnezzar desired the men to be brought to 
 him. He said, You do not worship the golden image I have 
 set up? Next time the music is played, if you fall down and 
 worship, it is well; but if not, you shall be cast into the furnace, 
 and who is the God that can deliver you out of my hand? 
 
 Then the young men answered the king, O Nebuchadnez- 
 zar, our God is able to deliver us. But if not, we will not wor- 
 ship the golden image. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, 
 and ordered the furnace seven times hotter than usual, and had 
 
 EASTERN WAR HORSE. 
 
NEBUCHADNEZZAR, OR THE GOLDEN IMAGE. 3l9 
 
 the three young men thrown into the furnace. Then the three 
 young men fell down in the midst of the flames. 
 
 The king was astonished to see them walking about the fur- 
 nace, and a man with them who looked like the Son of God. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar said, I see four men loose, walking in the 
 midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and one of them is 
 like the Son of God. 
 
 Then the king called the young men by their names, and 
 said, Oh! servants of the most high God, come forth. And 
 the three young men came out of the furnace. Then all the 
 judges and captains came near and looked at the young men, 
 and saw that they were not the least hurt, not a hair of their 
 heads were singed, nor were their clothes scorched, nor did they 
 even smell of fire. Nebuchadnezzar saw that there was a God 
 who could deliver his servants from the burning flame; and he 
 said, if any person spoke against God he should be cut to ' 
 pieces. 
 
CHAPTER LXXVI. 
 
 BELSHAZZAR, OR THE WRITING ON THE WALL. 
 
 At last Nebuchadnezzar, the proud king of Babylon died, and 
 there was another king of Babylon, Belshazzar, the grandson of 
 Nebuchadnezzar; and he was proud and worshiped idols. 
 
 One day he made a great feast, and a great many rich men 
 came. Belshazzar wished that the cups he took from the tem- 
 ple might be brought, and his friends drank wine in them; and 
 praised their idols of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone. 
 
 God was very angry; because, although Belshazzar had 
 heard about the true God, yet he worshiped idols. 
 
 While the king was drinking, he saw the fingers of a man's 
 handwriting on the wall of the palace. The king was fright- 
 ened: he trembled, and his knees knocked against each other. 
 
 Belshazzar wanted to know what these four words meant; 
 so he sent for all the men in Babylon who were wise and 
 clever. 
 
 Belshazzar said, Whoever will read that writing and tell me 
 the meaning of it, shall be clothed in scarlet (such as kings used 
 to wear), and shall have a golden chain on his neck, and shall 
 be made a great judge. 
 
 A great many men tried to read the writing, but could not. 
 Then Belshazzar was still more frightened, and his friends were 
 frightened also. They were afraid that something dreadful 
 had been written, they feared something sad was going to hap- 
 pen. Belshazzar had a mother who was the queen. She came 
 into the room and said, Oh! king, live forever. There is a man 
 
 320 
 
BELSHAZZAR. 
 321 
 
322 
 
 BELSHAZZAR, OR THE WRITING ON THE WALL. 
 
 in Babylon who is very wise, his name is Daniel. Daniel was 
 one of the men whom Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jeru- 
 salem: he was an Israelite. When he first came to Babylon he 
 was quite young, but now he was old: he was very wise, and 
 loved God. 
 
 DANIEL READING THE INSCRIPTION. 
 
 Belshazzar said, when he called Daniel: If you can tell the 
 meaning of the words, you shall be clothed in scarlet, and wear 
 a gold chain, and be made a great judge. 
 
 Daniel said, I do not want any reward, but I will read it. 
 Then Daniel told Belshazzar that the true God was angry with 
 
BELSHAZZAR, OR THE WRITING ON THE WALL. 323 
 
 him for being so proud, and for drinking in the cups, and prais- 
 ing idols; and for not worshiping God alone who gave him life, 
 riches, honor and power. Daniel said that the writing on the 
 wall meant that he should soon be king no more, but that some 
 people would come and take his land from him. 
 
 Then Belshazzar ordered that Daniel should be clothed in 
 scarlet, and wear a golden chain about his neck, and that many 
 people should obey him. That very night, a king from another 
 country got into Babylon with soldiers, and killed Belshazzar, 
 and took his throne, and his crown, and all he had. 
 
CHAPTER LXXVII. 
 
 DANIEL, OR THE DEN OF LIONS. 
 
 The name of this king was Da-ri-us. He was proud, and 
 worshiped idols; yet he told all the people to mind Daniel, who 
 was a very wise old man, and fit to be a judge. There were a 
 great many rich men who hated him because the king told them 
 to mind him, and because the king liked Daniel better than 
 them. 
 
 These wicked rich men wished to get him into disgrace, but 
 cfid not know how, because they saw Daniel do nothing wrong. 
 At last they thought of a way. They knew that he prayed to 
 God; so they went to the king, and asked him to make a law 
 that no one should pray to any God or man, but to the king 
 himself, for thirty days, and that if any one did pray to any one 
 else, he should be cast into a den of lions. 
 
 The king was so foolish as to say that he would do as these 
 men wished, because, you know, the king was a heathen, and 
 he did not love the true God. So he wrote down the law, and 
 promised not to change it. 
 
 Daniel would have thought it dreadful not to pray to God 
 for thirty days. He wanted to praise God often, and ask him 
 to bless him. 
 
 He used always to pray before the open window, for he 
 liked to look toward the place where he knew Jerusalem was. 
 He could .not see Jerusalem from his window, because it was so 
 far off; but still he knew which way it was, and he knew that 
 God loved Jerusalem, and used to come down into the temple. 
 
 324 
 
r V V , 
 
 r\ 
 
 Copyright by G. S. Sutbpan, 1H1. 
 
 DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN. 
 
DANIEL, OR THE DEN OF LIONS. 325 
 
 The men who hated Daniel went one day to look at him 
 while he was praying, that they might tell the king. 
 
 Then they said to the king: Daniel, who was brought from 
 Jerusalem to be a slave, does not mind you, but prays three 
 times a day. x 
 
 Then the king was very sorry that he had made a law 
 against praying, and tried to think of some way of saving 
 Daniel. 
 
 Then the king desired Daniel to be brought, and he was cast 
 into a den of lions; the lions live in a deep place under ground. 
 Lions are always hungry in the evening, and roar for food. 
 
 But Darius knew that Daniel's God was a very great God, 
 and he said to Daniel, Your God, whom you serve always, is 
 able to deliver you. 
 
 A stone was brought and laid upon the top of the den; and 
 the king put his seal on it, that none might take away the stone, 
 and he put on it also the seal of the men that hated Daniel. 
 
 The king went to his palace that evening, but he was so un- 
 happy that he could not eat, and would not let his servants play 
 music to him, as usual, and when he went to bed, he could not 
 sleep. 
 
 He got up very early in the morning and went to the den of 
 lions. When he came to the den, he cried out in a very sad 
 voice, Daniel, is thy God, whom thou servest always, able 
 to deliver thee from the lions? 
 
 Daniel said, king! live forever. My God hath sent his 
 angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths; because I have done 
 nothing wrong. 
 
326 
 
 DANIEL, OR THE DEN OF LIONS. 
 
 Then the king was glad, and ordered that Daniel should be 
 taken up. 
 
 Then king Darius wrote a letter, and sent it to all countries, 
 and said that he had made a law that every one should fear the 
 God of Daniel, because He was the true God, who could do 
 wonders. 
 
 NEHEMIAH REBUILDING JERUSALEM. 
 
MARCH OF THE ISRAELITES. 
 327 
 
CHAPTER LXXVIII. 
 
 THE RETURN TO JERUSALEM. 
 
 Now there was another king in Babylon besides Darius, 
 who was a king as well as he. This king's name was Cyrus. 
 God put it in his head to let the poor Israelites return to their 
 owu country. Cyrus had been taught to worship idols, yet he 
 believed that Daniel's God was the true God; and he was ready 
 to mind what the true God said. 
 
 So Cyrus told the Israelites that they might go back to their 
 own country, and build the temple at Jerusalem. Cyrus gave 
 back to them all the gold and silver things that Nebuchadnezzar 
 had taken — dishes, basins, cups of gold, and silver. 
 
 When they had come to Jerusalem, they set up the altar, 
 and offered a great many beasts on it, to show how grateful 
 they were. 
 
 They wished to build the temple as soon as they could, and 
 they got a great many carpenters and masons, and sent for 
 beautiful trees. 
 
 At last they laid the first stone of the temple upon a high 
 hill in Jerusalem. A great many Israelites came together to 
 see the first stone laid. The priests stood near, dressed in 
 white, with trumpets, and the singers played music, and sung 
 psalms. 
 
 There were some old people there, who remembered hav- 
 ing seen the temple when they were little children; and when 
 the other people shouted, these old people wept. 
 
 The people of Israel were a great many years building the 
 
 328 
 
 ,, . „ — —_ .-» 
 
REBUILDING WALLS. 
 329 
 
330 THE RETURN TO JERUSALEM. 
 
 temple. At last it was finished, and the people were very glad. 
 
 The Israelites determined to worship idols no more. They 
 lived in Jerusalem many years. They were now called Jews 
 instead of Israelites. God sent them prophets to teach them, 
 and to put them in mind of a promise that He had made to 
 Abraham. That a Saviour should one day be born, who should 
 be their King forever. Some of the Jews thought very often 
 of this promise, and longed for the Saviour to be born. They 
 knew that He would be born in Bethlehem, because one of the 
 prophets had said so. And they knew that His mother would 
 be some person of the family of David, because the prophets 
 had said so; and they knew that He would be the King of all 
 people, for the prophet had said so. 
 
 At last one of David's descendants, a woman called Mary, 
 had a son. 
 
 You have heard about him my dear children. His name was 
 Jesus Christ, and how the Jews crucified him. His Father 
 sent him to suffer for our sins, and the sins of all who believe in 
 Him. Before the world was made, God told His Son to come. At 
 last He came and died, and one day he will come again. When 
 He comes again, He will bring with Him all those who cared 
 for God's promise: Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, 
 Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and a great many more. All these men 
 lived before Jesus came; but you, my dear children, live after 
 Jesus has come. 
 
 If you love the Lord Jesus, it is a sign that God has put his 
 spirit into your hearts. Then some day you too, will live with 
 Him in heaven. 
 
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