k I Ski *1//&i ft ft ^r *" ■ 4 "TV CI So/ v i 1 sr\M MMJf .• / *m/>CS2l lAi 1/ V // ^/* ^T .m i ; t f ^1 %« f*ri "\y\ 1 1 ^i i * \r f / _^^ **% m \ |\ i r*1 M - 1 1/ ■ I A I V/l I I 'THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH THE LORD HATH COMMANDED, THAT YE SHOULD DO THEM." (Frontispiece.) Exodus XXXV. 1. r i i i : BIBLE PANORAMA OR The Holy Scripttires in Pi(Mire and Story. ARRANGED FOR Tl ENTERTAINMENT OP CHILDREN. AS WELL AS OLDER PERSONS; ILLt THE PK VENTS OP THE OL: .EW TESTAMENTS. WITH DESCRIPTIONS OP THEM IN I > >RD8. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FULL-PAGE VIEWS. PUBLISHED BY THE CHARLES FOSTER PUBLISHING < PHILADELPHIA > &% Preface. PICTURES speak through the eye to tlie understanding and the heart, and impress upon the mind far more deeply than mere words can do the stirring incidents of sacred history. So far as it is possible to produce a "Bible Panorama" in the form of a book is done in this volume, and nearly all the principal events of both the Old and New Testaments, which are suitable for illustration, will be found graphically portrayed upon its spacious pages. There will also be found, facing the pictures, full descriptions of the scenes which they represent. These are in the form of short stories, which include the occurrences leading up to or following the events illustrated. They are necessarily brief, but con- form closely to the Bible narrative. They are also written in easy words and printed in large, plain type, so as to be readily understood by children. The descriptive pages supply in a measure the lecturer's part of such an entertain- ment as this book is intended to typify; and it is hoped that they, together with the one hundred and fifty beautiful views, will form a Bible Panorama for the home complete in itself, which can be opened at all times, and may be found ever ready to afford amusement and instruction for both young and old. ill I ^^i;!l!:i:!iiiiil l i'iii!i::i^^;;ii^fe^^^'' 1[|]I^I!^1I''WM|I|]1JBP COPYRIGHT 1891, BY W. A. FOSTER. i\i)i:\ of Pictures. 11 the eai I ■ ■ .... •"' ■ .... . . b the well ■ ■ ... •m ."•■'. I ... ■ a- midi age th»> children of Israel to k'<> ■ • "■ ■ - INDEX OF PICTURES. PAGE 69 The return of the spies Destruction of Korah, Dathan and Abiram 71 Moses sets up a serpent of brass 73 An angel stands before Balaam 75 The angel of the Lord appears to Joshua 77 The walls of Jericho fall down 79 Joshua saves the life of Rahab 81 Achan is stoned 83 The children of Israel take Ai 85 The Lord casts down stones upon the Amorites 87 Deborah tells the people to fight against Sisera 89 Jael smites a nail into the temple of Sisera 91 Gideon chooses the men who lap the water 93 Abimelech is slain by his armor-bearer 95 Jephthah's daughter comes out to meet him 97 The daughter of Jephthah and her companions 98 Samson Mils a lion with his hands alone 101 Samson and Delilah 103 Samson breaks down the pillars 105 Naomi and her daughters-in-law 107 Ruth gleans in the fields of Boaz 109 The messengers bring to Job evil tidings Ill Job's three friends come to see him 113 Jonah is cast out by the fish 11 Jonah prophesies in the streets of Nineveh 117 The ark of the Lord is seen 119 Samuel anoints Saul king 121 Samuel hews Agag in pieces 123 David kills Goliath 125 Saul casts a javelin to kill David 127 Michal lets David down from a window 129 Death of Saul and his armor-bearer 131 David fights against heathen kings 133 The death of Absalom 135 David mourns for Absalom 137 Two women come to Solomon for judgment 139 Cedar and fir trees are brought for the temple 1-41 The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon 143 King Solomon 145 The prophet from Judah is slain by a lion 147 Elijah raises the son of the widow 149 6 INDEX OF PICTURES. PAGE Elijah escapes to the wilderness 151 Death of King Ahab 153 Elijah is carried up into Heaven 155 Children mock Elisha and bears tear them 157 The famine in Samaria 159 Jezebel is thrown down out of a window 161 Finding 1 the remains of Jezebel 163 The Prophet Amos 165 The people of Israel mourn 167 The Prophet Isaiah 169 Athaliah is slain 171 The angel of the Lord smites the Assyrians 173 The Prophet Micah warns the people 175 Baruch writes the prophecy of Jeremiah 177 The sons of King Zedekiah are slain 179 The destruction of Jerusalem 181 Ezekiel prophesies to the people 183 Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones i 185 Daniel 187 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the furnace 189 Daniel interprets the writing on the wall 191 Daniel in the den of lions 193 Cyrus restores the vessels of the temple 195 The Jews rebuild the temple 197 Artaxerxes grants liberty to the Jews 199 Queen Vashti refuses to obey the King 201 Mordecai rides upon the King's horse , . 203 Queen Esther accuses Haman 205 Nehemiah goes to the walls of Jerusalem 207 A mother and her sons are put to death 209 Death of Eleazar , ' 210 The Maccabees flee to the mountains 213 The Jews drive out the idolators 214 The angel Gabriel appears to Mary 217 Jesus is born in Bethlehem 219 The wise men follow the star 221 Herod causes the children to be slain 223 The flight into Egypt 224 Jesus in the temple 225 The daughter of Herodias 227 Jesus is tempted by Satan 229 7 INDEX OF PICTURES. PAGE The marriage feast in Cana 231 Jesus drives out the money changers 232 Jesus teaches the people • ■ 233 Jesus talks with a woman of Samaria 235 The miraculous draught of fishes 237 Jesus cures the leper , • ■ ■ 239 Jesus heals the sick 240 The disciples pluck the corn 241 The people follow Jesus and he teaches them . ■ 243 Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus 245 The apostles go forth to preach 247 Jesus feeds the multitude 249 The transfiguration 251 The Good Samaritan and the wounded man 253 The Good Samaritan comes to an inn 254 Jesus at the house of Mary and Martha , , 255 Jesus brings forth Lazarus alive 257 The prodigal son 259 Lazarus, the beggar 261 The Pharisee and the Publican 263 Jesus enters Jerusalem 265 The widow's mite 267 The tribute money 269 The last supper 271 Jesus is betrayed by Judas 273 Jesus is brought out to the people by Pilate , 275 Jesus is mocked 277 Simon of Cyrene carries the cross . 279 Jesus is crucified . 280 Raising the cross . , 281 The descent from the cross 283 Jesus is buried 284 The angel at the sepulchre 285 The walk to Emmaus . , 287 Jesus ascends into Heaven 289 The Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles 291 Peter cures a lame man 293 Stephen is cast out of the city and stoned 295 Saul goes to Damascus 297 Paul preaches at Ephesus 299 The people rise up against Paul 301 Paul preaches to the Jews of Rome 303 Bible Panorama PART I. THE OLD TESTAMENT. God Makes the World. S~Y OD first made the world ; it did not look as it does now, for there was nothing V_X living on it — no men, or animals, or birds ; and there was nothing growing on it— no trees, or bushes, or flowers; but it was all lonely and dark everywhere. Then God made the light. He said, Let there be light ; and the light came. And God saw the light and was pleased with it, and he gave the light a name ; he called it Day. And when the day was gone and the darkness came again to stay for a little while, he called that darkness Night. God did these things on the first day. And God made the clouds, and he made the sky above the world where the clouds should be ; and he gave the sky a name ; he called it Heaven. God did this on the second day. And God said that the waters should go into one place by themselves; and when they had gone into that one place, and were very deep and wide there, God gave the waters a name ; he called them Seas, and the dry land he called Earth. And God made the grass to grow up out of the earth, and the bushes and the trees that have fruit on them. And the grass and the bushes and the trees were to bear seeds so that, when those seeds were planted in the ground, some more grass, or other bushes or trees would grow there. God did these things on the third day. And God made two great lights, the sun to shine in the day, and the moon to shine in the night; he made the stars also. And he set the sun and the moon and the stars up in the sky, where we see them now. God did this on the fourth day. And he made the great whales, and all the fishes that swim about in the sea ; and the birds also, some to fly over the water and swim upon it and live near it, like ducks and geese ; and some to live all the time upon the land and in the woods, like eagles, robins, pigeons, and wrens. God made these on the fifth day. And God made the animals, those that are wild and that live out in the forest, such as elephants, lions, tigers, and bears ; and those that are tame and useful to men, and that live where men live, such as horses, oxen, cows, and sheep. And he made the little insects that creep on the ground, and the flies that fly about in the air. 10 GOD SAID, LET THERE BE LIGHT : AND THERE WAS LIGHT. 11 Genesis I. 3. God Makes Mak SOD made man out of the dust that lies on the ground ; and he breathed into him, and then the man breathed, and moved, and was alive. And God spoke kindly to him, and told him that he should be master over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every thing that was living on the earth. And God told man that the fruit which grew on the trees and on the bushes should be his food. To the animals were given the grass and the leaves of the bushes to eat. And God looked at all the things he had made, and was pleased with them ; and this was the sixth day. God planted a garden for the man he had made. It was called the garden of Eden ; in that garden God made to grow every tree that was beautiful to look at, and that bore fruit good to eat. A river flowed through the garden and watered it. And God took Adam, the man he had made, and put him into the garden to take care of it ; God told him he might eat of the fruit of every tree in the garden except one ; that one was called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God said he must not eat of that tree, for if he did eat of it he should surely die. And God said it was not good that the man should be alone, therefore God made some one to be with him and help him. He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep ; and while he was sleeping, God took out of his side a piece of bone, and of that bone he made a woman. And God brought the woman he had made to Adam, and she was his wife. And all the animals and the birds came to Adam ; God sent them to him that he might give them their names, and whatever Adam called each one was its name. rJow there was a serpent in the garden of Eden. And the serpent spoke to the woman, yet not of itself; but Satan, that wicked Spirit who comes into our hearts and tempts us to sin, went into the serpent and tempted the woman to sin. The serpent asked her, Has God said you shall not eat of every tree in the garden? The woman answered that they might eat of all the trees except one, but of it God had commanded them not to eat, lest they should die. Then the serpent told her they should not die, and that God had forbidden them to eat of the tree because it would make them wise. 12 ADAM AND EVE IX THE GARDEN OF EDEN. 13 Genesis II. 22. Adam and Eve aee Driven Out of the Garden. VE listened to what the serpent said, and when she saw that the tree was beautiful to look at, and that the fruit seemed good to eat, and remem- bered that the serpent had said it would make her wise, she took some of the fruit and did eat of it, and gave also to her husband and he did eat. After they had eaten they heard a voice in the garden; they knew it was God's voice, yet they did not come when they heard it. They were afraid, and hid themselves among the trees. But God spoke again, and called to Adam, saying, Where art thou? Adam answered, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid and hid myself. And God said, Hast thou eaten of the tree I com- manded thee not to eat of? Then Adam began to make excuse, and blame the woman; he said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the fruit, and I did eat. And God said to the woman, What is this that thou hast done? The woman answered, The serpent deceived me, and I did eat. And God was angry with Adam and the woman, and with the serpent. The serpent, he said, should be punished by having to crawl on the ground, with its mouth in the dust, all the days of its life. He told the woman also, she should have sickness and sorrow. And God drove Adam and his wife out of the beautiful garden, and would let them live there no longer. And he sent cherubim, or angels, that kept watch, and a fiery sword that turned every way, to prevent them from going into the garden again. And to Adam God said, that because he had listened to his wife's voice, and eaten of the tree which the Lord commanded him not to eat of, the ground should not any more bear fruit for him by itself, and without his labor, as it used to do in the garden of Eden, but it should send up thorns and thistles. And Adam would have to work very hard, as long as he lived, to raise food to eat; and when he should die, God said, his body would go back to dust again, like the dust out of which the Lord had made him. 14 ADAM AND EVE EAT OF THE FORBIDDEN" FRUIT, AND ARE DRIVEN OUT OF THE GARDEN. 15 Genesis III. 24. Cain and Abel. 7TLTH0UGH God punished Adam and Eve for their disobedience, and said, <^- In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, yet God prepared a way for Adam and his wife to be saved from any more punishment after they should be dead. They could not be saved from sorrow and trouble while they were living in this world, but after they should die, and their souls should go into the next world, God prepared a way for them not to be punished there. And this was the way: He promised to send a Saviour w ho would be punished in their ' place ; so that, if Adam and his wife repented of their sin and believed in that Saviour, they would be forgiven, and, after they died, taken up to heaven, where they would be as happy as if they had never sinned at all. And this Saviour was not to be punished for them alone, but for their children also. For since Adam and his wife had sinned and made their own hearts wicked, their children would have wicked hearts too ; because children must be of the same nature as their parents. Adam gave his wife a name; he called her Eve. And God made coats for them out of the skins of animals. After they had been driven out of the garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve two sons; the elder one was named Cain, the younger one Abel. When they grew up to be men, Cain was a farmer or gardener; Abel was a shepherd and kept a flock of sheep. And they both had wicked hearts, like their parents, which often caused them to sin. But Abel repented of his sins, and believed the promise which God had made to send a Saviour. And one day he brought a lamb from his flock and offered it to God. The way he offered it was to kill it first, and then burn it on an altar. An altar was a pile of stones, or earth, with a flat top, heaped up as high as a table. He put some "wood on this altar, all cut and ready to burn; then laid the lamb, after it was killed, on the wood; next he set fire to the wood, and that burned up the lamb, so there was nothing left on the altar but ashes. 16 CAIX AXD ABEL BRIXG THEIR OFFERINGS TO GOD. 17 Genesis IV. 3. Cain Kills Abel. /^YOD was pleased that Abel should worship him by offering a lamb from V_I his flock, because the lamb that he brought was like the Saviour that God had promised. It was gentle and patient, and innocent, like him; and when Abel killed it, and offered it on the altar, it seemed like that Saviour who was coming, after many years, to die for his sins. The lamb meant the Saviour, or represented him, and therefore God was pleased with Abel and his offering. But Cain did not repent of his sins, nor believe God's promise to send a Saviour; and when he brought his offering it was not a lamb, but some fruit, or grain, taken out of the field, or from the trees of his garden; and God was not pleased with Cain or his offering. When Cain saw this, he was angry, and showed plainly, by his looks, that he was angry with God. Yet God spoke kindly to him, and asked why he was angry. If Cain did right, God said, he would be pleased with him; and if he did not do right, the fault was his own. And Cain hated Abel, because God was pleased with Abel's offering, but not with his. And one day when they were out in the field together, he rose up and killed him; and the blood ran out of Abel's wounds and sank into the ground. After Cain had done this, God spoke to him, and said, Where is Abel, thy brother? Cain answered, I know not. Am I my brother's keeper? Yet God saw all that Cain had done, and now, he said, as a punishment for killing Abel, Cain should be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; that is, he should flee about the earth from one place to another as a person who was always afraid, and who had no home to stay in. God said, also, that when Cain planted anything out in the field, to bear food, it should not grow well. It would die, or briars and -weeds would come up and choke it, or it would bear leaves, but no fruit; so that Cain would have hardly enough to eat. Then Cain said, that as God had driven him away and would no longer take care of him, every one who should meet him would want to kill him. But God said that whoever killed Cain, should be punished with a very dreadful punishment; for God chose to punish Cain himself, and not that any man should punish him. 18 CAIN RISES UP AGAINST ABEL HIS BROTHER AND KILLS HIM. 19 Genesis IV. 8. The Flood. 7VFTER a long while, when there came to be many more people living in .^jL the world, they grew very wicked. Their hearts were filled with sinful thoughts and all their acts were evil, for they did not care to please God, or even try to obey him. Therefore God was angry with them, and said he would punish them by sending a flood that should cover the earth with deep "water, and drown all the people, the animals, the birds, and everything that lived npon the ground. For almost all the people in the world were very -wicked, and yet not quite all; there was one good man "whose name "was Noah. The Bible tells us he "was a just man, and that he -walked with God. And God commanded ]SToah to build an ark. This "was a great boat, and God told Noah that when it was finished, he and his sons and their -wives should go into it. And he commanded Noah to take in with him some of every kind of beast, and of every kind of bird, and of every kind of insect, to keep them alive while the flood should be on the earth. After the ark was built, the Bible says the windows of heaven "were opened ; this means that the rain came down not only in little drops, as we see it come, but it came as if poured out of great "windows up in the sky. It rained forty days and forty nights, and the springs, the creeks, the rivers and the great ocean, all began to rise up and overflow the land. After a "while the "water came to "where the ark was, underneath and around it; it rose higher and higher till the ark floated and "was lifted up from the place where Noah had been building it so long, and the ground everywhere began to be covered. What now were those men to do "who "would not obey God, nor listen to the preaching of Noah ? Before the rain came they thought there -would be no flood, and that Noah wanted only to make them afraid. Now the flood had come, and they saw that all he had told them was true. How glad they would have been to go into the ark, but it was too late. No doubt they climbed up to the highest places on the hills and mountains; but the hills and mountains "were covered at last; there "was no other place for them to go, and all the people in the world, except those few in the ark, were drowned. And every beast and bird and little insect, except those in the ark, were drowned also. Then all the earth was covered with water. There was no land to be seen anywhere ; only the ark could be seen floating alone, with the water all around it and the sky above. 20 THE WATERS ARE DEEP UPON THE EARTH, AND EVEN THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS ARE COVERED. 91 <;i m BI8 VII, 1:1. Noah Comes Out of the Abe. 7VFTER Noah had "been in the ark a hundred and fifty days, the waters were Jy\. gone down so much that the ark rested on the top of a mountain called Ararat. There it stood, resting on the top of the mountain, for more than two months. By that time the waters were lower still, and the tops of other moun- tains could he seen peeping ahove them. And Noah opened the window of the ark and let a raven go ; and the raven flew about over the water and roosted at night on the tops of the moun- tains, or on the roof of the ark, but never came back to Noah again. Then Noah sent out another bird; it was a dove. He sent it that it might fly off and see whether the waters had left the ground dry yet. But they had not left it dry. Although the tops of the mountains were not covered, the rest of the ground was; and the dove found no pleasant place with trees and flowers, where she would like to stay away from her mate ; so she came back to the. window of the ark, and Noah put out his hand and took her in. Then Noah waited seven days longer and sent her out again, and in the evening she came back to him as before, but this time with a leaf in her mouth, plucked off from an olive tree. When Noah saw the leaf, he knew that the waters must have gone down greatly, or the dove could not have found it. God had taught the dove to pluck that leaf and carry it to Noah, so that he might know the ground would soon be dry. And he waited another seven days. and sent the dove forth once more; but she did not come back to him again.. For by this time no doubt the woods were pleasant to fly about in, much pleasanter than the ark where she had been shut up so long. And beside, God kept the dove from going back to Noah, so that he might be sure it was almost time for him to come out of the ark. And Noah looked and saw that the ground was dry. And God spoke to him, and told him to come out of the ark, and to bring out also, his wife and his sons and their wives, and the animals, the birds, and the insects, that had been in the ark with him. So Noah came out and brought every living thing,, and they walked on the dry ground. 22 THE WATERS GO DOWN AND THE ARK RESTS UPON THE .MOUNTAINS OF ARARAT. 23 '■! NTB8I8 VIII. 4. The Confusion of Tongues. i N the years that passed, after the waters of the flood had gone away, God gave to Noah's sons children of their own. They, when they grew np, had children too, so that after a while there came to be a great many people in the world once more. Now we should think that these people would have been very careful not to offend God. They knew how the men who had offended him before were punished, and though God had promised never to send another flood, there were many other ways in which he might punish them. He might send sick- ness upon them, or give them no food, and leave them to starve ; or he might send down fire from heaven to burn them. But they seemed to forget this, and as their hearts were -wicked, they went on as the men before the flood had done, sinning against him. There was only one language in the world then. The people all talked alike, and could all understand each other; and as they journeyed from the east they came to a plain in the land of Shinar, and stopped there. And they said one to another, Let us make brick and build a tower whose top may reach up to heaven. And they began to build it. We are not told why they wanted to build this tower. But God, who saw their hearts, knew that it was for some wicked purpose. Perhaps they did not believe God's promise, that he "would never send another flood on the earth, and thought, if he should send one, this tower would be so high that the waters could not overflow it, and they would climb up into it and be safe. Or perhaps they built it as a sort of temple, or church, not to worship God in, but idols. And the Lord came down from heaven to see the tower which the people were building, and he saw it and was displeased. Then he did a wonderful thing to stop them. He made them, all at once, begin to speak in different languages, such as they had never spoken before. They could not go on building now, because they were not able to understand each other's words. Therefore they had to cease building before the tower was done. The tower which they tried to build, but which God would not allow them to finish, was called the tower of Babel. Babel means confusion. When the people began to talk in different languages, so that they could not understand each other, it made confusion there. 24 THE PEOPLE BUILD A TOWER, AND GOD MAKES THEM SPEAK IN" DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. 9- Genesis XI. 7. Abbaham and Lot come into the Land of Canaan. ¥ANY years after the people had tried to build the tower of Babel, there lived in the land of Ur a man named Abraham. The people of that land worshipped idols. And God told Abraham to leave his home and his relations, and go to another land which he would show him. Abraham was seventy-five years old: and he took his wife, whose name was Sarah, and his brother's son, whose name was Lot, and they started to go to the land of Avhich God had told him. After journeying for a long time, Abraham came to the land of Canaan, and lived there. Lot had gone away from Abraham to live on the plain of Jordan. And some cities were there; one of them was named Sodom. The men of Sodom were very wicked, yet Lot went to live in that city. Abraham was sitting one day at his tent-door, in the hot part of the day. And he looked up and saw three men standing near him. Then he ran out to meet them and bowed down before them toward the ground, for so they used to welcome strangers in that land. And Abraham made haste into the tent to Sarah, his wife, and told her to bake some cakes quickly. And he ran to the herd and brought a calf that was tender and good, and had it killed. Then he took butter and milk, and the calf that had been cooked, and set it before the men, and they did eat. After they had eaten, they rose up and went toward the city of Sodom, and Abraham walked with them. And yet, although we call them men, these three persons were not men. Two of them, we believe, were angels, and the other one was the Lord. You may ask, Could it be the Lord -who looked and talked like a man? Yes, for he could come down to this world in the form of a man. We read in the Bible, several times, of his coming, and staying for a little while, and speaking to men. And now the Lord was going to send his angels to burn up Sodom and Gomorrah, because the people who lived there were so wicked. And he "was willing to tell Abraham what he would do ; for Abraham loved God, and obeyed him, and taught his family to obey him. Abraham feared that Lot, who lived in Sodom, might be burned up also, and he spoke to the Lord, and said, that perhaps there were some righteous persons living in the city, and he asked whether the righteous should be destroyed with the wicked. The Lord said that if there were but ten righteous persons in Sodom he would not destroy it. 26 WHILE ABRAHAM TS SITTING AT THE DOOR OF TITS TENT HE SEES THREE MEN. 97 rasis xvm. 2. Sodom is Burked by Fire from Heayek T OT was sitting at the gate of Sodom in the evening ; and two angels came J X. there, but they looked like men. They were, we suppose, the same that had been with the Lord at Abraham's tent. When Lot saw them he rose up to meet them, and bowed down with his face toward the ground. And he asked them to come into his house and stay there all night, and in the morning, he said, they should go on their journey. They answered, ISTo, we will stay in the street all night. But Lot begged them, until they consented; so they came, and he set out food for them, and they did eat. Afterward they asked whether he had any sons or daughters in the city, beside those who were with him in the house; if he had, the angels said, he should go and take them out of Sodom, for the Lord had sent them to destroy it. Then Lot "went and found his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said to them, Up, get you out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city. But they -would not believe his words, and Lot "went back to his own home without them. When it "was morning the angels said to him, Arise, take thy -wife, and thy two daughters, and make haste away, lest you be burned up with the "wicked people of the city. And because Lot stayed a little "while, perhaps to save something out of his house, the angels caught hold of his hand, and of his -wife's hand, and of his two daughters 1 hands, and brought them out of Sodom. After they -were brought out, they "were commanded not to stay near, nor go slowly away, but to go very quickly, that they might not be burned. They were commanded not even to look behind them, but to make haste to the mountain where the fire could not reach them. Lot and his daughters fled toward another city called Zoar, but his wife looked back toward Sodom, "which she had been commanded not to do, and she died there, because she looked back; and she was turned into a pillar of salt. But Lot came to Zoar, he and his daughters. Then the Lord rained down fire and brimstone out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and destroyed those cities, and all the plain "where they stood, and the people who lived in them, and the things which grew on the ground. 28 LOT AND TTT* D.\T T OHTER3 ESCAPE FRO^r SODOM, BUT EIS WIPE LOOKS BACK 2g Genesis xix. 26. Abraham sekds away Hagar and Ishmael. 7VBRAHAM had moved away to a part of the land . of Canaan named Gerar, -(^- where a people called the Philistines lived. The king of Gerar gave Abraham a present of sheep and oxen, and also men-servants, and maid- servants, to wait on him and work for him. And the king told Abraham he might live in any part of the land he chose. And God gave to Abraham and Sarah a son ; Abraham called his name Isaac. Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac "was born; and he and Sarah were glad, because God had given them a son. And the child grew, and when he came to be a larger boy, Abraham made him a feast. One day Sarah saw Ishmael, Hagar's son, mocking Isaac. Therefore Sarah was displeased with Ishmael, and she asked Abraham to send him and his mother away. But Abraham did not "wish to send them away, and it troubled him when Sarah asked him to do this. Then God spoke to Abraham and told him to do as Sarah had said. So he rose up early in the morning, and when he had given Hagar some bread, and a bottle of water, putting this on her shoulder, he sent her and her son away. Then Hagar took her boy and went into the wilderness. And "when all the "water in the bottle was gone, and they had no more to drink, the child grew "weak, and Hagar thought he would die. So she laid him down and "went a little "way off and wept, for she did not want to see her boy die. And God heard her -weeping; and the angel of God called to her out of heaven and said, "What aileth thee, Hagar? Then the angel told her not to be afraid, but to lift up Ishmael from the place where she had laid him, and to hold him in her arms. And God showed her a well of "water that "was there in the "wilderness, and she "went to it and filled the bottle and gave her son drink, and he became strong and well again. After this God -was kind to Ishmael, and he grew and lived in the wilderness and was an archer ; he shot with, a bow and arrow. And his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt, where she used to live. 30 HAGAR AND ISHMAEL WANDER IX THE WILDERNESS AND HAVE NO WATER. 01 (il.s B9IS X X I. I"). God commands Abraham to offer up Isaac. ONE day God spoke to Abraham, and said, Abraham. He answered, Here am I. Then God said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee unto the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I ^vill tell thee of. Yes, Abraham was commanded to offer up Isaac upon an altar; to kill him and lay him on the ^vood, and let him be burned up, as if he had been a lamb. How could Abraham do this? How could he kill his own dear son? Yet God told him to do it; Abraham heard him speak. He knew that he should do whatever God said, and he knew also that even if Isaac were killed and burned on the altar, so that nothing was left but his ashes, God could take those ashes and make him alive again as he had been before. So Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass and took two young men, who were his servants, with him, and the wooxL, ready cut to lay on the altar, and Isaac his son; and he started to go to the mountain which God had told him of. And he journeyed that day and the next, and did not come to the place; but on the day after, he looked up and saw it a good way off. Then he told the young men they need go no farther. He and Isaac, Abraham said, "would go to the mountain and -worship and come back to them again; for he did not -wish them to see him offer up his son. And he left the ass "with the young men, but took Isaac "with him, and Isaac carried the "wood. Abraham took some fire also to light the wood, and he carried a knife in his hand; and he and Isaac "went on together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; there Abraham built an altar and laid the "wood on it. And he bound Isaac and laid him on the wood ; and Abraham put out his hand and took hold of the knife to kill his son. But just then the angel of the Lord called to him out of heaven, and said Abraham, Abraham. He answered, Here am I. And the angel told him not to hurt Isaac, for now he knew that Abraham feared God, because he was willing to offer up his only son when God commanded him. And Abraham looked and saw behind him a ram caught fast in the bushes by its horns. God had sent it there for a burnt offering instead of Isaac; and Abraham took it and killed it, and offered it up on the altar. 32 ABRAHAM AXD ISAAC GO TOGETHER TO THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE. QQ I .1 NKSIS XXII. It. Sarah Dies and is Buried. />OD was pleased -with Abraham for having shown that he was ready to V_X obey him, and the angel of the Lord spoke to him again out of heaven, and told him that because he had been -willing to offer up his son Isaac, God would bless him. And the angel promised him that his descendants should be like the grains of sand on the sea-shore, which no one can count, there are so many of them. After these things Abraham left Beer-sheba and came to Hebron. And Sarah, Abraham's -wife, -was a hundred and twenty-seven years old, and she died there in the land of Canaan. Then Abraham mourned and wept for her. And he spoke to the people of that country, and asked them for a place where he might bury Sarah. They answered that he might bury her in any of their sepulchres that he chose. Sepulchres are places in -which dead xoersons are buried. In that country they were made by hollo-wing out a cave in the side of a rock. After this -was finished, a great stone -was rolled against the door to shut it up. When any one died the stone -was taken away and the dead person -was laid in the cave. Then the stone -was put back again and the cave shut up, until some one else was to be buried there. It was very kind in the men of that country to tell Abraham he might bury his -wife in any of their sepulchres. But this -was not what he -wanted ; he wanted a sexmlchre of his own. And there -was a man in that land -whose name was Ephron. He owned a field; this field had trees in it, and at one end of it -was a cave. Abraham thought he would like to have that cave for his sepulchre. So he asked the people to tell Ephron that he -wanted it, and -would give him money for it. "When Ephron heard this he said that Abraham might have the cave for nothing, and not the cave only, he -would give him the field also. But Abraham bowed himself down before Ephron and the men who -were with him, and answered, that he -would rather buy the field and pay for it ; he did not "want to take it for nothing. Then Ephron said he was willing to sell it; and Abraham gave him four hundred shekels of silver for the field, and the trees that "were in it, and the cave. Shekels were money ; so Abraham paid for the field, and the trees, and the cave, and they -were his own after that. And he made the cave his sepulchre, and there he buried Sarah. 34 ABRAHAM BURIES PARATI, HIS WIFE. IN THE CAVE OF THE FIELD OF MACHPELAH. .- Ql M SIS XXIII. lit. ! Abraham's Servant Meets Rebekah. ABRAHAM was now old, and the Lord had blessed him in all things. And _i_^_V when Isaac was grown np to be a man, Abraham, his father, did not wish him to take a. wife from the women who lived in the land of Canaan, for they worshipped idols. He wanted Isaac to have his wife from that country where Abraham used to live, and where he had relations still living who feared the Lord. Now that country was a long way from Canaan; so Abraham called his oldest servant, who took care of his silver and gold, his flocks and his herds, and all that he had, and asked him to promise that he would go to that country and bring back from there a wife for Isaac ; and the servant promised to do as Abraham commanded. So he took ten of Abraham's camels and some beautiful presents, and went on his journey to the land where Abraham had sent him. And he came near to a city in that land, and made his camels kneel down by a well of water that was just outside of the city. Camels are used in that country to ride upon, as horses are here; they carry heavy loads also on their backs, and go a long way without resting. Before they start upon a journey they kneel down to have their loads put on them, and when they come to the end of it, they kneel doWn to have them taken off. It was evening, the time when the women of the city came out to draw water from the well. Then Abraham's servant prayed that God -would help him, and make him know which of those young women that came to draw water, should be Isaac's wife. But how would the servant know? In this way. He was going to ask one of them to give him some water out of her pitcher. If she answered him kindly and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also, then she was to be the one whom God had chosen for Isaac's wife. But if she answered unkindly and -would give him no -water, she -was not to be the one. So while he -was praying, a beautiful young -woman, named Rebekah, came out of the city, carrying her pitcher upon her shoulder, and she -went down to the well and filled it with -water. And the servant said, Let me drink a little water out of thy pitcher; she answered, Drink, and I will draw water for thy camels also. And she let down her pitcher from her shoulder and gave the man drink ; afterward she drew water for the camels, and they drank too : the young woman was Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel. 36 ABRAHAM'S SERVANT MEETS REBEKAH AT THE WELL. 07 Genesis XXIV. 19. Isaac and Rebekah. WHEN Abraham's servant went to the home of Rebekah, her brother Laban helped him to unload the camels and gave him straw and food for them. Then the servant asked if they would let Rebekah go home with him to be Isaac's wife. They answered that Rebekah might go. When the servant heard this he 'was glad and bowed himself down and worshipped the Lord. After- ward he brought out some beautiful presents, jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah. And he gave her mother and her brother presents also. Then he did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and they stayed at Laban's house all night. When they rose up in the morning, Abraham's servant -wanted to take Rebekah and go on his way back to the land of Canaan. But her mother and her brother did not wish to part with her so soon ; they said, Let her stay with us a few days, at least ten, after that she shall go. But the man begged them not to keep him, because, he said, the Lord had helped him to do what his master sent him for; therefore he wanted to make haste home to his master again. They said, We will call Rebekah, and ask her. And they called her and asked, Wilt thou go with this man? She answered, I will go. So they sent away Rebekah, and her nurse went with her, and they rode on the camels after Abraham's servant. And they came into the land of Canaan. It was toward evening, about the time the sun goes, down, when they came to the place where Isaac was. And Isaac had gone out into the field to walk there, and think by himself alone. Perhaj)s he wondered whether the servant would soon be back, and whether the Lord had helped him to find the woman who should be his wife. And he looked up and saw the camels were coming. As they came nearer Rebekah saw Isaac, and she asked the servant what man it was walking in the field to meet them. The servant told her it was Isaac. Then she took a veil and covered her face with it, and came down from the camel; and Isaac brought her into the tent that used to be his mother's, for his mother was dead. And he took Rebekah and she was his wife, and he loved her. And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. And when he "was a hundred and seventy-five years old he died, and was buried in the cave which he had bought from Ephron, where he had buried Sarah. 38 ABRAHAM'S SERVANT RETURNS WITH REBEKAH, AND SHE BECOMES ISAACS WIFE. 39 Genesis XXIV. 91. Jacob Deceives his Father. 7TFTER Abraham was dead, God was very kind to Isaac and Messed him. Jy^ And he gave Isaac and Rebekah two sons, whose names were Jacob and Esau ; Esau "was the elder, and Jacob was the younger. ISTow when Isaac was old and could not see, he called Esau, who was a hunter, and told him to take his bow, and go out into the field, and hunt a deer; and to cook the meat in the way that Isaac loved, and bring it to him that he might eat of it. Then, Isaac said, he would bless Esau before he died; that is, he -would ask God to be kind to him, and would tell Esau of the things he should have after his father was dead. For Isaac meant to bless Esau before he blessed Jacob, and to give him the best things, because Esau was his oldest son and had the birthright. And Esau -went out into the field to hunt the deer for his father. But Rebekah heard -what Isaac said and she -was not pleased, for she did not wish Esau to be blessed first, although he -was the oldest son; she -wished Jacob to be blessed first, because she loved him the best. So, after Esau had gone for the venison, she told Jacob to go to the flock and bring her two little kids: and when he brought them, she cooked them, making nice food of them that tasted like the venison -which his father loved. Then she put on Jacob some of Esau's clothes that were in the house, and told him to take the food to his father and to say it -was Esau -who brought it. So Jacob came to his father -with the food -which his mother had cooked. And his father asked who it was. Jacob said it -was Esau, and that he had brought the venison -which his father told him to bring. And Isaac could not see; he put his hands on him and felt the clothes and believed it -was Esau, so he ate of the meat and blessed Jacob. It -was wicked in Jacob to do this, and in his mother to help him; for although Esau had sold him his birthright, Jacob should not have deceived his father. As soon as Isaac had done blessing Jacob, Esau came in from his hunting, with the venison he had killed. And Isaac said, Who art thou? Esau answered, I am Esau, thy oldest son. And Isaac was surprised and afraid, and he trembled a great deal, and asked who it -was that had been there before, and brought venison and taken Esau's blessing. Then Isaac knew it must have been Jacob, and he told Esau that his brother had been there before him and taken away his blessing. 40 ISAAC IS OLD AND CANNOT SEE. HE BLESSES JACOB, THINKING HE IS ESAU. 4^ (Jknksis XXVII. 27. Jacob Flees from Esatj. ~T SAU was very angry with Jacob for having taken away his birthright. He J 1^ was not willing to forgive him ; he said he would kill him after their father should die. When Rebekah heard this she sent for Jacob, and told him to leave his home and go to that country where she used to live, to the house of her brother Laban, so that Esau might not find him. And Rebekah said that the women of Canaan gave her much trouble, for Esau had taken two of them as his wives; and she asked what good her life would be to her if Jacob, also, should take a wife from among them. Then Isaac called Jacob to him and blessed him again, and told him that he should not take for his wife a woman of Canaan, but he should take one of Laban's daughters to be his wife. And Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went out from his father to go to that country where Laban lived. As he journeyed he came to a place where he stopped to rest for the night, because the sun was set. And he took some of the stones that were on the ground for his pillow, and lay down to sleep. And he dreamed, and thought he saw a ladder set up on the earth ; the top of it reached to heaven, and angels were going up and down on it. And the Lord stood above it, and spoke to Jacob, and told him that he would give the land of Canaan to him and to his descendants, and that his descendants should be a great multitude of people. And the Lord said he would be with Jacob to take care of him wherever he should go, and would bring him back to Canaan again. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep and was afraid, because the Lord had been there and spoken to him in his dream : and he rose up early in the morn- ing and worshipped the Lord. He called the name of the place Bethel, which means, The house of God. And Jacob promised that if the Lord would take care of him, and give him bread to eat and clothes to wear, and keep him from harm, so that he should come back safely to his father's house again, then he would obey the Lord; and of all the silver and gold, the flocks and the herds, which God should give him, he would give a tenth part to the Lord. This did not mean that Jacob could give these things into the Lord's hand, but that he would help the poor and the sick with them, and build altars and offer burnt offerings. 42 JACOB FALLS ASLEEP AND DREAMS THAT HE SEES A LADDER REACHING TO HEAVEX. 43 Genesis XXVIII. 12. Jacob Serves Laban. 7VFTER Jacob's dream, in which he saw a ladder reaching to heaven, he went -X^\. on his journey until he came near to Haran, where Laban lived. And he saw there a well in a field, -with three flocks of sheep lying down by it, and the shepherds were with their flocks. A great stone was rolled over the month of the well, to cover it; but when all the flocks had come in from feed- ing, the shepherds used to roll the stone away and draw up water for the sheep. After they were done drinking, the stone was rolled back again over the mouth of the well. And Jacob asked the shepherds -where their home was. They said at Haran. Then he said, Do you know Laban? They ans wered, We know him. And Jacob asked if he was well. They said, He is well ; and look, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep. While they were speaking, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she took care of them. And Jacob went near and rolled away the stone and "watered the flock for her; and he kissed Rachel, and told her he was her relation and Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father. .When Laban heard that his sister Rebekah's son was come, he made haste and ran out to meet him, and put his arms around him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And Laban spoke kindly to Jacob, and Jacob stayed at his house for a month. Then Laban asked Jacob how much he should pay him to stay and live there, and take care of his flock. And Laban had another daughter beside Rachel, whose name was Leah; but Rachel was more beautiful than Leah. Now Jacob loved Rachel, and he told Laban he would stay, and serve him for seven years if, after they were ended, Rachel might be his wife. And Laban said she might be; therefore Jacob served Laban seven years for her, and they seemed like only a few days to him, because of the love he felt for her. But when they were ended Laban would not give him Rachel, because she was the youngest. He gave him Leah, and said that Jacob must serve seven years more for Rachel; For the youngest, he said, must not be married before the oldest. So Jacob stayed and served Laban seven years longer, and he had both Leah and Rachel for his wives. And God gave sons to him. 44 ! JACOB SERVES LABAX SEVEN - YEARS FOR RACHEL. 45 (fENESIS XXIX. 20. Jacob Wrestles at Peniel. JACOB stayed with Laban a long time. He took care of Laban's flocks. Laban gave Jacob some of his cattle, and these grew to be a great many, so that after awhile he was rich; he had sheep and goats and herds of cattle of his own, and his sons took care of them. And the Lord spoke to Jacob and commanded him to go back to the land of his fathers; that meant, to the land of Canaan, where Abraham, his grand- father, had lived when he was alive, and where Isaac, his father, was living still. And the Lord said he would be with Jacob, to take care of him and keep him from harm. Then Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to him while he was out in. the field with his flock. He 'wanted to talk with them there, so that Laban could not hear what he said. When they came he told them that their father did not look kindly on him as he used to look, and that the Lord had commanded him to go back to Canaan. And Rachel and Leah told him to do as the Lord commanded. And Jacob made ready to go. He set his wives and his children upon camels, and took all his cattle and everything that belonged to him, and started on his journey toward the land of Canaan. After Jacob had gone part of the way there came a man in the night and wrestled with him, putting his arms around him and trying to throw him down, and Jacob put his arms around 'the man. So they "wrestled together till the light of the morning shone a little in the sky. When the man saw that Jacob did not fall, but was strong, and wrestled on still, he touched Jacob's thigh; and just by this touch, Jacob's thigh was put out of joint, and he was lame. And the man said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. But Jacob said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. The man asked, What is thy name? and he told him, Jacob. Then the man said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel; which means, A Prince of God: and the reason he changed Jacob's name was, that Jacob wrestled with him so long to get his blessing. For this man was the same as the one who had talked with Abraham, and told him that he would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah: this man was the Lord. And Jacob said to him, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. But the Lord answered, Why dost thou ask after my name? And the Lord blessed Jacob there. And Jacob said, I have seen God. And he named that place Peniel; which means, The face of God. 46 JACOB WRESTLES WITH AX AXGEL. HIS NAME IS CHANGED TO ISRAEL. ,- ' (.1 *ESIS NX Ml 28 Jacob Meets Esau. 7VFTER Jacob had wrestled at Peniel, and the Lord had blessed him there, he X^jl. looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. ]STow Jacob had sent on before him many cattle, sheep and goats: he meant to give these to Esau as a present, so that he might not hurt him. Then he took his eleven sons, and gave some of them to the two handmaids and the others to Rachel and Leah, that they might bring them to Esau when he should come near. But Jacob went on first by himself to meet his brother, and, as he went, he bowed down to the ground seven times before him. Then when Esau saw this he ran to meet Jacob, and put his arms around him, and leaned on his neck and. kissed him; and they both wept. When Esau saw the women and the children, he said, Who are these with thee? Jacob answered, The children "whom God hath given thy servant. Then the handmaids, and Leah, and Rachel, came near, bringing the children with them, and they bowed down before Esau. And Esau asked Jacob what he meant by all those cattle he had met. Jacob answered he had sent them as a present, so that Esau might be pleased with him. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep what thou hast to thyself; for Esau had flocks and herds of his own. But Jacob said, I pray thee take my present; and he begged him till Esau took it. Then Esau wanted Jacob to go on his journey and wait no longer at that place. If he would do this, Esau said he would go -with him. But Jacob told Esau that his children were young and weak, and might easily be made sick; and that his flocks and herds had to be driven very carefully, because if they were made to go too far or too fast, for only one day, many of them "would die. And he begged Esau to go on first by himself, and Jacob said he would come after him more slowly, as the children and cattle were able to bear it. Then Esau offered to leave some of his men with Jacob; they could help him drive his cattle, or defend him if robbers should attack him by the way; but Jacob said that he did not need them. So Esau left him and went away to his own home. After he had gone Jacob "went on his journey till he came to a place called Succoth; there he stopped and made booths for his cattle to rest in. Booths were sheds, or huts, made out of the branches of trees. When his cattle had rested Jacob left Succoth and came into the land of Canaan. 48 JACOB RAN TO MEET ESAU, AND FELL ON HIS NECK AND KISSED HTM. 49 Genesis XXXIII. 4. Joseph is Sold by his Brothers. JACOB went to a place in the land of Canaan called Bethel, and there he built an altar and offered up a sacrifice to the Lord. And God spoke to Jacob, and blessed him. After these things Jacob came to Hebron and lived there. Jacob had twelve sons : Benjamin was the youngest of them all, and Joseph was next to the youngest. Now Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other children; and he made him a coat of many colors. When his brothers saw how much their father loved Joseph, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brethren, and they hated him yet the more. He said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed. We were binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf rose and stood up, and your sheaves stood round about and they bowed down to .my sheaf. And they said to him, Shalt thou, indeed, rule over us? And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, I have dreamed a dream more. The sun, and the moon, and the eleven stars, bowed down to me. He told this dream to his father also, and his father found fault with him, and said, Shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren, come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth ? One day Joseph went out in the field to find his brothers, who were a good way off, at a place called Dothan, with their fathers flock. They saw him coming, and they began to talk with each other about killing him. They said to one another, See, this dreamer comes; now let us kill him, and throw him into some pit. We will say some evil beast has devoured him, and we shail see what 'will become of his dreams. When Reuben, one of his brothers, heard what they said, he wanted to save Joseph from them; so he £>ersuaded them to put him into a pit without harm- ing him. Reuben thought that afterward he would come back, when the others were gone, and take Joseph out and bring him home to his father. They concluded to do as Reuben said, and when Joseph came to them, they took him and put him into the pit. And they sat down to eat their food. But looking up, they saw some men called Ishmaelites, coming that way. When Judah, another of Josephs brothers, saw them, he asked what good there would be in killing Josex)h. Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, he said; and his brothers were willing to do it. Then the Ishmaelites with their camels came by, and JosexDlfs brothers lifted him out of the pit, and sold him for twenty x>ieces of silver ; and the Ishmaelites took him and carried him down into EgyxDt. But Reuben, the one who had wanted to take him back to his father, was not there when they sold him; afterward he went to the pit to find Josex>h, and 'when he could not, he was greatly distressed: and he came and told his brothers, and said, Josexm is taken away; and I, where shall I go? JosexDh's brothers took his coat, and killed a kid and dipped the coat in its blood. Then they brought it to their father, and told him they had found it; he could tell, they said, whether it was Josex)h 1 s coat or not. And Jacob knew it, and said, It is my son's coat, an evil beast has devoured him. 50 A COMPANY OF ISHMAELTTES COME. WITH THEIR CAMELS, AND JOSEPH IS SOLD TO THEM. - ] I .1 M .-i- XXXVII 28. King Pharaoh Asks Joseph to Interpret His Dream. 7TFTER the Ishmaelites had bought Joseph from his cruel brothers, they J^\^ carried him down into Egypt. The king of that country "was named Pharaoh. One night Pharaoh dreamed a dream: he thought he stood by the river that was in Egypt, and saw seven cows come up out of the water. They were fat and well looking, and they went into a meadow and ate the grass there. After them came up seven other cows, but these were thin and starved looking. And the thin and starved looking cows ate up those that were fat and well looking. And Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed again. He thought he saw seven ears of corn grow up on one stalk. They were all good and filled with grain. And after them came up seven bad ears, that were spoiled and had no good grain in them. And the seven bad ears did eat up the seven good ones. And Pharaoh awoke and found it was a dream. In the morning he ivas troubled, and sent and called for all the wise men of Egypt, and told them his dreams ; but they could not interpret them. Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph; and they brought him. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have heard of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. Joseph answered, that it was not he, but God, who would tell Pharaoh the things he wanted to know. And Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams: the one in "which he thought he stood by the bank of the river, and saw the seven bad cows eat up the seven good ones; and his dream about the ears of corn also. Then Joseph said that the king's two dreams both meant the same thing, and that God had showed Pharaoh in these dreams what he was going to do. The seven good cows and the seven good ears of corn, he said, meant seven years ; and the seven bad cows and the seven bad ears of corn, meant seven other years. For first there would come seven good years in Egypt, when the corn would grow well, and there would be plenty for the people to eat. But after those seven good years would come seven bad years, when the people "would want bread, because there would be a famine in all the land. Pharaoh believed what Joseph told him and said that every man in Egypt should do as Joseph commanded. Then Joseph went out over all the land and attended to saving up the corn for Pharaoh. During the seven good years, in which it grew well, he put a part of it away in storehouses, that it might be kept safe until the seven years of famine should come. 52 JOSEPH STANDS BEFORE PHARAOH AND INTERPRETS TTTE KING'S DREAM. QENBSIS XI.I. 10. 53 Joseph Meets His Brothers Agaik YEARS passed away and JosejDh still lived in the land of Egypt. King Pharaoh made him a great man. Seven years of famine came, as Joseph said they would, and Joseph's brothers had to go to Egypt to buy corn, because there was no corn in the land of Canaan where they lived. The famine was in the land of Canaan, and the corn would not grow there. But there "was plenty of corn saved up in the land of Egypt where Josex^h lived. So Joseph's brothers took their asses and started to go to Egypt to buy corn. And they saw Joseph in Egypt and bought some of him, but it had been so long since they had seen him, and now he was so rich and great, that they did not know him or think it was their brother. But Joseph knew them, though he did not tell them so. And when they paid their money for the corn he told his servants to put it back in their bags. And when Joseph's brothers stopped and opened their bags to feed their asses, they found the money. And now Joseph's brothers have come into Egypt again to buy more corn.. They have brought their little brother Benjamin with them, for Joseph had told them to do so. When Joseph saw Benjamin he could not bear to hide himself from them any longer, and he commanded all his servants to go out of the room, so that no one was left there but Joseph and his brothers. And he: wept out loud, and his brothers heard him and saw him weeping. And he said, to them, I am Joseph ; does my father yet live ? But they were afraid and could not answer him. And Joseph said to them, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near; and he said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Then he told them not to be troubled, nor angry with themselves, because they had sold him, for God had sent him into Egypt to save people alive, and to keep them from starving in the famine. Joseph did not mean to say that. his brothers did right when they sold him, but that God had made good to come out of the evil which they had done ; Joseph told them this, so that they might not be unhappy and afraid. For he loved them, and had forgiven their- unkindness to him, and did not want them to be unhappy now when he was so glad to see them once more. 54 JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BROTHERS. 55 Genesis xia*. i. Pharaoh's Daughter Finds Moses. JOSEPH died, and his brethren died also; hut their descendants lived and grew to he a great multitude of people. And a new king ruled over Egypt. His name was Pharaoh, like the one who had been so kind to Joseph; hut this Pharaoh had never known Josejm. And when Pharaoh saw how many there were of the children of Israel, he ^was afraid of them. He thought that some day, when his enemies should come and make 'war against him, the children of Israel would help them, and after- ward would rise up and go out of his land; he did not want them to do this; he wanted them to stay and he his servants. So this wicked king told the women who took care of the Israelites 1 little children, to kill all the hoys as soon as they were horn. The girls he was willing to let live, because they "would never be able to fight against him. Now there was a man among the Israelites named Amram. His "wife's name was Jochebed, and God gave them a son. The child was very beautiful, and his mother loved him, but she feared that some of Pharaoh's servants would come and take him from her, to kill him. So she took a little ark, or boat, made out of the long rushes that grew by the river, and daubed it over with pitch to keep out the water. And she put her baby into the ark and laid it carefully among the bushes at the edge of the river. But the little boy's sister waited, not far off, to see what might happen to him. And the daughter of king Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river, and she and her maidens walked along by the river's side. When she saw the ark among the bushes, she sent one of them to bring it. The maiden brought it, and as Pharaoh's daughter looked into it, the little boy -wept; and she pitied him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews'' children. Then his sister, who had been watching, came near and spoke to the king's daughter, saying, May I not go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for thee ? She said, Go. And his sister went and called her mother. When she came, Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. So his mother carried him back to her own home and nursed him there. But after a while Pharaoh's daughter sent for the child. Then his mother brought him to her. And Pharaoh's daughter took him into her house to be as her own son, and she called his name Moses, which means, " drawn out," because, she said, I drew him out of the water. 56 PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER SEES THE ARK AMoXC THE REEDS AND TELLS HER MAID TO FETCH IT. 57 Exodus ii 5 Moses and Aaron Go Before Pharaoh. ¥OSES lived in the house of Pharaoh's daughter until he had grown to he a man: then, although he might have been rich and great if he had stayed with her, he chose rather to go and live with his own people. Many years passed away and Pharaoh the king of Egypt died, and another Pharaoh ruled in his place. The people of Egypt were very cruel to the children of Israel and they cried to the Lord because of their sufferings. Moses had a brother named Aaron : God commanded that they should both go to king Pharaoh and say, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. But Pharaoh answered, "Who is the Lord that I should obey him? I know not the Lord, neither will I let the children of Israel go. ISTow the children of Israel were digging clay out of the ground and making bricks with it, for that was the work which Pharaoh made them do. These bricks were not burned in the fire, as ours are, to harden them ; they were only baked in the sun. But to make them tougher and stronger, the clay they were made of was mixed with pieces of straw. This straw "was gathered out in the fields by men who brought it to the children of Israel, for them to work it up with the clay before they made the bricks. But Pharaoh was so angry at the children of Israel for wanting to go out of Egypt, that he said they must go and gather the straw themselves ; and yet that they must make as many bricks as they used to make, when it "was gathered for them. Then the taskmasters went and told the children of Israel that Pharaoh said, I will not give you straw. Go get straw where you can find it. The children of Israel were in great distress, and some of them went to Moses and Aaron, and said that they had done them harm and not good, for they had made Pharaoh hate them, and treat them more cruelly than he treated them before. And Moses went and told the Lord, and asked -why he had sent him to speak with Pharaoh; for, Moses said, since he had spoken to him, Pharaoh had done evil to the children of Israel, and yet the Lord had not set them free. The Lord answered, that Moses should see what he would do to Pharaoh, to make him let the children of Israel go. And the Lord said that "when Pharaoh should ask them to do a miracle for him to see, Aaron should take his rod and throw it on the ground, and it should be turned into a serpent. So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and Aaron threw down his rod and it was changed into a serpent. But Pharaoh would not let the children of Israel go. 58 AARON CASTS DOWN HIS ROD BEFORE PHARAOH. AND IT BECOMES A SERPENT. ,j<) i\ - VII. 10. The Plagues oe Egypt. THESE were the plagues sent upon the Egyptians to make them let the children of Israel go. The Lord first commanded Aaron to take his rod and strike the waters of the river. And when he did this all the waters of the river were changed into "blood. But Pharaoh would not let the people go. Then the Lord commanded that Aaron should hold out his rod over the waters of Egypt. And when Aaron held it out, the frogs came up out of the waters, so many of them that they covered the land. The Lord commanded Aaron to strike the dust on the ground with his rod. And when Aaron had done so, the dust was changed into lice, that crept on the people and on the cattle. The Lord sent swarms of flies, and they came over all the land. The Lord sent a sickness ; and the cows, the horses, the asses, the camels, and the sheep, that belonged to the Egyptians died, all over the land. Moses took ashes and stood before Pharaoh, and sprinkled them up in the air; afterward boils broke out on men and on beasts. The Lord sent thunder and hail, and there was fire, also, running along on the ground. The Lord made an east wind to blow on the land all day and all night, and in the morning the wind brought locusts. They went up over all the land of Egypt, and covered the ground so that it could not be seen for them. The Lord commanded Moses to hold up his hand toward heaven, that it might be dark in the land. And Moses held up his hand, and there came a great darkness over all Egypt. The Lord sent his destroying angel into every Egyptian's house, and caused the oldest son there to die. Pharaoh's son and the sons of his servants died; but every man among the Israelites had been commanded to kill a lamb in the evening, and dip a bunch of hyssop in its blood, and strike the wood out- side of his door, so that there were three marks of blood on every house where the children of Israel lived. Those who were in the house ate of the lamb that night ; they ate of it with their clothes girded around them, with their shoes on their feet, and with their staves in their hands, all ready to go out of Egypt. And when, in the middle of the night, the Lord passed through the land, and saw the marks of the blood on a house, he passed over that house and did no harm to any one in it. 60 AT MIDNIGHT THE LORD SMOTE ALL THE 6TRST-B< >RN OF THE EGYPTIANS. r,l Exontra xii J". The Egyptians Let the Children of Israel Go. WHEN the Lord sent his destroying angel into every Egyptian's house, and caused the oldest son there to die, Pharaoh's son and the sons of his servants died. And the king rose up in the night, and all his people, and there was a great cry of distress through all the land for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and told them to go out of Egypt and to take all the children of Israel with them. He said, Take your flocks and your herds, and be gone. And the Egyptians begged them to go, and to go quickly, for they were afraid the Lord would cause them all to die. And the children of Israel went, carrying their clothes bound up with their kneading troughs on their shoulders. And the Egyptians gave them jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment also, so they went out with great riches. And many other persons who were not Israelites went with them. We read in the Bible, in the book of Genesis, that God told Abraham his descendants should live in a strange land for many years, and that the people there would treat them cruelly. Yet God said he would punish the people who treated them so, and afterward would bring the children of Israel out of that land with great riches. It had been more than four hundred years since G.od spoke those "words to Abraham, but now he made them come true. The lamb which the children of Israel killed at the supper of the passover, was like the lamb "which Abel offered up on the altar. We have read how Abel's lamb meant, or represented, the Saviour. So this passover lamb represented him. The passover lamb died for the people, and the Saviour was coming, after many years, to die for them. When the Lord came into Egypt in the night, he did not punish those "who had the marks of the lamb's blood on their houses. And when he shall come to the earth on the Judgment day, he "will not punish those who have the marks of the Saviour's blood on their hearts, that is, "whose hearts have been cleansed from sin by his blood. 62 THE EGYPTIANS l T Rf*E MOSES AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO GO. 03 Exodi a mi. sa The Childbed of Israel Complain. ¥OSES led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. They went safely through the Red Sea, walking on dry ground, but king Pharaoh and all his host were drowned, because God made the waters roll back upon them when they tried to follow. After the children of Israel had gone a few days' journey into the wilder- ness, they came to the desert of Sin. And the people, because they were hungry, spoke wickedly to Moses and Aaron. They said that while they were in Egypt, they had plenty of bread and flesh to eat. They wished that God had made them die there, for Moses and Aaron had brought them out in the wilderness on purpose to kill them with hunger. And the Lord told Moses he had heard their complainings. In the evening, about the time the sun was going down, great numbers of quails came flying up to the camp so that the people could catch them. Also in the morning, after the dew was dried, there was found, spread all over the ground, a small, white, round thing which looked like the frost. When the children of Israel saw it, they did not know what it was. But Moses said to them, This is the food which the Lord has given you to eat. The people called this new food Manna: it was small, and round, and white like the seed called coriander seed, and tasted like cakes made with honey. And they journeyed on and came to a place called Rephidim, but found no water there. Then they found fault with Moses and said to him, Give us water that we may drink. Moses asked why they found fault with him. They answered, that he had brought them out of Egypt to kill them, and their little children, and their cattle, with thirst. Then Moses cried to the Lord and said, What shall I do to these people? for they are almost ready to stone me. Now by this time they had come near to a mountain called Horeb. And when Moses asked what he should do, because the people were almost ready to stone him, the Lord commanded him to take his rod in his hand and go on before them, until he came to a rock that was in Horeb, and the Lord said that Moses should strike the rock with his rod and then water would come out of it. And Moses obeyed the Lord. He took the rod in his hand and struck the rock and water flowed out of it, and the children of Israel drank of the water. 64 MOSES STRIKES THE ROCK AT HORER AXD THE CHILDREN OF ESRAEL DRINK 65 BZ0DD8XVU.& G-od Speaks to Moses on Mount Sinai. IN the third month after the children of Israel went out of Egypt, they came near the mountain called Sinai, and encamped before it, And Mos.es went up on the mountain and the Lord spoke to him there. And the Lord said he would come down in a thick cloud and speak with Moses on mount Sinai, so that the people should hear him. On the third day, in the morning, there "were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud, on mount Sinai. And all the mountain smoked, because the Lord came down in fire upon it, and the smoke went up like the smoke from a furnace, and the mountain shook greatly. And when a trumpet sounded long, and grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him and called him to the top of the mount. There God talked with him, and gave him many laws for the children of Israel to obey. Afterward Moses came down from the mount, and wrote those laws in a book, and read them out to the people. When the people heard them, they promised to obey all the words that the Lord had spoken. And the Lord told Moses to come up on mount Sinai again. 'And Moses went up on the mount and stayed there forty days and forty nights. And God gave Moses two tables of stone with the Ten Commandments written upon them ; God had written them there with his own hand. Now the children of Israel, when they saw that Moses stayed so long upon the mount, grew impatient, and came to Aaron and said, As for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of Egypt, we know not what has become of him. And they asked Aaron to make idols for them, such as the heathen nations worshipped. Aaron made them a golden calf and the people offered burnt offerings to the idol. When Moses came down the mountain, with the two tables of stone in his hand, he saw the golden calf and the people dancing before it. Then he was in great anger, and threw the two tables of stone out of his hands, and they were broken in pieces as they fell down below the mount. And Moses took the calf and burned it in the fire, and ground it up into very small pieces, like powder, or dust. Then he strewed the dust on the water that they drank, and made the children of Israel drink of the water, and he punished the people by causing great numbers of them to be slain. Afterward Moses prayed that the Lord would forgive the people for their sin, and God told Moses to make two tables of stone like those he had broken. The Lord wrote on the two tables of stone which Moses brought, the words of the Ten Commandments. 66 MOSES COMES DOWX FROM THE MOUNTAIN AXD SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE. 07 I \ - XIX 2& The Children of Israel Refuse to Enter Canaan. WHEN the children of Israel had come near to Canaan, the land that God had promised them for their own, Moses told them to go in and take it, as the Lord had said they should. But they asked him first to send men as spies, who should go and search the land, and bring them word of what they saw there. And Moses sent twelve men, one from each tribe. He told them not to fear, but to go and look at the land and to bring back also some of the fruits that they found there. Then the s}Dies went into Canaan, and walked through it from one end to the other, for the Lord kept the people who lived there from doing them any harm. At a place called Eshcol, where grapes "were growing, they cut off from the vine a branch with a single cluster upon it. This cluster was so large that it took two men to carry it. They hung it upon a pole, or staff, and one man carried one end of the staff, and another the other end, so that the cluster was carried between them. They brought with them also, some pomegranates and rigs. They were forty days in going through the land; then they came back to Moses and Aaron, and to all the children of Israel, and showed them the fruits they had brought. They said that in the land where they had been, the grain and the vines grew well, and there was plenty to eat and drink; but that the cities had Avails around them, and were very great, and the people who lived there "were giants, so large that the men whom Moses had sent seemed only like grasshoppers when they came near to them. So the children of Israel would not go. And they asked, Why has the Lord brought us up to this land, so that Ave, our wives and our children should be killed by our enemies? Then the Lord was greatly displeased with the children of Israel. He said that because they had so often disobeyed him, and would not believe his promise after all the "wonderful things he had done for them, they should not go into Canaan, but should turn back into the "wilderness, and there they should -wander forty years, until all the men "who refused to go in "were dead. Then, after the forty years were ended, and all those men had died,, God said he "would bring their children into Canaan. 68 THE RETURN OP THE SPIES FROM THE LAND OP CANAAN. 69 NUMBKHB XIII. 28. KORAH, DATHAN, AND ABIRAM ARE PUNISHED. WHEN the children of Israel heard that they were to be turned back from the land of Canaan, they were sorry for what they had done ; and they rose up early in the morning, and told Moses that now they were willing to go. But Moses told them not to go, for the Lord would not help them, and if they should go they would be killed by their enemies. Yet they disobeyed him and went, and the people of the land came and fought against them, and chased them as bees chase persons who come near their hive. Then the children of Israel came back into their camp and stayed there many days. Afterward they all returned into the wilderness again. After these things three men, named Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with two hundred and fifty more of the men of Israel, came to Moses and Aaron and spoke against them, saying, that Aaron had no right to be high priest, and that Moses ought not to be the ruler over the people. Now Korah was one of the Levites who waited on the priests at the tabernacle, but he was not satisfied with doing this, he -wanted to be a priest himself. That was the reason he came, bringing these men with him, to speak against Aaron. And Moses heard -what they said, and told them, that the next day, each of them should take a censer and burn incense in it, as the priests did, and Aaron should do so too. Then, Moses said, the Lord would show which was the man he chose for high priest. The next day Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the two hundred and fifty men, took censers and put fire in them, and sprinkled incense on the fire, as the priests did at the tabernacle. And all the rest of the children of Israel came out with them to rebel against, or refuse to obey, Moses and Aaron. But the Lord was greatly displeased -with the people for coming. He commanded them to go away from Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. So the people went away from them. Then Moses said, that if the ground should open and swallow up these men, the children of Israel would know that they had offended the Lord. And as soon as Moses -was done speaking, the ground opened and swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with their tents, and all who were in them. And they cried out as they went down alive under the ground; and the earth closed over them. And all the people that were near them fled away, -when they heard their cry, for they feared the earth would swallow up them also. At the same time that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were swallowed up, the Lord sent fire that slew the two hundred and fifty men who had come out with them. 70 THE EARTH OPENS AND SWALLOWS UP K'OKAIT. DATHAN AND ABIRAM. 71 Fiery Serpents Are Sent Among the People. Y~[THE children of Israel journeyed in the wilderness and came to mount Hor. _L- There the Lord sjDoke to Moses and Aaron, and said that Aaron should be gathered to his fathers; this meant, that he should die and be buried in the grave as his fathers had been. And the Lord said to Moses, Take Aaron and his son Eleazar, and bring them up on mount Hor; and take off the high priest's garments from Aaron, and put them on Eleazar, and Aaron shall die there. And Moses did as the Lord commanded. He and Aaron and Eleazar, Aaron's oldest son, went up on mount Hor, and all the people saw them going up. And Moses took the high priest's garments off of Aaron, and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron died there on the top of the mount. So Eleazar was made high priest in the place of his father. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount. "When all the people saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for him thirty days. But the children of Israel had yet a long way to go, and they grew weary of the journey, and sinned again, by speaking against God and against Moses. They said, There is no bread here for us, or water, and we loathe this manna. And the Lord was angry, and sent fiery serpents into the camp, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then they came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee; and they begged Moses to pray that the serpents might be taken from them. And Moses prayed for them ; and the Lord commanded him to make a serpent of brass, like those which bit the people, and to set it up on a pole. And whoever was bitten, the Lord said, if he would look at that serpent of brass, should be made well. And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole, and when any one who had been bitten looked at it, he was made well. Yet the serpent of brass could not make him well. It was the Lord who did it, because that serpent, lifted up on the pole, meant, or represented, the Saviour who was to be lifted up on the cross. And it was intended to teach us, who read of it now, how we should look up to the Saviour, so that he may save us. from being punished for our sins. 72 MOSES SETS UP A SERPENT OF BRASS. THE PEOI'LK LOOK AT IT AND AUK CURED. 73 Nlmueiw XXI. 'J. T Balak Tells Balaam to Curse the People. ^ fHE children of Israel journeyed again, and came to the plains of Moao. A people called the Moabites lived there, whose king was named Balak. When Balak saw the children of Israel he was afraid, because he thought they had come to make war against him, and there were too many of them for his soldiers to fight with. Therefore he sent for a man named Balaam to come and curse them. The king thought that this would bring evil upon the children of Israel, because Balaam pretended to have power with God, and he told Balaam he would give him silver and gold for cursing the children of Israel. So Balaam rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and started to go with the men whom the king had sent for him. And God was angry with Balaam for going, and sent his angel to stand before him in the way, with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam could not see the angel, but the ass saw him, and she turned out of the way into the field. And Balaam struck the ass to make her go back. And the angel went on further, and stood in Balaam's path, at a place where there was a wall on each side of it. When the ass came to the place, she pressed up very close to the wall, to get by, but she hurt Balaam's foot in doing so, and he struck her again. And the angel went on further still, and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right hand, or the left. Then the ass, because she "was afraid, fell down upon the ground under Balaam. And Balaam was very angry, and struck her with the staff that was in his hand. And the Lord made the ass to speak like a man, and say, What have I done to thee that thou hast struck me these three times? Balaam answered, that it was because she had disobeyed him, and turned out of the way when he wanted her to go on. After this the Lord made Balaam see the angel standing before him, with the sword in his hand. And the angel said to him, Why hast thou struck thine ass these three times ? Behold I have come out against thee, because thy way is wicked before me. And the ass saw me and turned out of the path ; unless she had turned from me, surely now I had slain thee and saved her alive. Then the angel commanded Balaam to go with the men "whom the king had sent, but to speak to the king only those things which the angel should tell him. And Balaam -went with the men to king Balak, but the Lord would not let Balaam curse the people. Instead of cursing them he blessed them And the king "was angry at Balaam and sent him away without giving him any silver and gold. 74 AX AXGEL TELLS BALAAM TO BLESS— NOT CURSE— TTII-: CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. <•> Xi MBBHS XXII. ;l. I The Israelites Cross the Jordan. "T fHE children of Israel wandered in the wilderness forty years. Bnt when those years were ended God brought them near to the land of Canaan again. When the priests who carried the ark came to the edge of the river Jordan, as soon as their feet touched the water, the water parted before them, and they walked out on dry ground into the middle of the river. There they stood with the ark, and waited -while all the children of Israel passed over to the other side, into the land of Canaan. After the people had gone over, the priests, carrying the ark, followed them. And as soon as they came up out of the river and -stood on the shore, the waters flowed in the river again, filling it as full as it had been before. But Moses, the servant of the Lord, was not with the people, for the Lord had commanded him to go up on a mountain, called mount Nebo, and to look from there across Jordan. When Moses had done this, and had seen the good land where the children of Israel were going, he died there on the top of the moun- tain, and the Lord buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, but no man has ever known the place -where he was buried. He was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet he had not grown weak from age, but was well and strong until the day that the Lord took him. After he was dead, Joshua ruled over the people, and they obeyed him as they had obeyed Moses. And the children of Israel made their camp at a place called Gilgal. There they found some of the corn that had grown in the land, and they parched it and did eat of it. And on the morrow after they had eaten the corn, the manna ceased coming. For forty years the Lord had sent it to them in the -wilderness, where no grain grew. But now they were in Canaan, where there # was plenty of food for them, therefore the Lord sent the manna no more. And Joshua "went out of the camp and came near to the walls of the city of Jericho. And he looked up and saw a man standing there. And Joshua came to him, and said, Art thou for us or for our enemies? The man answered, As captain of the Lord's army I am come. He called the army of Israel the Lord's army, and he meant to tell Joshua that he had come as their captain, to show them how they should gain the victory over their enemies. Then Joshua bowed down to the earth and -worshipped him; for this man -was the Lord; the same that came to Abraham's tent and told him that he would destroy Sodom; and that -wrestled -with Jacob -when he "was coming back from Laban's house into Canaan. 76 THE AXGEL OF THE LORD APPEARS TO JOSHUA AT JERIOTK >. 77 Joshca V. 13. The CHILDBED of Israel Take Jericho. Y"l~fHE people of Jericho had shut up the gates of the city, so that no one could -X. go out or come iri, because they were afraid of the children of Israel. But the Lord said he would give Joshua the victory over the king of Jericho ; and he told him in what way the children of Israel should take the city. All their men of war, or soldiers, he said, should march around the city once every day, for six days; and some of the priests should carry the ark around with them. Seven more priests were to go before the ark, and to blow on trumpets made of rams 1 horns. But on the seventh day the children of Israel were commanded to march around Jericho seven times, and the priests were to blow on the trumpets. Then, when the men of Israel should hear a long blast on the trumpets, they were all to give a great shout, and the Lord said that the wall of the city should fall down flat, so that they could go up into the city. And Joshua told the children of Israel that only Rahab, and the persons who •were in her house with her, should be saved alive ; for the Lord had commanded that all the rest of the people of Jericho should be put to death for their sins. And Joshua said that all the silver and gold, and the vessels made out of brass and iron, which should be found in the city, belonged to the Lord, and must be put into the treasury where the things were kept which were given to him. Joshua commanded the people not to take any of the silver or gold, or brass or iron, for their own, lest the Lord should send a great punishment upon them for their disobedience. And the people did as the Lord commanded. On the first day they marched around the city once, and after them came the priests that blew on the trumpets. Then followed the priests who carried the ark. On the second day they marched around the city again. So they did for six days. But on the seventh day they rose up early, before it was light, and marched around the city seven times. The last time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said to the children of Israel, Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. Then the people shouted, and as they did so, the wall of the city fell down flat before them, and they went up into Jericho and took it. 78 THE PEOPLE SHOUT AND BLOW THE TRUMPETS. THE WALLS OF JERICHO FALL DOWN. 79 Joshua VL 9k Rahab Is Spared. REFORE the children of Israel entered into the land of Canaan, Joshua had sent two men as spies over Jordan, to look at the land before the children of Israel should go into it. And the men had crossed over the river to the city of Jericho, and had gone into the house of a woman named Rahab. And some one told the king of Jericho, that two spies of the children of Israel had come into the city and were at Rahab's house. Then the king sent to Rahab and asked her to bring out the men. Now the roofs of the houses in that country were flat, so that persons could walk on them. And Rahab took the two men up on the roof of her house, and hid them under some stalks of flax which were spread out to dry there. And the king's messengers came, but could not find them. After the mes- sengers had gone, Rahab went up and talked with the men. She told them that she knew the Lord had given the land to the children of Israel, for the people of Canaan had heard how he made the Red Sea dry for them to cross over it, and afterward helped them in fighting against their enemies. As soon as the people heard of these things, Rahab said, they were afraid of the children of Israel. Then she asked the two men to promise that they would remember her kindness to them, and not let her, or any of her family, be put to death, when the children of Israel should come to take the city of Jericho. And the men had said that if she -would tell no one of their coming, they would do as she asked. Rahab then let the two men down from her window, which overlooked the wall of the city, and they went back safely to the camp of the Israelites. Now when Joshua came into the city of Jericho, he told the spies who were at Rahab's house before, to go and bring out all the persons who were there, as they had promised to do. And they went and brought out Rahab and her father, her mother, her brothers, and all who were with her. Afterward the children of Israel burned the city ; but the silver and gold, and the vessels of iron and brass, were put into the treasury of the Lord. And Joshua saved Rahab alive, and all her relations, because she hid the spies whom he had sent into Jericho. And after that she lived among the children of Israel. 80 JOSHUA SAVES THE LIFE OF RAHAB BECAUSE SHE HID THE SPIES IX BEE EOU8E. 81 JOBHl \ VI. 26. The Men of Ai Defeat the Isbaelites. 7VFTER Jericho had been destroyed, Joshua sent spies to another city of -/^Jl. Canaan, called Ai. And the spies came back and told him that not many people lived there, and that only a small army of the men of Israel need go up to take the city. Two or three thousand of them -would be enough, they said. So Joshua sent up about three thousand men. But when the men of Ai came out against them, the Israelites were afraid and fled, and the men of Ai slew about thirty-six of them. Then Joshua was in great distress. He rent his clothes, and he and the elders of Israel, bowed down with their faces to the earth, praying, until the evening. And Joshua cried to the Lord, saying, All the people of Canaan will hear how the children of Israel have fled before their enemies; and they will gather around us on every side and kill us, till none of us are left. But the Lord told him to rise up, and asked him -why he lay with his face to the ground. There was sin among the children of Israel, the Lord said, and that was the reason they had been afraid, and not able to stand before their enemies. For one of them had taken some of the silver and gold that was in Jericho, and hidden it, instead of putting it in the treasury of the Lord. And. the Lord said he would not be with them to help them again, unless they punished the man who had done this thing. And he commanded Joshua to bring out all the people before him, that he might show who the man was. That man, the Lord said, should be burned "with fire — he and all that he had. So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought out all the peoxole, and the Lord showed him the man. His name was Achan. And Joshua said to him, Tell me now "what thou hast done — hide it not from me. Achan answered, that when he had seen in Jericho a beautiful garment, and some silver money, and a piece of gold, he "wanted them for his own; so he took them, and hid them in the ground under his tent. Then Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to Achan's tent, and found the things hidden there as he said. And they took them out and brought them to Joshua, and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. And Joshua and all the people, took Achan and brought him into a valley. And there they stoned him to death with stones. 82 A CHAN IS STONED BECAUSE HE KEPT SOME OF THE SPOILS. 83 Joshua vii. 25. The City of Ai Is Takek JOSHUA and all the people, took the beautiful garment, and the silver and gold which Achan had hidden, his sons also and his daughters, his tent and his cattle, and everything that he had, and brought them into a valley. There they stoned them with stones, and afterwards burned them with fire. And over Achats dead body they raised a great heap of stones, to show where it lay. Therefore the Lord was no longer angry with the children of Israel on account of this sin, because they punished the man who had done it. And the name of the valley was called Achor, which means Trouble. Then the Lord said to Joshua, Fear not; take all the men of war with thee, and go up again to Ai, for now I will give thee the city, and the king of Ai, his people and his land. And the Lord commanded Joshua to do to the people of Ai as he had done to the people of Jericho ; they were to be put to death for their sins. But he said that the gold and the silver which the children of Israel should find there, they need not put into the treasury of the Lord ; they might take it for themselves. So Joshua arose, and all the men of war, to go up against Ai. But they did not all of them go together. Joshua chose thirty thousand brave soldiers, whom he sent away in the night to go around behind the city, and hide where the people of Ai could not see them. The rest "went with Joshua in front of the city. When the king of Ai saw the men who were with Joshua, he thought they were all that had come, and he marched out with his army to tight against them. Then those who were hidden behind the city, came into it and set it on fire. And the men of Ai looked back, and saw the smoke of their city going up toward heaven, and they knew not which way to go. Joshua and his men were in front of them, and thos,e who had set the city on tire were behind them, so they could not escape. And Joshua put them to death, as the Lord commanded. But the gold and silver, and the cattle which were in Ai, the children of Israel took for their own. And Joshua built an altar of great stones on the mountain called Ebal; and he covered the stones with plaster and wrote on the plaster the words of God's law, as Moses commanded the children of Israel to do before they crossed over Jordan. 84 THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TAKE AI AND BURN THE CITY. 36 JOSHV \ VIII 1!* Stones Fall upon the Enemies of Gibeon. "V "T ^THElSr the kings who lived in Canaan heard how Joshua had destroyed V V Ai, they gathered together to make war against him. But the people of a city called Gibeon acted more cunningly. They did not want to make war against Joshua, for they knew that the Lord would give him the victory. Therefore they sent messengers to him, who put on very old clothes and worn-out shoes, and carried dry and mouldy bread with them, to pretend they had come from another country, and had been a long time on the journey. And they came to Joshua in the camp and said to him, We have come from a country far off from Canaan, for we heard of your God and of all the great things he has done for you; therefore all our people sent us to ask that you would make a covenant with them, and be their friends. Then Joshua and the- children of Israel did not ask the Lord what they should do, as they ought to have asked him; they promised at once to be frjLends with the men of Gibeon. But after three days they heard that those men had not come from a far off country at all, for they lived near by, in Canaan, and were among the wicked nations whom the children of Israel were commanded to . destroy. And Joshua called the men of Gibeon to him, and asked them why they had deceived him. They answered that they 'were afraid of their lives, for they had heard how the people of Canaan were to be destroyed and their land given to the children of Israel. So the children of Israel could not put the people of Gibeon to death, because they had promised, before the Lord, to let them live. But Joshua said they should be bondsmen, or slaves, and work for the priests and the Levites, in cutting the wood and carrying the ■water which would be needed at the tabernacle. And the king of a city, called Jerusalem, was angry with the people of Gibeon for making friends with the children of Israel. Therefore he and four other kings of the land, gathered their armies together and came to the city of Gibeon, to tight against it. Then the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua, saying, Come up to us quickly and help us, for the kings that live in the mountains are gathered together against us. So Joshua and all the men of war went out against the five kings. And the Lord made the kings and their armies afraid of the children of Israel, and they tied from them. As they fled, the Lord cast down great stones upon them, out of heaven, so that more died from the stones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. 86 THE LORD CASTS DOWX GREAT STONES BTtOM HEAVEN UPON THE AMOBITES. gi7 Joshua x n. Joshua Dies and the Israelites Serye their Enemies. JOSHUA gained the victory over many more kings in the land of Canaan, and yet there was much land left for the men of Israel to take. Eor these kings did not rule over whole countries, like the kings that are living now ; they ruled over cities only, or small portions of the land. And Joshua grew old; he could no longer lead the men of Israel out to •war as he used to do. When he was one hundred and ten years old he died. And they buried him in the part of the land that had been given him for his own, on the side of the hill Gaash. After Joshua was dead, the men of Israel "went out to war against the heathen nations, as he had commanded; and the Lord helped them and gave them the victory. Yet they did not persevere until they had driven out all those nations from Canaan; they allowed some of them still to live in the land. And the Lord spoke to the children of Israel, saying, I brought you up out of Egypt into the land which I promised to give you, and I commanded you to destroy the idols of the nations that lived there, and never to make peace with those nations. But you have not obeyed me. Now, therefore, I ■will not any more drive them out from before you, but those that are left shall stay in the land, and they will tempt you to sin, and cause you great trouble. When the children of Israel heard these "words they wept. Yet they soon forgot -what the Lord had said, for they not only allowed many of the heathen to stay in Canaan, but they treated them as their friends. They even married among them, and began to worship the idols called Baal and Ashtaroth, that the people of Canaan "worshipped. The Lord was very angry with the children of Israel, and sent enemies "who fought against them and made them their servants. But "when they repented, and asked the Lord for help, he heard them and gave them rulers called judges, who led them out to war against their enemies, and set them free. Yet as often as the Lord set them free, they forgot him and sinned again. So they "went on sinning, and afterward repenting, for more than three hundred years. During that time fifteen, judges ruled over them. The king of Canaan came against the children of Israel and made them his servants. Now the Lord had chosen a woman to be judge over Israel at this time. Her name was Deborah; she lived in a house that stood under a palm tree near Bethel. And Deborah sent for a man named Barak, and told him that the Lord commanded him to take ten thousand of the men of Israel, and go to fight against Sisera, the captain of the king of Canaan's army. 88 DEBORAH, JUDGE OF ISRAEL, TELLS THE PEOPLE TO TAKE ARMS A.GATN8T SISERA 89 JUDOES IV. 14. Barak Gains the Victory, but Sisera is Killed by the Hakd or a Woman. W HEIST Deborah told Barak to take ten thousand men, and go to fight against Sisera, Barak was afraid, and answered that he would not go unless Deborah -went with him. Then Deborah said she would go, but that Barak should not have the praise of the victory, because a woman "would put Sisera to death. And Barak took ten thousand men and went out against Sisera, and Deborah went with him. And Sisera gathered all the king of Canaan's army together, his soldiers, and his war-chariots made of iron, nine hundred of them, and came to fight with the children of Israel. Then Deborah said to Barak, Up, for this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into thy hand. So Barak, with his ten thousand men, fought against Sisera, and the Lord gave them the victory. And Barak followed after Sisera's army, putting them to death with the sword; but Sisera got down out of his chariot and fled away on his feet, that Barak might not take him. And he came to the tent of a "woman named Jael, who was a friend to the children of Israel ; and he said to her, Give me a little water, for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk and gave him to drink. Then he said to her, Stand in the door of thy tent, and when any one comes and asks if there is a man here, say, No. And he went into her tent to hide, and lay down and slept. Then Jael took a great nail of the tent, that was used in fastening the side of the tent to the ground, and she went softly to Sisera while he was sleeping, and drove the nail into his forehead, and he died there. Soon afterward Barak came by, seeking for Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him, and said to him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou art looking for. And she took him into the tent, and there Sisera lay dead. So the children of Israel were set free from the king of Canaan that day, But Barak had not the praise of the victory, because Sisera, the captain of the king's army, "was killed by the hand of a woman, as Deborah had said. After this the people had rest from war for forty years. But when the forty years were ended, they did wickedly and displeased God, and the Midianites came up against them and made them their servants and treated them very cruelly. For they drove the children of Israel from their cities, and their homes, so that they had to live in dens and caves in the mountains. 90 JAEL SMITES A NAIL INTO THE TEMPLE OF 3ISERA AS BE LEES SLEEPING FN BER TENT. v eight years. Of these three judges the Bible tells us very little except how Long they ruled, and that they died and were buried. After these things, the children of Israel sinned again and displeased the Lord, and the Philistines came out against them and made them their servants for forty years. There was at that time a man of Israel named Manoah. Both he and his wife feared the Lord; and they had do child. And the Ange] of the Lord spoke to the woman, and told her they should have a son, and that he should he a Nazarite to God: this meant that he should he set apart for God, to serve him. He was never tp drink wine, and his parents were to let his hair grow without ever cutting it; because persons who were Nazarites drank no wine, neither did they cut their hair as others did, for so the Lord commanded them. And the angel said that Manoah's son should be a Nazarite, and that he should be the one who would begin to set the children of Israel i'wr from the Philistines. Then the woman came and told her husband that a man of God, or prophet, had spoken to her, for she did not know it was an angel. Yet, she said, his fare was like the face of an angel, btit I did not ask him from where he had come, neither did he tell me. And God gave to Manoah and his wife the son he had promised them, and they called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord was kind to him and blessed him. When Samson was grown up, he went to a city called Timnath and saw there the daughter of a man who was a Philistine. And he was pleased with her, and came back to his home and said to his father and mother, I have seen a woman in Timnath who is the daughter of a Philistine. Now, therefore, get her for me, that she may be my wife. Then his father and mother asked him if there was not a woman among the children of Israel whom lie would take for his wife, instead of this one, who was the daughter of a Philistine; for the Philistines were enemies to the Israelites. But Samson was not willing to give her up: he said to bis father, Get her for me, for she pleases me well. So his father and mother went with him to Timhat h. to see the young woman. 99 Samson Fights Against the Philistines. ^S Samson was going to Timnath, a young lion met him and roared at him; and the Lord gave Samson strength to kill the lion as easily as if it had been a kid. He did this with his hands alone, for he had no sword or spear to fight the lion with. And Samson saw the young woman he wanted to marry, at Timnath, and talked with her, and still she pleased him well. And he went to Timnath again, and married her. Then he made a feast there, for so the young men, when they "were married, used to do. After these things, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson came again to Tim- nath to visit his wife, and to bring her a kid. But when he had come to the house, her father would not let him go in, and told him that she could be his "wife no longer, for she was given to be the wife of another man. Then Samson "was very angry, and he "went and caught three hundred foxes, and tied fire- brands, or pieces of blazing 'wood, to their tails, and let them loose in the fields and vineyards of the Philistines. And they set fire to the grain, so that it was burned up, both that -which had been cut and piled in shocks, and that which "was still growing in the field. The grape-vines and the olive-trees were burned also. And the Philistines said, Who has done this? When they knew that it was Samson, they took his "wife and her father, and burned them with fire. And Samson fought against the Philistines, and slew many of them. Afterward he "went on to the top of a rock called Etam, and stayed there. Then the Philistines came up to take him, and made their camp in the land of Israel. And the men of Israel said to them, Why are you come up against us? They answered, To bind Samson, that we may do to him as he has done to us. And three thousand men of the children of Israel "went to the top of the rock Etam, "where Samson "was, and said to him, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? Why hast thou done these things? Samson answered, Because they have done evil to me, I have done evil to them. Then the men of Israel told him they had come to bind him, that they might give him to the Philistines. Samson asked them whether they -would promise not to put him to death, if he should let them bind him. They answered, We will not put thee to death, but will bind thee fast and give thee to the Philistines. And Samson let them bind him "with two new cords, and they took him to bring him to the Philistines' camp. As he came near to it, the Philistines saw him and -were glad, and they shouted against him. But the Lord gave him such strength, that he broke the cords off from him, as easily as if they had been burned by fire. And Samson found the jawbone of an ass, and took it in his hand, and "with it fought against the Philistines and slew a thousand men. 100 SAMSON KILLS A LION WITH HIS HANDS ALONE, RENDING HIM AS IF HE WERE A KID. 1Q1 II I". K- XIV. li. Samson and Delilah. SAMSON came to a city called Gaza, and went into a house there. Now the Philistines lived in Gaza, and when they heard that Samson had come, they shut the gates of the city, and watched by them all night, to take him as he should go out again. They said, in the morning we shall kill him. But in the middle of the night, he rose up and came to the gates, and when he found them shut, he dragged up the two posts to which the gates were fastened, and took the posts, and the two great gates, and the bar which went across them on the inside, to keep them shut, and put them all upon his shoulders, and carried them a good way off to the top of a hill. Samson was a Nazarite: persons who were Nazarites "were commanded not to cut their hair. Samson's hair had never been cut, and had grown thick and long. And he was commanded never to cut it, because the Lord had chosen him to be a Nazarite as long as he lived. Now there was in that land a woman named Delilah, and Samson used to go to her house. When the lords of the Philistines knew of it, they came to her and promised to give her eleven hundred pieces of silver, if she would find out for them how they might bind Samson, and make him their captive, so that they could do with him as they pleased. Therefore, when Samson came to Delilah's house, she begged him to tell her what made him so strong, and how he might be bound so that he would not be able to break loose again. Samson should have given her no answer to these questions. But instead of this he told her untruths. He first said that if he -were bound with seven green withes he would be as helpless as any other man ; then, that if he "were bound with two new ropes; or, if his long hair "were plaited in a certain way, his great strength would go from him. But when she had done all these things Samson's strength was as great as before. Then she said to him, How canst thou say, — I love thee, when thou hast mocked me these three times? And she begged him every day to tell her, and would let him have no rest, but troubled him with her words until at last he told her the truth. He said that he had been a Nazarite ever since he was born ; that his hair had never been cut, and that if it were shaven off from his head, he would be strong no longer, but as weak as other men. Why did Samson tell her this, and teach her how to take away the strength, which the Lord had given him? He did it because he had chosen a wicked woman for his friend, and listened to her words until she persuaded him to do this great sin against God. 102 DELILAH PERSUADES SAMSON TO TELL IT III; THE SECRET OF HIS STRENGTH. 1U3 )i DOES XVI. 17, The Philistines Take Samson. XX^HEN Samson had told Delilah the secret of his strength, she sent word V V "to the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come but once more, for this time he has told me the truth; and they came to her, and brought the money they had promised. Then, while Samson was asleep, she called a man to shave the hair from his head; and after it was done, she cried out that the Philis- tines were coming to take him. And he woke from his sleep, and said he would go out against them, as he used to do. He did not know that the Lord had taken away his great strength from him. Then the Philistines took Samson, for he could no longer fight against them, and they bound him with chains made of brass. And they put out his eyes, and shut him up in prison: there they made him work very hard, in turning a mill-stone to grind their corn. And now, while he was shut up in prison, no doubt Samson repented of his sin, and prayed to the Lord "whose command he had disobeyed. And after a while, as his hair grew, the Lord gave him his strength again. But the Philistines did not know this. And the lords of the Philistines called the people together in their idol's house, to offer up a sacrifice to their idol, whose name was Dagon, and to rejoice because Samson was taken. And the people came, and praised their idol, and said it "was he who had helped them to take Samson and make him their captive ; and they were all pleased and merry. Then they said, Send for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they sent for him and brought poor, blind Samson out of the prison, and made sport of him, and set him between two pillars in the house of their idol. Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines -were there. On the roof also were great numbers of the people, who looked down to see Samson, -while those who were in the house mocked him, and made sport of him. A boy held him by the hand, to lead him, because he could not see. And Samson asked the boy to let him feel the pillars which held up the house, that he might lean against them. And the boy guided him, so that he could feel the pillars as he stood between them. Then Samson prayed, saying, O Lord, remember me, I pray thee, and give me strength only this once. And he broke down the pillars, and the house fell upon the lords of the Philistines, and upon all the people, killing great numbers of them. And Samson died with them. 104 SAMSON BREAKS DOWN" THE PILLARS AND DIES WITH THE PHILISTINES. jng Ji DaaXVX.99. Naomi and Ruth Come Back to Bethlehem. I 1ST the days when the judges ruled over Israel, there was a famine in Canaan. And a man of the children of Israel who lived in the city of Bethlehem, went to stay for a while in the land of Moab; he and his wife and their two sons. The man's name was Elimelech, and his -wife's name Naomi. After they had come into Moab, the man died, but his sons took wives of the women of Moab, and lived for about ten years. Then they died also, and their mother, Naomi, was left alone "with her two daughters-in-law. And Naomi heard that the famine was over in Canaan, and that the Lord had given the people food again ; so she rose up to leave the land of Moab, and go back to the city of Bethlehem. Then she spoke to her- daughters-in-law, and asked if they would not rather stay in Moab, which was their own land, where they were born, and where their relations lived. When her daughters-in-law heard what she said, they "were troubled and wept ; and one of them, named Orpah, kissed Naomi, and bade her farewell, and went away to her own home ; but the other, whose . name was Ruth, would not leave her. Ruth told Naomi not to ask that she should leave her, or go back from following after her. Where thou goest, she said, I will go, and where thou livest, I will live ; thy friends shall be my friends, and thy God, my God ; where thou diest I will die, and there will I be buried. And Ruth asked the Lord to punish her, if she ever left Naomi as long as they both should live. When Naomi saw how much Ruth loved her, and wanted to go with her, she did not speak to her any more about staying in the land of Moab. And they came into Canaan, to the city of Bethlehem, -where Naomi used to live. And the people remembered her, and all of them spoke about her coming, and said, Is this Naomi? But she "was very sorrowful, and answered, Call me not Naomi, which means pleasant; but call me Mara, which means bitter; because the Lord has dealt very bitterly with me. She meant that the Lord had sent her great trouble. For -when she went away from Bethlehem, so many years before, her husband and her two sons were with her; but now, when she came back, they were all dead. It was in the beginning of the barley harvest, while the people were cutting their grain, that Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem. And Naomi had a kinsman, or relation, at Bethlehem, named Boaz, who was a rich and great man. And Ruth said to Naomi, Let me go now out to the field, and glean ears of corn. To glean was to pick up the grain that the reapers had left. 106 NAOMI AND HER DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW. ORPAH DEPARTS FROM HER, BUT RUTH WILL NOT. 11^7 Kith I. 16. Boaz and Ruth. WHILE Ruth was gleaning, Boaz came out to the field and spoke to his reapers, and said to them, The Lord be with you. They answered him, The Lord bless thee. And he asked his chief servant, Whose young woman is this? The servant answered, It is the young woman that came with Naomi out of the land of Moab. Then Boaz spoke kindly to Ruth, and told her not to go into any other man's field, but to glean in his, for he had commanded his young men to do her no harm. And Ruth bowed down to the ground before Boaz, and asked him why he was . so kind as to take notice of her, who was only a stranger. But Boaz answered that he had been told of her kindness to her mother-in-law and how she had left her father and her mother, and the land where she was born, and had come to live among the children of Israel. And he told her to come at meal-time, and eat and drink "with the reapers. So she did as he said ; she sat beside them, and Boaz reached her parched corn, and she ate, and afterward went out in the field again. And Boaz commanded his young men to let her glean, even among the sheaves that they had bound up for him ; he said also, Let fall some handfuls on purpose for her, that she may take them, and do not find fault with her. So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out the grains of barley that she had gathered, and took them and went into Bethlehem. "When her mother-in-law saw how much Ruth brought, she was glad, and asked the Lord to bless the man who had been so kind to her. At the end of the harvest Naomi heard that Boaz was to winnow his barley at night, and she asked Ruth to wash and dress herself, and go to the threshing floor, and speak to Boaz the words which she told her. So Ruth did as her mother-in-law said. She washed and dressed herself, and •went to the threshing floor : . and Boaz winnowed his barley, and then had a feast. And after he had eaten and drunk, and had enough, she came near to him, and spoke to him, saying, Thou art our near kinsman : and she asked him to be kind to her. He answered, May the Lord bless thee, my daughter. Then he told her not to fear; he would do for her all that she needed, because all the people of Bethlehem knew that she was a virtuous and good woman. The next day Boaz "went to the gate of Bethlehem, and sat down in a seat there. And he called to him ten of the elders of the city. Then Boaz spoke to them, and to all the people, and told them that he was going to take Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi, to be his wife. So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. And Naomi was glad for her daughter-in-law, who had loved her. And the Lord gave Boaz and Ruth a son, and Naomi took the child and laid it on her bosom, and nursed it for them. And they named the little boy Obed. 108 RUTH GLEANS IN THE FIELDS OF BOAZ. li»!. RE rn II. 5. 7 The Afflictions of Job. THERE was a man in the land of TJz named Job, who feared God, and was careful to do no evil. And God gave him seven sons and three daughters. He gave Job great riches also ; for he had three thousand camels, seven thousand sheep, a thousand oxen, five hundred asses and many men-servants and maid-servants, so that he was the greatest of all the men in that part of the world where he lived. And his sons, who were grown up, and had homes of their own, used to feast together, taking turns at each other's houses, and inviting their three sisters to come and eat and drink with them. But after Job had enjoyed his blessings for many years, God sent trouble upon him, to try whether he would bear it patiently, and be 'willing that his heavenly Father should do to him what he thought best. Therefore God allowed his riches and his children to be taken from him. For there came to him one day a messenger, saying, While thy oxen 'were ploughing in the field and thy asses were feeding beside them, a band of robbers drove them all away, and slew thy servants who were with them, and I am the only one left to tell thee. While this servant was speaking, there came another, who said, A great fire has fallen from the sky and burnt up thy sheep, and the servants "who were taking care of them, and I alone am left to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, another came, and said, Thy enemies have taken thy camels, and killed thy servants who were keeping them, and I only am left to tell thee. While he "was speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters "were feasting in their eldest brother's house, and there came a great wind from the "wilderness that broke down the house, and it fell on the young men and they are dead, and I only am left to tell thee. When Job heard these things, he rent his clothes and bowed down to the earth, and -worshipped, saying, I had nothing of my own, when I "was born as a little child into the world, and I shall have nothing "when I die and go out of it. It was God who gave me my children and my riches, and it is God -who has taken, them away again. He knows -what is best for me, and I thank him for all he has done. So Job did not sin, nor speak wickedly of God, although his grief was so great and had come so suddenly upon him. After this, to try Job still more, God sent him sickness and pain. Sore boils came on him and covered him, from his feet to his head, and he sat down on the ground in great distress. Then his wife, being angry because God sent him such suffering, came to Job, and said, Dost thou still trust in God? Do so no more, but speak against him and wish him evil, for afflicting thee, even though he kill thee for doing it. Job answered her, Thou speakest like a foolish woman. After we have had so many good things from. God, shall we not be willing to take evil things? In all this Job said nothing that was wrong. 110 THE MESSENGERS BRING TO JOB EVIL TIDINGS. Ill j. .11 1. ifl. JOB'S Comforters. JOB had three friends, who, "when they heard of his troubles, came to talk with him and comfort him. But "when they saw him, he was so changed that they did not know him. Then they rent their clothes and wept, hut did not speak, because they could see that his grief was great. Now his friends thought his troubles had been sent upon him, on account of some evil that he had done. And after a while they spoke to him, and said, If thou hast done "wickedly, do so no more. Thou must have sinned, in taking what did not belong to thee, or in being cruel to the poor, or in not praying to God ; yet if thou wilt repent of thy sins, God "will forgive thee and take thy sufferings awa}^. But Job knew that he had not done the things which his friends accused him of, and he said to them, You came to comfort me, but what you say does not comfort me at all. I would rather you should be still altogether, and let me alone. Did I send for you, or ask you to help me? If you -were afflicted as I am, I also could say many things against you, and call you wicked. But instead of this I would speak kindly, and try to make your sorrow less. Then Job spoke of his sorrows, and said, The Lord has sent great troubles upon me. Oh that he would put me to death, that I might suffer no more. But when Job saw that he could neither die, as he wanted to, nor be made well, but that he must still bear his pains, he grew impatient. He "was willing to bear them for a little while, but not until God saw best to take them away. Then he began to find fault, and say, that his troubles "were too great, and that God "was cruel to him. And his three friends, instead of trying to encourage him, still told him that he must have offended God. Then Job was displeased at them and answered them angrily, and they answered him angrily again. But after a while they heard a voice speaking out of a whirlwind that came by that place. It was the voice of God. And the voice spoke to Job, and told him of the wonderful things God had done ; that it was he who had made the earth, the sea, and the sky. When God had told Job of all these wonderful works, he asked whether Job was able to do such things, or whether he was wise enough to teach God what he should do ? Then Job saw how he had sinned in finding fault with God. He said, I am wicked, and have spoken of things that I do not understand ; there- fore I repent of my sin, and bow down in the dust before thee. After a while the Lord took away Job's sickness. Then all his brothers, and sisters, and friends, came to him, and they, had a feast in his house. And every man gave him a piece of money and an earring of gold. And now the Lord blessed Job more than he had done before he sent his troubles upon him, and gave him twice as great riches. For Job had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, two thousand oxen, and a thousand asses. He had also seven sons, and three daughters, and in all the land there "were no women so beautiful. 112 JOB'S THREE FRIENDS COME To SEE HIM IN" BIS AFFLICTION. 113 .!<.» II. 11. Jonah is Cast into the Sea. NINEVEH was one of the mightiest cities of the old times. In it were temples, palaces, and houses for a great multitude of people; and beau- tiful gardens, also. Around the city were Avails a hundred feet high. These walls were so thick that on their top, three chariots, drawn by horses, might be driven side by side ; and towers were built above the Avails, all around the city. There were fifteen hundred towers, each one being two hundred feet high. On the top of the Avails, and in the towers, the Assyrian soldiers stood, to shoot arrows and darts at their enemies when they came to fight against Nineveh. But Nineveh was a very wicked city. And God spoke to the prophet Jonah, saying, Arise and go to Nineveh, that great city, and tell the people of the punishment that is coming upon them for their sins. But Jonah did not want to go so he fled to Joppa, a city by the sea, and there he went into a ship that was going to a far country. But when he had sailed out on the sea, the Lord sent a strong wind and there was a great storm, and the ship was in danger of being broken to pieces. Then the sailors were afraid, and they prayed, each one to his idol for help. They threw out also some of the loading of the ship to lighten it and keep it from sinking. But Jonah did not know of the danger they were in, for he had gone down to the lower part of the ship, and lay there fast asleep. And the Captain came to him and awakened him, saying, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Rise up and pray to thy God : perhaps he may pity us and save us from perishing Then the men talked with one another, and said, Because some one in the ship has done wickedly, this storm is sent; and they said, Come, let us cast lots that we may find out for whose sake it is brought upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, Tell us, what wicked thing hast thou done? where is thy country? and to what people dost thou belong ? Jonah answered, I am an Hebrew, and am fleeing from the Lord who made the sea and the ary land, that I may not hear his voice speaking to me. And the men were greatly afraid, and said, Why hast thou done this thing? And they asked Jonah, What shall Ave do to thee, that the sea may be still for us? For the ship was tossed by the tempest. Jonah answered them, Take me up and cast me into the sea, so shall the sea be still for you, because I know that it is for my sake this danger has come upon you. Then they took up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the sea grew still and calm. Now the Lord had sent a great fish to the side of the ship, to swallow up Jonah as soon as he should be cast into the sea. And Jonah was in the fish three days and three nights. And he prayed to the Lord while he was in the fish; he cried to God in his trouble, and confessed his sin, and God heard him, and commanded the fish to cast him out on the dry land. 114 JONAH IS CAST OUT BY THE FISH UPON DRY LAND. 115 JOS v 1 1 II !0. The Lord Spares Nineyeh. 7TFTER Jonah had been cast up on dry land by the great fish, the Lord 7^\ spoke to him again, and said, Rise up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to the people the words that I shall tell thee. So Jonah arose and went. And he came into the middle of the city, as far as he could walk in one day, and there he cried out "with a loud voice, and said, After forty days Nineveh shall be destroyed, for the sins of the people. When the king of Nineveh, and the people, heard this, they believed that God had sent Jonah, and that the words he spoke would come true. And the king rose up from his throne, and took off his royal robes and put on sack- cloth. And the king and his princes sent word through the city that all the people should fast and pray. When God saw how they prayed to him, and ceased doing evil, he took away his anger from them and did not destroy the city. But Jonah was displeased at this. He wanted Nineveh to be destroyed because the people were enemies to the children of Israel, and also because he feared being laughed at and called a false prophet. Therefore he was angry and spoke wickedly to the Lord, and said, I knew that thou wouldst not destroy the city, and therefore I fled the first time, that I might not hear thy voice speaking to me. And now, I beseech thee, O Lord, put me to death, for I would rather die than live. Yet the Lord spoke kindly to Jonah, and asked if it was "well for him to be angry. And Jonah would not stay in Nineveh, but he went to a place outside of the city, and made a booth there, and sat down under it, by himself, to see whether the city would be destroyed or not. And the Lord caused a gourd, or vine, to grow up in one night over his booth; its thick leaves shaded his head, and Jonah was very glad for the gourd. But soon God sent a worm that gnawed at its root, and the next day it died. In the morning God sent a hot wind on Jonah, and the sun also beat upon his head, and as the gourd no longer shaded him, he was made sick by the heat and fainted. And he was angry again and "wished he might die, and said, It is better for me to die than live. And God said to him, Doest thou "well to be angry? Jonah answered, Yes, I do -well to be angry. Then God said, Thou art angry because I have destroyed the gourd, which was only a vine that grew up in a night and died in a night; and now wouldst thou have me to destroy Nineveh, that great city, where there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand little children, so young that they cannot tell their right hands from their left? So God taught Jonah how selfish and wicked he "was, in -wishing that Nineveh should be destroyed. 116 m ■ |B I I' lU'JujU Mi 'fill: J I fi 1 «^ \/. ft . _: >^ 1 . JONAH CRIES OUT IN THE STREETS OF NINEVEH THAT THE -MTV SHALL BE DESTROYED. 117 jo» \h in. i- The Philistines Take the Ark. I 1ST the days when the judges ruled over Israel, there was one whose name was Eli. He was high priest, as well as judge. And Eli had two sons whose names were Hophni and Phinehas ; they were priests at the tabernacle. Now the Lord had said that the priests should be holy, because they were his ministers who offered up sacrifices to him ; But Hophni and Phinehas were not holy, they "were -wicked men. The jDeople did not care to come any more to the tabernacle with their offerings, because of the "wicked things that were done by Hophni and Phinehas. And the Lord punished the people; the Philistines fought against them, and killed about four thousand men. When the army of Israel came back to their camp after the battle, the elders asked why the Lord had allowed so many of them to be slain. Then they said to one another, Let us bring the ark out of the tabernacle to save us from our enemies. Perhaps they remembered how it "was carried around Jericho, when the children of Israel took that city. But the Lord had commanded them to carry it then ; he did not command them to send for it now, and it was foolish to think that the ark could save them: the Lord alone could do that. Yet they sent to Shiloh for the ark, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, came with it. When it was brought into the camp, the people were glad and shouted with a great shout, and the noise sounded far off on every side. But the Philistines fought again with the men of Israel, and slew thirty thousand of them ; they took the ark away from the Israelites also, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. The Philistines carried the ark to one of their cities, called Ashdod. After that, there came a great sickness upon the people of Ashdod, and many of them died. Then they said to one another, The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay -with us. And they carried it to Gath, but there came a great sickness among the people of that city also. And the Philistines kept the ark for seven months, but during all that time the Lord sent great trouble upon them. Then they called for their wise men, and asked how they should send it back to the land of Israel, for they were afraid to keep it any longer. And the "wise men told the Philistines to make a new cart, and take two cows and. tie them to it, and lay the ark upon the cart, and send it away, letting the cows draw it "wherever they chose, without any one to guide them. The Philistines did as their wise men said. And as soon as the cows ■were let loose they went straight into the land of Israel, lowing as they went, and they came to a city called Beth-she-mesh. The children of Israel -who lived there, "were reaping their "wheat in the valley near to the city. And they looked up and saw the ark. and rejoiced to see it. 118 r. The People Ask foe a King. 7TFTER Eli was dead the Lord made Samuel judge over the people. And the 7^\ children of Israel sinned again, for they worshipped, the idols Baal and Ashtaroth, and the Philistines made war upon them. Then the men of Israel were afraid, and they said to Samuel, Cease not to pray to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us. And Samuel prayed, and the Lord heard him, and gave the men of Israel the victory over the Philistines. When Samuel was grown old, he made his two sons judges, that they might help him in ruling over the land. But they did not rule justly, as their father had done. And all the elders of Israel came to Samuel, at Ramah, and told him that he •was now old, and that his sons did wickedly ; and they asked him to choose for them a king, that they might be like the other nations around them. It was wrong in them to ask for a king, because the Lord was their king, and Samuel "was the judge whom he had set over them. And the Lord commanded Samuel to tell them what their king would do to them, and how cruelly he would treat them ; and Samuel did so. Yet the people said, We will have a king like all the other nations. ISTow there was a man of the children of Israel named Kish, who had a son called Saul. The Bible tells us that Saul was a goodly young man; that is, he was well formed and handsome to look at: he was taller also, than any of the rest of the people. And the asses that belonged to Kish, Saul's father, -were lost. And Kish said to Saul, Take one of the servants with thee, and arise, go look for the asses. Then Saul took a servant and went to look for them: but after he had gone a long way and could not find them, Saul said to the servant, Come, let us go back, lest my father stop caring for the asses and be troubled about us. But by this time they had come near to a city of that land, and the servant told Saul there was in the city a prophet "whose words always came true. The servant meant Samuel. And he said, Let us go and ask him ; perhaps he can tell us which way we shall look for the asses. Saul answered, Thy word is good: come let us go. ISTow the Lord had told Samuel he would send to him that day, the man "who should be king over Israel. And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, This is the man I spoke to thee of. Saul stayed with Samuel that day, and the next morning, very early, they rose up, and Samuel took Saul on to the roof of the house, where they would be alone, and there he talked with him; after- ward he went with him toward the gate of the city. And as they were walking together, he said to Saul, Bid thy servant go on before us, but stand thou still, that I may show thee what the Lord has commanded me to do. When the servant had gone on before, Samuel took a bottle of oil and poured it upon Saul's head, and anointed him. that he might be king over the children of Israel. 120 THE LORD SAID TO SAMUEL, BEHOLD THE MAX WHOM I SPAKE TO THEE OF. I Sami-ki. IX 17. Saul Disobeys the Lord. Xnr^HEN the people asked Samuel for a king, he told them that the Lord V V said he had brought them up out of Egypt, and set them free from their enemies, yet they ■would not have him to rule over them, but wanted a king. Then Samuel commanded them to come to the city of Mizpeh, that they might have a king set over them. And they came to Mizpeh, and there the Lord chose, from among them all, Saul to be king over Israel. And the j)eople ran and brought him out, and as he stood among them, he was higher than any of them, from his shoulders and upward. Samuel said to them, See the man whom the Lord hath chosen ; there is none like him among all the people. And they all shouted and said, God save the king. After Saul had been king for a time, Samuel told him the Lord commanded that he should lead the men of Israel against the Amalekites, and destroy them, and their cattle, and save nothing of theirs alive. And Saul gathered a great army, and fought with the Amalekites, and over- came them and slew the people. But Agag their king he let live. And the best of their sheep, of their oxen, of their lambs, and all that was good, Saul and the men of Israel saved alive; but what was poor and worth nothing, they put to death. And the Lord was disiDleased with Saul, and he said to Samuel, I repent of having made Saul king, for he has not obeyed my commandments. After the battle, Samuel came to Saul. And Saul said to him, I have done as the Lord commanded me. But Samuel heard the bleating of the sheep, and the lowing of the oxen, which Saul had taken from the Amalekites, and he said, What meaneth, then, this bleating of the sheep, and the lowing of the oxen, which I hear? Then Saul began to make excuse and say, that the people had saved them alive to offer them up as sacrifices to the Lord. But Samuel asked Saul whether the Lord was better pleased to have sacrifices offered up to him, than he was to have his commands obeyed. It was better to obey than to offer up sacrifices, Samuel said. For to go on doing what the Lord had commanded them not to do, was as wicked as to worship idols. And Samuel told Saul, that because he had disobeyed the Lord, the Lord would put him away from being king; but Samuel did not mean that Saul 'would be put away at once. Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And he said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces. 122 SAMUEL HEWS AGAG, KING OF THE AMAT.EKTTES, IX PIECES. , .,., 1 Ha mi I i. XV. H> David the Shepherd Boy is Anointed King. />OD told Samuel that he should go to the city of Bethlehem, to a man I Unr named Jesse, and should anoint one of Jesse's sons to he king. Samuel went to Bethlehem, and Jesse, and seven of his sons, came to him. Now the youngest son of Jesse was David: he was not with the others, but was out in the field keeping the sheep. Samuel said, Send and bring him. And so they sent and brought in from the field, just as he was, the shepherd boy "who had been watching his father's flock. When he came and stood before them, his cheeks were red and his face was beautiful to look at. And the Lord said to Samuel, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took oil and poured it on David's head, and anointed him before all his brethren. So the Lord chose David to be king over Israel. Yet he was not to be king at once, or for a long while afterward, but •when the Lord should put Said away from being king. After these things the Philistines gathered their armies together to fight against Israel. And there came out of the camp of the Philistines a giant, named Goliath of Gath. And the Philistine said, I defy, that is, I dare, the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and the men of Israel heard these words, they were greatly afraid; for no man in Saul's army was willing to go out and fight with the giant. And every morn- ing and evening for forty days, Goliath came out and defied all the men of Israel. Now David, who had been keeping his father's sheep at Bethlehem, came to the camp to see his older brothers and to bring them a present, of bread r and parched corn, which their father had sent. And while he talked with them, Goliath came out between the two armies, and spoke the same -words that he had spoken before, and David heard him, and said, Who is this Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God ? Then David went before Saul, the king, and told him that he would go out against the Philistine. David said, Let no man's heart be afraid because of him ; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Saul said to him, Thou art not able to go out against him, for thou art but a youth, and he has been a man of "war from his youth. But David told Saul that he had killed a lion and a bear "which had attacked his father's sheep. And he said, The Lord who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, he will save me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. Then David took his staff, such as shepherds carried, and he chose five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in his shepherd's bag; and his sling was in his hand. When the Philistine came near, David made haste and ran toward him, and put his hand in his shepherd's bag, and took out a stone, and slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell down upon his face to the earth. So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, for there was no sword in his hand. And David ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword from him and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When all the Philistines saw that the man in whom they trusted was slain, they fled, and the men of Israel followed and slew them. 124 DAVID KILLS GOLIATH, AND CUTS OFF Ills EEAD WITH THE PHILISTINE'S OWN SWORD. 1 25 I SAM I 1 I. XVII. 61. Saul is Jealous of David. AFTER their triumph over the Philistines, Saul and David passed together _Ji*\ through some of the cities of the land, and the "women came out with songs and dances, to praise them for their victory. But they praised David more than Saul; they said that Saul had slain thousands, but David had slain ten thousands of the Philistines. And Saul was greatly displeased at their words, and from that time he was jealous of David, and looked unkindly on him. The next day an evil spirit came into Saul's heart and troubled him, and David played before him on the harp, as he used to do. And Saul held a javelin, or spear, in his hand, and he cast it at David, intending that it should go through his body and fasten him to the wall, for he wanted to kill him. But David saw it, and stepped aside out of the way, and it did him no harm. And Saul cast it at him again, but he stepped aside this time also. And Saul was afraid of David, because he saw that the Lord was with him, but he was not with Saul any more. And Saul sent David away from his house, "with the soldiers that he had made him captain of. And the Lord helped David to do all things well, and all the people loved him. And Saul said to him, I will give thee Merab, my daughter, for thy wife, if thou wilt go out and fight against the Philistines. Saul said this, because he hoped the Philistines would kill him. And David went and fought "with them, but when the time came that he should have Merab, Saul gave her to be the wife of another man. After that, Saul's younger daughter, Michal, loved David, and they told Saul of it. Then he' said that if David would go and slay a hundred of the Philistines, he should have Michal for his -wife ; for he hoped that, this time, they would surely kill him: And David went "with his soldiers and fought against the Philistines, and slew them, but David himself was not harmed; then Saul gave Michal to him, and she -was his wife. And Saul saw that the Lord "was with David to help him, and he was yet the more afraid of him, and came to be his enemy, and hated him. And he spoke to Jonathan, his son, and to all his ser- vants, and commanded them to kill David. But. Jonathan, Saul's son, loved David, and told him of what his father had said, saying, My father seeketh to kill thee, now, therefore go to some secret place and hide thyself. And I "will talk with my father, and -what he says I will tell thee. And Jonathan talked with Saul, and begged him not to harm David, for he said that David had done no evil to Saul, but had done that -which was good. He had risked his own life, that he might kill Goliath, the Philistine, and, after he had killed him, the men of Israel gained a great victory. Saul knew of all these things, and was full of joy -when they happened. Why, then, Jonathan asked, would he do so "wicked a thing now, as to kill David? And Saul listened to Jonathan's words, and promised, before the Lord, that David should not be slain. 126 SAUL CASTS A JAVELIN TO KILL DAVID, BUT EB ESCAPES UNHARMED. 19- I >\mi 1:1. XVIII. 11. Saul Tries to Kill David. GAIIST there was war in the land, and David went ont and fought with the Philistines, and gained the victory over them. But Saul was not pleased that he gained the victory, because it made the people love him yet more. And the evil spirit came into Saul's heart, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand, while David was playing on the harp before him. Then Saul cast the javelin again at David, to kill him, but David saw it and stepped aside, as he had done before, and the javelin went into the wall and did him no harm; and he fled that night. And Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch that he should not escape in the night, and then to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, knew of it, and told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to- morrow thou shalt be slain. So she let him down through a window, where Saul's men could not see him, and he escaped from them. Then she took an image and- laid it in his bed, and put a pillow under it, and covered it up, to make them think that David was there, and so let him have time to flee far away. And Saul commanded his men to go up into the chamber and take him, but when they came there, they found an image in the bed, laid on the pillow. And Saul was angry with Michal for this. David fled to Raman, where Samuel lived, and told him of all that Saul had done. Afterward he came to Naioth, and some one told Saul of it, and Saul sent men to take him, but the Lord saved him out of their hands. Then he fled from ISTaioth to the place where Jonathan was, and went to him, and said, What have I done P "What is my sin, that thy father seeketh to kill me ? Now Jonathan had not heard that his father was trying to kill David ; therefore he said to him, Thou shalt not die, my father will do nothing "without first telling me of it. But David said it was true that Saul wanted to put him to death. Now the next day was to be a feast day, when Saul would expect David to come to his house and eat of the feast. But David was afraid to go. And Saul sat down to eat : Jonathan, and Abner, the captain of the host, sat near him ; but David's seat was empty. Saul was angry and told Jonathan that David should surely be put to death. Jonathan asked, Why shall he be put to death? What evil has he done? Then Saul cast his javelin at Jonathan. Therefore Jonathan knew that his father was determined to slay David. So he rose up from the table in great anger. The next day, Jonathan went out into the field and David came to him from a place where he was hidden. And Jonathan told David that he must flee, for Saul sought to kill him. Then David rose up and fled from Saul: and Jonathan went back to the city. 128 MICHAL, DAVID'S WIFE, LETS I TIM DOWN FimM A WINDOW TO ESCAPE FROM SAUL. I SAW i i. MX. UL p The Philistines Bring an Army Against Saul. AYID feared that Saul would kill him. So he went and hid in lonely places, and in caves in the rocks, so that the soldiers Saul sent to take him could not find him, and some young men, who were the friends of David, went ■with him. After awhile Saul himself went with his soldiers into the 'wilderness, to hunt for David. He often came near to where he was, but the Lord saved David from harm. After these things the Philistines gathered their armies together to fight against Saul and the children of Israel. And they came and fought against them. And the men of Israel fled, and many fell down slain on mount Gilboa. The Philistines followed hard after Saul; and they slew Jonathan and two other of Saul's sons. And the battle went greatly against him. The archers with their bows and arrows hit him, and he was sorely wounded by the archers. Then he said to his armor-bearer, Draw" thy sword and put me to death, because I fear the Philistines may take me and treat me cruelly. But his armor-bearer was afraid, and would not. Then Saul took his own sword and stood it on the ground, with its point upward ; and he fell upon it, on purpose, so that it ran into his body and killed him. When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died. So Saul died, and his three sons and his armor-bearer, and great numbers of his men, that same day together. And the Philistines gained the victory, as Samuel had told Saul they should. As soon as the children of Israel "who lived in that part of the land heard how their army had fled, they fled also, and the Philistines came and lived in the cities they left. The next day, when the Philistines went to strip off the raiment of the men whom they had killed in the battle, they found Saul and his three sons lying dead on mount Gilboa. Then they cut off Saul's head and took off his armor, and sent word through the land of the Philistines, so that all their people might know it. And they put Saul's armor in the house of their idol, Ashtaroth, and fastened up his dead body, and the dead, bodies of his sons, to the wall of the city of Beth-shan. But when the Israelites, who lived in Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the brave men of that city arose, and went all night till they came to Beth-shan. And they took down the dead bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall, and brought them to Jabesh; there they burnt them, and then took their bones and buried them under a tree. 130 THE PHILISTINES PURSUING SAUL AXD HIS ARMOR-BEARER. TTTEY DTE UPON TITETR OWN SWORDS. 231 Immi ii. XXXI. 4. Absalom Rebels Against his Father PAVID was now king over all Israel. He went out to war against the heathen kings around him, and gained the victory over them, and took from them great numbers of horses and chariots, and much gold and silver. And David became rich and great : he had sons, and one of them was named Absalom. Absalom was grown up to be a man, and among all the young men of the chil- dren of Israel, none was so much praised for his beauty as he. From his feet to his head there was no fault to be seen in him. His hair was so thick and long, that when he cut it at the end of the year, it weighed as much as two hundred shekels of silver. But Absalom was a -wicked man, for when his brother Amnon sinned against him, he killed him and fled to another country where he stayed three years. Then he came back to his own house in Jerusalem. But David would not see him nor sxoeak with him, because he had slain his brother. rTow Absalom wanted to be king in place of his father, so he made ready for himself chariots and horses, and had fifty men to run before him when he rode out in his chariot, so that all the }Deople might see him and think him a great man. He rose up early in the morning, also, and stood by the gate of the city, and when he saw any man coming into the city, to speak with the king and ask some favor of him, then Absalom called the man and talked with him, and said, that if he were only ruler over the land, the man snould have all that he wanted. And whenever any man bowed down to him, because he was the king's son, Absalom put out his hand and took hold of him, and kissed him. So he did to all the people who came to ask help of the king, and he made them think much of him, not because he was a good man, or really cared for them, but because he deceived them and made them believe he was their friend. And he sent spies through all the land to persuade the people to put his father away, and -make him king. And the spies told the people that on a certain day, as soon as they should hear the sound of the trumpets which Absalom's friends would blow, they should cry out, Absalom is king in Hebron, And there came a messenger to David, and told him how the men of Israel were .going after Absalom. Then David -was afraid, and said to his servants, Arise, and let us flee; make haste and go, for fear Absalom may come suddenly and fight against the city with the sword. His servants answered, We are ready to do whatever the king shall command. And the king fled in haste out of Jerusalem, he and his servants, and many of the people of the city, and they passed over the brook Kedron and "went up toward the wilderness. 132 DAVID GOES OUT TO WAR, AND GAINS THE VICTORY OVER HEATHEN KINGS. 133 II Samif.l VIII. 3. Absalom is Slaik 7CBSALOM, king David's son, gathered an army together to fight against his _^_^\. father. Now David had passed over Jordan, and come into the land of G-ilead. Barzillai, an old man who lived in that land, and others with him, brought food for David and his men; because they said, that they must be hungry and weary after coming so far through the wilderness. But Absalom, as soon as he had gathered his army together, made haste to follow after his father. Then David counted the men who were with him, and set captains over them ; Joab, he made the chief captain. And David said, I will surely go with you myself also, to the battle. But the men answered, Thou shalt not go with us, for they will care more to take thee, than they will to take all the rest who shall go out against them. David said, Whatever seems best to you I will do : so he stayed in the city of Mahanaim, where he and his people had come. And he stood by the gate of the city while his men were going out to fight ; as they passed by him, he spoke to all the captains, saying, Deal gently, for my sake, with the young man, even with Absalom. So the people went out, and the battle was in a wood. And God gave David's army the victory, for they slew of Absalom's army twenty thousand men. And Absalom rode on a mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and Absalom's head was caught among the branches. Then the mule that "was under him went away, and left him there, hanging above the ground. And a man in the army saw him, and came to Joab, and said, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. Joab said to the man, Why didst thou not kill him? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle. The man answered, Though I should have a thousand shekels of silver, I would not kill the king's son, because the king commanded us all not to harm Absalom. Then Joab said,, I cannot stay here to talk with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and went to the place -where Absalom was, and thrust the darts into his body, while he was yet alive, hanging in the branches of the oak: afterward ten young men who were servants to Joab, came and slew him. Then Joab blew a trumpet for the people to come back from following after Absalom's army ; because now, that Absalom himself was dead, there was no need that any more of his men should be slain. And they took Absalom and threw his dead body into a pit that was in the wood, and piled a great heap of stones. over him. And all the men who had been with him fled every one to his tent.. 134 7T& •3h£9 •$ J4 'i^W^ ABSALOM HANGS BY THE BEAD FROM THE BRANCHES OF AN OAK TREE. , ..- II - \MI II XVIII.il. David Heaes of the Death of Absalom. 7VFTER the battle was over between king David's soldiers, and the men who had 7y\ followed Absalom, one of the priest's sons whose name was Ahimaaz, came to Joab, and said, Let me run now into the city and tell the king how the Lord has punished his enemies. But Joab forbade him, and told another man, named Cushi, to go and tell the king. Then Ahimaaz said, I pray thee let me also run after Cushi. Joab asked him, Why dost thou want to go? But he answered again, Let me run. And Joab said to him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran hy another way, and came near to the city before Cushi. And David sat at the gate of the city waiting till he should hear news from the battle. His watchman had gone up to the toi3 of the wall to see if any one ■were coming, and he saw a man running toward the city alone. And he cried out and told the king: the king answered, If he is alone, he brings word from the army. While this man was coming near, the watchman saw another running, and he called, and said, Another man is running toward the city alone. The king said, He also bringeth news. And the watchman said, I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz, the priest's son. The king answered, He is a good man and is bringing good news to us. Then Ahimaaz came to the king and spoke to him, saying, All is well. And he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, Blessed be the Lord who has given us the victory over the men 'who rose up to fight against the king. And the king asked him, Is the young man Absalom safe? Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent me, I saw a great tumult in the army, as if something had happened, but I knew not what it "was. The king said, Step to one side, and stand there. Then Cushi, the other messenger, came and spoke to the king, saying, I have news, my lord the king; for the Lord has this day punished all those who rebelled against thee. And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? Cushi answered, May all the king's enemies, and all those who wish, to do him evil, be as that young man is. Then David knew that Absalom -was dead. And he was in great distress, and went up into the chamber that was over the gate of the city, and wept; and as he went he cried, O my son Absalom ! my son, my son Absalom ! Would that God had let me die instead of thee, O Absalom, my son, my son ! And it was told Joab how the king mourned for Absalom. The people also heard of it, and they were afraid to come before David while he grieved so much for his son whom they had slain. 136 DAVID GOES UP TO A CHAMBER OVER THE GATE AND MOURXS FOR ABSALOM. |37 II Samih xviii. m. Solomon is Made King. I^~"\ A VTD was king for forty years, and he died, being an old man and honored . — s by all the people; and they buried him in the city of Jerusalem. Solomon his son, was now king. He feared God, and was careful to do no evil. And God spoke to him in a dream at night, and offered him anything that he desired to have. God said to him, Ask what I shall give thee? Solomon answered, Give thy servant wisdom, that I may be able to rule well over thy people, the children of Israel. And God was pleased with the answer that Solomon made, and told him that because he had not asked for riches, or a long life, or the victory over his enemies, he would give him the wisdom he asked for, and beside this, riches and honor, more than any of the kings who had been before him, or who should be after him ; and if he would obey his command- ments, God promised to give him a long life also. And there came two women to king Solomon, and stood before him. They lived together in one house ; and one of them spoke to the king, and said, O my lord, this woman and I live in one house, and we each of us had a little son. And this woman's child died in the night, and she rose up at midnight, while I slept, and took my son from me, and laid it in her bed, and laid her dead child in my bed. And when I woke in the morning to feed my child, it was dead; but when I looked upon it, I saw it was not my child. After this "woman was done speaking, the other contradicted her, saying, No, the living is my son, and the dead is thine. And the king called out to his servants, Bring here a sword ! And they brought it. And the king said, Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other. Then the true mother of the child, because she loved it, and would not have it killed, said, O my lord, give her the living child, and on no account slay it. But the other, who pretended to be its mother, said, Yes, cut it in two. Then the king commanded that the child should be given to the woman who had pity upon it, because he knew that it must be hers. It was to find out this that he called for the sword, not because he intended to slay the child. And all the people heard of what the king had done, and they served him, because they saw that God had given him wisdom to judge aright. 138 TWO WOMEN COMB TO 90LOMON FOE JUDGMENT. 139 : Kin..- Ill .1; Solomon Builds the Temple. T riNG Solomon was ruler not only over the children of Israel, but other ^\_ nations that lived near to them, also obeyed him, and brought him presents of precious things. And God gave Solomon great wisdom and riches; he had many officers and servants, and many great men came to visit him in his palace. Every day there were killed for his table and the table of his servants, ten oxen that had been fatted in the stable, twenty oxen brought in from the field, and a hundred sheep ; beside roe-bucks, ■ deer, and fatted fowls. He had also forty thousand horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. "When David was king, he had made ready stones, and timber, and iron, for the house of the Lord, or temple, that was to be built. And he told where it should stand: on the top of mount Moriah, he said, where Araun air's threshing- floor had been. David could not build the house himself: the Lord had said that because he was a man of Avar, and had shed much blood, he must not build it, but God promised David that Solomon, his son, should be the one to do this great work. When the house should be finished, the ark of the Lord was to be placed in it. ISTow the ark "was a very holy thing. When it was first brought inside of the tabernacle, in the wilderness, God came in a cloud, into the tabernacle, above the ark, and there he dwelt in the cloud over the mercy-seat. When the children of Israel went on their journey through the wilderness, and took the ark with them, they were not allowed to put it into a cart, but it was carried on the Levites' shoulders. And now the ark would be put in the great house that was to be made for it. And Solomon made ready to build the house for the ark on mount Moriah, at the place where Araunah's threshing-floor had been. He asked Hiram, king of Tyre, who had been David's friend, to send his servants into the forests to cut down trees for the building, because Hiram's servants knew better than Solomon's, how to cut wood and hew timber. So Hiram sent out men into the forest, on a mountain called Lebanon, where cedar trees grew. Solomon sent many thousands of his own servants also, and Solomon's servants and Hiram's servants worked together in cutting down trees. Afterward they brought them to the sea, which was not far off, and made them into rafts and floated them along the shore till they came near to Jerusalem. And Hiram sent to Solomon a man who was skilful to work in gold and silver, in brass, iron, wood, and fine linen, that he might help him in building the house for the ark. Solomon gave Hiram corn, and oil, and wine, for his servants. And Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants made ready great stones and timbers; and Solomon began to build the house according to the pattern which David had given him. 140 CEDAR AND FIR TREES ARE BROUGHT PROW LEBANON FOR THE TEMPLE. in I Khiob V. 10. The Temple is Finished. ' 7^ING Solomon "was more than seven years in building the temple. And / \^ when it was finished, he called to Jerusalem all the elders and chief men of Israel, that they might he there when the ark should he brought into the house he had built. And the elders and chief men came and gathered together with the king, and all the people, before the ark. ' And the priests took up the ark and carried it into the house, into the most holy place, and set it under the wings of the cherubim which Solomon had made. The two tables of stone, with the ten commandments written on them, were in the ark. And when the priests came out of the most holy place, after they had left the ark there, a cloud tilled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not go into it, because the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. Then the king stood up before the people, and thanked God for helping him build the house; and he asked God to take that house for his Temple. And Solomon kneeled down before all the people, and spread out his hands toward heaven, and prayed to the Lord that he would hear and answer all the prayers "which the children of Israel should make in that house. Solomon sent to the temple the different courses, or companies, of the priests and the Levites which his father, David, had appointed to attend to God's worship there; and he sent porters to watch at the gates. He commanded that sacrifices should be offered up on the morning and evening of each day, on the Sabbath days, and at the three great feasts which* the children of Israel were commanded to keep every year; the feast of the passover, the feast of harvest, and the feast of tabernacles. Solomon was wiser thau all the other kings of the earth, and they came to him to be taught of his wisdom. He made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. And. all the cups that Solomon drank out of, and all the vessels that were in his house, were made of pure gold. For his ships sailed to a far country, called Tarshish, and every three years came back, bringing him gold and silver, ivory, apes and peacocks. And the queen of a far-off country called Sheba, who had heard of his wisdom and his knowledge of the true God, came to visit him. And she talked with Solomon and asked him hard questions about things that she wanted to know. And Solomon answered all her questions, and explained to her everything that she asked him. And when she looked on the palace that Solomon had built, the costly food that was upon his table; and the number of his servants that waited on him; she wondered at all these things, and said, that she had not believed what she heard in her own land of his riches and wisdom, but now she saw that the half was not told her. And she gave to Solomon presents of gold, and spices, and precious stones, and Solomon gave her costly presents also. Then she turned, she and her servants, and went back to her own land. 142 THE QCKKX OF SIIEBA EEABS OF SOLOMON'S FAME AND COMES TO VISIT HTM. 1 ... I Kis'.- X 1 Solomon Dies and the Kingdom is Divided. T 7"ING- Solomon had many wives : Some of them were heathen women, whom ;' / \ the Lord had commanded the children of Israel not to marry. And when he grew old, his wives persuaded him to worship idols, so that he did not continue serving God as David his father had done. And the Lord was angry with him, and said, that because he had done these things, his son should not be king over the children of Israel after Solomon himself should die. Tet for David's sake, the Lord would not take away all of the kingdom from Solomon's son, but would make him king over two of the tribes of Israel. There was among the children of Israel a young man named Jeroboam. One day, as he went out of Jerusalem, a prophet met him; he was wearing a new garment, and they two were alone in the field. And the prophet took hold of the new garment that he wore, and tore it in twelve pieces. Then he told Jeroboam to take ten of the pieces, because the Lord was going to make him king over ten of the tribes of Israel. When Solomon heard this he tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled into Egypt and stayed in that land. Solomon was king over Israel forty years, and he died and was buried in Jerusalem. And when the people saw that he was dead, they sent word to Jeroboam, in Egypt, and Jeroboam came back to the land of Israel. Then he and all the people came to Rehoboam, Solomon's son, to make him their king. But first they talked with him, and complained that his father had ruled over them harshly and treated them cruelly, and they asked Rehoboam if he would not treat them more kindly than his father had done. After they had gone Rehoboam asked advice from the old men who had been friends of his father. And they advised him to speak gently to the people, and promise that he would be kind to them ; if he would do this, they said, the people would choose him for their king, and be his servants forever. But Reho- boam was not satisfied with the good advice that the old men gave him; he asked the young men also, who had grown up with him, what they would advise him to do. And the young men told him to speak roughly to the people, and say, that if his father had been cruel to them, he would be yet more cruel, and if his father had punished them a little, he would punish them a great deal. So the people came again in three days, and Jeroboam was with them. And Rehoboam spoke roughly to them, as the young men had advised him. Then the people went away in great anger, and said that Rehoboam, Solomon's son, should not rule over them, but Jeroboam should be their king. Tet the tribe of Judah still kept Rehoboam for their king, and the tribe of Benjamin also. But the other tribes chose Jeroboam. So now there were two kings ruling over the children of Israel. Rehoboam's kingdom was called the kingdom of Judah, and Jeroboam's the kingdom of Israel. 144 10 K3NQ SOD 'MON. 145 Jeroboam Sets up Golden Idols. [S soon as the ten tribes of Israel had chosen Jeroboam king, they left Reho- boam and went away to their own homes. Then Jeroboam said to himself, If the peojDle of the ten tribes shall go up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, and worship at the temple, they will some day put me away from being their king. For at Jerusalem they 'will see Rehoboam, Solomon's son, and will want to serve him, but me they will put to death. Therefore Jeroboam made two calves of gold, and set them up in that part of the land -which belonged to the ten tribes. And he said to the people, It is too far for you to go to Jerusalem to "worship. See these idols of gold, they are your gods; worship them, for it was they that brought your fathers up out of Egypt. And he built houses for the idols, one at Bethel, and the other at Dan, in different parts of the land, and the people went there to worship them. One day Jeroboam was standing in his idol's house, by the altar of incense, to burn incense to the golden calf which was at Bethel. And there came to him a prophet out of the land of Judah, who said that a king should be born in Judah, named Josiah, who would come and burn men's bones on that altar, to defile, or spoil it, and make it unclean. Then Jeroboam was angry at what the prophet said, and stretched out his hand to take hold of him ; but while it was stretched out, the Lord made it grow stiff and withered, in a. moment, so that he could not draw it back again. When Jeroboam saw what the Lord had done to him, he begged the prophet to pray that his hand might be made well. And the prophet prayed for him, and his hand "was made well. Then Jeroboam said to the prophet, Come home with me and rest thyself, and I will give thee a reward. But the prophet answered, Though thou wouldst give me half of all the riches in thy house, I will not go with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so the Lord commanded me, saying, Eat no bread nor drink water there, nor come back by the same way that thou goest. So the prophet turned to come back by another way, to the land of Judah. rJow an old man, who was also a prophet, when he heard what the prophet from Judah had done, followed after, and came up "with him, and said, Come home with me and eat bread. But the prophet from Judah said, I may not go with thee, nor eat bread nor drink -water in this place, for the Lord has com- manded me, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor come back by the "way that thou goest. But the old man persuaded the prophet from Judah, and he listened to his words and went back with him, and did eat bread and drink water in his house. After he had eaten and drunk, he started to go back to the land of Judah. But as he "went, a lion met him and slew him, and his dead body lay in the road. 146 THE PROPHET FROM JUDAH DISOBEYS THE LORD AND IS SLAIN BY A LION. ,|- I Kin'.- XIII M The Prophet Elijah Foretells a Famine. JEROBOAM reigned for twenty-two years; and he died and rTadab his son was made king in his place. Nadab did not serve God, but worshipped the golden calves which his father had set up. He went with his army against the Philistines and besieged one of their cities. While he was there and after he had been king for two years, a man named Baasha rebelled against him and slew him ; and Baasha was made' king over the ten tribes of Israel. After six kings had ruled over the ten tribes of Israel, Ahab, Omrfs son, was made king. The Bible tells us that he was more wicked than all who had ruled before him. He took for his wife the daughter of a heathen king. Her name was Jezebel, and she worshipped the idol Baal. And Ahab built a house, or temple, for the idol, in the city of Samaria. And the Lord was displeased with Ahab and sent the prophet Elijah to tell him that there should not, for years, be any more rain in the land of Israel. ISTo rain should come there, the Lord said, until Elijah should ask for it. As this ■would make Ahab very angry at Elijah, the Lord told the prophet, after he had spoken these words, to flee away where Ahab could not find him. Go, the Lord said, and hide by a brook that is in the wilderness. Thou shalt drink of the water of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So Elijah went and nid by the brook; and he drank of the water, and the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening. But after a while, because there had been no rain, the brook dried up and a great famine came in the land. Then the Lord said to him, Arise, and go to the city of Zarephath, for I have commanded a widow woman there to feed thee. And Elijah arose and "went. "When he came to the gate of the city, the woman was gathering sticks, and he called to her and asked her to bring him a little water, and some bread. But she said that she had only a handful of meal, and a little oil in a cruse. Elijah said to her, Fear not; go and bake it, but make a little cake for me first and bring it. And she did as Elijah commanded ; and afterward she, and he, and her son, did eat for a whole year, and the Lord made the meal and the oil last all that time. After this the son of the woman grew sick, and his sickness was so great that he died. When she told Elijah of it, he said, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her arms, and carried him up into his own chamber and laid him on his bed. And Elijah cried to the Lord, and said, O Lord, hast thou brought evil upon the woman in whose house I stay, by slaying her son? I beseech thee, O Lord, let the child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard Elijah's prayer, and sent the soul of the child into him again, so that he lived. And Elijah gave him to his mother. 148 THE PROPHET ELIJAH RAISES THE SOX OF THE WIDOW TO LIFE. 149 I Kiv.sXYII.23. Elijah Slats the Pkophets of Baal. THE famine lasted for more than three years, in the land of Israel. Then the Lord spoke to Elijah, and said, Go, show thyself to king Ahab, and I will send rain on the land. When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, Art thou he that troubleth the people of Israel? Elijah answered, I am not the one who troubles Israel, but thou and thy family, because you have forsaken the Lord and have served Baal. Then Elijah told Ahab to send and gather all the people at Mount Carmel, and to bring there also, all the priests, of Baal. And Elijah came there and spoke to the people, saying, How long will you be in deciding whom you will serve? If the Lord be God, obey him; but if Baal be God, then obey him. And Elijah said, Bring two bullocks, and let Baal's prophets chopse one of them and kill it and lay it on Baal's altar, but not put any fire under it. And I will take the other bullock and kill it, and lay it on the Lord's altar. Then they shall pray to Baal .to send down fire from heaven, and I will pray to the Lord; and the one that sends down fire to burn up his offering, he shall be God. And all the people answered that it should be as Elijah said. And Baal's prophets chose their bullock and killed it, and laid it on the altar. And they cried out to their idol, from morning till evening, but no fire came to burn up their offering. Then Elijah cut a bullock in pieces, and put it on an altar he had built,, and Elijah came near to the altar and prayed to the Lord, saying, Hear me, O Lord, hear me, so that this people may know thou art the true God, and that thou dost call them from serving idols to serve thee again. Then the fire of the Lord fell from heaven upon the altar and burnt up the bullock and the 'wood, and the stones of which the altar was made, and licked up water that they had poured in a trench around the altar, to show that no fire of their own had been hidden there. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and. said, The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God! And Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal, let not one of them escape. And the people took them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slew them there; for so the Lord commanded it should, be done to all those who taught the people to serve idols and forsake him. Then Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel and prayed that God would send the rain. And after awhile a little cloud rose up, and grew larger, until all the sky was covered and there was a very great rain. King Ahab told his wife, Jezebel, of all that Elijah had done, and how he had slain the prophets of Baal with the sword. Then Jezebel was very angry, and she sent word to Elijah, saying, Let the gods (that is, the idols which she worshipped) slay me also, if I do not put thee to death by to-morrow about this time. When Elijah heard these words he was greatly afraid, and made haste to flee for his life. And he sat down under a juniper tree, and asked that he might die, saying, Now, O Lord, take away my life. For he was weary of fleeing from his enemies.. ISTow Elijah fell asleep, and an angel came and touched him and said to him, Arise and eat. Elijah looked, and saw a cake and a cruse of water by his head. And he ate and drank, and lay down and slept again. 150 ELIJAH ESCAPES TO THE WILDERNESS AND IS FED BY AN ANGEL. ]-] I Kings XIX. 5. The Kings of Judah and Isbael go out to Battle. JEHOSHAPHAT, king of Judah, came clown to Samaria to visit Ahab. Then Ahab told him that Benhadad, king of Syria, was keeping one of his cities from him, and Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to go out with him to take it again. Now Jehoshaphat was a good man and feared the Lord, therefore he told Ahab to inquire first whether the Lord was wilting they should go. And Ahab gathered his prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go up against the city to battle, or shall I not go? They answered, Go up, for the Lord will give it into thy hand. But Jehoshaphat did not believe these men, for they were false prophets, who said whatever they thought would please Ahab. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, beside these, whom we may ask ? Ahab answered, There is yet one a man named Micaiah, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good to me, but evil. Jehoshaphat answered, Let not the king say so. And a messenger was sent, and came back bringing Micaiah to the king. And Ahab asked him, Shall we go to battle against the city, or shall we not go ? Micaiah said that he saw all the children of Israel scattered upon the hills, like a flock of sheep that is lost, and has no shepherd. He meant that the Lord had shown him Ahab's army, as it would be after the battle, when Ahab himself would be killed and his army would have no one to lead them. Yet the king of Israel and the king of Judah went up to fight against the city. And Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, I will put on another dress, that no one may know me, and will go among the soldiers and fight in the battle, but put thou on thy royal robes and let them see thou art a king. Now, before the battle began, Benhadad,* king of Syria, had commanded all his captains to try and kill Ahab; and when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robes, they said, Surely it is king Ahab, and they came to fight against him. Then Jehoshaphat cried out ; and when they saw it was not Ahab, they turned back from following him. But a man in Benhadad^s army shot an arrow, not aiming at any one, nor knowing where it would strike, and the Lord made it strike Ahab and go in between the pieces of armor that covered his breast. Then Ahab said to the driver of his chariot, Turn back and carry me out of the host, for I am wounded. The battle lasted all that day, and Ahab was held up in his chariot that he might see it, and send orders to his soldiers, but he died in the evening. And about the time the sun "was going down, word was sent through all the host of Israel that every man should flee to his own home. 152 AHAB IS WOUNDED IX THE BATTLE, BUT STAYS UP IN HIS CHARIOT UNTIL EVEN. .. „„ i kings xxii. ;». loo Elijah is Taken up to Heater NOW the time had come when the Lord was going to take up Elijah to heaven, and Elijah went with his servant Elisha to a place called Gilgal. Elijah wanted to be alone when the Lord should take him up, so he said to Elisha, Stay here, I pray thee, at Gilgal, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. But Elisha said, As surely as the Lord liveth, and as thou art living, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the young men who went to the schools that were taught by the prophets at Bethel, came to Elisha, and said to him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thee to-day ? He answered, Yes, I know it, hold ye your peace. And Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here at Bethel, I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. But Elisha "would not, so they came to Jericho. And the young men -who were in the schools of the prophets at Jericho, came to Elisha, and said to him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thee to-day? He answered, Yes, I know it, hold ye your peace. And Elijah said to Elisha, Stay here, I pray thee, at Jericho, for the Lord has sent me to the river Jordan. But Elisha would not, and they two went on. And fifty young men from the schools of the prophets followed them, to look, a good way off. And Elijah and Elisha stood by the side of the river. Then Elijah took his mantle and wrapt it together, and struck the waters with it, and the waters were parted before them, so that they two went over on dry ground. When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha asked that he might have more of God's Spirit in his heart, as Elijah had. Elijah answered, thou hast asked a hard thing; yet if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou askest for; but if not, thou shalt not have it. And as they walked on and talked together, behold, there came a chariot of fire, with horses of fire, that took Elijah away from Elisha, and he went up in the chariot to heaven. Elisha saw it, and cried out, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. He called Elijah father, for so they called the prophets in those days. And he called, him the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof, because Elijah would have been better than chariots and horses to help the people and gain the victory for them over their enemies, if they had only been willing to obey him. And after that Elisha saw Elijah no more. And Elisha took up the mantle of Elijah, and with it he struck the waters of the river, and they parted for him, and he went over alone, on dry ground. 154 CHARIOT OF FIRE AND HORSES OF FIRE CARRY ELIJAH UP INTO II HAVEN. II KINGS II. 11. 1.... Elisha Peophesies Victory oyer the Moabites. k S Elisha was going from Jericho to Bethel, there came forth children out of the city, and mocked him and cried after him, saying, Go up, thou bald head ; go up, thou bald head. So they made sport of him because he was bald, and told him to go up, as Elijah had gone up, when God took him to heaven. And Elisha turned back, and as he looked on them, asked the Lord to punish them for their sin. And there came forth two bears out of the wood, and tore forty-two children of them. After this Jehoram, king of Israel, gathered his army together to- fight against the Moabites. And he sent word to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me ; wilt thou go with me against him to battle ? Jehoshaphat answered, I will go : and the king of Edom also ■went with them. So these three kings set out with their armies, and they marched seven days, and found no water for the host, or for the cattle that they had brought with them to eat by the way. Then the king of Israel was afraid, because his soldiers had no water to drink, and he said, Alas, the Moabites will gain the victory over us. ISTow Jehoram the king of Israel served idols, that could not help him ; but Jehoshaphat served the Lord, and he asked, saying, Is there no prophet here, who can inquire of the Lord for us what we shall do ? One of the king of Israel's servants answered, Elisha is here, who was the servant of Elijah. Jehosh- aphat said, He is a prophet of the Lord ; let us go to him. And the Lord commanded Elisha to tell the men of Israel to dig the valley, in which their camp was, full of ditches ; for the Lord said, that although there should be no wind or rain, yet the ditches should be filled with water, that they and their cattle might drink. And the Lord will not only do this for you, Elisha said, but he 'will give you the victory over the Moabites, and you shall destroy their cities, and cut down their trees, and fill up their -wells, and spoil the best of their land. And the words of Elisha came true, for the next morning the Lord caused water to flow into the valley, so that the ditches were filled with it. When the Moabites heard that the kings of Israel, of Judah, and of Edom, had come up against them, they gathered all their army together and came near the camp of Israel. And the sun shone on the water in the ditches, and made it look red. Then the Moabites thought that their enemies had been fighting with one another, and that this was their blood. And they said, Let us go and take the spoil they have left. So they came near the camp ; but when they saw the armies that were there, they were afraid and fled. And the men of Israel rose up and followed them, even into their own country. There they spoiled the land, and afterward came back to their own homes. 156 CHILDREN MOCK ELISHA, AND BEARS COME OUT OF THE WOOD AND TEAR THEM. ±-- II Kings ii. 28. Elisha Foretells the End of the Siege. ~\ ENEADAD, king of Syria, made war against Israel. He gathered his army J) together and went up to fight against the city of Samaria. His soldiers besieged it, and -would let no bread be brought in for the men of Israel, and there was a great famine in the city. And as king Jehoram walked among his soldiers on the top of the wall, a woman called out to him, saying, Help me, king ! He said, What aileth thee ? She answered, This woman who is with me, said to me the other day, Give thy little son, that we may eat him to-day, and 1 will give my son to-morrow. So we killed my son and did eat him. And I said to her the next day, Give thy son that we may eat him ; and she w r ould not, but took him and hid him. "When king Jehoram heard the -words of the woman, he rent his clothes, for it grieved him to know that the famine -was so dreadful in the city, and that such a thing had been done among the people. But Jehoram -was a -wicked man, like Ahab, his father. It was for his sins, and the sins of the people, that God sent these troubles upon them. Jehoram should have repented, and asked God to take his troubles away. Instead of this, he blamed them on Elisha, and said that the prophet should be put to death that very day. But Elisha knew the king -would send a messenger to kill him. And -when the messenger came to his house, Elisha commanded the men -who were there to shut the door, that he might not come in. Then the king himself came to Elisha's house, leaning on the arm of one of his officers. And Elisha told them that the Lord said the famine should cease, and that on the morrow there would be plenty of food in the city. Now four men of the children of Israel, who -were lepers, sat together by the gate of the city. And they said to one another, Why do we sit here until -we starve? If we go into the city the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. If -we sit still here, we have nothing to eat, and we shall die here also. Now, therefore, come, let us go out to the army of the Syrians. If they do not kill us we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die. And they rose up in the evening, and went out to the camp of the Syrians, but when they came to it no man was there. For the Lord had made the Syrians think that they heard the noise of chariots, and horses, and a great army, coming out against them Therefore they had risen up, as it grew dark, and left their tents and their horses, and everything that was in their camp, and fled for their lives. So the lepers -went back to the city, and called to the porters who -watched at the gate and told what they had seen. When the people heard it, they. went out to the camp of the Syrians, and brought away all the flour and the grain that the Syrians had left. So the famine was ended, and there -was plenty of food in the city. 158 THE SYRIANS BESIEGE SAMARIA, AXD THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY ARE WITHOUT FOOD. J59 II Kings VI. 2