The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And Zadok the sonne of Ahitub, and Abimelech the sonne of Abiathar were the Priests, and Shausha the Scribe,

And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada was ouer the Cherethites and the Pelethites: and the sonnes of Dauid were chiefe about the King.

After this also Nahash the King of the children of Ammon dyed, and his sonne reigned in his stead.

And Dauid said, I will shew kindnesse vnto Hanun the sonne of Nahash, because his father shewed kindnesse vnto me. And Dauid sent messengers to comfort him for his father. So the seruants of Dauid came into the lande of the children of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him.

And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that Dauid doeth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters vnto thee? Are not his seruants come to thee to search, to seeke and to spie out the land?

Wherefore Hanun tooke Dauids seruants, and shaued them, and cut off their garments by the halfe vnto the buttocks, and sent them away.

And there went certaine and tolde Dauid concerning the men: and he sent to meete them (for the men were exceedingly ashamed) and the King saide, Tarie at Iericho, vntill your beardes be growen: then returne.

When the children of Ammon saw that they stanke in the sight of Dauid, then sent Hanun and the children of Ammon a thousande talents of siluer to hire them charets and horsemen out of Aram Naharaim and out of Aram Maachah, and out of Zobah.

And they hired them two and thirty thousande charets, and the King of Maachah and his people, which came and pitched before Medeba: and the children of Ammon gathered themselues together from their cities, and came to the battell.

And when Dauid heard, he sent Ioab and all the hoste of the valiant men.

And the children of Ammon came out, and set their battell in aray at the gate of the citie. And the Kings that were come, were by them selues in the fielde.

When Ioab saw that the front of the battel was against him before and behinde, then he chose out of all the choyse of Israel, and set him selfe in aray to meete the Aramites.

And the rest of the people he deliuered vnto the hande of Abishai his brother, and they put them selues in aray against the children of Ammon.

And he saide, If Aram be too strong for me, then thou shalt succour me: and if the children of Ammon preuaile against thee, then I wil succour thee.

Be strong, and let vs shewe our selues valiant for our people, and for the cities of our God, and let the Lord doe that which is good in his owne sight.

So Ioab and the people that was with him, came neere before the Aramites vnto the battel, and they fled before him.

And when the children of Ammon sawe that the Aramites fled, they fled also before Abishai his brother, and entred into the citie: so Ioab came to Ierusalem.

And when the Aramites sawe that they were discomfited before Israel, they sent messengers and caused the Aramites to come forth that were beyond the riuer: and Shophach the captaine of the hoste of Hadarezer went before them.

And when it was shewed Dauid, he gathered all Israel, and went ouer Iorden, and came vnto them, and put him selfe in aray against them: And when Dauid had put him selfe in battel aray to meete the Aramites, they fought with him.

But the Aramites fled before Israel, and Dauid destroyed of the Aramites seuen thousand charets, and fourtie thousand footemen, and killed Shophach the captaine of the hoste.

And when the seruants of Hadarezer sawe that they fell before Israel, they made peace with Dauid, and serued him. And the Aramites would no more succour the children of Ammon.

And when the yere was expired, in the time that Kings goe out a warfare, Ioab caryed out the strength of the armie, and destroyed the countrey of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah (but Dauid taryed at Ierusalem) and Ioab smote Rabbah and destroyed it.

Then Dauid tooke the crowne of their King from off his head, and founde it the weight of a talent of golde, with precious stones in it: and it was set on Dauids head, and he brought away the spoyle of the citie exceeding much.

And he caryed away the people that were in it, and cut them with sawes, and with harowes of yron, and with axes: euen thus did Dauid with all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then Dauid and all the people came againe to Ierusalem.

And after this also there arose warre at Gezer with the Philistims: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slewe Sippai, of the children of Haraphah, and they were subdued.

And there was yet another battell with the Philistims: and Elhanan the sonne of Iair slewe Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spearestaffe was like a weauers beame.

And yet againe there was a battel at Gath, where was a man of a great stature, and his fingers were by sixes, euen foure and twentie, and was also the sonne of Haraphah.

And when he reuiled Israel, Iehonathan the sonne of Shimea Dauids brother did slay him.

And Satan stoode vp against Israel, and prouoked Dauid to nomber Israel.

Therefore Dauid said to Ioab, and to the rulers of the people, Go, and nomber Israel from Beer-sheba euen to Dan, and bring it to me, that I may knowe the nomber of them.

And Ioab answered, The Lord increase his people an hundreth times so many as they be, O my lord the King: are they not all my lords seruats? wherefore doeth my lord require this thing? why should he be a cause of trespasse to Israel?

Neuerthelesse the Kings word preuailed against Ioab. And Ioab departed and went thorowe all Israel, and returned to Ierusalem.

And Ioab gaue the nomber and summe of the people vnto Dauid: and all Israel were eleuen hundreth thousande men that drewe sword: and Iudah was foure hundreth and seuentie thousande men that drewe sword.

But the Leuites and Beniamin counted he not among them: for the Kings worde was abominable to Ioab.

And God was displeased with this thing: therefore he smote Israel.

Then Dauid saide vnto God, I haue sinned greatly, because I haue done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, remooue the iniquitie of thy seruant: for I haue done very foolishly.

And the Lord spake vnto Gad Dauids Seer, saying,

Goe and tell Dauid, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three thinges: choose thee one of them, that I may doe it vnto thee.

So Gad came to Dauid, and sayde vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, Take to thee

Either three yeeres famine, or three moneths to be destroyed before thine aduersaries, and the sworde of thine enemies to take thee, or els the sworde of the Lord and pestilence in the lande three dayes, that the Angel of the Lord may destroy throughout all the coastes of Israel: nowe therefore aduise thee, what word I shall bring againe to him that sent me.

And Dauid said vnto Gad, I am in a wonderfull strait. let me nowe fall into the hande of the Lord: for his mercies are exceeding great, and let me not fall into the hande of man.

So the Lord sent a pestilence in Israel, and there fell of Israel seuentie thousande men.

And God sent the Angel into Ierusalem to destroy it. And as he was destroying, the Lord behelde, and repented of the euill and sayde to the Angel that destroyed, It is nowe ynough, let thine hande cease. Then the Angel of the Lord stoode by the thresshing floore of Ornan the Iebusite.

And Dauid lift vp his eyes, and sawe the Angel of the Lord stande betweene the earth and the heauen with his sworde drawen in his hand, and stretched out towarde Ierusalem. Then Dauid and the Elders of Israel, which were clothed in sacke, fell vpon their faces.

And Dauid said vnto God, Is it not I that commanded to nomber the people? It is euen I that haue sinned and haue committed euil, but these sheepe what haue they done? O Lord my God, I beseech thee, let thine hande be on me and on my fathers house, and not on thy people for their destruction.

Then the Angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to Dauid, that Dauid should goe vp, and set vp an altar vnto the Lord in the thresshing floore of Ornan the Iebusite.

So Dauid went vp according to the saying of Gad, which he had spoken in the Name of the Lord.

And Ornan turned about, and sawe the Angel, and his foure sonnes, that were with him, hid them selues, and Ornan thresshed wheat.

And as Dauid came to Ornan, Ornan looked and sawe Dauid, and went out of the thresshing floore, and bowed himselfe to Dauid with his face to the grounde.

And Dauid saide to Ornan, Giue me the place of thy thresshing floore, that I may builde an altar therein vnto the Lord: giue it me for sufficient money, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

Then Ornan saide vnto Dauid, Take it to thee, and let my lord the King do that which seemeth him good: loe, I giue thee bullockes for burnt offrings, and thresshing instruments for wood, and wheat for meate offring, I giue it all.

And King Dauid saide to Ornan, Not so: but I will bye it for sufficient money: for I wil not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offrings without cost.

So Dauid gaue to Ornan for that place sixe hundreth shekels of golde by weight.

And Dauid built there an altar vnto the Lord, and offred burnt offrings, and peace offrings, and called vpon the Lord, and he answered him by fire from heauen vpon the altar of burnt offring.

And when the Lord had spoken to the Angel, he put vp his sworde againe into his sheath.

At that time when Dauid sawe that the Lord had heard him in the thresshing floore of Ornan the Iebusite, then he sacrificed there.

(But the Tabernacle of the Lord which Moses had made in the wildernesse, and the altar of burnt offring were at that season in the hie place at Gibeon.

And Dauid could not go before it to aske counsel at God: for he was afraide of the sworde of the Angel of the Lord.)

And Dauid saide, This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar for the burnt offring of Israel.

And Dauid commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the lande of Israel, and he set masons to hewe and polish stones to builde the house of God.

Dauid also prepared much yron for the nayles of the doores and of the gates, and for the ioynings, and abundance of brasse passing weight,

And cedar trees without nomber: for the Zidonians and they of Tyrus brought much cedar wood to Dauid.

And Dauid saide, Salomon my sonne is yong and tender, and we must builde an house for the Lord, magnificall, excellent and of great fame and dignitie throughout all countreyes. I will therefore nowe prepare for him. So Dauid prepared very much before his death.

Then he called Salomon his sonne, and charged him to builde an house for the Lord God of Israel.

And Dauid said to Salomon, My sonne, I purposed with my selfe to builde an house to the Name of the Lord my God,

But the worde of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed much blood, and hast made great battels: thou shalt not builde an house vnto my Name: for thou hast shead much blood vpon the earth in my sight.

Beholde, a sonne is borne to thee, which shalbe a man of rest, for I will giue him rest from all his enemies rounde about: therefore his name is Salomon: and I will sende peace and quietnes vpon Israel in his dayes.

Hee shall builde an house for my Name, and he shalbe my sonne, and I will be his father, and I will establish the throne of his kingdome vpon Israel for euer.

Nowe therefore my sonne, the Lord shalbe with thee, and thou shalt prosper, and thou shalt builde an house to the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken of thee.

Onely the Lord giue thee wisedome and vnderstanding, and giue thee charge ouer Israel, euen to keepe the Lawe of the Lord thy God.

Then thou shalt prosper, if thou take heede to obserue the statutes and the iudgements which the Lord commanded Moses for Israel: be strong and of good courage: feare not, neither bee afraide.

For beholde, according to my pouertie haue I prepared for the house of the Lord an hundreth thousand talents of golde, and a thousand thousande talents of siluer, and of brasse and of yron passing weight: for there was abundance: I haue also prepared timber and stone, and thou mayest prouide more thereto.

Moreouer thou hast workmen with thee enough, hewers of stone, and workemen for timber, and all men expert in euery worke.

Of golde, of siluer, and of brasse, and of yron there is no nomber: Vp therefore, and be doing, and the Lord wilbe with thee.

Dauid also commanded all the princes of Israel to helpe Salomon his sonne, saying,

Is not the Lord your God with you, and hath giuen you rest on euerie side? for hee hath giuen the inhabitants of the land into mine hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and before his people.

Nowe set your hearts and your soules to seeke the Lord your God, and arise, and builde the Sanctuarie of the Lord God to bring the Arke of the couenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God into the house built for the Name of the Lord.

So when Dauid was olde and full of dayes, he made Salomon his sonne King ouer Israel.

And hee gathered together all the princes of Israel with the Priestes and the Leuites.

And the Leuites were numbred from ye age of thirtie yeere and aboue, and their nomber according to their summe was eight and thirtie thousand men.

Of these foure and twentie thousande were set to aduance the worke of the house of the Lord, and sixe thousand were ouerseers and iudges.

And foure thousand were porters, and foure thousande praised the Lord with instruments which he made to praise the Lord.

So Dauid deuided offices vnto them, to wit, to the sonnes of Leui, to Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Of the Gershonites were Laadan and Shimei.

The sonnes of Laadan, the chiefe was Iehiel, and Zetham and Ioel, three.

The Sonnes of Shimei, Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haram, three: these were the chiefe fathers of Laadan.

Also the sonnes of Shimei were Iahath, Zina, Ieush, and Beriah: these foure were ye sonnes of Shimei.

And Iahath was the chiefe, and Zizah the seconde, but Ieush and Beriah had not many sonnes: therfore they were in the families of their father, counted but as one.

The sonnes of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron aud Vzziel, foure.

The sonnes of Amram, Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated to sanctifie the most holy place, hee and his sonnes for euer to burne incense before the Lord, to minister to him, and to blesse in his Name for euer.

Moses also the man of God, and his children were named with the tribe of Leui.

The sonnes of Moses were Gershom, and Eliezer,

Of the sonnes of Gershom was Shebuel the chiefe.

And the sonne of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chiefe: for Eliezer had none other sonnes: but the sonnes of Rehabiah were very many.

The sone of Izhar was Shelomith ye chiefe.

The sonnes of Hebron were Ieriah the first, Amariah the second, Iahaziel the third, and Iekamiam the fourth.

The sones of Vzziel were Michah the first, and Isshiah the second.

The sonnes of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sonnes of Mahli, Eleazar and Kish.

And Eleazar dyed, and had no sonnes, but daughters, and their brethren the sonnes of Kish tooke them.