The Bible Story Part 167

Tell it not in Gath, Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of our enemies triumph.

Ye mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, neither fields of offerings: For there the s.h.i.+eld of the mighty was vilely cast away, The s.h.i.+eld of Saul, not anointed with oil.

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan turned not back, And the sword of Saul returned not empty.

Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided: They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.

Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you in scarlet delicately, Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!

Jonathan is slain upon thy high places.

I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: Very pleasant hast thou been unto me: Thy love to me was wonderful, Pa.s.sing the love of women.

How are the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished!

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

"DAVID STREET" IN JERUSALEM

From a picture taken by Prof. Lyon and used by his kind permission.

This narrow, busy street in Jerusalem still bears the name of the great king who scaled the heights and took the citadel from the Jebusites so long ago [End ill.u.s.tration]

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And they told David, saying, "The men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul." And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, "Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have showed this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him. And now the Lord show kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be ye valiant: for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them."

Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, {430} and spoke, saying, "Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was thou that didst lead out and bring in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, 'Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.'"

So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

AN EVIL DEED.

_How a Brave Prophet Rebuked a King_.

(David once did a very evil deed. He wished to have as his wife the wife of another man, named Uriah, a very brave soldier in the royal army. David caused this soldier to be placed in a very dangerous place in the battle, where he knew he would be killed. The prophet told the king a story to show him how wicked he was. Then the eyes of the king were opened to his sin, and he repented, but the child which had been born to him died.)

And it came to pa.s.s in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, "Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die."

And it came to pa.s.s, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he a.s.signed Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the {431} Hitt.i.te died also. Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; and he charged the messenger, saying, "When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war to the king, it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, 'Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? why went ye so near the wall?'

then shalt thou say, 'Thy servant Uriah the Hitt.i.te is dead also.'"

So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for. And the messenger said to David, "The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. And the archers shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hitt.i.te is dead also."

Then David said to the messenger, "Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, 'Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it': and encourage thou him."

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and a child was born to them. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

And the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came {432} to him, and said to him, "There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: but the poor man had nothing save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own morsel of food, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveler to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come to him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him."

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this is worthy to die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."

And Nathan said to David,--

"Thou art the man!"

"Thus saith the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and if that had been too little, I would have added unto thee such and such things.

Wherefore hast thou despised the word of the Lord, to do that which is evil in his sight? thou hast smitten Uriah the Hitt.i.te with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hitt.i.te to be thy wife."

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

RUINS OF RABBATH AMMON

An important city in Moab, taken by David.

Used by special permission of the Palestine Exploration Fund.

It was during the long siege of this city that Uriah the Hitt.i.te, whose wife David wished as his own, was killed. The army of Joab, David's general, encamped about the city and finally by the capture of the springs which supplied water to the people the strong walled place fell. Joab sent for David, so that he was on the ground when the last a.s.sault was made and the city was taken. Very rich spoil fell into the hands of the victors [End ill.u.s.tration]

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And David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord."

And Nathan said to David, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die."

And Nathan departed to his house.

And the child which had been born to David was very sick. David therefore besought G.o.d for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and stood beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat with them. And it came to pa.s.s on the seventh day, that the child died, And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, "Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke unto him, and he hearkened not to our voice: what will he then do if we tell him that the child is dead?"

But when David saw that his servants whispered together, David perceived that the child was dead: and David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?"

And they said, "He is dead."

Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel; and he came into the house of the Lord, and wors.h.i.+ped: then he came to his own house; and when he required they set food {436} before him, and he ate. Then said his servants to him, "What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat."

And he said, "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said 'Who knoweth whether the Lord will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?' But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

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CAVE OF ADULLAM

David and his three captains bold Kept ambush once within a hold.

It was in Adullam's cave, Nigh which no water they could have, Nor spring nor running brook was near To quench the thirst that parched them there.

Then David, King of Israel, Straight bethought him of a well, Which stood beside the city gate At Bethlehem; where, before his state Of kingly dignity, he had Oft drunk his fill, a shepherd lad; But now his fierce Philistine foe Encamped before it he does know.

Yet ne'er the less, with heat opprest, Those three bold captains he addrest; And wished that one to him would bring Some water from his native spring.

His valiant captains instantly To execute his will did fly.

The mighty three the ranks broke through Of armed foes, and water drew For David, their beloved king, At his own sweet native spring.

Back through their armed foes they haste, With the hard-earned treasure graced.

But when the good king David found What they had done, he on the ground The water poured. "Because," said he, "That it was at the jeopardy Of your three lives this thing ye did, That I should drink it, G.o.d forbid."

--_Charles Lamb_.