Biblical Extracts Part 5

161. And David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. And he took their king's crown from off his head, (the weight whereof was a talent of gold, with the precious stones.) and it was set on David's head, and he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance. And he brought forth the people that were therein, _and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pa.s.s through the brick-kiln; and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon_. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem. 2 Samuel xii. 29 to 31.

162. And behold (says David in his _dying moments_ to his son Solomon,) thou hast with thee s.h.i.+mei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse, in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at Jordan, _and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword_. Now therefore hold him not guiltless; for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; _but his h.o.a.ry head bring thou down to the grave with blood_. 1 Kings ii. 8, 9.

SOLOMON.

193. And he had _seven hundred wives_ princesses, and _three hundred concubines_; and his wives turned away his heart. 1 Kings xi. 3.

164. How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O princess daughter! _the joints of thy thighs are like jewels_, the work of the hands of a cunning workman. Thy navel is like a round goblet which wanteth not liquor; thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. Thy two b.r.e.a.s.t.s are like two young roes that are twins. Thy neck is a tower of ivory, thine eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim; thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon, which looketh toward Damascus. Solomon's Songs vii. 1 to 4.

JOSHUA.

165, And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep, and a.s.s, with the edge of the sword. But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, _Go into the harlot's house and bring out thence the woman and all that she hath_, as ye sware unto her. Joshua vi. 21, 22.

16.6. And it was told Joshua, saying, the five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah. And Joshua said, Roll great stones by the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them. And stay you not, but pursue after your enemies, _and smite the hindmost of them, suffer them not to enter into their cities_; for the Lord your G.o.d hath delivered them into your hand. Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out these five kings unto me out of the cave. And afterwards Joshua _smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees_; and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. Joshua x. 17 to 26.

EZEKIEL.

167. Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin from time to time shalt thou drink. And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes _and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man_, in their sight. And the Lord said, even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.

Then said I, ah Lord G.o.d, behold my soul hath not been polluted; for from my youth up even till now, have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces, neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth. Then said he unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith. Ezekiel iv. 11 to 15.

ABRAHAM.

168. And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah, his wife, _She is my sister_; and Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But G.o.d came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said unto him. Behold thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is _a man's wife_. But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, Lord; wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, _She is my sister?_ and she, even she herself said, _He is my brother_; in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. Genesis xx. 1 to 5.

169. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, _which she had borne unto Abraham_, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman, and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And Abraham rose up early in the morning _and took bread and a bottle of water_, and gave it unto Hagar (putting it on her shoulder) and the child? and sent her away, and she departed, _and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba_, Genesis xxi. 9, 10, 14.

ISAAC.

170. And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, _She is my sister_? for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she was fair to look upon. And it came to pa.s.s when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw and behold, _Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife_. And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou, _She is my sister?_ And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, lest I die for her. Genesis xxvi. 7, 8, 9.

NOAH.

171. And he drank of the wine, and was drunken, _and he was uncovered within his tent_. And Ham the father of Canaan _saw the nakedness of his father_, and told his two brethren without. Genesis ix. 21, 22.

SAMSON.

172. Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an _harlot and went in unto her_. Judges xvi. 1. judah.

173. And it came to pa.s.s at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; _and he took her and went in unto her_. And she conceived and bare a son; and he called his name Er. Gen. x.x.xviii. 1 to 3.

174. And Judah said unto Onan, _Go in unto thy brother's wife_, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his, and it came to pa.s.s when he went in unto his brother's wife, _that he spilled it on the ground_, lest that he should give seed unto his brother. Genesis x.x.xviii. 8, 9.

175. And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnath, to shear his sheep. And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which is by the way to Timnath, for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot, because she had covered her face. And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, _let me come in unto thee;_ (for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law;) and she said, _What wilt thou give me, that thou mayst come in unto me?_ And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock; and she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge till thou send it. And he said, What pledge shall I give thee! and she said, Thy signet and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand: and he gave it her, _and came in to her, and she conceived by him_. And she arose and went away, and laid by her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand, but he found her not. Then he asked the men of that place saying, Where is the harlot that was openly by the way-side? and they said, there was no harlot in this place. And he returned to Judah, and said I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, That there was no harlot in this place. And Judah said, let her take it to her lest we be shamed; behold I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. And it came to pa.s.s about three months after, and it was told Judah say-. ing, Tamar thy daughter-in-law _hath played the harlot_; and also behold, _she is with child by wh.o.r.edom_; and Judah said, Bring her forth _and let her be burnt_. When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law saying, By the man whose these are am I with child; and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet and bracelets and staff. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, _She hath been more righteous than I_; because that I gave her not to She-lah my son; and he knew her again no more. And it came to pa.s.s in the time of her travail, that behold _twins were in her womb_. And it came to pa.s.s when she travailed, _that the one put out his hand_; and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, _This came out first_. And it came to pa.s.s as he drew back his hand, _and behold his brother came out_; and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee; therefore his name was called Pharez. And afterwards came out his brother that had the scarlet thread upon his hand; and his name was called Zarah. Genesis x.x.xviii. 13 to 30.

LOT.

176. And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. And the first-born said unto the younger, Our father is old, _and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us_ after the manner of all the earth. Come let us make our father drink wine, _and we will lie with him_. that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night; and the first-born _went in and lay with her father_; and he perceived not when she lay down nor when she arose. And it came to pa.s.s on the morrow, that the first-born said unto the younger, Behold I lay yesterday with my father; let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of my father. And they made their father drink wine that night also; and the younger arose, and lay with him, and he perceived not when she lay down nor when she arose.

_Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their FATHER_. Gen.

xix. 30 to 36.

RUTH.

177. Wash thyself therefore and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor; but make not thyself known unto the man; until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie?

_and thou shalt go in and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do_. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry; he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: _and she came softly and uncovered his feet and laid her down_.

And it came to pa.s.s at midnight that the man was afraid? and turned himself, and behold a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou?

and she answered, I am Ruth, thine handmaiden; _spread therefore thy s.h.i.+rt over thine handmaiden, for thou art a near kinsman_. And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast showed more kindness _in the latter end than at the beginning_, inasmuch as thou followest not young men, whether poor or rich: and now my daughter, fear not, _1 will do thee all that thou requirest,_ for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a _virtuous_ woman. Ruth iii. 3 to 11.

RACHEL.

178. And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said unto Jacob. Give me children, or else I die.. And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said, Am I in G.o.d's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb: And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, _go in into her; and she shall bare upon my knees, that I may also have children by her_. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife and Jacob _went in unto her_. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. Genesis x.x.x. 1 to 5.

179. And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maid servants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Baehel's tent. _Now Rachel had taken the images_, and put them into the camel's furniture, _and sat upon them_, and Laban searched all the tent but found them not. And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord, that I cannot rise up before thee: _for the custom of women is upon me_: and he searched, but found not the images. Gen, x.x.xi. 33 to 35.

POTIPHAR'S WIFE.