eiBLE sTomis 
 
 OLD TESTAMiOT 
 
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 •" APR 6 1899 ■ 
 
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 Division. J^>3 ' 
 Section,^ri.Ll 
 
 No. \sm 
 
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^bc flDo&ern IReaber'e Bible 
 
 Children's Series 
 
 Old Testament Stones 
 New Testament Stories 
 
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tORMAir i C0.,tN5R'S.N.y. 
 
THE MODERN READER'S BIBLE 
 
 A SERIES OF WORKS FROM THE SACRED SCRIPTURES PRESENTED 
 IN MODERN LITERARY FORM 
 
 BIBLE STORIES 
 
 (Old Testament) 
 
 EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES 
 
 BY 
 
 RICHARD G. MOULTON, M.A. (Camb.), Ph.D. (Penn.) 
 
 Professor of Literature in English in the 
 
 University of Chicago 
 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 
 LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 
 1899 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
Copyright, 1899, 
 By the MACMILLAN COMPANY. 
 
 NorbJooB i^ress 
 
 J. S. Gushing & Co. — Berwick & Smith 
 Norwood Mass. U.S.A. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 This is announced as a Children's Number of the Modern 
 Reader's Bible. The term 'Children' covers a wide va- 
 riety of capacity, from an intelligence greater than that of 
 many adults to a child mind that needs to be addressed in 
 a language of its own. The text of this volume is suitable 
 for all ; the introductions and notes are intended for older 
 children, or for others only by transmission through the 
 minds of parents and teachers. 
 
 The stories which make the text are in the language of 
 Scripture, altered only by omissions. The Bible has this 
 amongst other marks of a classic : that its language has the 
 power of attracting young minds, even where (in the opinion 
 of their seniors) the subject matter ought to be beyond 
 them. As in the other volumes of the Modern Reader's 
 Bible, I follow the Revised Version, with frequent substitu- 
 tions of margin for text : for the use of this I express my 
 obligation to the University Presses of Oxford and Cam- 
 bridge. 
 
 The volume is arranged according to the natural divisions 
 of Bible history : Genesis, The Exodus, The Judges, The 
 
^ Preface 
 
 Kings and Prophets, The Exile and Return.* Each period 
 is represented b}' its most important stories ; the purpose 
 of the introduction and notes to each section is to weave 
 all together by indicating briefly the bearing of each story 
 on the general history. Thus it is hoped that the whole 
 volume may leave on a young mind an impression of Old 
 Testament history, in outline complete (however scanty), 
 but with outline supplemented by the most vivid picturing 
 of important points. With the selection of stories no one 
 will be satisfied, least of all the editor. But those who 
 may be inclined to be censorious on this subject should 
 try the experiment of making a selection themselves, and 
 they will see how an editor has to sacrifice his own favour- 
 ites to stern limitations of space and suitability. 
 
 There can surely be no question that these classic stories 
 of Biblical literature should have a place in all education, 
 whether of the home, the Sunday School, or the instruction 
 that calls itself secular. The inquiry is sometimes made, 
 how such literature should be used in practical teaching. 
 I would say that our first duty to a story is to love it : 
 nothing in the way of discussion is legitimate that inter- 
 feres with the prerogative of the young mind to absorb 
 story and to reproduce it in its own way. With the 
 observance of this limitation I would suggest that the next 
 use of such stories as these is to light up portions of ancient 
 
 * Each of these five parts (Introduction, Text, and Notes) can be obtained 
 separately, in paper covers, price 15 cents each. 
 
 vi 
 
Preface §«► 
 
 history ; I have endeavoured to give help in this way by 
 the introductions and notes. Again, the literary charm of 
 Scripture narrative is so great that these stories will serve 
 where nothing more is desired than a reading book. More 
 than this, it is the function of story to bring up persons 
 and incidents with the vividness of present reality : they 
 lend themselves to moral and religious comment, which 
 thus becomes a comment on life itself. In the present 
 case, such commenting must be left to parent or teacher : 
 the notes of this series go no further than assisting towards 
 the appreciation of each incident as a piece of literature. 
 
 I may be permitted a word on the relation of this to 
 other volumes of the Modern Reader's Bible. The present, 
 and its companion volume of New Testament Stories, are 
 intended as ground plan of Bible history: the separate 
 sections correspond to the separate volumes of the History 
 Series in the larger work. When, in the story form, the 
 ground has been covered as a whole, then some particular 
 section may be chosen for study in the full form of history, 
 story, documents, which make up Bible history as it stands. 
 Similarly, the volume entitled Select Masterpieces of Bibli- 
 cal Literature is intended to introduce to all varieties of 
 literary form represented in Scripture, and its sections 
 correspond to the various series — History, Wisdom, 
 Prophecy, etc. — into which the Modern Reader's Bible is 
 divided : after all forms have become familiar in type, some 
 one series can be selected for continuous study, the volumes 
 
 vii 
 
-^ Preface 
 
 of the series being arranored in the proper order, while the 
 introductions to each volume bring out the unity of the 
 series as a whole. Thus to cover a general field by vivid 
 selections, and then pursue a restricted part of it with ful- 
 ness of detail, is the sound order of study. 
 
 R. G. MOULTON. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 GENESIS 
 
 Introduction ........ 
 
 i. The Creation of the World .... 
 
 ii. The Temptation in the Garden of Eden . 
 iii. Cain and Abel 
 iv. The Flood ....... 
 
 V. The Call of Abraham ..... 
 
 vi. The Birth and Offering of Isaac 
 vii. The Wooing of Rebekah .... 
 
 viii. How Jacob stole the Blessing from his Brother 
 ix. The Story of Joseph and his Brethren 
 
 yoseph and his Brethre^i in Canaan 
 yoseph as a Slave in Egypt . 
 How in one day yoseph passed from a Slave to 
 a Prime Minister .... 
 
 yoseph and his Brethren in Egypt . 
 The yotirney of the Children of Israel from 
 Caitaan to Egypt .... 
 
 Notes to Genesis ....... 
 
 ix 
 
 PAGE 
 
 3 
 
 7 
 lo 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 i8 
 
 19 
 23 
 
 29 
 
 35 
 35 
 38 
 
 42 
 46 
 
 58 
 61 
 
-^ Contents 
 
 THE EXODUS 
 
 Introduction ......... 69 
 
 11. 
 
 iii. 
 
 Moses and the Plagues of Egypt .... 
 
 The Wonderful Preservation of Moses as a 
 Babe 
 
 77/1? Ten Plagues of Egypt .... 
 
 The Overthrow of the Egyptians at the Red Sea 
 Law of the Ten Commandments from Sinai . 
 The Witness of Balaam to Israel .... 
 
 Notes to the Exodus 
 
 73 
 
 73 
 
 74 
 %?> 
 
 95 
 
 98 
 
 107 
 
 THE JUDGES 
 
 Introduction ........ 
 
 i. The Passage of the Jordan and Siege of Jericho 
 ii. How the wily Gibeonites deceived Joshua 
 iii. War of Deborah and Barak against Sisera 
 iv. Feats of Gideon in the Midianite War 
 V. The Story of Jephthah's Vow 
 vi. Stories of Samson .... 
 
 Samson'' s Wedding Feast 
 The Jaivbone of a?i Ass . 
 Samson and Delilah 
 Death of Samson . 
 vii. The Old Man Eh and the Child Samuel 
 Birth of Samuel . 
 The Child Safnuel called to be Prophet 
 
 "3 
 119 
 122 
 125 
 
 139 
 142 
 142 
 144 
 146 
 148 
 149 
 149 
 151 
 
Contents ge^ 
 
 Loss of the Ark and Death of EH . 
 
 The Return of the Ark . 
 
 viii. The Anointing of Saul ..... 
 
 ix. The Rejection of Saul and Anointing of David 
 
 X. The P'eud of Saul and David and the Friendship of 
 
 David and Jonathan .... 
 
 David and Goliath .... 
 
 Hoiu the Feud and the Friendship began 
 
 The Escape by Night .... 
 
 The Secret Meeting of David and fonathan 
 
 The Adventure of the Spear and Water-cruse 
 
 The Battle of Gilboa .... 
 
 Notes to the Judges ....... 
 
 1. 
 ii. 
 iii. 
 iv. 
 
 V. 
 
 THE KINGS AND PROPHETS 
 
 Introduction ...... 
 
 David and the Prophet Nathan 
 The Revolt of Absalom . 
 The Wisdom of Solomon 
 Story of the Divided Kingdom 
 Stories of the Prophet Elijah . 
 
 Elijah and the Prophets of Baal 
 
 Elijah in the Desert 
 
 The Story of Naboth^s Vineyard 
 
 Ascent of Elijah to Heaven 
 Stories of the Prophet Elisha 
 
 The Shunamtnite'' s Son . 
 
 Naaman afid Gehazi . . 
 xi 
 
 PAGB 
 
 167 
 
 172 
 172 
 
 177 
 179 
 
 i8i 
 185 
 189 
 193 
 
 201 
 207 
 209 
 
 215 
 219 
 
 221 
 
 221 
 
 227 
 229 
 232 
 234 
 234 
 237 
 
^ Contents 
 
 PAGE 
 
 vii. The Assyrian Army and the Prophet Isaiah . .241 
 viii. King Josiah and the Finding of the Law . . 247 
 Notes to The Kings and Prophets 250 
 
 THE EXILE AND RETURN 
 
 Introduction ........ 
 
 i. Stories of the Captives in Babylon . 
 The Burning Fiery Furnace . 
 The Dream of the Tree that was cut down 
 Belshazzar^s Feast ..... 
 
 Daniel in the Den of Lions . 
 ii. The Story of Esther ..... 
 
 Bow a Jewish Maiden became a Queen . 
 Haman^s Wicked Plot and hoiv it was over 
 thrown ...... 
 
 Mordecai Prime Minister of the Ejnpire 
 iii. Stories of the Return ..... 
 
 How Nehemiah rebuilt the Walls of yerusalem 290 
 
 The Penewal of the Covenant under Ezra 
 Notes to The Exile and Return .... 
 
 Rough Map of the Old Testament World 
 
 xii 
 
 255 
 259 
 259 
 263 
 268 
 272 
 
 275 
 275 
 
 278 
 286 
 290 
 
 299 
 
BIBLE STORIES 
 Genesis 
 
Introduction to Genesis 
 
 The stories which make up this volume are a part of the 
 History of the People of Israel, as given by themselves in 
 the books of the Bible. This people of Israel {also called 
 Hebrews or few s^ is one of the greatest races of the world 
 in regard to its history and literature ; moreover, it is 
 through this people that we who live today have received 
 our holy religion. 
 
 Bible history is ujilike other history. It is not a 7nere 
 narrative of events : everything is put forward with one 
 purpose. This pur pose is to proclaim how Israel is a 
 Chosen Nation, having a missioji to represent God to the 
 other 7iations of the earth. Thus, while their God is the 
 God of the whole earth, yet Israel is a ' Covenant People.'' 
 This means that there is a coveiiant betweeft God and the 
 Chosen Nation, by which He is in a very special sense their 
 God, and they have a special obligation to bear witness for 
 Him to the rest of mankind. An old English word for 
 '• covenant '' is '■testamenf : Jience the '■Old Testament '' is 
 the Covenant of God with his ancient people Israel. 
 Whether we are reading the full history of the Bible or 
 these stories selected from it, we should always bear in 
 mind this main thojight of God''s Chosen People and their 
 mission. 
 
 3 
 
Introduction -^ Bible Stories 
 
 The first part of the history is called ^Genesis ' ; that is, 
 ' Or inn.'' It describes the formation of the Chosen Nation. 
 They had not yet become a nation., but were in what is 
 called the ^patriarchal stage ' : that is, they had no national 
 government, but, like the different branches of a fainily, 
 looked to the authority of the fathers {or ' pati'iarchs ') for 
 their rule. We should have expected such a history to 
 begin with the earliest of these ^patriarchs' — Abraham. 
 As a fact, however. Genesis goes further back in time, in 
 order to bring forward two earlier examples of covenants 
 between God aiidmen. After relating the Creation of the 
 World, the history tells of a covenant made by God with 
 Adajn and Eve. The story of the Temptation in the Garden 
 of Eden shows how this covenant was broken, and man 
 was driven out of Eden . The sin thus commenced grew 
 worse, as we see by the stoty of Cain and Abel. Then we 
 are told of the Flood, and the destruction of a world grown 
 wholly si7iful ; after this God made another covenant with 
 Noah and his descendants. These two covenants were 
 made with Adam and Noah as ancestors of all mankind: 
 the next story tells of the Call of Abraham to separate 
 himself from the rest of men, with the promise that he 
 should be the father of God's special people. 
 
 It must have seemed at the ti?ne as if this promised 
 nation zuould never come into existence, for Abraham and 
 his wife Sarah grew into years without any children. 
 Hence the prominence of the story which relates the Birth 
 
 4 
 
Genesis ^ Introduction 
 
 of Isaac Z7i Ab7-ahajn's old age. Again ^ while Isaac was 
 still a youth, his life, on which so jniich depended, was all 
 but brought to an end, not through disease or accide7it, bid by 
 a voluntary offering up of Isaac in sacrifice at the command 
 of God. At the last moment he was saved froi7i death : 
 a7td this whole incide7it b7'i7igs out hozv Abraha77i's desce7id- 
 a7its were a people co7isecrated to a sacred purpose. 
 
 The sto7y of the Wooi7ig of Rebekah shows the care 
 taken ifi the selectio7i of a wife for Isaac, wo7'thy to be 
 the 77wther of the great people to co77ie. To Isaac and 
 Rebekah were bor7i tiuo sons, Esau a7id facob : the strange 
 story of the Stole7i Blessi7ig shows how the yoimger sup- 
 pia7ited the elder as a7icestor of the co77ii7tg 7tation. 
 
 This facob, afterward 7ia77ied ^ Israel,'' had twelve sons, 
 a7icestors of the twelve tribes i7i the fiture 7iatio7t. Most 
 of these childre7i of Israel led a7i obscure shepherd life. 
 But 07ie of the7n, foseph, appears to have bee7i a ma7i of 
 strong character and great powers. After a life of strange 
 adve7itures, foseph at last beca77ie rider of Egypt imder 
 its ki7ig Pharaoh . The fa7nous sto7y of foseph and his 
 Brethre7i is the natural close of Ge7iesis, for it brings the 
 Childre7i of Israel i7ito Egypt — then 07ie of the worWs 
 greatest enipires — a7id i7i this Egypt the next stage of their 
 existence was to be passed. 
 
Stories from Genesis 
 
 i. The Creation of the World 
 ii. The Temptation in the Garden of Eden 
 iii. Cain and Abel 
 iv. The Flood 
 V. The Call of Abraham 
 vi. The Birth and Oflfering of Isaac 
 vii. The Wooing of Rebekah 
 
 viii. How Jacob stole the Blessing from his Brother 
 ix. The Story of Joseph and his Brethren 
 Joseph and his Brethreii m Ca?taan 
 Joseph as a Slave in Egypt 
 How in one day Joseph passed from a Slave 
 
 to a Prime Mi?iister 
 Joseph and his Brethren in Egypt 
 Journey of the Children of Israel into Egypt 
 6 
 
i 
 
 The Creation of the World 
 
 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 
 And the earth was waste and void ; and darkness was upon 
 the face of the deep : and the spirit of God moved upon 
 the face of the waters. 
 
 And God said, Let there be light : and there was light. 
 And God saw the light, that it was good : and God divided 
 the light from the darkness. And God called the light 
 Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was 
 evening and there was morning, one day. 
 
 And God said. Let there be a firmament in the midst of 
 the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 
 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters 
 which were under the firmament from the waters which 
 were above the firmament : and it was so. And God 
 called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening 
 and there was morning, a second day. 
 
 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be 
 gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land 
 appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land 
 Earth ; and the gathering together of the waters called he 
 
 7 
 
The Creation ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Seas : and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let 
 the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree 
 bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, 
 upon the earth : and it was so. And the earth brought 
 forth grass, herb 3'ielding seed after its kind, and tree bear- 
 ing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind : and 
 God saw that it was good. And there was evening and 
 there was morning, a third day. 
 
 And God said. Let there be lights in the firmament of 
 the heaven to divide the day from the night ; and let them 
 be for signs, and for seasons and for days and years : and 
 let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give 
 light upon the earth : and it was so. And God made the 
 two great lights ; the greater light to rule the day, and the 
 lesser light to rule the night : he made the stars also. And 
 God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light 
 upon the earth and to rule over the day and over the night, 
 and to divide the light from the darkness : and God saw 
 that it was good. And there was evening and there was 
 morning, a fourth day. 
 
 And God said. Let the waters bring forth abundantly 
 the moving creature that hath life, and let fowl fly above 
 the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God 
 created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature 
 that moveth, wdiich the waters brought forth abundantly, 
 after their kinds, and every winged fowl after its kind : and 
 God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, 
 
 8 
 
Genesis S*- The Creation 
 
 Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and 
 let fowl multiply in the earth. And there was evening and 
 there was morning, a fifth day. 
 
 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creat- 
 ure after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of 
 the earth after its kind : and it was so. And God made 
 the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after 
 their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground 
 after its kind : and God saw that it was good. And God 
 said. Let us make man in our image, after our likeness : 
 and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and 
 over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all 
 the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth 
 upon the earth. And God created man in his own image, 
 in the image of God created he him ; male and female 
 created he them. And God blessed them : and God said 
 unto them. Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the 
 earth, and subdue it ; and have dominion over the fish of 
 the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living 
 thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said. Behold, 
 I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon 
 the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is tl>e 
 fruit of a tree yielding seed ; to you it shall be for meat : 
 and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, 
 and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein 
 there is life, I have given every green herb for meat : and 
 it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, 
 
 9 
 
The Temptation ^ Bible Stories 
 
 and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and 
 there was morning, the sixth day. 
 
 And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the 
 host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his 
 work which he had made ; and he rested on the seventh 
 day from all his work which he had made. And God 
 blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it : because that in 
 it he rested from all his work which God had created and 
 made. 
 
 « • 
 
 11 
 
 The Temptation in the Garden of Eden 
 
 And the Lord God planted a garden, in Eden. And 
 the Lord God commanded the man, saying. Of every 
 tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat : but of the tree 
 of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of 
 it : for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt 
 surely die. 
 
 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the 
 field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto 
 the woman. Yea, hath God said. Ye shall not eat of any 
 tree of the garden ? And the woman said unto the ser- 
 pent. Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat : 
 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the 
 garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall 
 
Genesis S<-- The Temptation 
 
 ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the 
 woman, Ye shall not surely die : for God doth know that 
 in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, 
 and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. And 
 when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and 
 that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be 
 desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and 
 did eat ; and she gave also unto her husband with her, 
 and he did eat. 
 
 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in 
 the garden in the cool of the day : and the man and his 
 wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God 
 amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God 
 called unto the man, and said unto him. Where art thou? 
 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was 
 afraid ; and I hid myself. And he said. Hast thou eaten 
 of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest 
 not eat? And the man said. The woman whom thou 
 gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did 
 eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman. What is 
 this thou hast done? And the woman said. The serpent 
 beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto 
 the serpent, Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou 
 above all cattle, and above every beast of the field ; upon 
 thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the 
 days of thy life: and I will put enmity between thee and 
 the woman, and between thy seed and her seed : it shall 
 
 XI 
 
Cain and Abel -&8 Bible Stories 
 
 bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the 
 woman he said, 1 will greatly multiply thy sorrow ; in sor- 
 row thou shalt bring forth children ; and thy desire shall 
 be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto 
 Adam he said. Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice 
 of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I com- 
 manded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it : cursed is 
 the ground for thy sake ; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the 
 days of thy life ; thorns also and thistles shall it bring 
 forth to thee ; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field ; in 
 the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return 
 unto the ground ; for out of it wast thou taken : for dust 
 thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 
 
 So he drove out the man ; and he placed at the oast 
 of the garden of Eden the Cherubim, and the flame of a 
 sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree 
 of life. 
 
 iii 
 
 Cain and Abel 
 
 Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the 
 ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that 
 Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto 
 the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of 
 his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had re- 
 
 12 
 
Genesis Q^ The Flood 
 
 spect unto Abel and to his oifering : but unto Cain and to 
 his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, 
 and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, 
 Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 
 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou 
 doest not well, sin coucheth at the door : and unto thee is 
 its desire, but thou shouldest rule over it. And Cain told 
 Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were 
 in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, 
 and slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is 
 Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my 
 brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? 
 the voice of thy brotliers blood crieth unto me from the 
 ground. And now cursed art thou from the ground, which 
 hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood 
 from thy hand ; when thou tillest the ground, it shall not 
 henceforth yield unto thee her strength ; a fugitive and a 
 wanderer shalt thou be in the earth. 
 
 IV 
 
 The Flood 
 
 Noah was a righteous man : Noah walked with God. 
 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 
 And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt ; 
 
 13 
 
The Flood ^ Bible Stories 
 
 for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And 
 God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before 
 me ; for the earth is filled with violence through them ; 
 and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make 
 thee an ark of gopher wood ; rooms shait thou make in 
 the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 
 And this is how thou shalt make it : the length of the 
 ark three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, 
 and the height of it thirty cubits. A light shalt thou 
 make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward ; 
 and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; 
 with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 
 And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the 
 earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, 
 from under heaven ; every thing that is in the earth shall 
 die. But I will establish my covenant with thee ; and 
 thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy 
 wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. And of every living 
 thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into 
 the ark, to keep them alive with thee ; they shall be male 
 and female. Of the fowl after their kind, and of the cattle 
 after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground 
 after its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to 
 keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food 
 that is eaten, and gather it to thee ; and it shall be for 
 food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah ; according 
 to all that God commanded him, so did he. 
 
 14 
 
Genesis 6«- The Flood 
 
 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second 
 month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same 
 day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, 
 and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain 
 was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In the 
 selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and 
 Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three 
 wives of his sons with them, into the ark; they, and 
 every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their 
 kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the 
 earth after its kind, and every fowl after its kind, every 
 bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the 
 ark, two and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life. 
 And they that went in, went in male and female of all 
 flesh, as God commanded him : and the Lord shut him 
 in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth ; and 
 the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift 
 up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and in- 
 creased greatly upon the earth ; and the ark w^ent upon 
 the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceed- 
 ingly upon the earth ; and all the high mountains that 
 were under the whole heaven were covered. Fifteen 
 cubits upward did the waters prevail ; and the mountains 
 were covered. And every living thing was destroyed 
 which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and 
 cattle, and creeping thing, and fowl of the heaven ; and they 
 were destroyed from the earth : and Noah only was left, 
 
 IS 
 
The Flood -^ Bible Stories 
 
 and they that were with him in the ark. And the waters 
 prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. 
 
 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, 
 and all the cattle that were with him in the ark : and God 
 made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters as- 
 suaged ; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of 
 heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was re- 
 strained ; and the \vaters returned from off the earth con- 
 tinually : and after the end of an hundred and fifty days 
 the waters decreased. And the ark rested in the seventh 
 month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the 
 mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continu- 
 ally until the tenth month : in the tenth month, on the 
 first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains 
 seen. And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that 
 Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made : 
 and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, 
 until the waters were dried up from off the earth. And 
 he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were 
 abated from off the face of the ground ; but the dove 
 found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned 
 unto him to the ark, for the waters were on the face of the 
 whole earth : and he put forth his hand, and took her, 
 and brought her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed 
 yet other seven days ; and again he sent forth the dove 
 out of the ark ; and the dove came in to him at eventide ; 
 and, lo, in her mouth an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah 
 
 x6 
 
Genesis 8<- The Flood 
 
 knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. 
 And he stayed yet other seven days ; and sent forth the 
 dove ; and she returned not again unto him any more. 
 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in 
 the first month, the first day of the month, the waters 
 were dried up from off the earth : and Noah removed the 
 covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of 
 the ground was dried. And in the second month, on the 
 seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry. 
 
 And God spake unto Noah, saying. Go forth of the ark, 
 thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with 
 thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is 
 with thee of all flesh, both fowl, and cattle, and every 
 creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth ; that they 
 may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and 
 multiply upon the earth. And Noah went forth, and his 
 sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him : every 
 beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, whatsoever 
 moveth upon the earth, after their families, went forth out 
 of the ark. 
 
 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, 
 saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, 
 and with your seed after you ; and with every living creat- 
 ure that is with you, the fowl, the cattle, and every beast 
 of the earth with you ; of all that go out of the ark, even 
 every beast of the earth. This is the token of the cove- 
 nant which I make between me and you and every living 
 c 17 
 
Abraham ^ Bible Stories 
 
 creature that is with you, for perpetual generations : I do 
 set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a 
 covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come 
 to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow 
 shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, 
 which is between me and you and every living creature of 
 all flesh ; and the waters shall no more become a flood to 
 destroy all flesh. 
 
 V 
 
 The Call of Abraham 
 
 Now the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy 
 country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, 
 unto the land that I will shew thee : and I will make of 
 thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy 
 name great ; and be thou a blessing : and I will bless 
 them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will 1 
 curse : and in thee shall all the families of the earth be 
 blessed. So Abram went, as the Lord had spoken unto 
 him ; and Abram was seventy and five years old when he 
 departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, 
 and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan ; and 
 into the land of Canaan they came. 
 
 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the 
 Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God 
 
 i8 
 
Genesis S«- Isaac 
 
 Almighty ; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I 
 will make my covenant between me and thee, and will 
 multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face : 
 and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my 
 covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a 
 multitude of nations. Neither shall thy name any more 
 be called Abram, but thy name shall be ^Abraham"' ; for the 
 'father of a multitude of nations ' have I made thee. And 
 I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations 
 of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will 
 establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed 
 after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting 
 covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after 
 thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after 
 thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, 
 for an everlasting possession ; and I will be their God. 
 
 VI 
 
 The Birth and Offering of Isaac 
 
 And the Lord appeared unto Abraham by the oaks of 
 Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day ; 
 and he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men 
 stood over against him : and when he saw them, he ran to 
 meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the 
 
 19 
 
Isaac -^ Bible Stories 
 
 earth, and said, My lord, if now I have found favour in thy 
 sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant : let 
 now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest 
 yourselves under the tree : and I will fetch a morsel of 
 bread, and comfort ye your heart ; after that ye shall pass 
 on : forasmuch as ye are come to your servant. And 
 they said, So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham hast- 
 ened into the tent unto Sarah, and said. Make ready 
 quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make 
 cakes. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a 
 calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant ; and 
 he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and 
 the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them ; 
 and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. 
 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And 
 he said. Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly 
 return unto thee when the season cometh round ; and, lo, 
 Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the 
 tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and 
 Sarah were old, and well stricken in age. And Sarah 
 laughed within herself. And the Lord said unto Abraham, 
 Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying. Shall I of a surety 
 bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the 
 Lord? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the 
 season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son. Then 
 Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not ; for she was afraid. 
 And he said, Nay ; but thou didst laugh. 
 
Genesis 6«^ Isaac 
 
 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, ^nd the 
 Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. And Sarah 
 bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of 
 which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the 
 name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare 
 to him, Isaac. And Abraham was an hundred years old, 
 when his son 'Isaac' was born unto him. And Sarah 
 said, God hath made me to ' laugh ' : every one that 
 lieareth will 'laugh' with me; for I have borne Abraham 
 a son in his old age. 
 
 And it came to pass that God did prove Abraham, and 
 said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Here am I. And 
 he said. Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou 
 lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah ; 
 and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the 
 mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose 
 early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two 
 of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he 
 clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and 
 went unto the place of which God had told him. On the 
 third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place 
 afar off. And Abraliam said unto his young men, Abide 
 ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder ; 
 and we will worship, and come again to you. And Abra- 
 ham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon 
 Isaac his son ; and he took in his hand the fire and the 
 knife ; and they went both of them together. And Isaac 
 
Isaac ^ Bible Stories 
 
 spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father : and 
 he said. Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the 
 fire and the wood : but where is the lamb for a burnt 
 offering? And Abraham said, God will provide himself 
 the lamb for a burnt offering, my son : so they went both 
 of them together. And they came to the place which 
 God had told him of; and Abraham built the altar there, 
 and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and 
 laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham 
 stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his 
 son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of 
 heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham : and he said, Here 
 am I. And he said. Lay not thine hand upon the lad, 
 neither do thou any thing unto him : for now I know that 
 thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, 
 thine only son, from me. And Abraham Hfted up his 
 eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught 
 in the thicket by his horns : and Abraham went and took 
 the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the 
 stead of his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto 
 Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said, By myself 
 have I sworn, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this 
 thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son : that 
 in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will mul- 
 tiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand 
 which is upon the sea shore ; and thy seed shall possess 
 the gate of his enemies ; and in thy seed shall all the 
 
G^^^^'^s 8^ Rebekah 
 
 nations of the earth be blessed ; because thou hast obeyed 
 my voice. So Abraham returned unto his young men, 
 and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and 
 Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba. 
 
 Vll 
 
 The Wooing of Rebekah 
 
 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age : and 
 the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abra- 
 ham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that 
 ruled over all that he had : I will make thee swear by the 
 Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that 
 thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of 
 the Canaanites, among whom I dwell : but thou shalt go 
 unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for 
 my son Isaac. And the servant said unto him, Peradven- 
 ture the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this 
 land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land 
 from whence thou earnest? And Abraham said unto him, 
 Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. 
 The Lord, the God of heaven, that took me from my 
 fathers house, and from the land of my nativity, and that 
 spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy 
 seed will I give this land ; he shall send his angel before 
 
 23 
 
Rebekah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 thee, and thou shalt take a wife for my son from thence. 
 And if the woman be not willing to follow thee, then thou 
 shalt be clear from this my oath ; only thou shalt not 
 bring my son thither again. And the servant sware to 
 Abraham concerning this matter. 
 
 And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of his 
 master, and departed ; having all goodly things of his 
 master's in his hand : and he arose, and went to Meso- 
 potamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made the camels 
 to kneel down without the city by the well of water at the 
 time of evening, the time that women go out to draw 
 water. And he said, O Lord, the God of my master 
 Abraham, send me, I pray thee, good speed this day, and 
 shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I 
 stand by the fountain of water ; and the daughters of the 
 men of the city come out to draw water : and let it come 
 to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down 
 thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink ; and she shall 
 say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also : let the 
 same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant 
 Isaac ; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed 
 kindness unto my master. And it came to pass, before 
 he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, 
 who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of 
 Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her 
 shoulder: and the damsel was very fair to look upon. 
 And she went down to the fountain, and filled her pitcher, 
 
 24 
 
Genesis B^ Rebekah 
 
 and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said. 
 Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher. 
 And she said, Drink, my lord : and she hasted, and let 
 down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 
 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will 
 draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. 
 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, 
 and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his 
 camels. And the man looked stedfastly on her; holding 
 his peace, to know whether the Lord had made his journey 
 prosperous or not. And it came to pass, as the camels 
 had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of 
 half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of 
 ten shekels weight of gold ; and said, Whose daughter art 
 thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room in thy father's 
 house for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am 
 the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare 
 unto Nahor. She said moreover unto him. We have both 
 straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. And 
 the man bowed his head, and worshipped the Lord. And 
 he said. Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master 
 Abraham, who hath not forsaken his mercy and his truth 
 toward my master : as for me, the Lord hath led me in 
 the way to the house of my master's brethren. 
 
 And the damsel ran, and told her mother's house accord- 
 ing to these words. And Rebekah had a brother, and his 
 name was Laban : and Laban ran out unto the man, unto 
 
 25 
 
Rebekah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 the fountain. And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, 
 and the bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he 
 heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying. Thus spake 
 the man unto me ; that he came unto the man ; and, be- 
 hold, he stood by the camels at the fountain. And he 
 said. Come in, thou blessed of the Lord ; wherefore stand- 
 est thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room 
 for the camels. And the man came into the house, and 
 he ungirded the camels ; and he gave straw and provender 
 for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the men's 
 feet that were with him. And there was set meat before 
 him to eat : but he said, I will not eat, until I have told 
 mine errand. And he said. Speak on. And he said, I 
 am Abraham's servant. And the Lord hath blessed my 
 master greatly ; and he is become great : and he hath 
 given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and men- 
 servants and maidservants, and camels and asses. And 
 Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she 
 was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. 
 And my master made me swear, saying. Thou shalt not 
 take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, 
 in whose land I dwell : but thou shalt go unto my father's 
 house, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son. 
 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will 
 not follow me. And he said unto me, The Lord, before 
 whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper 
 thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my 
 
 26 
 
Genesis d^ Rebekah 
 
 kindred, and of my father's house : then shalt thou be 
 clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred ; and 
 if they giv^e lier not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my 
 oath. And I came this day unto the fountain, and said, 
 
 Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now thou do 
 prosper my way which I go : behold, I stand by the foun- 
 tain of water ; and let it come to pass, that the maiden 
 which Cometh forth to draw, to whom I shall say, Give me, 
 
 1 pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink ; and she 
 shall say to me. Both drink thou, and I will also draw for 
 thy camels : let the same be the woman whom the Lord 
 hath appointed for my master's son. And before I had 
 done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth 
 with her pitcher on her shoulder ; and she went down unto 
 the fountain, and drew : and I said unto her. Let me drink, 
 I pray thee. And she made haste, and let down her 
 pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give 
 thy camels drink also : so I drank, and she made the 
 camels drink also. And I asked her, and said. Whose 
 daughter art thou ? And she said. The daughter of Beth- 
 uel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him : and I put 
 the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands. 
 And I bowed my head, and worshipped the Lord, and 
 blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, which 
 had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's 
 daughter for his son. And now if ye will deal kindly and 
 truly with my master, tell me : and if not, tell me ; that I 
 
 27 
 
Rebekah "^ Bible Stories 
 
 may turn to the right hand, or to the left. Then Laban 
 and Bethuel answered and said. The thing proceedeth 
 from the Lord : we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. 
 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let 
 her be thy masters son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken. 
 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard 
 their words, he bowed himself down to the earth unto the 
 Lord. And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and 
 jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah : he 
 gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. 
 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were 
 with him, and tarried all night ; and they rose up in the 
 morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. 
 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide 
 with us a few days, at the least ten ; after that she shall 
 go. And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the 
 Lord hath prospered my way ; send me away that I may 
 go to my master. And they said. We will call the damsel, 
 and inquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, and 
 said unto her. Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, 
 I will go. And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and 
 her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. And 
 they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Our sister, be 
 thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let 
 thy seed possess the gates of those which hate them. And 
 Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the 
 camels, and followed the man : and the servant took Re- 
 
 28 
 
Genesis 8«- Jacob 
 
 bekah, and went his way. And Isaac went out to meditate 
 in the field at the eventide : and he lifted up his eyes, and 
 saw, and, behold, there were camels coming. And Rebek- 
 ah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted 
 off the camel. And she said unto the servant. What mar 
 is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the ser- 
 vant said. It is my master : and she took her veil, and 
 covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things 
 that he had done. And Isaac brought her into his mother 
 Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife ; 
 and he loved her : and Isaac was comforted after his 
 mother's death. 
 
 viii 
 
 How Jacob stole the Blessing from his Brother 
 
 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his 
 eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his 
 elder son, and said unto him. My son : and he said unto 
 him, Here am I. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I 
 know not the day of my death. Now therefore take, I 
 pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go 
 out to the field, and take me venison ; and make me sa- 
 voury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may 
 eat ; that my soul may bless thee before I die. 
 
 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. 
 
 29 
 
Jacob ^ Bible Stories 
 
 And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to 
 bring it. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, 
 Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, 
 saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that 
 1 may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death. 
 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that 
 which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch 
 me from thence two good kids of the goats ; and I will 
 make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth : 
 and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, so 
 that he may bless thee before his death. And Jacob said 
 to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a 
 hairy man, and I am a smooth man. My father peradvent- 
 ure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver ; 
 and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. 
 And his mother said unto him. Upon me be thy curse, my 
 son : only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. And he 
 went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother : and 
 his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. 
 And Rebekah took the goodly raiment of Esau her elder 
 son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon 
 Jacob her younger son : and she put the skins of the kids 
 of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his 
 neck : and she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which 
 she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 
 
 And he came unto his father, and said, My father : and 
 he said, Here am I ; who art thou, my son? And Jacob 
 
 30 
 
Genesis Q^ Jacob 
 
 said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn ; I have done 
 according as thou badest me : arise, I pray thee, sit and 
 eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac 
 said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, 
 my son? And he said. Because the Lord thy God sent 
 me good speed. And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, 
 I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be 
 my very son Esau or not. And Jacob went near unto 
 Isaac his father ; and he felt him, and said. The voice is 
 Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And 
 he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his 
 brother Esau's hands : so he blessed him. And he said, 
 Art thou my very son Esau ? And he said, I am. And he 
 said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, 
 that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, 
 and he did eat : and he brought him wine, and he drank. 
 
 And his father Isaac said unto him. Come near now, and 
 kiss me, my son. And he came near, and kissed him : 
 and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, 
 and said : 
 
 See, the smell of my son 
 
 Is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath 
 blessed : 
 And God give thee of the dew of heaven, 
 And of the fatness of the earth, 
 And plenty of corn and wine : 
 31 
 
Jacob ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Let peoples serve thee, 
 
 And nations bow down to thee : 
 Be lord over thy brethren, 
 
 And let thy mothers sons bow down to thee : 
 Cursed be ever}' one that curseth thee, 
 
 And blessed be every one that blesseth thee. 
 
 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end 
 of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from 
 the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came 
 in from his hunting. And he also made savoury meat, and 
 brought it unto his father ; and he said unto his father, Let 
 my father arise, 'and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul 
 may bless me. And Isaac his father said unto him. Who 
 art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau. 
 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said. Who then is 
 he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have 
 eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, 
 and he shall be blessed. When Esau heard the words of 
 his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, 
 and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my 
 father. And he said. Thy brother came with guile, and 
 hath taken away thy blessing. And he said. Is not he 
 rightly named 'Jacob '? for he hath 'supplanted ' me these 
 two times : he took away my birthright ; and, behold, now 
 he hath taken away my blessing. And he said. Hast thou 
 not reserved a blessing for me ? And Isaac answered and 
 
 32 
 
Genesis Be* Jacob 
 
 said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all 
 his brethren have I given to him for servants ; and with 
 corn and wine have I sustained him : and what then shall 
 I do for thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father, 
 Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even 
 me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and 
 wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him : 
 
 Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall be thy 
 
 dwelling, 
 And away from the dew of heaven from above ; 
 
 And by thy sword thou shalt live : 
 And thou shalt serve thy brother ; 
 And it shall come to pass when thou shalt break loose, 
 
 That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck. 
 
 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing where- 
 with his father blessed him : and Esau said in his heart, 
 The days of mourning for my father are at hand ; then 
 vvill I slay my brother Jacob. And the words of Esau her 
 elder son were told to Rebekah ; and she sent and called 
 Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold thy 
 brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, pur- 
 posing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son, obey my 
 voice ; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran ; 
 and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury 
 turn away ; until thy brother's anger turn away from thee. 
 I> 33 
 
Jacob -^ Bible Stories 
 
 and he forget that which thou hast done to him : then I 
 will send, and fetch thee from thence : why should I be 
 bereaved of you both in one day ? 
 
 And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward 
 Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried 
 there all night, because the sun was set ; and he took one 
 of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, 
 and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, 
 and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it 
 reached to heaven : and behold the angels of God ascend- 
 ing and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood 
 above it, and said, I am the Lord the God of Abraham 
 thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou 
 liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed ; and thy seed 
 shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread 
 abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and 
 to the south : and in thee and in thy seed shall all the 
 families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with 
 thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest, and 
 will bring thee again into this land ; for I will not leave 
 thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee 
 of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, 
 Surely the Lord is in this place ; and I knew it not. 
 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! 
 this is none other but the house of God, and this is the 
 gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, 
 and took the stone that he had put under his head, and 
 
 34 
 
Genesis 8«- Joseph 
 
 set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 
 And he called the name of that place Beth-el. And Jacob 
 vowed a vow, saying. If God will be with me, and will keep 
 me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, 
 and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's 
 house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God, and this 
 stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's 
 house : and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely 
 give the tenth unto thee. 
 
 IX 
 
 Joseph and his Brethren 
 
 Joseph and his Brethren in Canaan 
 
 Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock 
 with his brethren ; and Joseph brought the evil report of 
 them unto their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more 
 than all his children, because he was the son of his old 
 age : and he made him a coat of many colours. And his 
 brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his 
 brethren ; and they hated him, and could not speak peace- 
 ably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he 
 told it to his brethren : and they hated him yet the more. 
 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which 
 
 35 
 
Joseph "^ Bible Stories 
 
 I have dreamed : for. behold, we were binding sheaves in 
 the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright ; 
 and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and made 
 obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, 
 Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed 
 have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the 
 more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed 
 yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, 
 Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream ; and, behold, the 
 sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me. 
 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren ; and his 
 father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream 
 that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy 
 brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to 
 the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father 
 kept the saying in mind. 
 
 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in She- 
 chem. And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren 
 feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto 
 them. And he said to him. Here am I. And he said to 
 him, Go now, see whether it be well with thy brethren, 
 and well with the flock ; and bring me word again. So he 
 sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to She- 
 chem. And a certain man found him, and, behold, he 
 was wandering in a field : and the man asked him, say- 
 ing. What seekest thou ? And he said, I seek my brethren : 
 tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding the flock 
 
 36 
 
Genesis 6«^ Joseph 
 
 And the man said, They are departed hence : for I heard 
 them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after 
 his brethren, and found them in Dothan. And they saw 
 him afar off, and before he came near unto them, they 
 conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to 
 another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now there- 
 fore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, 
 and we will say, An evil beast hath devoured him : and 
 we shall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben 
 said unto them. Shed no blood ; cast him into this pit that 
 is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him: that he 
 might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his 
 father. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto 
 his brethren, that they stript Joseph of his coat, the coat 
 of many colours that was on him ; and they took him, and 
 cast him into the pit : and the pit was empty, there was 
 no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread : and they 
 lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a travelling 
 company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their 
 camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry 
 it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, 
 What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his 
 blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and 
 let not our hand be upon him ; for he is our brother, our 
 flesh. And his brethren hearkened unto him; and they 
 drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph 
 to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they 
 
 37 
 
Joseph ^ Bible Stories 
 
 brought Joseph into Egypt. And Reuben returned unto 
 the pit ; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit ; and he 
 rent his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren, and 
 said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? And 
 they took Joseph's coat, and killed a he-goat, and dipped 
 the coat in the blood ; and they sent the coat of many 
 colours, and they brought it to their father ; and said, This 
 have we found : know now whether it be thy son's coat or 
 not. And he knew it, and said. It is my son's coat ; an 
 evil beast hath devoured him ; Joseph is without doubt torn 
 in pieces. And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth 
 upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And 
 all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him ; 
 but he refused to be comforted ; and he said, For I will go 
 down to the grave to my son mourning. 
 
 Joseph as a Slave in Egypt 
 
 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt ; and Potiphar, 
 an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard, an Egyp- 
 tian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites, which 
 had brought him down thither. And the Lord was with 
 Joseph and he was a prosperous man ; and he was in the 
 house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw 
 that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all 
 that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found 
 grace in his sight, and he ministered unto him : and he 
 
 38 
 
Genesis d^ Joseph 
 
 made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he 
 put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that 
 he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he 
 had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for 
 Joseph's sake ; and the blessing of the Lord was upon 
 all that he had, in the house and in the field. And he left 
 all that he had in Joseph's hand ; and he knew not aught 
 that was with him, save the bread which he did eat. 
 
 And Joseph was comely and w'ell favoured. And it 
 came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast 
 her eyes upon Joseph ; and as she spake to Joseph day 
 by day, he hearkened not unto her. And it came to 
 pass about this time, that he went into the house to do 
 his work ; and there was none of the men of the house 
 there within. And she caught him by his garment : and 
 he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him 
 out. And she laid up his garment by her, until his master 
 came home. And she spake unto him according to these 
 words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast 
 brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me : and it 
 came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he 
 left his garment by me, and fled out. And it came to 
 pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which 
 she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy 
 servant to me ; that his wrath was kindled. And Joseph's 
 master took him, and put him into the prison, the place 
 where the king's prisoners were bound : and he was there 
 
 39 
 
Joseph -^ Bible Stories 
 
 in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed 
 kindness unto him, and gave him favour in the sight of the 
 keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison com- 
 mitted to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the 
 prison ; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of 
 it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that 
 was under his hand, because the Lord was with him ; and 
 that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper. 
 
 And it came to pass after these things, that the butler 
 of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the 
 king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was wroth against his two 
 officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the 
 chief of the bakers. And he put them in ward in the 
 house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place 
 where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard 
 charged Joseph with them, and he ministered unto them : 
 and they continued a season in ward. And they dreamed 
 a dream both of them, each man his dream, in one night, 
 each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the 
 butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were 
 bound in the prison. And Joseph came in unto them 
 in the morning, and saw them, and, behold, they were 
 sad. And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with 
 him in ward in his master's house, saying. Wherefore 
 look ye so sadly today? And they said unto him, We 
 have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can in- 
 terpret it. And Joseph said unto them. Do not inter- 
 
 40 
 
Genesis 6«^ Joseph 
 
 pretations belong to God? tell it me, I pray you. And 
 the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, 
 In my dream, behold, a vine was before me ; and in the 
 vine were three branches : and it was as though it budded, 
 and its blossoms shot forth ; and the clusters thereof 
 brought forth ripe grapes : and Pharaoh's cup was in my 
 hand ; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into 
 Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. 
 And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it : 
 the three branches are three days ; within yet three days 
 shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto 
 thine office : and thou shalt give Pharaoh's cup into his 
 hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. 
 But have me in thy remembrance when it shall be well 
 with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and 
 make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of 
 this house: for indeed I was stolen away out of the land 
 of the Hebrews : and here also have I done nothing that 
 they should put me into the dungeon. When the chief 
 baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto 
 Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, three baskets 
 of white bread were on my head : and in the uppermost 
 basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh ; 
 and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my 
 head. And Joseph answered and said, This is the inter- 
 pretation thereof: the three baskets are three days ; within 
 yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, 
 
 41 
 
Joseph ^ Bible Stories 
 
 and shall hang thee on a tree ; and the birds shall eat thy 
 flesh from off thee. And it came to pass the third day, 
 which was Pharaoh^s birthday, that he made a feast unto 
 all his servants : and he lifted up the head of the chief 
 butler and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 
 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again ; 
 and he gave the cup into Pharaoh^s hand : but he hanged 
 the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet 
 did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him. 
 
 How in one day Joseph passed from a Slave to a Prime 
 
 Minister 
 
 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that 
 Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. 
 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, 
 well favoured and fatfleshed ; and they fed in the reed- 
 grass. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them 
 out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed ; and stood 
 by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the 
 ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well 
 favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept 
 and dreamed a second time : and, behold, seven ears of 
 corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, 
 seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up 
 after them. And the thin ears swallowed up the seven 
 rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it 
 
 42 
 
Genesis B^ Joseph 
 
 was a dream. And it came to pass in the morning that 
 his spirit was troubled ; and he sent and called for all the 
 magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and 
 Pharaoh told them his dream ; but there was none that 
 could interpret them unto Pharaoh. Then spake the chief 
 butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this 
 day : Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in 
 ward in the house of the captain of the guard, me and the 
 chief baker : and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and 
 he ; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation 
 of his dream. And there was with us there a young man, 
 an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard ; and we 
 told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams ; to each 
 man according to his dream he did interpret. And it 
 came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was ; me he 
 restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. 
 
 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought 
 him hastily out of the dungeon : and he shaved himself, 
 and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. 
 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, 
 and there is none that can interpret it : and I have heard 
 say of thee, that when thou hearest a dream thou canst 
 interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is 
 not in me : God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. 
 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I 
 stood upon the brink of the river • and, behold, there came 
 up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured ; 
 
 43 
 
Joseph -^ Bible Stories 
 
 and they fed in the reed-grass : and, behold, seven other 
 kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and 
 leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt 
 for badness : and the lean and ill favoured kine did eat up 
 the first seven fat kine : and when they had eaten them up, 
 it could not be known that they had eaten them ; but they 
 were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 
 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up 
 upon one stalk, full and good : and, behold, seven ears, 
 withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up 
 after them : and the thin ears swallowed up the seven 
 good ears : and I told it unto the magicians ; but there 
 was none that could declare it to me. And Joseph said 
 unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one : what God 
 is about to do he hath declared unto Pharaoh. The seven 
 good kine are seven years ; and the seven good ears are 
 seven years : the dream is one. And the seven lean 
 and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven 
 years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east 
 wind ; they shall be seven years of famine. That is the 
 thing which I spake unto Pharaoh : what God is about 
 to do he hath shewed unto Pharaoh. Behold, there 
 come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land 
 of Egypt : and there shall arise after them seven years of 
 famine ; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of 
 Egypt ; and the famine shall consume the land ; and the 
 plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that 
 
 44 
 
Genesis d^ Joseph 
 
 famine which followeth ; for it shall be very grievous. 
 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, 
 it is because the thing is established by God, and God wall 
 shortly bring it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look 
 out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of 
 Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint over- 
 seers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of 
 Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather 
 all the food of these good years that come, and lay up corn 
 under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let 
 them keep it. And the food shall be for a store to the land 
 against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the 
 land of Egypt ; that the land perish not through the famine. 
 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in 
 the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his 
 servants. Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom 
 the spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, For- 
 asmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so 
 discreet and wise as thou : thou shalt be over my house, 
 and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled : 
 only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pha- 
 raoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon 
 Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, 
 and put a gold chain about his neck ; and he made him to 
 ride in the second chariot which he had ; and they cried 
 before him, Bow the knee : and he set him over all the 
 land of Egypt. 
 
 45 
 
Joseph -^ Bible Stories 
 
 Joseph and his Brethren in Egypt 
 
 And the seven years of plenty, that was in the land of 
 Egypt, came to an end. And the seven years of famine 
 began to come, according as Joseph had said : and there 
 was famine in all lands ; but in all the land of Egypt there 
 was bread. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph 
 for to buy corn ; because the famine was sore in all the 
 earth. 
 
 Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, and Jacob 
 said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 
 And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in 
 Egypt : get you down thither, and buy for us from thence ; 
 that we may live, and not die. And Joseph's ten brethren 
 went down to buy corn from Egypt. But Benjamin, 
 Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren ; for 
 he said. Lest peradventure mischief befall him. And the 
 sons of Israel came to buy among those that came ; for 
 the famine was in the land of Canaan. And Joseph was 
 the governor over the land ; he it was that sold to all the 
 people of the land : and Joseph's brethren came, and 
 bowed down themselves to him with their faces to the 
 earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, 
 but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly 
 with them ; and he said unto them, Whence come ye ? 
 And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 
 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not 
 
 46 
 
Genesis B<- Joseph 
 
 him. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he 
 dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies ; to 
 see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they 
 said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy ser- 
 vants come. We are all one man's sons; we are true 
 men, thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, 
 Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 
 And they said, We thy servants are twelve brethren, the 
 sons of one man in the land of Canaan ; and, behold, the 
 youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. And 
 Joseph said unto them. That is it that I spake unto you, 
 saying. Ye are spies : hereby ye shall be proved : by the 
 life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your 
 youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let 
 him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your 
 words may be proved, whether there be truth in you : or 
 else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. And he 
 put them all together into ward three days. 
 
 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and 
 live ; for I fear God : if ye be true men, let one of your 
 brethren be bound in your prison house ; but go ye, carry 
 corn for the famine of your houses : and bring your young- 
 est brother unto me ; so shall your words be verified, and 
 ye shall not die. And they did so. And they said one to 
 another. We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in 
 that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, 
 and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come 
 
 47 
 
Joseph -^ Bible Stories 
 
 upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I 
 not unto you, saying. Do not sin against the child ; and ye 
 would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is re- 
 quired. And they knew not that Joseph understood them ; 
 for there was an interpreter between them. And he turned 
 himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to 
 them, and spake to them, and took Simeon from among 
 them, and bound him before their eyes. Then Joseph com- 
 manded to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every 
 man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for 
 the way : and thus was it done unto them. And they laded 
 their asses with their corn, and departed thence. And as 
 one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in 
 the lodging place, he espied his money ; and, behold, it was 
 in the mouth of his sack. And he said unto his brethren. 
 My money is restored ; and, lo, it is even in my sack : and 
 their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to 
 another, saying. What is this that God hath done unto us ? 
 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of 
 Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them : saying. 
 The man, the lord of the land, spake roughly with us, and 
 took us for spies of the country. And we said unto him, 
 We are true men ; we are no spies : we be twelve brethren, 
 sons of our father ; one is not, and the youngest is this 
 day with our father in the land of Canaan. And the man, 
 the lord of the land, said unto us, Hereby shall I know 
 that ye are true men ; leave one of your brethren with me, 
 
 48 
 
Genesis B^ Joseph 
 
 and take corn for the famine of your houses, and go your 
 way : and bring your youngest brother unto me : then 
 shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men : 
 so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in 
 the land. And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, 
 that, behold, every man^s bundle of money was in his sack : 
 and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, 
 they were afraid. And Jacob their father said unto them. 
 Me have ye bereaved of my children : Joseph is not, and 
 Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away : all these 
 things are against me. And Reuben spake unto his 
 father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to 
 thee : deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to 
 thee again. And he said, My son shall not go down with 
 you ; for his brother is dead, and he only is left : if mis- 
 chief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall 
 ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 
 
 And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to 
 pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had 
 brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them. Go 
 again, buy us a little food. And Judah spake unto him, 
 saying. The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye 
 shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If 
 thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and 
 buy thee food : but if thou wilt not send him, we will not 
 go down : for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my 
 face, except your brother be with you. And Israel said, 
 E 49 
 
Joseph ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man 
 whether ye had yet a brother? And they said, The man 
 asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our 
 kindred, saying. Is your father yet alive? have ye another 
 brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these 
 words : could we in any wise know that he would say, 
 Bring your brother down? And Judah said unto Israel 
 his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go ; 
 that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also 
 our little ones. I will be surety for him ; of my hand shalt 
 thou require him : if I bring him not unto thee, and set 
 him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever : for 
 except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a 
 second time. And their father Israel said unto them. If it 
 be so now, do this ; take of the choice fruits of the land in 
 your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little 
 balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and 
 almonds : and take double money in your hand ; and the 
 money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry 
 again in your hand ; perad venture it was an oversight : 
 take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man : 
 and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that 
 he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. 
 And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. 
 
 And the men took that present, and they took double 
 money in their hand, and Benjamin ; and rose up, and 
 went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. And when 
 
 50 
 
Genesis S«- Joseph 
 
 Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of 
 his house, Bring the men into the house, and slay, and 
 make ready ; for the men shall dine with me at noon. 
 And the man did as Joseph bade ; and the man brought 
 the men into Joseph's house. And the men were afraid, 
 because they were brought into Joseph's house ; and they 
 said. Because of the money that was returned in our sacks 
 at the first time are we brought in ; that he may seek 
 occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for 
 bondmen, and our asses. And they came near to the 
 steward of Joseph's house, and they spake unto him at the 
 door of the house, and said. Oh my lord, we came indeed 
 down at the first time to buy food : and it came to pass, 
 when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our 
 sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth 
 of his sack, our money in full weight : and we have brought 
 it again in our hand. And other money have we brought 
 down in our hand to buy food : we know not who put our 
 money in our sacks. And he said. Peace be to you, fear 
 not : your God, and the God of your father, hath given 
 you treasure in your sacks : I had your money. And he 
 brought Simeon out unto them. And the man brought 
 the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and 
 they washed their feet ; and he gave their asses provender. 
 And they made ready the present against Joseph came 
 at noon : for they heard that they should eat bread there. 
 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the pres- 
 
Joseph ^ Bible Stories 
 
 ent which was in their hand into the house, and bowed 
 down themselves to him to the earth. And he asked them 
 of their welfare, and said. Is your father well, the old man 
 of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? And they said. Thy 
 servant our father is well, he is yet alive. And they bowed 
 the head, and made obeisance. And he lifted up his eyes, 
 and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said. 
 Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? 
 And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And 
 Joseph made haste ; and he sought where to weep ; and 
 he entered into his chamber, and wept there. And he 
 washed his face, and came out ; and he refrained himself, 
 and said. Set on bread. And they set on for him by him- 
 self, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, 
 which did eat with him, by themselves : because the 
 Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that 
 is an abomination unto the Egyptians. And they sat be- 
 fore him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the 
 youngest according to his youth : and the men marvelled 
 one with another. And he took and sent messes unto 
 them from before him : but Benjamin's mess was five 
 times so much as any of theirs. And they drank and were 
 merry with him. 
 
 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, 
 Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, 
 and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. And put 
 my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the young- 
 
 52 
 
Genesis 6«- Joseph 
 
 est, and his corn money. And he did according to the 
 word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning 
 was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 
 And when they were gone out of the city, and were not 
 yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after 
 the men ; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto 
 them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good.-* Is not 
 this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed 
 divineth? ye have done evil in so doing. And he over- 
 took them, and he spake unto them these words. And 
 they said unto him, Wherefore speaketh my lord such 
 words as these? God forbid that thy servants should do 
 such a thing. Behold, the money, which we found in our 
 sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land 
 of Canaan : how then should we steal out of thy lord's 
 house silver or gold ? With whomsoever of thy servants 
 it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bond- 
 men. And he said, Now also let it be according unto 
 your words : he with whom it is found shall be my bond- 
 man ; and ye shall be blameless. Then they hasted, and 
 took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened 
 every man his sack. And he searched, and began at the 
 eldest, and left at the youngest : and the cup was found in 
 Benjamin's sack. Then they rent their clothes, and laded 
 every man his ass, and returned to the city. 
 
 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house ; 
 and he was yet there : and they fell before him on the 
 
 53 
 
Joseph -^ Bible Stories 
 
 ground. And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this 
 that ye have done ? know ye not that such a man as I can 
 indeed divine? And Judah said, What shall we say unto 
 my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear our- 
 selves ? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants : 
 behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he also in 
 whose hand the cup is found. And he said, God forbid 
 that I should do so : the man in whose hand the cup is 
 found, he shall be my bondman ; but as for you, get you up 
 in peace unto your father. 
 
 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, 
 let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, 
 and let not thine anger burn against thy servant : for thou 
 art even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, 
 Have ye a father, or a brother? And we said unto my 
 lord. We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old 
 age, a little one ; and his brother is dead, and he alone is 
 left of his mother, and his father loveth him. And thou 
 saidst unto thy servants. Bring him down unto me, that I 
 may set mine eyes upon him. And we said unto my lord, 
 The lad cannot leave his father : for if he should leave his 
 father, his father would die. And thou saidst unto thy 
 servants. Except your youngest brother come down with 
 you, ye shall see my face no more. And it came to pass 
 when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him 
 the words of my lord. And our father said, Go again, buy 
 us a little food. And we said. We cannot go down : if our 
 
 54 
 
 i 
 
Genesis d^ Joseph 
 
 youngest brother be with us, then will we go down : for we 
 may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother 
 be with us. And thy servant my father said unto us. Ye 
 know that my wife bare me two sons : and the one went 
 out from me, and I said. Surely he is torn in pieces ; and I 
 have not seen him since : and if he take this one also from 
 me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray 
 hairs with sorrow to the grave. Now therefore when I 
 come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us ; 
 seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life ; it shall 
 come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, 
 that he will die : and thy servants shall bring down the 
 gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the 
 grave. For thy servant became surety for the lad unto 
 my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then shall 
 I bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, 
 let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a 
 bondman to my lord ; and let the lad go up with his breth- 
 ren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be 
 not with me.'' lest I see the evil that shall come on my 
 father. 
 
 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them 
 that stood by him ; and he cried, Cause every man to go 
 out from me. And there stood no man with him, while 
 Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he 
 wept aloud : and the Egyptians heard, and the house of 
 Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am 
 
 55 
 
Joseph ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Joseph ; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could 
 not answer him ; for they were troubled at his presence. 
 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I 
 pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am 
 Joseph your brother whom 3'e sold into Egypt. And now 
 be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me 
 hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 
 For these two years hath the famine been in the land : and 
 there are yet five years in the which there shall be neither 
 plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to pre- 
 serve you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by 
 a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me 
 hither, but God : and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, 
 and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of 
 Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto 
 him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of 
 all Egypt : come down unto me, tarry not : and thou shalt 
 dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto 
 me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, 
 and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast : and 
 there will I nourish thee ; for there are yet five years of 
 famine ; lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy household, 
 and all that thou hast. And, behold, your eyes see, and 
 the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that 
 speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of all my 
 glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen ; and ye shall 
 haste and bring down my father hither. And he fell upon 
 
 56 
 
Genesis S«^ Joseph 
 
 his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept ; and Benjamin 
 wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brethren, and 
 wept upon them : and after that his brethren talked with 
 him. 
 
 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, say- 
 ing, Joseph's brethren are come : and it pleased Pharaoh 
 well, and his servants. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, 
 Say unto thy brethren, This do ye ; lade your beasts, and 
 go, get you into the land of Canaan ; and take your father 
 and your households, and come unto me : and I will give 
 you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat 
 of the land. Now thou art commanded, this do ye ; take 
 you wagons, out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, 
 and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also 
 regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt 
 is yours. And the sons of Israel did so : and Joseph gave 
 them wagons according to the commandment of Pharaoh, 
 and gave them provision for the way. To all of them he 
 gave each man changes of raiment ; but to Benjamin he 
 gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of 
 raiment. And to his father he sent after this manner ; ten 
 asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she- 
 asses, laden with corn and bread and victual for his father 
 by the way. So he sent his brethren away, and they de- 
 parted : and he said unto them. See that ye fall not out by 
 the way. 
 
 57 
 
Joseph -^ Bible Stories 
 
 Journey of the Childre7i of Israel into Egypt 
 
 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land 
 of Canaan unto Jacob their father. And they told him, 
 saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land 
 of Egypt. And his heart fainted, for he believed them 
 not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he 
 had said unto them : and when he saw the wagons which 
 Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their 
 father revived : and Israel said. It is enough ; Joseph my 
 son is yet alive : I will go and see him before I die. 
 
 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and 
 came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God 
 of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the 
 visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he 
 said. Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of 
 thy father : fear not to go down into Egypt ; for I will 
 there make of thee a great nation : I will go down with 
 thee into Egypt ; and I will also surely bring thee up 
 again : and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. 
 And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of 
 Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, 
 and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent 
 to carry him. And they took their cattle, and their goods, 
 which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came 
 into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him : liis sons, 
 and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' 
 
 S8 
 
Genesis e«- Joseph 
 
 daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into 
 Egypt. 
 
 And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to shew 
 the way before him unto Goshen ; and they came into 
 the land of Goshen. And Joseph made ready his chariot, 
 and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen ; and he 
 presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck, and wept 
 on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, 
 Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, that thou art 
 yet alive. 
 
 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, My 
 father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, 
 and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan ; 
 and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. And from 
 among his brethren he took five men, and presented them 
 unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, 
 What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, 
 Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers. 
 And they said unto Pharaoh, To sojourn in the land are 
 we come ; for there is no pasture for thy servants' flocks ; 
 for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan : now there- 
 fore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of 
 Goshen. And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy 
 father and thy brethren are come unto thee : the land of 
 Egypt is before thee ; in the best of the land make thy 
 father and thy brethren to dwell : in the land of Goshen 
 let them dwell : and if thou knowest any able men among 
 
 59 
 
Joseph -^ Bible Stories 
 
 them, then make them rulers over my cattle. And Joseph 
 brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh : 
 and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto 
 Jacob, How many are the days of the years of thy life? 
 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of 
 my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years : few and 
 evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they 
 have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of 
 my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. And Jacob 
 blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of 
 Pharaoh. And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, 
 and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the 
 best of the land, as Pharaoh had commanded. And 
 Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his 
 father's household, with bread, according to their families, 
 
 60 
 
Genesis B«^ 
 
 Notes 
 
 Notes to Genesis 
 
 i. This story of the Creation differs from other Bible stories. 
 It reads like a chant, with refrains repeated, one at the begin- 
 ning and one at the end of each * day '; thus: 
 
 / And God said — 
 I [Creation of Light] 
 And there was evening and 
 there was morning, one day 
 
 c And God said — 
 
 [Creation of the Firma- 
 ment dividing waters from 
 waters] 
 And there was evening and 
 there was mornings a second 
 day 
 
 And God said — 
 [Creation of Land] 
 
 And God said — 
 
 [Creation of Vegetation, 
 Climax of inanimate Nat- 
 ure] 
 
 And there was evening and 
 
 there was morning, a third 
 
 day 
 
 f And God said — 
 ^ [Creation of Lights] 
 And there was evening and 
 there was morning, a fourth 
 day 
 
 ' And God said — 
 
 [Creation of Life in the 
 
 Firmament and in the 
 
 waters] 
 
 And there zvas evening and 
 
 there was morniftg, a fifth 
 
 day 
 
 ' And God said — 
 
 [Creation of Life on 
 
 Land] 
 And God said — 
 
 [Creation of Man, Climax 
 
 of animate Nature] 
 And there was evening and 
 there was morning, the sixth 
 day 
 
 6z 
 
Notes ^ Bible Stories 
 
 A glance at the above scheme shows how the creation thus 
 described falls into two similar parts, the first day corresponding 
 with the fourth, the second with the fifth, the third with the 
 sixth. The impression left upon our minds is ( i ) that the whole 
 universe is one harmonious plan, (2) that each portion of this 
 universe is God's own work. — The closing paragraph, with its 
 six days of work and one of rest, brings out the great law of 
 life which we call the week. — A firmament . . . let it divide 
 the water's from the waters. The word fir?namejit means bar- 
 rier : the rain clouds [waters above the firmafnent'\ float upon 
 the expanse of air, the seas and rivers [waters under the firma- 
 ment'} are below it. 
 
 11. This incident of the Temptation in the Garden of Eden, 
 unlike most Scripture stories, is told only in brief outline. It is 
 a good exercise to study the expansion of it into a vivid picture 
 in the ninth book of Milton's Paradise Lost. — - The Cherubim 
 (plural) : one of the orders of Angels is called by this name. 
 
 HI. Unto thee is its desire, but thou shouldest rule over it : 
 the words are an allusion to what was spoken in 11 to the 
 woman : Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule 
 over thee. Sin (so to speak) comes coaxing, like a false wife : 
 but Cain must be the master over his passions. 
 
 Iv. Thirty ctibits : the word means the bend of the arm; the 
 Hebrew unit of length was from the elbow to the wrist of the 
 average man. — Fountains of the great deep . . . windows of 
 heaven.: these are poetical expressions to describe the waters un- 
 der and waters above the firmament (see note on 1). — The moun- 
 tains of Ararat : a mountain region in what is now Armenia. 
 
 62 
 
Genesis 8«-^ Notes 
 
 V. Canaan (or Palestine) lies along the west coast of Asia; 
 Haran is supposed to be in the far east, between the great rivers 
 Tigris and Euphrates. — Abram is 'lofty father'; Abraham^ 
 * father of a multitude of nations.' 
 
 vi. ^ Isaac^ . . .^ laugh'': it will be understood that through- 
 out this volume this use of inverted commas implies that the pair 
 of words so indicated have a resemblance of sound in the origi- 
 nal language. 
 
 vii. Mesopotamia : the word means between the rivers ; it is 
 applied to the land that lies between the great rivers Tigris and 
 Euphrates, the region from which originally Abraham came. — 
 My master'' s brother'' s daughter : the word daughter is here used 
 for descendant. In reality she was a grand-daughter. 
 
 viii. This story, like some others in Scripture, is a combina- 
 tion of prose and verse : the verse being reserved for the words 
 of blessing, or other prophetic speeches. In Biblical poetry, 
 verse is not constituted by rhyme, or by a particular number of 
 syllables in each line, but by * parallelism ' : that is, the two (or 
 three) lines of a set are found to run parallel in their clauses. 
 Thus, if Jacob had spoken in prose he would have said: Let 
 peoples se7've thee ; be lord over thy brethren; mrsed be every 
 one that curseth thee. When instead of this he says, 
 
 Let peoples ser've thee. 
 
 And nations bow down to thee. 
 Be lord over thy brethren, 
 
 Attd let thy mother'' s sons bow down to thee ; 
 Cursed be every one that curseth thee. 
 
 And blessed be every one that blesseth thee — 
 63 
 
Notes -^ Bible Stories 
 
 the addition to each clause of a new clause parallel with it 
 leaves on the ear the effect of rhythm : which makes verse. 
 For a more precise account of the metrical system of this poetry, 
 see the Biblical Masterpieces volume of this series, page 241. — 
 Beth-el means house of God. — All the parties to this story are 
 in the wrong. Isaac abuses his patriarchal authority by seek- 
 ing to limit the succession of the Chosen People to a favourite 
 son; Rebekah plans a trick by which he is made to give the 
 blessing of the succession to the son for whom he did not intend 
 it; Jacob lends himself to this trick. Esau, innocent in this 
 incident, had been in the wrong by his whole style of living : 
 he was an ancestor and type of mountain peoples, living a 
 hunter's life : they are fiery and impulsive, but easily appeased. 
 In one of his sudden impulses (referred to on page 32), Esau 
 had sold to Jacob his rights as elder son, in return for a savoury 
 soup which Jacob was cooking when Esau returned hungry from 
 a hunt. Such a character excludes from the great nations who 
 carry on the history of the world. Jacob, with all his faults, 
 has capacity for growth, and it is in his line that the succession 
 of the Chosen People is continued. Thus the wrong actions 
 of all four are overruled for good. 
 
 ix. This is one of the most beautiful stories in all literature, 
 (i) It has an important place in history, Joseph being a link 
 between the Children of Israel and the empire of Egypt. 
 (2) Note the character of Joseph, how he makes an impression 
 on all with whom he comes into contact. (3) Note also the 
 sketches of varied life which make a background to the story 
 as it moves along — such as glimpses of wandering shepherd life, 
 
 64 
 
Genesis B^ Notes 
 
 trading caravans, palace life in Egypt. (4) There is the inter- 
 est of dreams, five in all, mysterious foretellings which gradually 
 become clear as they are fulfilled. (5) At last we have a double, 
 or, as it is called, ' ironic ' situation, when Joseph recognises his 
 brethren but is not recognised by them. This situation of affairs, 
 when it has once arisen, is prolonged to the utmost length by 
 Joseph's conflict of feelings, between resentment and family 
 affection. A climax is found when, among the very men who 
 once united to enslave their brother Joseph, one is now found 
 consenting to be a slave in order to deliver their brother Ben- 
 jamin. (6) Beyond all other interests there is that of the provi- 
 dential overruling of human events : see page 56. — Is not this 
 it . . . whereby he divineth ? It must be remembered that 
 Joseph is still supposed to be an Egyptian lord. The Egyptians 
 believed much in magic, and divination (of the future) was 
 part of this : images of idols were no doubt carved about the 
 cup such as would be used in magical arts. 
 F 65 
 
BIBLE STORIES 
 
 The Exodus 
 
Introduction to The Exodus 
 
 The second portion of the Bible history is called The 
 Exodiis^ that is, the Einigratiojt of the Israelites j front 
 Egypt to their promised land of Canaan. This is also the 
 period in which they ceased to be merely a large fainily, 
 and were formed into a nation, with laws and institiitions 
 of their own. Accordingly^ in the Bible itself this period 
 is very hard reading, for the history is mostly made up of 
 laws and regulations and figures. But there are three 
 famous stories belonging to the history of The Exodus, and 
 these throw a bright light upon three stages in the growth 
 of Israel. 
 
 The first is the story of Moses and the Plagues of Egypt. 
 Egypt is a land of plentiful food and lazy life : the chil- 
 dren of Israel yielded to these influences, ajid gradually 
 lost their manliness. At last they were made slaves by the 
 Egyptians and cruelly persecided. Moses was raised up 
 to deliver them ; and i?i the narrative of wonders which 
 accompanied their escape from Egypt, we have a picture 
 of the Israelites as they were before the emigration began 
 — a horde of timid and persecuted slaves. 
 
 The Bible narrative then tells of their march through 
 the wilderness : how a cloud by day and a fiery cloud by 
 
 69 
 
Introduction ^S Bible Stories 
 
 night led the way^ how ' inanna^"^ or bread falling fro7n 
 heaven^ fed them^ and zvater flowed from solid rock to give 
 the/n drink. When mount Sinai was reached we have a 
 second story : how the Law of the Ten Co/nma?idments zaas 
 given amid thunder and lightning by the voice of God. 
 This is the beginning of the long series of laws and regu- 
 lations for the government of the 'people^ made know?i 
 from God through Moses. 
 
 Then, at great length, the Bible tells of the wandering 
 for forty years in the wilderness, tintil the generation of 
 Israelites who had been corrupted by life in Egypt had 
 died out, and a new generation was hardened by the rough 
 life of the wilderness, and ready to conquer the projnised 
 land. With the history itself are found nmuite lazus and 
 regulations, fust before the end of the history, our third 
 story comes : the famous story of Balaa7n. This Balaam 
 was a prophet, broiight by the enemies of Israel to curse 
 the?n : by divine inspiration, instead of a curse he uttered 
 blessings. In the words of Balaa?n's blessings we see 
 Israel, no longer slavish and timid, bid a brave and spleji- 
 didly ordered people, winiiing the admiration of their 
 enemies. 
 
 70 
 
Stories from The Exodus 
 
 i. Moses and the Plagues of Egypt 
 
 The Wonderful Presei'vation of Moses as a Babe 
 
 The Ten Plagues of Egypt 
 
 OvertJiroiv of the Egyptians at the Red Sea 
 
 Song of Moses and Miriam 
 ii. Law of the Ten Commandments from Sinai 
 iii. The Witness of Balaam to Israel 
 
i 
 
 Moses and the Plagues of Egypt 
 
 The Wonderful Preservation of Moses as a Babe 
 
 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, which knew 
 not Joseph. And he said unto his people. Behold, the 
 people of the children of Israel are more and mightier 
 than we : come, let us deal wisely with them ; lest they 
 multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out 
 any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and 
 light against us, and get them up out of the land. There- 
 fore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with 
 their burdens. But the more they afflicted them, the more 
 they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And 
 Pharaoh charged all his people, saying. Every son that is 
 born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye 
 shall save alive. 
 
 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to 
 wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman bare a son : and 
 when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him 
 three months. And when she could not longer hide him, 
 she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with 
 
 73 
 
Moses ^S Bible Stories 
 
 slime and Vvith pitch ; and she put the child therein, and 
 laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister 
 stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. And 
 the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river ; 
 and her maidens walked along by the river side ; and she 
 saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to 
 fetch it. And she opened it, and saw the child : and, 
 behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, 
 and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then 
 said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call 
 thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the 
 child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her. Go. 
 And the maid went and called the child's mother. And 
 Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, 
 and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And 
 the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child 
 grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and 
 he became her son. And she called his name Moses. 
 
 The Ten Plagues of Egypt 
 
 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore 
 and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. And 
 the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying. 
 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a 
 wonder for you : then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take 
 thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a 
 
 74 
 
The Exodus 6«- Moses 
 
 serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, 
 and they did so, as the Lord had commanded : and Aaron 
 cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, 
 and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called for the 
 wise men and the sorcerers : and they also, the magicians 
 of Egypt, did in like manner with their enchantments. 
 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became 
 serpents : but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And 
 Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto 
 them. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is stub- 
 born, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto 
 Pharaoh in the morning : lo, he goeth out unto the water ; 
 and thou shalt stand by the river's brink to meet him ; and 
 the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in 
 thine hand. And thou shalt say unto him. The Lord, the 
 God of the Hebrews, hath sent me unto thee, saying. Let 
 my people go. that they may serve me in the wilderness : 
 and, behold, hitherto thou hast not hearkened. Thus 
 saith the Lord. In this thou shalt know that I am the 
 Lord : behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine 
 hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they 
 shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river 
 shall die, and the river shall stink ; and the Egyptians shall 
 loathe to drink water from the river. And the Lord said 
 unto Pdoses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out 
 thine hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over 
 
 75 
 
Moses ^ Bible Stories 
 
 their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds 
 of water, that they may become blood ; and there shall be 
 blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of 
 wood and in vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did 
 so, as the Lord commanded ; and he hfted up the rod, 
 and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight 
 of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants ; and all the 
 waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And 
 the fish that was in the river died ; and the river stank, 
 and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river ; 
 and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. And 
 the magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their en- 
 chantments : and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he 
 hearkened not unto them. And Pharaoh turned and went 
 into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart. And 
 all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water 
 to drink ; for they could not drink of the water of the 
 river. And seven days were fulfilled, after that the Lord 
 had smitten the river. 
 
 And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, 
 and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people 
 go, that they may serve me. And if thou refuse to let 
 them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs : 
 and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up 
 and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and 
 upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon 
 thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading- 
 
 76 
 
rhe Exodus 8<^ Moses 
 
 troughs : and the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and 
 upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. And the Lord 
 said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand 
 with thy rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over 
 the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of 
 Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the 
 waters of Egypt : and the frogs came up, and covered 
 the land of Egypt. And the magicians did in like manner 
 with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the 
 land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and 
 Aaron, and said, Intreat the Lord, that he take away the 
 frogs from me, and from my people ; and I will let the 
 people go, that they may sacrifice unto the Lord. And 
 Moses said unto Pharaoh, Have thou this glory over 
 me : against what time shall I intreat for thee, and for thy 
 servants, and for thy people, that the frogs be destroyed 
 from thee and thy houses, and remain in the river only? 
 And he said. Against tomorrow. And he said. Be it ac- 
 cording to thy word : that thou mayest know that there is 
 none like unto the Lord our God. And the frogs shall 
 depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy ser- 
 vants, and from thy people ; they shall remain in the river 
 only. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh : 
 and Moses cried unto the Lord concerning the frogs 
 which he had brought upon Pharaoh. And the Lord did 
 according to the word of Moses ; and the frogs died out of 
 the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. And 
 
Moses ^^3 Bible Stories 
 
 they gathered them together in heaps : and the land stank. 
 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened 
 his heart, and hearkened not unto them. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch 
 out thy rod, and smite the dast of the earth, that it may 
 become lice throughout all the land of Egypt, And they 
 did so ; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, 
 and smote the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon 
 man, and upon beast ; all the dust of the earth became lice 
 throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did 
 so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they 
 could not : and there were lice upon man, and upon beast. 
 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger 
 of God : and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he heark- 
 ened not unto them. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the 
 morning, and stand before Pharaoh ; lo, he cometh forth 
 to the water ; and say unto him. Thus saith the Lord, Let 
 my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou wilt 
 not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies 
 upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, 
 and into thy houses : and the houses of the Egyptians shall 
 be full of svv'arms of flies, and also the ground whereon 
 they are. And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, 
 in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be 
 there ; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord 
 in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division be- 
 
 78 
 
The Exodus 8«^ Moses 
 
 tween my people and thy people : by tomorrow shall this 
 sign be. And the Lord did so ; and there came grievous 
 swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his 
 servants' houses : and in all the land of Egypt the land 
 was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies. And Pha- 
 raoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, 
 sacrifice to your God in the land. And Moses said, It is 
 not meet so to do ; for we shall sacrifice the abomination 
 of the Egyptians to the Lord our God : lo, shall we sacri- 
 fice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, 
 and will they not stone us? We will go three days' jour- 
 ney into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our 
 God, as he shall command us. And Pharaoh said, I will 
 let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in 
 the wilderness ; only ye shall not go very far away : intreat 
 for me. And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and 
 I will intreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart 
 from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, 
 tomorrow : only let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more 
 in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord. And 
 Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord. 
 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses ; and 
 he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his 
 servants, and from his people ; there remained not one. 
 And Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he 
 did not let the people go. 
 
 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, 
 
 79 
 
Moses ^ Bible Stories 
 
 and tell him, Thus saith the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, 
 Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if thou 
 refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, behold, the 
 hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, 
 upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon 
 the herds, and upon the flocks : there shall be a very 
 grievous murrain. And the Lord shall sever between 
 the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt : and there shall 
 nothing die of all that belongeth to the children of Israel. 
 And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow 
 the Lord shall do this thing in the land. And the Lord 
 did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt 
 died : but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not 
 one. And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so 
 much as one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. But the 
 heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the 
 people go. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to 
 you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle 
 it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall 
 become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall 
 be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon 
 beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And they took 
 ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh ; and 
 Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven ; and it became a 
 boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast. 
 And the magicians could not stand before Moses be- 
 
 80 
 
The Exodus e«- Moses 
 
 cause of the boils ; for the boils were upon the magicians, 
 and upon all the Egyptians. And the Lord hardened the 
 heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them ; as the 
 Lord had spoken unto Moses. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the 
 morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, 
 Thus saith the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, Let my 
 people go, that they may serve me. For I will this time 
 send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy ser- 
 vants, and upon thy people ; that thou mayest know that 
 there is none hke me in all the earth. For now I had put 
 forth my hand, and smitten thee and thy people with pes- 
 tilence, and thou hadst been cut off from the earth : but in 
 very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand, for to 
 shew thee my power, and that my name may be declared 
 throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself 
 against my people, that thou wilt not let them go ? Behold, 
 tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very griev- 
 ous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it 
 was founded even until now. Now therefore send, hasten 
 in thy cattle and all that thou hast in the field ; for every 
 man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall 
 not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, 
 and they shall die. He that feared the word of the Lord 
 among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his 
 cattle flee into the houses : and he that regarded not the 
 word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field. 
 G 8z 
 
Moses ^ Bible Stories 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine 
 hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land 
 of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb 
 of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses 
 stretched forth his rod toward heaven : and the Lord sent 
 thunder and hail, and fire ran down unto the earth ; and 
 the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there 
 was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, 
 such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it 
 became a nation. And the hail smote throughout all the 
 land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and 
 beast ; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and 
 brake every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, 
 where the children of Israel w ere, was there no hail. And 
 Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said 
 unto them, I have sinned this time : the Lord is righteous, 
 and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the Lord ; for 
 there hath been enough of these mighty thunderings and 
 hail ; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. 
 And Moses said unto him. As soon as I am gone out of 
 the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord ; 
 the thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more 
 hail ; that thou mayest know that the earth is the Lord's. 
 But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not 
 yet fear the Lord God. And Moses w-ent out of the city 
 from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the 
 Lord : and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was 
 
 8a 
 
The Exodus £«^ Moses 
 
 not poured upon the earth. And when Pharaoh saw that 
 the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he 
 sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his ser- 
 vants. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he 
 did not let the children of Israel go ; as the Lord had 
 spoken by Moses. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh : 
 for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, 
 that I might shew these my signs in the midst of them : 
 and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and 
 of thy son's son, what things I have wrought upon Egypt, 
 and my signs which I have done among them ; that ye mav 
 know that I am the Lord. And Moses and Aaron vrent 
 in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, 
 the God of the Llebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to 
 humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they 
 may serve me. Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, 
 behold, tomorrow will I bring locusts into thy border : 
 and they shall cover the face of the earth, that one shall 
 not be able to see the earth : and they shall eat the resi- 
 due of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you 
 from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for 
 you out of the field : and thy houses shall be filled, and 
 the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the 
 Egyptians ; as neither thy fathers nor thy fathers' fathers 
 have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth 
 unto this day. And he turned, and wxnt out from Pharaoh. 
 
 83 
 
Moses -^ Bible Stories 
 
 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall 
 this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they 
 may serve the Lord their God : knowest thou not yet that 
 Egypt is destroyed? And Moses and Aaron were brought 
 again unto Pharaoh : and he said unto them. Go, serve 
 the Lord your God : but who are they that shall go? And 
 Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, 
 with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and 
 with our herds will we go ; for we must hold a feast unto 
 the Lord. And he said unto them. So be the Lord with 
 you, as I will let you go, and your little ones : look to it ; 
 for evil is before you. Not so : go now ye that are men, 
 and serve the Lord ; for that is what ye desire. And 
 they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand 
 over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come 
 up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, 
 even all that the hail hath left. And Moses stretched 
 forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought 
 an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night ; 
 and when it was morning, the east wind brought the 
 locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of 
 Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt ; very griev- 
 ous were they ; before them there were no such locusts as 
 they, neither after them shall be such. For they covered 
 the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened ; 
 and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit 
 
 84 
 
The Exodus 8<^ Moses 
 
 of the trees which the hail had left : and there remained 
 not any green thing, either tree or herb of the field, 
 through all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for 
 Moses and Aaron in haste ; and he said, I have sinned 
 against the Lord your God, and against you. Now there- 
 fore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat 
 the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this 
 death only. And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated 
 the Lord. And the Lord turned an exceedinjr strons 
 west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into 
 the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the 
 border of Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's 
 heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand 
 tow^ard heaven, that there may be darkness over the land 
 of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses 
 stretched forth his hand toward heaven ; and there was 
 a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days ; they 
 saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for 
 three days : but all the children of Israel had light in their 
 dwellings. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, 
 Go ye, serve the Lord ; only let your flocks and your 
 herds be stayed : let your little ones also go with you. 
 And Moses said, Thou must also give into our hand sac- 
 rifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the 
 Lord our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there 
 shall not an hoof be left behind ; for thereof must we take 
 
 85 
 
Moses "^^ Bible Stories 
 
 to serve the Lord our God ; and we know not with what 
 we must serve the Lord, until we come thither. But the 
 Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let 
 them 2:0. And Pharaoh said unto him. Get thee from me, 
 take heed to thyself, see my face no more ; for in the day 
 thou seest my face thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou 
 hast spoken well ; I will see thy face again no more. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, yet one plague more 
 will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt ; afterwards 
 he will let you go hence : when he shall let you go, he 
 shall surely thiaist you out hence altogether. Speak now 
 in the ears of the people, and let them ask every man of 
 his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels 
 of silver, and jewels of gold. And the Lord gave the 
 people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover 
 the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the 
 sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. 
 
 And Moses said. Thus saith the Lord, About midnight 
 will I go out into the midst of Egypt : and all the first- 
 born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of 
 Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the first- 
 born of the maidservant that is behind the mill ; and all 
 the firstborn of cattle. And there shall be a great cry 
 throughout ail the land of Egypt, such as there hath been 
 none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any 
 of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, 
 against man or beast: that ye may know how that the 
 
 86 
 
l^he Exodus B^ Moses 
 
 Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and 
 Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto 
 me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee 
 out, and all the people that follow thee : and after that 
 I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in hot 
 anger. 
 
 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said 
 unto them, Draw out, and take you lambs according to 
 your families, and kill the passover. And ye shall take a 
 bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the 
 bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with 
 the blood that is in the bason ; and none of you shall go 
 out of the door of his house until the morning. For the 
 Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians ; and 
 when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two 
 side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not 
 suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite 
 you. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to 
 thee and to thy sons for ever. 
 
 And it came to pass at midnight, that the Lord smote 
 all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the first- 
 born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn 
 of the captive that was in the dungeon ; and all the first- 
 born of cattle. And Phnraoh rose up in the night, he, 
 and all his servants, and all the Egyptians ; and there was 
 a great cry in Egypt ; for there was not a house where 
 there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and 
 
 87 
 
Moses -^ Bible Stories 
 
 Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, get you forth from 
 among my people, both ye and the children of Israel ; and 
 go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. Take both your 
 flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone ; and 
 bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the 
 people, to send them out of the land in haste ; for they 
 said. We be all dead men. And the people took their 
 dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being 
 bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. And the 
 children of Israel did according to the word of Moses ; and 
 they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of 
 gold, and raiment : and the Lord gave the people favour 
 in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have 
 what they asked. And they spoiled the Egyptians. 
 
 Overthrow of the Egyptians at the Red Sea 
 
 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people were 
 fled : and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was 
 changed towards the people, and they said. What is this 
 we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us ? 
 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with 
 him : and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the 
 chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them. And 
 the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, 
 and he pursued after the children of Israel : for the chil- 
 dren of Israel went out with an high hand. And the 
 
 88 
 
The Exodus Be- Moses 
 
 Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots 
 of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and over- 
 took them encamping by the sea. And when Pharaoh 
 drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, 
 behold, the Egyptians marched after them ; and they were 
 sore afraid : and the children of Israel cried out unto the 
 Lord. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no 
 graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the 
 wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to 
 bring us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that 
 we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying. Let us alone, that we 
 may serve the Egyptians? For it were better for us to 
 serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilder- 
 ness. And Moses said unto the people. Fear ye not, 
 stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he 
 will work for you today : for the Egyptians whom ye have 
 seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 
 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your 
 peace. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou 
 unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go 
 forward. And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine 
 hand over the sea, and divide it : and the children of 
 Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. 
 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, 
 and they shall go in after them : and I will get me honour 
 upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, 
 
 89 
 
Moses -^ Bible Stories 
 
 and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know 
 that I am the Lord, \Yhen I have gotten me honour upon 
 Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And 
 the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, 
 removed and went behind them ; and the pillar of cloud 
 removed from before them, and stood behind them : and it 
 came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel ; 
 and there was the cloud and the darkness, yet gave it 
 light by night : and the one came not near the other all 
 the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the 
 sea ; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong 
 east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and 
 the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went 
 into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground : and the 
 waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on 
 their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after 
 them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his 
 chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass in the 
 morning watch, that the Lord looked forth upon the 
 host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of 
 cloud, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians. And 
 he took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them 
 heavily ; so that the Egyptians said. Let us flee from the 
 face of Israel ; for the Lord fighteth for them against the 
 Egyptians. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand 
 over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the 
 
 90 
 
The Exodus 6<^ Moses 
 
 Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen. 
 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the 
 sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared ; 
 and the Egyptians fled against it ; and the Lord over- 
 threw the I'Igyptians in the midst of tlie sea. And the 
 waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horse- 
 men, even all the host of Pharaoh that went in after 
 them into the sea ; there remained not so much as one 
 of them. 
 
 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of 
 the Egyptians ; and Israel saw^ the Egyptians dead upon 
 the sea shore. And the people believed in the Lord and 
 in his servant Moses. 
 
 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song 
 unto the Lord. 
 
 Song of Moses and Miriam 
 All Together 
 
 Iwillsi7tg unto the Lord, for he hath triinnphed gloriously . 
 
 The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 
 The Lord is my strength and song. 
 
 And he is become my salvation : 
 This is my God, and I will praise him ; 
 
 My father's God, and I will exalt him. 
 
 91 
 
Moses -^ Bible Stories 
 
 I 
 
 Men 
 
 The Lord is a man of war : 
 
 The Lord is his name. 
 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: 
 
 And his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea. 
 The deeps cover them : 
 
 They went down into the depths like a stone. 
 
 Women 
 
 Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously : 
 The horse atzd his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 
 
 Men 
 
 Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power. 
 
 Thy right hand, O Lord, dasheth in pieces the enemy. 
 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou overthrowest 
 them that rise up against thee : 
 Thou sendest forth thy wrath, it consumeth them as 
 stubble. 
 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were piled up, 
 The floods stood upright as an heap ; 
 The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea. 
 
 93 
 
The Exodus 8«- Moses 
 
 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide 
 the spoil : 
 
 My lust shall be satisfied upon them ; 
 
 I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 
 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them : 
 
 They sank as lead in the mighty waters. 
 
 Women 
 
 Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triu7nphed gloriously : 
 The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 
 
 3 
 
 Men 
 
 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods.'' 
 Who is like thee, glorious in holiness. 
 Fearful in praises, doing wonders ? 
 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, 
 
 The earth swallowed them. 
 Thou in thy mercy hast led the people which thou hast 
 redeemed : 
 Thou hast guided them in thy strength to thy holy 
 habitation. 
 The peoples have heard, they tremble : 
 
 Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. 
 
 93 
 
Moses "^ Bible Stories 
 
 Then were the dukes of Edom amazed ; 
 
 The mighty men of Moab, trembling taketh hold 
 upon them : 
 All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted av/ay. 
 
 Terror and dread falleth upon them ; 
 By the greatness of thine arm they are as still as a stone ; 
 Till thy people pass over, O Lord, 
 Till the people pass over which thou hast purchased. 
 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain 
 
 of thine inheritance, 
 The place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to 
 dwell in, 
 The sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have estab- 
 lished. 
 The Lord shall reign for ever and ever. 
 
 Women 
 
 Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously : 
 The horse and his rider hath he thrown i7tto the sea. 
 
 94 
 
The Exodus 8«^ The Commandments 
 
 • • 
 
 11 
 
 Law of the Ten Commandments from Sinai 
 
 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, 
 and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash 
 their garments, and be ready against the third day : for 
 the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all 
 the people upon mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds 
 unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to your- 
 selves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the 
 border of it : whosoever toucheth the mount shall be 
 surely put to death : no hand shall touch him. but he shall 
 surely be stoned, or shot through ; whether it be beast or 
 man, it shall not live : when the trumpet soundeth long, 
 they shall come up to the mount. And Moses went down 
 from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people ; 
 and they washed their garments. And he said unto the 
 people. Be ready against the third day. 
 
 And it came to pass on the third day, when it was 
 morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a 
 thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a trumpet 
 exceeding loud ; and all the people that were in the camp 
 trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of 
 the camp to meet God ; and they stood at the nether part 
 
 95 
 
The Commandments ^ Bible Stories 
 
 of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on 
 smoke, because the Loud descended upon it in fire : and 
 the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, 
 and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the 
 voice of the trumpet waxed louder and louder, Moses 
 spake, and God answered him by a voice. 
 
 And God spake all these words, saying : 
 
 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the 
 land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 
 
 Thou shalt have none other gods before me. 
 
 Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, 
 nor the likeness of any form that is in heaven above, or that 
 is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the 
 earth : thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor 
 serve them : for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, 
 visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon 
 the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate 
 me ; and shewing mercy unto thousands, of them that love 
 me and keep my commandments. 
 
 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy 
 God in vain ; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that 
 taketh his name in vain. 
 
 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six 
 days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work : but the 
 seventh day is a sabbath unto the Lord thy God : in it 
 thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy 
 daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy 
 
 96 
 
The Exodus B^ The Commandments 
 
 cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates : for in six 
 days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all 
 that in them is. and rested the seventh day : wherefore the 
 Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 
 
 Honour thy father and thy mother : that thy days 
 may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God 
 giveth thee. 
 
 Thou shalt do no murder. 
 
 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 
 
 Thou shalt not steal. 
 
 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy 
 neighbour. 
 
 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou 
 shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, 
 nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing 
 that is thy neighbour's. 
 
 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the light- 
 nings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain 
 smoking : and when the people saw it, they trembled, and 
 stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou 
 with us, and we will hear : but let not God speak with us, 
 lest we die. And Moses said unto the people. Fear not : 
 for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be 
 before you, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, 
 and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God 
 was. 
 
 H ^ 
 
Balaam ^ Bible Stories 
 
 • • • 
 
 111 
 
 The Witness of Balaam to Israel 
 
 And Moab was sore afraid of the people of Israel, 
 because they were many ; and Moab said, Now shall this 
 multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox 
 licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of 
 Zippor was king of Moab at that time. And he sent 
 messengers unto Balaam, the son of Beor, to the land of 
 the children of his people, to call him, saying. Behold, 
 there is a people come out from Egypt ; behold, they 
 cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against 
 me : come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this 
 people ; for they are too mighty for me : peradventure I 
 shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may 
 drive them out of the land : for I know that he whom thou 
 blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. 
 And the elders of Moab departed with the rewards of 
 divination in their hand ; and they came unto Balaam, 
 and spake unto him the words of Balak. And he said unto 
 them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word 
 again, as the Lord shall speak unto me. And the princes 
 of Moab abode with Balaam. And God came unto 
 Balaam, and said, \Vhat men are these with thee? And 
 
 98 
 
The Exodus S«^ Balaam 
 
 Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of 
 Moab, hath sent unto me, saying. Behold, the people that 
 is come out of Egypt, it covereth the face of the earth : 
 now, come curse me them ; peradventure I shall be able 
 to fight against them, and shall drive them out. And God 
 said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them ; thou 
 shalt not curse the people : for they are blessed. And 
 Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes 
 of Balak, Get you into your land : for the Lord refuseth to 
 give me leave to go with you. 
 
 And the princes of Aioab rose up, and they went unto 
 Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us. And 
 Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable 
 than they. And they came to Balaam, and said to him, 
 Thus saith Balak, the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I 
 pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me : for I will 
 promote thee unto very great honour, and whatsoever 
 thou sayest unto me I will do : come therefore, I pray 
 thee, curse me this people. And Balaam answered and 
 said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give 
 me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond 
 the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. Now 
 therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that 
 I may know what the Lord will speak unto me more. And 
 God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the 
 men be come to call thee, rise up, go with them ; but only 
 the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do. 
 
 99 
 
Balaam ^ Bible Stories 
 
 So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. And when 
 Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet 
 him unto the city of Moab, which is in the utmost part of 
 the border. And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not ear- 
 nestly send unto thee to call thee ? wherefore camest thou 
 not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to 
 honour? And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto 
 thee : have I now any power at all to speak anything? the 
 word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak. 
 
 And it came to pass in the morning, that Balak took 
 Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of 
 Baal, and he saw from thence the utmost part of the 
 people. And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here 
 seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and 
 seven rams. And Balak did as Balaam had spoken ; and 
 Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a 
 ram. And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt 
 offering, and I will go ; peradventure the Lord will come 
 to meet me : and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell 
 thee. And he went to a bare height. And God met 
 Balaam : and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven 
 altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every 
 altar. And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and 
 said. Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. And 
 he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt offer- 
 ing, he, and all the princes of Moab. And he took up his 
 palpable, and said : 
 
The Exodus S«- Balaam 
 
 From Aram hath Balak brought me, 
 
 The king of Moab from the mountains of the East : 
 Come, curse me Jacob, 
 
 And come, defy Israel, 
 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? 
 
 And how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied ? 
 For from the top of the rocks I see him, 
 
 And from the hills I behold him : 
 Lo, it is a people that dwell alone, 
 
 And shall not be reckoned among the nations. 
 Who can count the dust of Jacob, 
 
 Or number the fourth part of Israel? 
 Let me die the death of the righteous, 
 
 And let my last end be like his ! 
 
 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto 
 me ? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou 
 hast blessed them altogether. And he answered and said, 
 Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord putteth 
 in my mouth ? 
 
 And Balak said unto him. Come, I pray thee, with me 
 unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them ; 
 thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not 
 see them all : and curse me them from thence. And he took 
 him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built 
 seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every 
 altar. And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt 
 
 lOI 
 
Balaam ^ Bible Stories 
 
 offering, while I meet the Lord yonder. And the Lord 
 met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said. Return 
 unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak. And he came to 
 him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt offering, and the 
 princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, 
 What hath the Lord spoken? And he took up his 
 parable, and said : 
 
 Rise up, Balak, and hear ; 
 
 Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor : 
 God is not a man, that he should lie ; 
 
 Neither the son of man, that he should repent : 
 Hath he said, and shall he not do it? 
 
 Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it 
 good? 
 Behold, I have received commandment to bless : 
 
 And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. 
 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, 
 
 Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel : 
 The Lord his God is with him, 
 
 And the shout of a king is among them. 
 God bringeth them forth out of Egypt ; 
 
 He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox. 
 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, 
 
 Neither is there any divination against Israel : 
 
 Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What 
 hath God wrought ! 
 
 I02 
 
The Exodus 8«^ Balaam 
 
 Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness, 
 And as a lion doth he lift himself up : 
 
 He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, 
 And drink the blood of the slain. 
 
 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, 
 nor bless them at all. But Balaam answered and said 
 unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying. All that the Lord 
 speaketh, that I must do? 
 
 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come now, I will take thee 
 unto another place ; peradventure, it will please God that 
 thou mayest curse me them from thence. And Balak took 
 Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the 
 desert. And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven 
 altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 
 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bul- 
 lock and a ram on every altar. And when Balaam saw 
 that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at 
 the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set 
 his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his 
 eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes ; 
 and the spirit of God came upon him. And he took up 
 his parable, and said : 
 
 Balaam the son of Beor saith, 
 
 And the man whose eye is opened saith : 
 He saith, which heareth the words of God, 
 103 
 
Balaam ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Which seeth the vision of the Almighty, 
 
 Falling down, and having his eyes open : 
 
 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, 
 
 Thy tabernacles, O Israel ! 
 As valleys are they spread forth. 
 
 As gardens by the river side, 
 As lign-aloes which the Lord hath planted, 
 
 As cedar trees beside the waters. 
 Water shall flow from his buckets. 
 
 And his seed shall be in many waters. 
 And his king shall be higher than Agag, 
 
 And his kingdom shall be exalted. 
 God bringeth him forth out of Egypt ; 
 
 He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox : 
 He shall eat up the nations his adversaries. 
 
 And shall break their bones in pieces. 
 
 And smite them through with his arrows. 
 He couched, he lay down as a lion, 
 
 And as a lioness ; who shall rouse him up ? 
 Blessed be every one that blesseth thee. 
 
 And cursed be every one that curseth thee. 
 
 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he 
 smote his hands together : and Balak said unto Balaam, I 
 called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast 
 altogether blessed them these three times. Therefore 
 
 104 
 
The Exodus B«- Balaam 
 
 now flee thou to thy place : I thought to promote thee 
 unto great honour ; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back 
 from honour. And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not 
 also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, 
 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I 
 cannot go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good 
 or bad of mine own mind ; what the Lord speaketh, that 
 will I speak? And now, behold, I go unto my people: 
 come, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do 
 to thy people in the latter days. And he took up his para- 
 ble, and said : 
 
 Balaam the son of Beor saith. 
 
 And the man whose eye is opened saith : 
 He saith, which heareth the words of God, 
 
 And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, 
 Which seeth the vision of the Almighty, 
 
 Falling down, and having his eyes open : 
 
 I see him, but not now : 
 
 I behold him, but not nigh : 
 There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, 
 
 And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, 
 And shall smite through the corners of Moab, 
 
 And break down all the sons of tumult. 
 And Edom shall be a possession, 
 105 
 
Balaam -^ Bible Stories 
 
 Seir also shall be a possession, which were his enemies ; 
 While Israel doeth valiantly. 
 
 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place : 
 and Balak also went his way. 
 
 zo6 
 
The Exodus S«- Notes 
 
 Notes to The Exodus 
 
 i. Note the preparation of Moses for his future career by 
 his education at court in the learning of the age. — Page 79. 
 Abomination of the Egyptians : that is, cattle: which the Egyp- 
 tian religion regarded as objects of worship, Moses as wicked 
 idols. — Page 80. Blains : an old word for blister. — Page 81. 
 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh. In the earlier 
 stages of this story it is said that Pharaohh heart was hardened, 
 or that Pharaoh hardened his heart ; in the later parts the 
 expression is used that God hardened Pharaoh^s heart. Volun- 
 tary yielding to evil produces in time a tendency to evil that 
 can hardly be resisted. What happens by a law of God's 
 providence may properly be said to be done by God. — Page 84. 
 So be the LORD with you, as / will let you go, etc. : Pharaoh 
 is of course speaking ironically: May your God bless you as 
 surely as I mean to grant your request : that is, not at all. — 
 Page 86. See my face no more . . . L will see thy face again no 
 more : the context shows that the phrase see Lharaoh's face 
 is used in the sense of coming before Pharaoh with a petition. 
 When Moses comes the next time, he makes no petition, but 
 only utters a threat. — Page gi. This Song was probably per- 
 formed thus : the Men, headed by Aaron, alternated with the 
 Women headed by Aaron's sister Miriam. The women's part is 
 a refrain coming over again and again, and was accompanied 
 with timbrel music and dancing. — Page 93. Philistia . . . 
 Edom . . . Moab : Edom and Moab were peoples the Israelites 
 
 107 
 
Notes ^ Bible Stories 
 
 were to encounter in the wilderness, Philistia was the, chief of 
 their future foes in Canaan. Poetically these people are 
 imagined as trembling before this deliverance of Israel at the 
 Red Sea, which was the first step towards their future triumphs. 
 
 ii. Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. The 
 probable meaning of these words is that only the command- 
 ments themselves [here printed in capitals] were heard from 
 the voice of God : the rest was added by Moses as explanation. 
 
 iii. For the understanding of this famous story certain points 
 must be carefully noted. — i. Balaam is a worshipper of the 
 God of Israel, probably in the region from which Abraham 
 originally came. In this worship he is perfectly sincere ; and 
 he has the gift of prophecy. But prophecy comes only at 
 special times of intercourse with God: outside such times 
 Balaam is a worldly man, adapting himself to those about him. 
 Outsiders like Balak cannot understand so spiritual a thing as 
 prophecy, but suppose Balaam's power to be magic or enchant- 
 ment: who77i thou . . . cursest he is cursed: and he sends mes- 
 sengers with the rewards of divination (or magic) in their 
 hand. [From other parts of the Bible history we learn that 
 worldliness finally triumphed in Balaam, he fell into grave sin 
 and perished.] — 2. Page lOO. And he took up his parable, and 
 said. The word parable is applied in Scripture to speech that 
 differs in any way from ordinary speech, as when a story is 
 substituted for discourse, or verse for prose. The verse of 
 Scripture is made, not by rhyme or number of syllables in a line, 
 but by each line having another line (or even two) that runs 
 parallel with it. Prose would be: For from the top of the rocks 
 
 xo8 
 
The Exodus 8«- Notes 
 
 / see him : lo, it is a people that dwell alone. To make this 
 verse, each clause is supported by another similar clause : 
 
 For from the top of the rocks I see him. 
 And fr 0771 the hills I behold hi77i ; 
 
 Lo, it is a people that dwell alo7ie, 
 
 And shall not be recko7ted amo7ig the nations. 
 [For fuller information on this subject see Biblical Masterpieces, 
 p. 242.] — 3. Page 103. He %veiit 7iot, as at other ti7nes, to 7neet 
 with e7icha7it77ie7its, but he set his face toivard the wilder7iess. 
 Balak wants Balaam to curse Israel, believing his curse will be 
 an enchantment that will wither them. Balaam for the sake 
 of pleasing the king desires to do so, but only if God will allow 
 him. Twice, after offering sacrifice, Balaam goes apart to hold 
 secret intercourse with God : twice he feels Divine inspiration 
 stirring him to bless the people he sees in the distance. When 
 Balak makes a third attempt, and takes the prophet to a third 
 point of view, Balaam is hopeless of getting permission to 
 curse ; he does not even go apart to be alone with God, but, 
 where he is standing with Balak and the nobles of Moab, turns 
 his face towards the part of the desert where the encampment 
 of Israel is visible. It so happens that from this point of view 
 the regular order of Israel's encampment becomes visible [a 
 great contrast to the rude hordes of desert Bedouins] : this idea 
 of order is the theme of his next outpouring, and is compared 
 to valleys, riverside gardens, avenues of aloes. — 4. Page 104. 
 Water shall flow fro77i his buckets : another comparison for 
 Israel's future greatness : that of a fountain from which different 
 streams run in different directions. 
 
 109 
 
BIBLE STORIES 
 
 The Judges 
 
Introduction to The Judges 
 
 In the third period of the Bible history the emigration 
 of the Israelites had covie to an end ; they entered the 
 Promised Land, and warred with the wicked natiojis who 
 possessed it. They did not however drive them out ; but, 
 when they had conquered enough land, settled dowti with 
 foes all around them. 
 
 Viewed in the light of IsraeVs mission as the Chosen 
 People of God this period is a transitional stage in their 
 history. Originally., Israel was unlike other nations in 
 that it had tio visible king. God was the rider of Israel: 
 and his will was made known to the people, at first by 
 the fathers, and then by Moses, who is termed a '' prophet ' 
 — the word means ' interpreter of God.'' But contact with 
 the nations of Canaan produced i7i the Israelites a desire 
 for visible kings to lead them in battle. They thus became 
 a divided people : one part longing for these external 
 kings, others standing for the ride of the invisible God. 
 The first of these parties grew the stronger, and in its 
 next period we shall find that Israel has a sttccession of 
 kings. 
 
 hi this middle period the government of Israel is de- 
 scribed by the words, '-'■ Every man did that which was 
 1 113 
 
Introduction ^ Bible Stories 
 
 right in his own eyes.''"' This does not however prove that 
 there was no rule of any kind. " Every 7nan " nmst be 
 understood as every head of a family^ or chief of a village ; 
 and the jneaning is that there was only local or family 
 authority^ without any for?ii of national governme?it. Bnt 
 from time to tinie the oppression of snrronnding foes 
 forced common action npon the tribes of Israel. At snch 
 times there arose the '■fudges^ who have giveji their naine 
 to the period. This word as nscd in the Bible has not its 
 modern meaning: it describes those who work out sotne 
 act of justice or deliverance^ often by war or violence. The 
 f ledges are thus the ' heroes ' of Israels history. As heroes 
 and deliverers these Jitdges were obeyed by the whole nation, 
 or large portions of it, for a time ; and this temporary 
 or partial ride of the fudges was thus a preparatory 
 stage for the coming period when the whole nation was 
 governed by a succession of regular kings. 
 
 The first leader of Israel at this time was foshua : he 
 however is not called a jitdge, but was the assistant and 
 successor of the prophet Moses. Under Joshua the people 
 entered the Proniised Land and made their first conquests. 
 His achievejuents are here represeiited by the story of the 
 Cr OS si Jig of the fordaji and the Capture of the first city, 
 Jericho. 
 
 After a time 7ve find Israel oppressed by a Canaanite 
 king whose chariots of iron made him irresistible by a 
 nation of foot soldiers. At this crisis a wotnan rose tip 
 
 114 
 
The Judges ^ Introduction 
 
 ^o be judge ; Deboi'ah not Oftly roused the people to re- 
 sistajice^ but, cJioosing Barak as her comjnander-in-chief^ 
 herself inarched against Sisera, and marvellously over- 
 threw him. This incidejit has called forth a great poem 
 (which is here given) — the Song of Deborah. 
 
 Another of our stories commemorates Gideon a7id his 
 wonderful achievements against the Midianites, a horde 
 of wanderi)ig peoples whose countless numbers made 
 them almost irresistible. In the general history this rep- 
 resents an important point '.^ for the people invited the 
 victorious Gideon to be their king: but he was true to the 
 principle that only the Lord sJiould reign over Israel. 
 
 fephlhah^ a7tot her Judge, is coiiimemorated by the strange 
 story of Jephthah'^s Vow. 
 
 The chief foes of Israel were the Philistines, and in 
 the constant wars with these some great champions arose. 
 One of these was Samson, whose name is fajniliar to all 
 time as a hero of vast strength and reckless valour. 
 Samson'' s feats and his strange death form a succession 
 of stories which are here give?i. 
 
 Of the Judge Eli %ve only read in his old age. But 
 under him there arose Samuel, the greatest prophet since 
 Moses, and founder of a succession of prophets in the 
 period that folloiued. The favourite stories of SaimieVs 
 birth and boyhood are here given. It is in his time that 
 the desire of the people for a visible king reached its 
 height, a?id SaiJtuel received the Divine command to give 
 
 "5 
 
Introduction ^ Bible Stories 
 
 way to it. Accordingly, we have the story of the Anoijit- 
 ing of Saul. But though Said hi/nself reigned, his un- 
 worthiness caused his family to be rejected from the 
 succession to the throne; and Samuel anointed Davids 
 the first king from ivhotn Israel was to trace its royal 
 line. Saul resented this a?iointing of his successor in 
 his lifetime; and the final story of this period relates 
 the adventures of David under the persecution of Saul, 
 ajid especially the friendship of David with Said's son, 
 Jonathan. The Battle of Gilboa brought about the death 
 of Said atid Jonathan, and the accession of David to 
 the throne of Israel. 
 
 ii6 
 
111. 
 
 iv. 
 
 Vll. 
 
 Stoj^ies from The Judges 
 
 11. How the wily Gibeonites deceived Joshua 
 War of Deborah and Barak against Sisera 
 Feats of Gideon in the Midianite War 
 V. Jephthah's Vow 
 vi. Stories of Samson 
 
 Samson's IVeddmg Feast 
 The Jawbone of an Ass 
 Samson and Delilah 
 Death of Samson 
 The Old Man Eli and the Child Samuel 
 Birth of Samuel 
 The Child Samuel called to be a Prophet 
 Loss of the Ark and Death of Eli 
 Return of the Ark 
 viii. The Anointing of Saul 
 
 The Rejection of Saul and Anointing of David 
 The Feud of Saul and David and the Friendship of 
 David and Jonathan 
 David and Goliath 
 
 How the Feud and the Friendship began 
 The Escape by Night 
 
 The Secret Meeting of David and Jonathan 
 The Adventure of the Spear and Water-cruse 
 The Battle of Gilboa 
 117 
 
 IX 
 X. 
 
The Passage of the Jordan and Siege of Jericho 
 
 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and came 
 to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel; and they 
 lodged there before they passed over. 
 
 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come 
 
 hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God. And 
 
 Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God 
 
 is among you. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the 
 
 Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. 
 
 And it shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of 
 
 the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all 
 
 the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the 
 
 waters of Jordan shall be cut off, even the waters that 
 
 come down from above; and they shall stand in one 
 
 heap. And it came to pass, when the people removed 
 
 from their tents, to pass over Jordan, the priests that bare 
 
 the ark of the covenant being before the people; and 
 
 when they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, 
 
 and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped 
 
 in the brink of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all its 
 
 banks all the time of harvest,) that the waters which 
 
 119 
 
Joshua "^ Bible Stories 
 
 came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, 
 a great way off: and those that went down toward the 
 sea were wholly cut off : and the people passed over 
 right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the 
 ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry 
 ground in the midst of Jordan, and all Israel passed over 
 on dry ground, until all the nation were passed clean over 
 Jordan. And it came to pass, when the priests that bare 
 the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out 
 of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet 
 were lifted up unto the dry ground, that the waters of 
 Jordan returned unto their place, and went over all its 
 banks, as aforetime. And the people came up out of 
 Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped 
 in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho. 
 
 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that 
 he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood 
 a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand : 
 and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him. Art thou 
 for us, or for our adversaries ? And he said. Nay ; but as 
 captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And 
 Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, 
 and said unto him. What saith my Lord unto his servant? 
 and the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Put 
 off thy shoe from off thy foot ; for the place whereon thou 
 standest is holy. And Joshua did so. (Now Jericho was 
 straitly shut up because of the children of Israel : none 
 
^^^ Judges 8^ j^3j^^^ 
 
 went out, and none came in.) And the Lord said unto 
 Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and 
 the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye 
 shall compass the city, all the men of war, going about 
 the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven 
 priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before 
 the ark : and the seventh day ye shall compass the city 
 seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 
 And it shall be, that when they make a long blast with 
 the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trum- 
 pet, all the people shall shout with a great shout ; and the 
 wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go 
 up every man straight before him. 
 
 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests 
 took up the ark of the Lord. And the seven priests 
 bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark 
 of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trum- 
 pets : and the armed men went before them ; and the 
 rearward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests 
 blowing with the trumpets as they went. And the second 
 day they compassed the city once, and returned into the 
 camp: so they did six days. And it came to pass on 
 the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of the 
 day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven 
 times : only on that day they compassed the city seven 
 times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when 
 the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the 
 
 I2X 
 
Joshua ^ Bible Stories 
 
 people, Shout : for the Lord hath given you the city. 
 So the people shouted, and the priests blew with the 
 trumpets : and it came to pass, when the people heard 
 the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with 
 a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so tliat the 
 people went up into the city, every man straight before 
 him, and they took the city. 
 
 11 
 
 How the wily Gibeonites deceived Joshua 
 
 And it came to 'pass, when the inhabitants of Gibeon 
 heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, they 
 did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been 
 ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and 
 wine-skins, old and rent and bound up ; and old shoes 
 and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them ; 
 and all the bread of their provision was dry and was 
 become mouldy. And they went to Joshua unto the camp 
 at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We 
 are come from a far country : now therefore make ye a 
 covenant with us. And the men of Israel said unto the 
 Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us ; and how shall 
 we make a covenant with you? And they said unto 
 Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto 
 
 122 
 
The Judges B^ Joshua 
 
 them. Who are ye? and from whence come ye? And 
 they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants 
 are come because of the name of the Lord thy God : for 
 we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in 
 Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amo- 
 rites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, 
 and to Og king of Bashan. And our elders and all the 
 inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying. Take pro- 
 vision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, 
 and say unto them. We are your servants : and now make 
 ye a covenant with us. This our bread we took hot for 
 our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth 
 to go unto you ; but now, behold, it is dry, and is become 
 mouldy : and these wine-skins, which we filled, were new ; 
 and, behold, they be rent : and these our garments and our 
 shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey. 
 And the men took of their provision, and asked not counsel 
 at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with 
 them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live : 
 and the princes of the congregation svvare unto them. 
 
 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they 
 had made a covenant with them, that they heard that 
 they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among 
 them. And the children of Israel journeyed, and came 
 unto their cities on the third day. And the children of 
 Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congre- 
 gation had sworn unto them by the Lord, the God of 
 
 123 
 
Joshua ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the 
 princes. But all the princes said unto all the congrega- 
 tion, We have sworn unto them by the Lord, the God of 
 Israel : now therefore we may not touch them. This we 
 will do to them, and let them live ; lest wrath be upon us, 
 because of the oath which we sware unto them. And the 
 princes said unto them. Let them live : so they became 
 hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the con- 
 gregation ; as the princes had spoken unto them. And 
 Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, 
 Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying. We are very far 
 from you; when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye 
 are cursed, and there shall never fail to be of you bond- 
 men, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the 
 house of my God. And they answered Joshua, and said. 
 Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the 
 Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you 
 all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land 
 from before you ; therefore we were sore afraid for our 
 lives because of you, and have done this thing. And now, 
 behold, we are in thine hand : as it seemeth good and 
 right unto thee to do unto us, do. And so did he unto 
 them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children 
 of Israel, that they slew them not. And Joshua made 
 them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for 
 the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, unto this 
 day, in the place which he should choose. 
 
 124 
 
The Judges 8«^ Deborah 
 
 • • * 
 
 HI 
 
 War of Deborah and Barak against Sisera 
 
 And the children of Israel again did that which was evil 
 in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord sold them into 
 the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor ; 
 the captain of whose host was Sisera. And the children 
 of Israel cried unto the Lord : for he had nine hundred 
 chariots of iron ; and twenty years he mightily oppressed 
 the children of Israel. 
 
 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she 
 judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm 
 tree of Deborah in the hill country of Ephraim : and the 
 children of Israel came up to her for judgement. And she 
 sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh- 
 naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord, the God 
 of Israel, commanded, saying, Go and draw unto mount 
 Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the chil- 
 dren of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I 
 will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain 
 of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude ; and I 
 will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, 
 If thou wilt go with me, then I will go : but if thou wilt not 
 go with me, I will not go. And she said, I will surely go 
 
 "5 
 
Deborah -^ Bible Stories 
 
 with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest 
 shall not be for thine honour ; for the Lord shall sell Sisera 
 into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went 
 with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called Zebulun and 
 Naphtali together to Kedesh ; and there went up ten thou- 
 sand men at his feet : and Deborah went up wdth him. 
 
 Now Heber the Kenite had severed himself from the 
 Kenites, even from the children of Hobab the brother in 
 law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in 
 Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh. And they told Sisera that 
 Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. 
 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine 
 hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with 
 him, unto the river Kishon. And Deborah said unto Barak, 
 Up ; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered 
 Sisera into thine hand : is not the Lord gone out before 
 thee ? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten 
 thousand men after him. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, 
 and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the 
 sword before Barak ; and Sisera lighted down from his char- 
 iot, and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued after the 
 chariots, and after the host : and all the host of Sisera fell 
 by the edge of the sword ; there was not a man left. 
 
 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael 
 the wife of Heber the Kenite : for there was peace between 
 Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the 
 Kenite. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto 
 
 126 
 
The Judges S«^ Deborah 
 
 him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me ; fear not. And he 
 turned in unto her into the tent, and she covered him with 
 a rug. And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a Httle 
 water to drink ; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle 
 of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. And he 
 said unto her. Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, 
 when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, 
 Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No. Then 
 Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent-pin, and took an hammer in 
 her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the pin 
 into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground ; 
 for he was in a deep sleep ; so he swooned and died. 
 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to 
 meet him, and said unto him. Come, and I will shew thee 
 the man whom thou seekest. And he came unto her; 
 and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his 
 temples. 
 
 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan 
 before the children of Israel. Then sang Deborah and 
 Barak on that day, saying : 
 
 Song of Deborah 
 
 Men. For that the leaders took the lead in Israel — 
 
 Women . For that the people offered themselves willingly ■ 
 All. Bless ye the Lord. 
 
Deborah 
 
 ->8 Bible Stories 
 
 Men. 
 Women. 
 Men. 
 Women. 
 
 All. 
 
 Prelude 
 
 Hear, O ye kings — 
 Give ear, O ye princes — 
 I, even I, will sing unto the Lord — 
 I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of 
 Israel. 
 
 Lord, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, 
 When thou marchedst out of the field of 
 Edom, 
 The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, 
 
 Yea, the clouds dropped water. 
 The mountains flowed down at the presence of 
 the Lord, 
 Even yon Sinai at the presence of the 
 Lord, the God of Israel. 
 
 I. The Desolation 
 
 Men. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, 
 
 In the days of Jael, 
 The highways were unoccupied. 
 
 And the travellers walked through 
 byways ; 
 The rulers ceased in Israel, 
 
 They ceased — 
 128 
 
The Judges 8«- 
 
 Deborah 
 
 Women. Until that I, Deborah, arose, 
 
 That I arose a mother in Israel. 
 They chose new gods ; 
 
 Then was war in the gates : 
 Was there a shield or spear seen 
 Among forty thousand in Israel? 
 Men. My heart is toward the governors of Israel — 
 
 Women. Ye that offered yourselves willingly among the 
 
 people — 
 All. Bless ye the Lord ! 
 
 Men. Tell of it, ye that ride on white asseSy 
 
 Ye that sit on rich carpets. 
 
 And ye that walk by the way : — 
 Women. Far from the noise of archer s. 
 
 In the places of drawing water : — 
 All. There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of 
 
 the Lord, 
 Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. 
 
 2. The Muster 
 
 All. Then the people of the Lord went down to the 
 
 gates — 
 {Men. Awake, awake, Deborah, 
 
 Awake, awake, utter a song : — 
 Women. Arise, Barak, 
 
 And lead thy captivity captive, thou son of 
 Abinoam.^ 
 
 K 129 
 
Deborah 
 
 ^ Bible Stories 
 
 All. Then came down a remnant of the nobles, 
 
 The people of the Lord came down for me 
 
 against the mighty. 
 Women. Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is 
 
 in Amalek — 
 Mejt. After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples — 
 
 Women. Out of Machir came down governors — 
 Men. And out of Zebulun they that handle the 
 
 marshal's staff — 
 Woinen. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah — 
 Mert. As was Issachar, so was Barak : 
 
 All. Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet. 
 
 Men. By the watercourses of Reuben 
 
 There w^ere great resolves of heart. 
 
 Women. Why satest thou among the sheepfolds. 
 To hear the pipings for the flocks ? 
 
 Men. At the watercourses of Reuben 
 
 There w-ere great searchings of heart ! 
 
 Wo7nen. Gilead abode beyond Jordan — 
 
 Men. And Dan, why did he remain in ships? — 
 
 Women. Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, 
 
 And abode by his creeks. 
 Afen. Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives 
 
 unto the death, 
 And Naphtali upon the high places of the 
 field. 
 
 130 
 
The Judges Q^ 
 
 Deborah 
 
 3. The Battle and Rout 
 
 Afen. The kings came and fought ; 
 
 Then fought the kings of Canaan, 
 In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo : — 
 They took no gain of money ! 
 
 Women. They fought from heaven, 
 
 The stars in their courses fought against 
 Sisera. 
 The river Kishon swept them away, — 
 That ancient river, the river Kishon ! 
 
 Men. O my soul, march on with strength ! 
 
 Then did the horsehoofs stamp 
 By reason of the pransings. 
 
 The pransings of their strong ones. 
 
 Women. Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, 
 Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; 
 Because they came not to the help of the Lord, 
 To the help of the Lord against the 
 mighty ! 
 
 4. The Retribution 
 
 Men. Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of 
 
 Heber the Kenite, 
 Blessed shall she be above women in the 
 tent ! 
 
 131 
 
Deborah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 He asked water, and she gave him milk ; 
 
 She brought him butter in a lordly dish. 
 She put her hand to the nail, 
 
 And her right hand to the workman's 
 hammer ; 
 And with the hammer she smote Sisera. 
 She smote through his head, 
 
 Yea, she pierced and struck though his 
 temples. 
 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay : 
 At her feet he bowed, he fell : 
 
 Where he bowed, there he fell down dead ! 
 
 Women. Through the window she looked forth, and 
 cried. 
 The mother of Sisera, through the lattice, 
 " Why is his chariot so long in coming? 
 
 Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?" 
 Her wise ladies answered her. 
 
 Yea, she returned answer to herself, 
 " Have they not found, 
 Have they not divided the spoil? 
 
 A damsel, two damsels to every man ; 
 To Sisera a spoil of divers colours, 
 A spoil of divers colours of embroidery. 
 
 Of divers colours of embroidery on both 
 sides, on the necks of the spoil ! " 
 132 
 
The Judges B^ Gideon 
 
 All. So let thine enemies perish, O Lord : 
 
 But let them that love him be as the sun 
 when he goeth forth in his might ! 
 
 IV 
 
 Feats of Gideon in the Midianite War 
 
 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the 
 sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the 
 hand of Midian seven years. And because of Midian 
 the children of Israel made them the dens which are in 
 the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. And 
 so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came 
 up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east ; and 
 they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase 
 of the earth, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, 
 nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and 
 their tents, they came in as locusts for multitude ; both 
 they and their camels were without number. And Israel 
 was brought very low because of Midian ; and the children 
 of Israel cried unto the Lord. 
 
 And the angel of the Lord came, and sat under the oak 
 which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi- 
 ezrite : and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the 
 winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel 
 
 133 
 
Gideon "^ Bible Stories 
 
 of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The 
 Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And 
 Gideon said unto him. Oh, my lord, if the Lord be with 
 us, why then is all tliis befallen us? and where be all his 
 wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did 
 not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord 
 hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian. 
 And the Lord looked upon him, and said. Go in this thy 
 mifrht, and save Israel from the hand of Midian : have not 
 I sent thee? And he said unto him. Oh Lord, Vvherevv'ith 
 shall I save Lsrael? behold, my family is the poorest in 
 Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. And 
 the Lord said unto him. Surely I will be with thee, and 
 thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. And he said 
 unto him. If now I have found grace in thy sight, then 
 shew me a sign that it is thou that talkest with me. De- 
 part not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and 
 bring forth my present, and lay it before thee. And he 
 said, I will tarry until thou come again. And Gideon 
 w^ent in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of 
 meal : the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth 
 in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and 
 presented it. And the angel of God said unto him, Take 
 •the flesh and the unleavened, cakes, and lay them upon 
 this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then 
 the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that 
 w'as in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened 
 
 134 
 
The Judges B^ Gideon 
 
 cakes ; and there went up fire out of the rock, and con- 
 sumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes ; and the angel 
 of the Lord departed out of his sight. And Gideon saw 
 that he was the angel of the Lord ; and Gideon said, 
 Alas, O Lord God! forasmuch as I have seen the angel 
 of the Lord face to face. And the Lord said unto him. 
 Peace be unto thee ; fear not : thou shalt not die. Then 
 Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord. 
 
 Then all tlie Midianites and the Amalekites and the 
 children of the east assembled themselves together ; and 
 they passed over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. 
 But the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon ; and he 
 blew a trumpet ; and Abiezer v/as gathered together after 
 him. And he sent messengers throughout all JVIanasseh ; 
 and they also were gathered together after him : and he 
 sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto 
 Naphtali ; and they came up to meet them. And Gideon 
 said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as 
 thou hast spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on 
 the threshing-floor ; if there be dew on the fleece only, 
 and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that 
 thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast spoken. 
 And it was so : for he rose up early on the morrow, and 
 pressed the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of 
 the fleece, a bowlful of water. And Gideon said unto 
 God, Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I 
 will speak but this once : let me prove, I pray thee, but 
 
 135 
 
Gideon "^ Bible Stories 
 
 this once with the fleece ; let it now be dry only upon the 
 fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And 
 God did so that night : for it was dry upon the fleece 
 only, and there was dew on all the ground. 
 
 Then Gideon, and all the people that were with him, 
 rose up early, and pitched beside the spring of Harod : 
 and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, in 
 the valley. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are 
 with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into 
 their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, say- 
 ing, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go 
 to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever 
 is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from 
 mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty 
 and two thousand ; and there remained ten thousand. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet 
 too many ; bring them down unto the water, and I will 
 try them for thee there : and it shall be. that of whom I 
 say unto thee. This shall go with thee, the same shall go 
 with thee ; and of whomsoever I say unto thee. This shall 
 not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought 
 down the people unto the Vv'ater : and the Lord said unto 
 Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his 
 tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; 
 likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to 
 drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their 
 
 136 
 
The Judges B^ Gideon 
 
 hand to their mouth, was three hundred men : but all the 
 rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink 
 water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three 
 hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the 
 Midianites into thine hand : and let all the people go 
 every man unto his place. So the people took victuals 
 in their hand, and their trumpets : and he sent all the men 
 of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three 
 hundred men. And the camp of Midian was beneath him 
 in the valley. 
 
 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said 
 unto him, Arise, get thee down into the camp; for I have 
 delivered it into thine hand. But if thou fear to go down, 
 go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp : and 
 thou shalt hear what they say ; and afterward shall thine 
 hands be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then 
 went he down w-ith Purah his servant unto the outermost 
 part of the armed men that were in the camp. And the 
 Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the 
 east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude ; and 
 their camels were without number, as the sand which is 
 upon the sea shore for multitude. And vv'hen Gideon was 
 come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his 
 fellow, and said. Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a 
 cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, 
 and came unto the tent, and smote it that it fell, and 
 turned it upside down, that the tent lay along. And his 
 
 137 
 
Gideon ^ Bible Stories 
 
 fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the 
 sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel : into 
 his hand God hath delivered Alidian, and all the host. 
 
 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the 
 dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped ; 
 and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; 
 for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of 
 Midian. And he divided the three hundred men into 
 three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them 
 trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the 
 pitchers. And he said unto them. Look on me, and do 
 likewise : and, behold, when I come to the outermost part 
 of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. 
 When I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me, 
 then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the 
 camp, and say. For the Lord and for Gideon. 
 
 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, 
 came unto the outermost part of tlie camp in the beginning 
 of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the 
 watch : and they blew the trumpets, and brake in pieces 
 the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three com- 
 panies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and 
 held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in 
 their right hands to blow withal : and they cried. The 
 sword of the Lord and of Gideon. And they stood every 
 man in his place round about the camp : and all the host 
 ran; and they shouted, and put them to flight. And they 
 
 138 
 
The Judges B^ Jephthah 
 
 blew the three hundred trumpets, and the Lord set every 
 man^s sword against his fellow, and against all the host: 
 and the host tied. And Gideon took the two kinsfs of 
 Midian, Zebah and Zahnunna, and discornlited all the 
 host. 
 
 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou 
 over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also : 
 for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Midian. And 
 Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither 
 shall my son rule over you : the Lord shall rule over you. 
 
 So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, 
 and they lifted up their heads no more. 
 
 Jephthah's Vow 
 
 Now Jephthah the Gileadite w-as a mighty man of valour. 
 And it came to pass that the children of Ammon made war 
 against Israel. And it was so, that, when the children of 
 Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went 
 to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob : and they said 
 unto Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight 
 with the children of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the 
 elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and drive me out of 
 my father's house ? and why are ye come unto me now when 
 
 139 
 
Jephthah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 ye are in distress ? And the elders of Gilead said unto 
 Jephthah, Therefore are we turned again to thee now, that 
 thou mayest go with us, and fight with the children of 
 Ammon, and thou shalt be our head over all the inhabi- 
 tants of Gilead. And Jephthah said unto the elders of 
 Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight with the children 
 of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I 
 be your head ? And the elders of Gilead said unto Jeph- 
 thah, The Lord shall be witness between us ; surely ac- 
 cording to thy word so will w^e do. Then Jephthah went 
 with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head 
 and chief over them. 
 
 Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and 
 he passed over unto the children of Ammon. And Jeph- 
 thah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said. If thou wilt 
 indeed deliver the children of Ammon into mine hand, 
 then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors 
 of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the 
 children of Ammon, it shall be the Lord^s, and I will offer 
 it up for a burnt offering. So Jephthah passed over unto 
 the children of Ammon to fight against them ; and the 
 Lord delivered them into his hand. And he smote them 
 with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon 
 were subdued before the children of Israel. 
 
 And Jephthah came to Mizpah unto his house, and, 
 behold, his daughter came out to meet him wdth timbrels 
 and with dances : and she was his only child ; beside her 
 
 140 
 
The Judges 8«- Jephthah 
 
 he had neither son nor daughter. And it came to pass, 
 when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, 
 my daughter ! thou hast brought me very low, and thou 
 art one of them that trouble me : for I have opened my 
 mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back. And she said 
 unto him. My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto the 
 Lord ; do unto me according to that which hath proceeded 
 out of thy mouth ; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken ven- 
 geance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of 
 Ammon. And she said unto her father, Let this thing be 
 done for me : let me alone two months, that I may depart 
 and go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, 
 I and my companions. And he said, Go. And he sent 
 her away for two months : and she departed, she and her 
 companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the moun- 
 tains. And it came to pass at the end of two months, that 
 she returned unto her father, who did with her according 
 to his vow which he had vowed. And it was a custom in 
 Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate 
 the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a 
 year. 
 
 141 ' 
 
Samson ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Stories of Samson 
 
 Samson'^s Weddijig Feast 
 
 And Samson went down to Timnab, and saw a woman 
 in Timnah of the daughters of the Philisthies. And he 
 came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I 
 have seen a woman in Timnah of the dau2fhters of the 
 Philistines : now therefore get her for me to wife. Then 
 his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a 
 woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all 
 my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the Philis- 
 tines ? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for 
 me ; for she pleaseth me well. But his father and his 
 mother knew not that it was of the Lord ; for he sought 
 an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the 
 Philistines had rule over Israel. Then went Samson 
 down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and came 
 to the vineyards of Timnah : and, behold, a young lion 
 roared against him. And the spirit of the Lord came 
 mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent 
 a kid, and he had nothing in his hand : but he told not 
 his father or his mother what he had done. And he went 
 down and talked with the woman ; and she pleased Sam- 
 
 142 
 
The Judges B«- Samson 
 
 son well. And after a while he returned to take her, and 
 he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion : and, be- 
 hold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, 
 and honey. And he took it into his hands, and went on, 
 eating as he went, and he came to his father and mother, 
 and gave unto them, and they did eat : but he told them 
 not that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion. 
 And his father went down unto the woman : and Samson 
 made there a feast : for so used the vouns^ men to do. 
 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought 
 thirty companions to be with him. And Samson said unto 
 them, Let me now put forth a riddle unto you : if ye can 
 declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find 
 it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty 
 changes of raiment : but if ye cannot declare it me, then 
 shall ye give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes 
 of raiment. And they said unto him. Put forth thy riddle, 
 that we may hear it. And he said unto them. 
 
 Out of the eater came forth meat. 
 
 And out of the strong came forth sweetness. 
 
 And they could not in three days declare the riddle. And 
 it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto 
 Samson's wife. Entice thy husband, that he may declare 
 unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house 
 with fire : have ye called us to impoverish us ? is it not 
 so ? And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou 
 
 143 
 
Samson ^ Bible Stories 
 
 dost but hate me, and lovest me not : thou hast put forth 
 a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told 
 it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it 
 my father nor my mother, and shall I tell thee ? And she 
 wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted : 
 and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, 
 because she pressed him sore : and she told the riddle to 
 the children of her people. And the men of the city said 
 unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down : 
 
 What is sweeter than honey ? 
 And what is stronger than a lion ? 
 
 And he said unto them : 
 
 If ye had not plowed with my heifer, 
 Ye had not found out my riddle. 
 
 And the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and 
 he went down to Ashkelon, and smote thirty men of them, 
 and took their spoil, and gave the changes of raiment unto 
 them that declared the riddle. And his anger was kindled, 
 and he went up to his father's house. But Samson''s wife 
 was given to his companion, whom he had used as his 
 friend. 
 
 The Jawbone of an Ass 
 
 The Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and 
 spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, 
 
 144 
 
The Judges B^ Samson 
 
 Why are ye come up against us ? And they said, To bind 
 Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to 
 us. Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the 
 cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest 
 thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what then 
 is this that thou hast done unto us? And he s:ud unto 
 them, As they did unto me. so have I done unto them. 
 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, 
 that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Plnlistines. 
 And Samson said unto them. Swear unto me, that ye will 
 not fall upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, 
 saying. No ; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee 
 into their hand : but surely we will not kill thee. And 
 they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up 
 from the rock. When he came unto Lehi, the Philistines 
 shouted as they met him : and the spirit of the Lord 
 came mightily upon him, and the ropes that were upon his 
 arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands 
 dropped from oft' his hands. And he found a new jawbone 
 of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and smote a 
 thousand men therewith. And Samson said, 
 
 With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, 
 With the jawbone of an ass have I smitten a thou- 
 sand men. 
 L 145 
 
Samson ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Sa7}ison and Delilah 
 
 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman 
 in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the 
 lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto 
 her, Entice him, and see wherein liis great strength lieth, 
 and by what means v/e may prevail against him, that we 
 may bind him to aiilict him : and we will give thee every 
 one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. And Delilah 
 said to Samson, Tell me, I pray the,e, wherein thy great 
 strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to 
 afflict thee. And Samson said unto her. If they bind me 
 with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall 
 I become weak, and be as another man. Then the lords 
 of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes 
 which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 
 Now she had liers in wait abiding in the inner chamber. 
 And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Sam- 
 son. And he brake the withes, as a string of tow is broken 
 when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known. 
 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked 
 me, and told me lies : now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith 
 thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her. If they 
 only bind me with new ropes wherev/ith no work hath been 
 done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man. 
 So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and 
 said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. 
 
 146 
 
The Judges B^ Samson 
 
 And the liers in wait were abiding in the inner chamber. 
 And he brake them from off his arms like a thread. And 
 Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, 
 and told me lies : tell me wherewith thou mightest be 
 bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven 
 locks of my head with the web. And she fastened it with 
 the pin, and said unto him. The Philistines be upon thee, 
 Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and plucked 
 away the pin of the beam, and the web. And she said 
 unto him. How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine 
 heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three 
 ti)iies, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength 
 lieth. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily 
 with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed 
 unto death. And he told her all his heart, and said unto 
 her. There hath not come a razor upon mine head ; for I 
 have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother's womb : 
 if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I 
 shall become weak, and be like any other man. And 
 when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she 
 sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying. 
 Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart. 
 Then the lords of the Philistines cam.e up unto her, and 
 brought the money in their hand. And she made him 
 sleep upon her knees ; and she called for a man, and 
 shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to 
 afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she 
 
 147 
 
Samson ^ Bible Stories 
 
 said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he 
 awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other 
 times, and shake myself. But he wist not that the Lord 
 was departed from him. Ana the Philistines laid hold on 
 him, and put out his eyes ; and they brought him down to 
 Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass ; and he did 
 grind in the prison house. Howbeit the hair of his head 
 began to grow again after he was shaven. 
 
 Death of Samson 
 
 And the lords of the Philistines gathered them together 
 for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to 
 rejoice : for they said. Our god hath delivered Samson our 
 enemy into our hand. And when the people saw him, 
 they praised their god : for they said, Our god hath de- 
 livered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our 
 country, which hath slain many of us. And it came to 
 pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said. Call 
 for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called 
 for Samson out of the prison house ; and he made sport 
 before them : and they set him between the pillars. And 
 Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suf- 
 fer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house 
 resteth, that I may lean upon them. Now the house was 
 full of men and women ; and all the lords of the Philistines 
 were there ; and there were upon the roof about three 
 
 Z48 
 
TheJudgesS*- 
 
 —^ — Samuel 
 
 thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson 
 made sport. And Samson called unto the Lord, and 
 said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray tliee, and 
 strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God. that I 
 may be avenged of the Philistines for one of my two eyes 
 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon 
 which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one 
 with his right hand, and the other with his left. And 
 Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he 
 bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon 
 the lords, and upon all the people that were therein So 
 the dead which he slew at his death were more than they 
 which he slew in his life. Then his brethren and all the 
 house of his father came down, and took him, and brou-ht 
 him up, and buried him in the burying-place of Manoah 
 his father. 
 
 vii 
 
 The Old Man Eli and the Child Samuel 
 
 Bz'r//i of Samuel 
 
 Now there was a certain man of the hill country of 
 Ephraim, and he had two wives ; the name of the one 
 was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah : and 
 Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 
 
 149 
 
Samuel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 And this man went up out of his cit}' from year to year to 
 worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. 
 Now Eli the priest sat upon his seat by the door post 
 of the temple of the Lord. And Hannah was in bitter- 
 ness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. 
 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou 
 wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and 
 remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt 
 give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give 
 him unto the Lord ail the days of his life, and there 
 shall no razor come upon his head. And it came to 
 pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that 
 Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her 
 heart ; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard : 
 therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli 
 said unto her, LIow long wilt thou be drunken? put away 
 thy wine fi-om thee. And Hannah answered and said, 
 No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit : I have 
 dmnk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out 
 my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid 
 for a daughter of Behal : for out of the abundance of 
 m.y complaint and my provocation have I spoken hitherto. 
 Then Eli a,nswered and said, Go in peace : and the God 
 of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him. 
 And she said. Let thy servant find grace in thy sight. So 
 the woman went her way, and did eat, and her counte- 
 nance was no more sad. 
 
 ISO 
 
The Judges 8«- Samuel 
 
 And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that 
 Hannah bare a son ; and she called his name ' Samuel,' 
 saying, Because I have 'asked him of the Lord.' And 
 when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, 
 with three bullocks, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle 
 of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in 
 Shiloh. And they slew the bullock, and brought the 
 child to Eli. And she said. Oh my lord, as thy soul 
 liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, 
 praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and 
 the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of 
 him : therefore I also have granted him to the Lord ; 
 as long as he liveth he is granted to the Lord. And he 
 worshipped the Lord there. 
 
 The Child SaiJiitel called to be a Pi'ophet 
 
 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before 
 Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those 
 days ; there was no open vision. And it came to pass 
 at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, (now 
 his eyes had begun to wax dim, that he could not see,) 
 and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel 
 was laid down to sleep, in the temple of the Lord, where 
 the ark of God was ; that the Lord called Samuel : and 
 he said, Here am L And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here 
 am I ; for thou caliedst me. And he said, I called not ; 
 
Samuel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 lie down again. And he Avent and lay down. And the 
 Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and 
 went to Eli, and said, Here am I : for thou calledst me. 
 And he answered, I called not, my son ; lie down again. 
 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was 
 the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the 
 Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose 
 and went to Eli, and said. Here am I ; for thou calledst 
 me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the 
 child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down : 
 and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say. Speak, 
 Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and 
 lay down in his place. And the Lord came, and stood, 
 and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then 
 Samuel said. Speak ; for thy servant heareth. And the 
 Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, 
 at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall 
 tingle. In that day 1 will perform against Eli all that 
 I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning 
 even unto the end. For I have told him that I will judge 
 his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, be- 
 cause his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and 
 he restrained them not. And Samuel lay until the morn- 
 ing, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. 
 And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. Then Eli 
 called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said. 
 Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the 
 
 152 
 
The Judges d^ Samuel 
 
 Lord hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee hide it not 
 from me : God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide 
 any thing from me of all the things that he spake unto 
 thee. And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing 
 from him. And he said. It is the Lord: let him do 
 what seemeth him good. 
 
 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and 
 did let none of his words fall to the srround. And all 
 Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel 
 W'as established to be a prophet of the Lord. 
 
 Loss of the Ark and Death of Eli 
 
 Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and 
 pitched beside Eben-ezer : and the Philistines pitched in 
 Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array 
 against Israel : and when they joined battle, Israel was 
 smitten before the Philistines : and they slew of the army 
 in the field about four thousand men. And when the 
 people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, 
 Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the 
 Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the 
 Lord out of Shiioh unto us, that it may come among us, 
 and save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the peo- 
 ple sent to Shiioh, and they brought from thence the ark 
 of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which sitteth upon 
 the cherubim : and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and 
 
 153 
 
Samuel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of 
 God. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord 
 came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, 
 so that the earth rang again. And when the Philistines 
 heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth 
 the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? 
 And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come 
 into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they 
 said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe 
 unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. 
 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of 
 these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the 
 Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness. 
 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, 
 that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have 
 been to you : quit yourselves like men, and fight. And 
 the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they 
 fled every m.an to his tent : and there was a very great 
 slaughter ; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot- 
 men. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons 
 of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. And there 
 ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to 
 Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth 
 upon his head. And v/hen he came, lo, Eli sat upon his 
 seat by the way side watching : for his heart trembled for 
 the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, 
 and told it, all the city cried out. And when Eli heard 
 
 154 
 
The Judges B«- Samuel 
 
 the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise 
 of this tumult? And the man hasted, and came and told 
 Eli. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old ; and his 
 eyes were set, that he could not see. And the man said 
 unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled 
 today out of the army. And he said, How went the 
 matter, my son? And he that brought the tidings an- 
 swered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and 
 there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, 
 and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, 
 and the ark of God is taken. And it came to pass, when 
 he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off 
 his seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck 
 brake, and he died : for he was an old man, and heavy. 
 And he had judged Israel forty years. 
 
 The Ret2t7'ii of the Ark 
 
 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they 
 brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. And the Philis- 
 tines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house 
 of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod 
 arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon 
 his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And 
 they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And 
 when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, 
 Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the 
 
 155 
 
Samuel -^ Bible Stories 
 
 ark of the Lord : and the head of Dagon and both the 
 pah-ns of his hands lay cut off upon the threshold ; only 
 the stump of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither 
 the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's 
 house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto 
 this day. 
 
 But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of 
 Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with 
 tumours, even Ashdod and the borders thereof. And 
 when the men of Ashdod saw that it v/as so, they said, 
 The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us : for 
 his hand is sore upon us. and upon Dagon our god. 
 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the 
 Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with 
 the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered. Let 
 the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Oath. 
 And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about 
 thither. And it was so, that, after they had carried it 
 about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with 
 a very great discomfiture : and he smote the men of the 
 city, both small and great, and tumours brake out upon 
 them. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it 
 came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the 
 Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the 
 ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. 
 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords 
 of the Philistines, and they said. Send away the ark of 
 
 156 
 
The Judges e<- Samuel 
 
 the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, 
 that it slay us not, and our people ; for there was a deadly 
 discomfiture throughout all the city ; the hand of God was 
 very heavy there. And the men that died not were smit- 
 ten with the tumours : and the cry of the city v.ent up to 
 heaven. 
 
 And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the 
 Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for 
 the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with 
 the ark of the Lord? shew us wherewith we shall send it 
 to its place. And they said. If ye send away the ark of 
 the God of Israel, send it not empty ; but in any wise 
 return him a guilt offering: then ye shall be healed, and 
 it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed 
 from you. Then said they. What shall be the guilt offer- 
 ing which we shall return to him? And they said, Five 
 golden tumours, and five golden mice, according to the 
 number of the lords of the Philistines : for one plague 
 was on you all, and on your lords. Wherefore, ye shall 
 make images of your tumours, and images of your mice 
 that mar the land ; and ye shall give glory unto the God 
 of Israel : peradventure he will lighten his hand from off 
 you, and from off your gods, and from off" your land. 
 Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyp- 
 tians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had 
 wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the 
 people go, and they departed? Now therefore take and 
 
 157 
 
Samuel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 prepare you a new cart, and two milch kine, on which 
 there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and 
 bring their calves home from them : and take the ark of 
 the Lord, and lay it upon the cart ; and put the jewels 
 of gold, which ye return him for a guilt offering, in a coffer 
 by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go. 
 And see, if it goeth up by the way of its own border to 
 Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil : but 
 if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that 
 smote U3 ; it was a chance that happened to us. And the 
 men did so ; and took tv/o milch kine, and tied them to 
 the cart, and shut up their calves at home : and they put 
 the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the 
 mice of gold and the images of their tumours. And the 
 kine took the straight way by the way to Beth-shemesh ; 
 they vi^ent along the high way, lowing as they went, and 
 turned not aside to the right hand or to the left ; and the 
 lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of 
 Beth-shemesh. And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping 
 their wheat harvest in the valley : and they lifted up their 
 eyes, and sav/ the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the 
 cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and 
 stood there, where there was a great stone : and they 
 clave the wood of the cart, and offered up the kine for 
 a burnt offering unto the Lord. And the Levites took 
 down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was with 
 it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the 
 
 158 
 
The Judges S«^ Saul 
 
 great stone : and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt 
 offerings and sacrihced sacrifices the same day unto the 
 Lord. And when the five lords of the Phihstines had 
 seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 
 
 Vlll 
 
 The Anointing; of Saul 
 
 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made 
 his sons judges over Israel. And his sons w-alked not in 
 his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and 
 perverted judgement. 
 
 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves to- 
 gether, and came to Samuel unto Ramah : and they said 
 unto him. Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in 
 thy ways : now make us a king to judge us like all the 
 nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they 
 said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed 
 unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, 
 Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say 
 unto thee : for they have not rejected thee, but they have 
 rejected me, that I should not be king over them. Ac- 
 cording to all the works which they have done since the 
 day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this 
 day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, 
 
 159 
 
Saul ^ Bible Stories 
 
 so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto 
 their voice: howbeit thou shalt protest solemnly unto 
 them, and shalt shew them the manner of the king that 
 shall reign over them. 
 
 And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the 
 people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will 
 be the manner of the king that shall reign over you : he 
 will take your sons, and appoint them unto him, for his 
 chariots, and to be his horsemen ; and they shall run be- 
 fore his chariots : and he will appoint them unto him for 
 captains of thousands, and captains of fifties ; and he will 
 set some to plough his ground, and to reap his harvest, 
 and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments 
 of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be 
 confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And 
 he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your 
 oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his 
 servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of 
 your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 
 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, 
 and your goodliest young men, and 3'our asses, and put 
 them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks : 
 and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that 
 day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you ; 
 and the Lord will not answer you in that day. But the 
 people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel ; and 
 they said. Nay ; but we will have a king over us ; that we 
 
 160 
 
The Judges 6<- Saul 
 
 also may be like all the nations ; and that our king may 
 judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. And 
 Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed 
 them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to 
 Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. 
 And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man 
 unto his city. 
 
 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was 
 Kish, a mighty man of valour. And he had a son, whose 
 name was Saul, a young man and a goodly : and there was 
 not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than 
 he : from his shoulders and upward he was higher than 
 any of the people. And the asses of Kish Saul's father 
 were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one 
 of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. 
 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and 
 passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them 
 not : then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and 
 there they were not : and he passed through the land of 
 the Benjamites, but they found them not. When they 
 were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant 
 that was with him, Come and let us return ; lest my father 
 leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us. And 
 he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man 
 of God, and he is a man that is held in honour ; all that 
 he saith cometh surely to pass : now let us go thither ; 
 peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon 
 M i6i 
 
Saul ^ Bible Stories 
 
 we go. Then said Saul to his servant. But, behold, if we 
 go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent 
 in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the 
 man of God : what have we ? And the servant answered 
 Saul aofain, and said, Behold, I have in mv hand the fourth 
 part of a shekel of silver : that will I give to the man of 
 God, to tell us our way. 
 
 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said ; come, let us 
 go. So they went unto the city Vv'here the man of God 
 was. As they went up the ascent to the city, they found 
 young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto 
 them. Is the seer here? And they answered them, and 
 said, He is ; behold, he is before thee : make haste now, 
 for he is come today into the city ; for the people have a 
 sacrifice today in the high place : as soon as ye be come 
 into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go 
 up to the high place to eat : for the people will not eat 
 until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice ; and 
 afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get 
 you up ; for at this time ye shall find him. And they 
 v/ent up to the city ; and as they came within the city, 
 behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the 
 high place. 
 
 Now the Lord had revealed unto Samuel a day before 
 Saul came, saying. Tomorrow about this time I vvill send 
 thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt 
 anoint him to be prince over my people Israel, and he 
 
 162 
 
The Judges 6<-^ Saul 
 
 shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines : 
 for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is 
 come unto me. And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord 
 said unto him, Behold the man of whom I spake to thee ! 
 this same shall have authority over my people. Then 
 Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, 
 I pray thee, where the seer's house is. And Samuel 
 answered Saul, and said, I am the seer , go up before me 
 unto the high place, for ye shall eat with me today: and 
 in the morning I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that 
 is in thine heart. And as for thine asses that were lost 
 three days ago, set not thy mind on them ; for they are 
 found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it 
 not on thee, and on all thy father's house? And Saul 
 answered and said. Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest 
 of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the 
 families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest 
 thou to me after this manner? And Samuel took Saul 
 and his servant, and brought them into the guest-chamber, 
 and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that 
 were bidden, which were about thirty persons. And 
 Samuel said unto the cook. Bring the portion which I 
 gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. And 
 the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, 
 and set it before Saul. And Samuel said. Behold that 
 which hath been reserved ! set it before thee and eat ; 
 because unto the appointed time hath it been kept for 
 
 163 
 
Saul -^ Bible Stories 
 
 thee, for I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did 
 eat with Samuel that day. And when they were come 
 down from the high place into the city, he communed 
 with Saul upon the housetop. And they arose early : and 
 it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel 
 called to Saul on the housetop, saying, Up, that I may 
 send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both 
 of them, he and Samuel, abroad. As they were going 
 down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the 
 servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand 
 thou still at this time, that I may cause thee to hear the 
 word of God. Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and 
 poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it 
 not that the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over 
 his inheritance ? When thou art departed from me today, 
 then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre, and 
 they will say unto thee. The asses which thou wentest to 
 seek are found : and, lo, thy father hath left the care of 
 the asses, and taketh thought for you, saying, What shall I 
 do for my son ? Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, 
 and thou shalt come to the oak of Tabor, and there shall 
 meet thee there three men going up to God to Beth-el, one 
 carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of 
 bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine : and they 
 will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread ; which 
 thou shalt receive of their hand. After that thou shalt 
 come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the 
 
 164 
 
The Judges B«^ Saul 
 
 Philistines : and it shall come to pass, when thou art come 
 thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a band of prophets 
 coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a 
 timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them ; and they 
 shall be prophesying : and the spirit of the Lord will 
 come mightily upon thee, and thou shait prophesy with 
 them, and shalt be turned into another man. And let it 
 be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as 
 occasion serve thee ; for God is with thee. And thou 
 shalt go down before me to Gilgal ; and, behold, I will 
 come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to 
 sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings : seven days shalt 
 thou tarry, till I come unto thee, and shew thee what thou 
 shalt do. And it was so, that when he had turned his 
 back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart : 
 and all those signs came to pass that day. 
 
 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a band 
 of prophets met him ; and the spirit of God came mightily 
 upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came 
 to pass, when all that knew him beforetimes saw that, 
 behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people 
 said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son 
 of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? Therefore 
 it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? 
 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came 
 to the high place. 
 
 And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, 
 
 i6s 
 
Saul ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and 
 when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel. 
 And SauPs uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel 
 said unto you. And Saul said unto his uncle. He told us 
 plainly that the asses were found. But concerning the 
 matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told 
 him not. 
 
 And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord 
 to Mizpah ; and he said unto the children of Israel, Thus 
 saith the Lord, the God of Israel, I brought up Israel out 
 of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the 
 Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that 
 oppressed you : but ye have this day rejected your God, 
 who himself saveth you out of all your calamities and your 
 distresses ; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a 
 king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before 
 the Lord by your tribes, and by your thousands. So 
 Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe 
 of Benjamin was taken. And he brought the tribe of 
 Benjamin near by their families, and the family of the 
 Matrites was taken : and Saul the son of Kish was taken ; 
 but Vv'hen they sought him, he could not be found. There- 
 fore they asked of the Lord further, Is there yet a man to 
 come hither? And the Lord answered, Behold, he hath 
 hid himself among the stuff. And they ran and fetched 
 him thence ; and when he stood among the people, he 
 was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and 
 
 i66 
 
The Judges B^ David 
 
 upward. And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him 
 whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him 
 among all the people? And all the people shouted, and 
 said. God save the king. 
 
 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the king- 
 dom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the 
 Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man 
 to his house. 
 
 IX 
 
 The Rejection of Saul and Anointing of David 
 
 And Samuel said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint 
 thee to be king over his people, over Israel : now there- 
 fore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. 
 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I have marked that which 
 Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in 
 the way, when he came up out of Egypt. Now go and 
 smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and 
 spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant 
 and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 
 
 And Saul smote the Amalekitcs. And he took Agag 
 the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all 
 the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the 
 people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the 
 
 167 
 
David -^ Bible Stories 
 
 oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was 
 good, and would not utterly destroy them : but every thing 
 that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 
 
 Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying. 
 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king : for 
 he is turned back from following me, and hath not per- 
 formed my commandments. And Samuel was wroth ; and 
 he cried unto the Lord all night. And Samuel rose 
 early to meet Saul in the morning ; and it was told Sam- 
 uel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him 
 up a monument, and is gone about, and passed on, and 
 gone down to Gilgal. And Samuel came to Saul : and 
 Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord : I have 
 performed the commandment of the Lord. And Samuel 
 said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in 
 mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 
 And Saul said. They have brought them from the Ama- 
 lekites : for the people spared the best of the sheep and 
 of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God ; and the 
 rest we have utterly destroyed. Then Samuel said unto 
 Saul, Sta}', and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said 
 to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. And 
 Samuel said, Though thou wast little in thine own sight, 
 wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And 
 the Lord anointed thee king over Israel ; and the Lord 
 sent thee on a journey, and said. Go and utterly destroy 
 the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until 
 
 i6S 
 
The Judges 6«- David 
 
 they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey 
 the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and 
 didst that which was evil in the sight of the Lord? And 
 Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of 
 the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent 
 me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have 
 utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took 
 of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted 
 things, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. 
 And Samuel said. Hath the Lord as great delisfht in 
 burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of 
 the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and 
 to hearken than the fat of rams. Because thou hast re- 
 jected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee 
 from being king. And Saul said unto Samuel, I have 
 sinned : for I have transgressed the commandment of the 
 Lord, and thy words : because I feared the people, and 
 obeyed their voice. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon 
 my sin, and turn again with me. that I may worship the 
 Lord. And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with 
 thee : for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and 
 the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. 
 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon 
 the skirt of his robe, and it rent. And Samuel said unto 
 him. The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee 
 this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is 
 better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will 
 
 169 
 
David "^ Bible Stories 
 
 not lie nor repent : for he is not a man, that he should 
 repent. Then he said, I have sinned : yet honour me 
 now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and 
 before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship 
 the Lord thy God. So Samuel turned again after Saul ; 
 and Saul worshipped the Lord. 
 
 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king 
 of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. 
 And Agag said. Surely the bitterness of death is past. 
 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women child- 
 less, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And 
 Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. 
 
 Then Samuel went to Ramah ; and Saul went up to his 
 house to Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel came no more to 
 see Saul until the day of his death ; for Samuel mourned 
 for Saul : and the Lord repented that he had made Saul 
 king over Israel. 
 
 And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou 
 mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king 
 over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send 
 thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite : for I have provided me 
 a king among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go? 
 if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take 
 an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the 
 Lord. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew 
 thee what thou shalt do : and thou shalt anoint unto me 
 him whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that 
 
 170 
 
The Judges B<- David 
 
 which the Lord spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And 
 the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and 
 said, Comest thou peaceably ? And he said. Peaceably : 
 I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord : sanctify yourselves, 
 and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified 
 Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And 
 it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on 
 Eliab, and said. Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. 
 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his counte- 
 nance, or on the height of his stature ; because I have re- 
 jected him : for the Lord seeth not as man seeth ; for 
 man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord 
 looketh on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and 
 made him pass before Samuel. And he said. Neither hath 
 the Lord chosen this. Then Jesse made Shammah to 
 pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen 
 this. And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before 
 Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath 
 not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here 
 all thy children? And he said. There remaineth yet the 
 youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Sam- 
 uel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him : for we will not 
 sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought 
 him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful 
 countenance, and goodly to look upon. And the Lord 
 said, Arise, anoint him : for this is he. Then Samuel 
 took the hora of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his 
 
 171 
 
Uavid ^ Bible Stories 
 
 brethren : and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon 
 David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and 
 went to Ramah. 
 
 The Feud of Saul and David and the Friendship of 
 David and Jonathan 
 
 David and Goliath 
 
 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to 
 battle, and Saul and the men of Israel were gathered to- 
 gether, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 
 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, 
 and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side : and 
 there was a valley between them. And there went out a 
 champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goli- 
 ath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 
 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was 
 clad with a coat of mail ; and the weight of the coat was 
 five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of 
 brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his 
 shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's 
 beam ; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels 
 of iron : and his shieldbearer went before him. And he 
 stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto 
 
 172 
 
The Judges e«^ David 
 
 them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? 
 am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you 
 a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be 
 able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your 
 servants : but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then 
 shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine 
 said, I defy the armies of Israel this day ; give me a man, 
 that we may fight together. And when Saul and all Israel 
 heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, 
 and greatly afraid. 
 
 Now David was the son of Jesse : and he had eight 
 sons, and the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after 
 Saul to the battle, and David was the youngest. And the 
 Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented 
 himself forty days. 
 
 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy 
 brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten 
 loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to thy breth- 
 ren ; and bring these ten cheeses unto the captain of their 
 thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their 
 pledge. Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, 
 were in the vale of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 
 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep 
 v/ith a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had com- 
 manded him ; and he came to the place of the wagons, 
 as the host which was going forth to the fight shouted for 
 the battle. And Israel and the Philistines put the battle 
 
 173 
 
E)avid "^ Bible Stories 
 
 in array, army against army. And David left his baggage 
 in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the 
 army, and came and saluted his brethren. And as he 
 talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, 
 the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks 
 of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words : 
 and David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when 
 they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. 
 And the men of Israel said. Have ye seen this man that 
 is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it 
 shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich 
 him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and 
 make his father's house free in Israel. And David spake 
 to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done 
 to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away 
 the reproach from Israel? for who is this Philistine, that 
 he should defy the armies of the living God? And the 
 people answered him after this manner, saying. So shall it 
 be done to the man that killeth him. And Eliab his eldest 
 brother heard when he spake unto the men ; and Eliab's 
 anger was kindled against David, and he said. Why art 
 thou come down? and with whom hast thou left those few 
 sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the 
 naughtiness of thine heart ; for thou art come down that 
 thou mightest see the battle. And David said. What have 
 I now done? Is there not a cause? And he turned away 
 from him toward another, and spake after the same man- 
 
 174 
 
The Judges 8<-- David 
 
 ner : and the people answered him again after the former 
 manner. And when the words were heard which David 
 spake, they rehearsed them before Saul ; and he sent for 
 him. And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail 
 because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this 
 Philistine. And Saul said to David. Thou art not able to 
 go against this Philistine to fight with him : for thou art 
 but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And 
 David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep ; 
 and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb 
 out of the flock, I went out after him, and smote him, and 
 delivered it out of his mouth : and when he arose against 
 me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew 
 him. Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear : and 
 this Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath de- 
 fied the armies of the living God. And David said, The 
 Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out 
 of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand 
 of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and 
 the Lord shall be with thee. And Saul clad David with 
 his apparel, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head, 
 and he clad him with a coat of mail. And David girded 
 his sword upon his apparel, and he assayed to go ; for he 
 had not proved it. And David said unto Saul. I cannot 
 go with these; for I have not proved them. And David 
 put them off him. And he took his staff in his hand, and 
 chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put 
 
 175 
 
David "^ Bible Stories 
 
 them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his 
 scrip ; and his sling was in his hand : and he drew near to 
 the Philistine. 
 
 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David ; 
 and the man that bare the shield went before him. And 
 when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he dis- 
 dained him : for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal 
 of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, 
 Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves ? And the 
 Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine 
 said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto 
 the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then 
 said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a 
 sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin : but I come 
 to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the 
 armies of Israel, which thou hast defied. This day will 
 the Lord deliver thee into mine hand ; and I will smite 
 thee, and take thine head from off thee ; and I will give 
 the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the 
 fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth ; that 
 all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel ; and 
 that all this assembly may know that the Lord saveth not 
 with sword and spear : for the battle is the Lord's, and 
 he will give you into our hand. And it came to pass, 
 when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet 
 David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to 
 meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, 
 
 176 
 
The Judges 8«^ David 
 
 and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Phi- 
 listine in his forehead ; and the stone sank into his fore- 
 head, and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David 
 prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, 
 and smote the Philistine, and slew him ; but there was no 
 sword in the hand of David. Then David ran, and stood 
 over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of 
 the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head there- 
 with. And when the Philistines saw that their champion 
 was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and of Judah 
 arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines. And the 
 children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philis- 
 tines, and they spoiled their camp. And David took the 
 head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem ; but 
 he put his armour in his tent. 
 
 How the Fend and the Friendship began 
 
 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, 
 he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose 
 son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O 
 king, I cannot tell. And the king said. Inquire thou whose 
 son the stripling is. And as David returned from the 
 slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought 
 him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 
 And Saul said to him. Whose son art thou, thou young 
 man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant 
 N 177 
 
I^avid ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Jesse the Beth-lehemite. And it came to pass, when he 
 had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of 
 Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan 
 loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, 
 and would let him go no more home to his father's house. 
 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he 
 loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped him- 
 self of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, 
 and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to 
 his girdle. And David went out whithersoever Saul sent 
 him, and behaved himself wisely : and Saul set him over 
 the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the 
 people, and also in the sight of SauPs servants. 
 
 And it came to pass as they came, when David returned 
 from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came 
 out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet 
 king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with instruments of 
 music. And the women sang one to another in their play, 
 and said, 
 
 Saul hath slain his thousands, 
 And David his ten thousands. 
 
 And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased 
 him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten 
 thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands : 
 and what can he have more but the kingdom? And 
 Saul eyed David from that day and forward. 
 
 178 
 
The Judges B^ David 
 
 And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit 
 from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in 
 the midst of the house : and David played with his hand, 
 as he did day by day : and Saul had his spear in his hand. 
 And Saul cast the spear ; for he said, I will smite David 
 even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence 
 twice. And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord 
 was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore 
 Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain 
 over a thousand ; and he went out and came in before the 
 people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his 
 ways ; and the Lord was with him. And when Saul saw 
 that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of 
 him. But all Israel and Judah loved David ; for he went 
 out and came in before them. 
 
 The Escape by N'ight 
 
 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his ser- 
 vants, that they should slay David. But Jonathan Saul's 
 son delighted much in David. And Jonathan told David, 
 saying, Saul my father seeketh to slay thee : now therefore, 
 I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide 
 in a secret place, and hide thyself: and I will go out and 
 stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I 
 will commune with my father of thee ; and if I see aught, 
 I will tell thee. And Jonathan spake good of David uuto 
 
 179 
 
David ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin 
 against his servant, against David ; because he hath not 
 sinned against thee, and because his works have been 
 to thee- ward very good: for he put his life in his hand, 
 and smote the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great 
 victory for all Israel : thou sawest it, and didst rejoice : 
 wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to 
 slay David without a cause? And Saul hearkened unto 
 the voice of Jonathan : and Saul sware, As the Lord 
 liveth, he shall not be put to death. And Jonathan 
 called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. 
 And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he w^as in his 
 presence, as beforetime. 
 
 And there was war again : and David went out, and 
 fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great 
 slaughter; and they fled before him. And an evil spirit 
 from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with 
 his spear in his hand ; and David played with his hand. 
 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the 
 spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he 
 smote the spear into the wall : and David fled, and escaped 
 that night. And Saul sent messengers unto David's house, 
 to watch him, and to slay him in the morning : and Mi- 
 chal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy 
 life tonight, tomorrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let 
 David dowm through the window : and he went, and fled, 
 and escaped. And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it 
 
 i8o 
 
The Judges 9<- David 
 
 in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair at the head 
 thereof, and covered it with the clothes. And when Saul 
 sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And 
 Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying. Bring him 
 up to me in the bed, that I may slay him. And when the 
 messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, 
 with the pillow of goats' hair at the head thereof. And 
 Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me thus, 
 and let mine enemy go, that he is escaped? And Michal 
 answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go ; why should 
 I kill thee? 
 
 The Secret Meeting of David and Jonathan 
 
 And David came and said before Jonathan, What have 
 I done ? what is mine iniquity ? and what is my sin before 
 thy father, that he seeketh my life? And he said unto him, 
 God forbid ; thou shalt not die : behold, my father doeth 
 nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto 
 me : and why should my father hide this thing from me? 
 it is not so. And David sware moreover, and said. Thy 
 father knoweth well that I have found grace in thine eyes ; 
 and he saith. Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be 
 grieved : but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul 
 liveth, there is but a step between me and death. Then 
 said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, 
 I will even do it for thee. And David said unto Jonathan, 
 
 i8i 
 
David ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail 
 to sit with the king at meat : but let me go that I may 
 hide myself in the field unto the third day at even. If 
 thy father miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked 
 leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city : for 
 it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family. If he say 
 thus, It is well ; thy servant shall have peace : but if he be 
 wroth, then know that evil is determined by him. There- 
 fore deal kindly with thy servant ; for thou hast brought 
 thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee : but if 
 there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest 
 thou bring me to thy father? And Jonathan said, Far be 
 it from thee : for if I should at all know that evil were de- 
 termined by my father to come upon thee, then would not 
 I tell it thee? Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall 
 tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly? And 
 Jonathan said unto David, Come and let us go out into the 
 field. And they went out both of them into the field. 
 
 And Jonathan said unto David, The Lord, the God of 
 Israel, be witness ; when I have sounded my father about 
 this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there be 
 good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and 
 disclose it unto thee? The Lord do so to Jonathan, and 
 more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I 
 disclose it not unto thee, and send thee away, that thou 
 mayest go in peace : and the Lord be with thee, as he 
 hath been with my father. And thou shalt not only while 
 
 182 
 
The Judges B^ David 
 
 yet I live shew me the kindness of the Lord, that I die 
 not : but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my 
 house for ever : no, not when the Lord hath cut off the 
 enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. 
 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, 
 saying, And the Lord shall require it at the hand of 
 David's enemies. And Jonathan caused David to swear 
 again, for the love that he had to him : for he loved him 
 as he loved his own soul. Then Jonathan said unto him, 
 Tomorrow is the new moon : and thou shalt be missed, 
 because thy seat will be empty. And when thou hast 
 stayed three days, thou shalt go down quickly, and come 
 to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the busi- 
 ness was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. And 
 I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I 
 shot at a mark. And, behold, I will send the lad, saving. 
 Go, find the arrows. If I say unto the lad, Behold, the 
 arrows are on this side of thee: take them, and come; 
 for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as the Lord liveth. 
 But if I say thus unto the boy. Behold, the arrows are be- 
 yond thee : go thy way ; for the Lord hath sent thee away. 
 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken 
 of, behold, the Lord is between thee and me for ever. 
 
 So David hid himself in the field : and when the new 
 moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 
 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even 
 upon the seat by the wall ; and Jonathan stood up, and 
 
 183 
 
j)avid ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Abner sat by Saul's side : but David's place was empty. 
 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he 
 thouf^ht, Something hath befallen him. And it came to 
 pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the 
 second day, that David's place was empty : and Saul said 
 unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of 
 Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor today? And Jona- 
 than answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to 
 go to Beth-lehem : and he said. Let me go, I pray thee ; 
 for our family hath a sacrifice in the city ; and my brother, 
 he hath commanded me to be there : and now, if I have 
 found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, 
 and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come unto the 
 king's table. Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jona- 
 than, and he said unto him. Thou son of a perverse rebel- 
 lious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son 
 of Jesse to thine own shame? For as long as the son of 
 Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be stablished, 
 nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him 
 unto me, for he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered 
 Saul his father, and said untc him. Wherefore should he 
 be put to death ? what hath he done ? And Saul cast his 
 spear at him to smite him : whereby Jonathan knew that 
 it was determined of his father to put David to death. 
 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did 
 eat no meat the second day of the month : for he was 
 grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. 
 
 Z84 
 
The Judges B«- David 
 
 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan 
 went out into the field at the time appointed with David, 
 and a Httle lad with him. And he said unto his lad, Run, 
 find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, 
 he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the lad was 
 come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, 
 Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow 
 beyond thee? And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make 
 speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up 
 the arrows, and came to his master. But the lad knew 
 not any thing : only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 
 And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said 
 unto him, Go, carry them to the city. And as soon as 
 the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the 
 South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed him- 
 self three times : and they kissed one another, and wept 
 one with another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan 
 said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn 
 both of us in the name of the Lord, saying. The Lord 
 shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and 
 thy seed, for ever. And he arose and departed : and 
 Jonathan went into the city. 
 
 The Adventure of the Spear and Water-cruse 
 
 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying. 
 Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, 
 
 i8s 
 
j3avid "^ Bible Stories 
 
 which is before the desert? Then Saul arose, and went 
 down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand 
 chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wil- 
 derness of Ziph. And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, 
 which is before the desert, by the way. But David abode 
 in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him 
 into the wilderness. David therefore sent out spies, and 
 understood that Saul was come of a certainty. And 
 David arose, and came to the place where Saul had 
 pitched : and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and 
 Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host : and Saul 
 lay within the place of the w-agons, and the people pitched 
 round about him. Then answered David and said, Who 
 will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai 
 said, I will go down with thee. So David and Abishai 
 came to the people by night : and, behold, Saul lay sleep- 
 ing within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck 
 in the ground at his head : and Abner and the people lay 
 round about him. Then said Abishai to David, God hath 
 delivered up thine enemy into thine hand this day : now 
 therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear 
 to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the 
 second time. And David said to Abishai, Destroy him 
 not : for who can put forth his hand against the Lord's 
 anointed, and be guiltless ? And David said, As the Lord 
 liveth, the Lord shall smite him ; or his day shall come 
 to die ; or he shall go down into battle, and perish. The 
 
 iS6 
 
The Judges 8«^ David 
 
 Lord forbid that I should put forth mine hand against 
 the Lord's anointed : but now take, I pray thee, the spear 
 that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go. 
 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from 
 Saul's head ; and they gat them away, and no man saw 
 it, nor knew it, neither did any awake : for they were all 
 asleep ; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen 
 upon them. 
 
 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on 
 the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being 
 between them : and David cried to the people, and to 
 Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? 
 Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest 
 to the king? And David said to Abner, Art not thou a 
 valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore 
 then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for 
 there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy 
 lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As 
 the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have 
 not kept watch over your lord, the Lord's anointed. And 
 now, see, where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water 
 that was at his head. And Saul knew David's voice, and 
 said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said. 
 It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he said. Wherefore 
 doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I 
 done? or what evil is in mine hand? Now therefore, I 
 pray thee, let my lord the king hear the w^ords of his 
 
 187 
 
David ^ Bible Stories 
 
 servant. If it be the Lord that hath stirred thee up 
 against me, let him accept an offering : but if it be the 
 children of men, cursed be they before the Lord ; for 
 they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave 
 unto the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other 
 gods. Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth 
 away from the presence of the Lord: for the king of 
 Lsrael is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt 
 a partridge in the mountains. Then said Saul, I have 
 sinned : return, my son David : for I will no more do thee 
 harm, because my life was precious in thine eyes this day : 
 behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. 
 And David answered and said, Behold the spear, O king! 
 let then one of the young men come over and fetch it. 
 And the Lord shall render to everv man his rijjhteousness 
 and his faithfulness : forasmuch as the Lord delivered 
 thee into my hand today, and I would not put forth mine 
 hand against the Lord's anointed. And, behold, as thy 
 life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life 
 be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him de- 
 liver me out of all tribulation. Then Saul said to David, 
 Blessed be thou, my son David : thou shalt both do 
 mightily, and shalt surely prevail. So David went his 
 way, and Saul returned to his place. 
 
 x88 
 
The Judges Q^ ^^^.^ 
 
 The Battle of Gilboa 
 
 Now the Philistines fought against Israel : and the men 
 of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down 
 slain in mount Gilboa. And the Philistines followed 
 hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines 
 slew the sons of Saul. And the battle went sore against 
 Saul, and the archers overtook him ; and he was greatly 
 distressed by reason of the archers. Then said Saul to 
 his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through 
 therewith; lest these come and thrust me through, and 
 abuse me. But his armourbearer would not ; for he was 
 sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon 
 it. And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, 
 he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him. So 
 Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and 
 all his men, that same day together. 
 
 And it came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a 
 man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, 
 and earth upon his head : and so it was, when he came 
 to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. 
 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou ? 
 And he said unto him. Out of the camp of Israel am I 
 escaped. And David said unto him, How went the mat- 
 ter ? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered. The people 
 are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are 
 fallen and dead ; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead 
 
 189 
 
Da^^id -^ Bible Stories 
 
 also. And David said unto the young man that told him, 
 How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be 
 dead ? And the yoang man that told him said, As I 
 happened by cliance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul 
 leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and the 
 horsemen followed hard after him. And when he looked 
 behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I 
 answered, Here am I. And he said unto me. Who art 
 thou .'* And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. And 
 he said unto me. Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay 
 me, for anguish hath taken hold of me ; because my life 
 is yet whole in me. So I stood beside him, and slew 
 him, because I was sure that he could not live after that 
 he was fallen : and I took the crown that was upon his 
 head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have 
 brought them hither unto my lord. Then David took 
 hold on his clothes, and rent them ; and likewise all the 
 men that were with him, and they mourned, and wept, 
 and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, 
 and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of 
 Israel ; because they were fallen by the sword. And 
 David said unto the young man that told him. Whence art 
 thou ? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an 
 Arnalekite. And David said unto him. How wast thou 
 not afraid to put forth thine hand to destroy the Lord's 
 anointed ? And David called one of the young men, and 
 said. Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him, that 
 
 190 
 
The Judges 6«^ David 
 
 he died. And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon 
 thy head ; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, say- 
 ing, I have slain the Lord^s anointed. 
 
 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul 
 and over Jonathan his son. 
 
 David's Lament 
 
 Thy glory, O Israel, 
 
 Is slain upon thy high places ! 
 
 How are the viigJity — 
 
 Fallen ! 
 
 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain 
 upon you, 
 
 Neither fields of offerings ; 
 
 For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, 
 The shield of Saul as of one 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. 
 191 
 
David ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Ye daughters of Israel, 
 
 Weep over Saul, 
 
 Who clothed you in scarlet delicately, 
 
 Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel. 
 
 How are the inighty — 
 
 Falleii in the midst of the battle I 
 
 O Jonathan, 
 
 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, 
 
 Passing the love of women. 
 
 How are the mighty — 
 
 Fallen ! 
 And the weapons of war — • 
 
 Perished I 
 
 193 
 
The Judges B«^ Notes 
 
 Notes to the Judges 
 
 ii. Old shoes and cloitted : <:/£??//'^(^/ is patched. 
 
 iii. To understand thoroughly this celebrated story certain 
 points must be borne in mind, (i) At different times different 
 tribes of Israel take the lead; in the present case it is the north- 
 ern tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali who are the heroes of the 
 day. Other tribes are less eager, especially Reuben; its change 
 of mind from great resolves of heart to great searchiugs of heart 
 is laughed at in the Song of Deborah. Barak the commander- 
 in-chief is of the tribe of Zebulun \^out of Zebuhin they that 
 handle the marshaVs staffs : the rallying place of the hosts is 
 Kedesh-naphtali [great city, or capital, of Naphtali]. Deborah 
 herself was of the tribe of Issachar. The different behaviour of 
 the tribes is celebrated in the portion of the song called the 
 Muster. (2) The Kenites were a people who had joined the 
 Israelites during their journey through the wilderness, and had 
 become by now a part of Israel, except that the Kenites con- 
 tinued their life in tents. Hence the importance of the state- 
 ments that Heber the Kenite had severed himself from the Kenites 
 . . . and had pitched his tent as far as the oah . . . wJiich is by 
 Kedesh : and again : 7'here was peace between Jabin . . , and 
 the house of Heber : and again : 77/1?/ told Sisera that Barak 
 . . . ivas gone up. Putting these three passages together we 
 can see that this Heber the Kenite was a spy, in the pay of the 
 Canaanite king, and that he betrayed the movements of his 
 allies the Israelites to their oppressor. But his wife Jael evi- 
 
 o 193 
 
I^oteg ^ Bible Stories 
 
 dently hates this treachery, and plays the traitor on the other 
 side, by slaying Sisera when he takes refuge in her tent. Noth- 
 ing can excuse her treacherous murder : but the fact that it was 
 done to atone for her false husband's treachery on the other 
 side makes it easier to understand why the Song of Deborah 
 mentions the deed with triumph, instead of condemning its 
 wickedness. (3) On account of the 900 chariots of iron, which 
 foot soldiers could not well fight against, the only hope for 
 Israel was a surprise. Accordingly the plan was to muster 
 silently, little by little on the hills, and seize a favourable mo- 
 ment for a rush upon Sisera's forces. But this was prevented 
 by the treachery of Heber the Kenite, who reported to Sisera. 
 The Canaanite army, with its chariots, thus filled the plain 
 [called Esdraelon: hence this is the Battle of Esdraelon], 
 which was just what was wanted for the free movements of 
 chariots. All thus seemed hopeless for Israel. But a sudden 
 thunderstorm came [ The stars in their courses fought against 
 Sisera"], followed by fierce rain which swelled the waters of 
 the river Kishon, until the whole plain was a marsh [hence the 
 helpless pransings of the strong horses, trying to get out of the 
 mud]. As a result Israel was able to destroy the whole army 
 while they were caught in the marsh. — JMeroz must have been 
 some city on the line of retreat of the Canaanites, which failed 
 to come promptly on this critical day. (4) The Song of Debo- 
 rah, like other ancient poetry of the Hebrews, was accompanied 
 with timbrel music and dancing: Deborah and the Women 
 take one part, Barak and the Men take another, and sometimes 
 they sing together. Probably the * refrains ' [printed in italics] 
 
 194 
 
The Judges d^ Notes 
 
 were the parts where the timbrel music and dancing broke out 
 most, though there would be some movement all through. To 
 get the general effect, boys may take the men's part, girls the 
 women's : while at the italic passages the recitation might be 
 accompanied with clapping of the hands. 
 
 Page 125. 7 /le Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin : for 
 the expression sold compare : The wages of sin is death : the 
 Lord is poetically described as exchanging for the people's 
 iniquity the price of slavery. — Page 129. Tell of it ye that ride 
 on lohite asses : the ass was the regular animal for riding among 
 the Israelites, The reference is to rulers. The Men call on all 
 men to rejoice, whether rulers on asses or common people by 
 the wayside ; then the Women add how women, in their place 
 of assembly, the places of drawing water, shall sing the same 
 deliverance. 
 
 iv. The Midianites were a people leading a wandering life 
 in the deserts, like the Arabian Bedouins we read of today. 
 They had camels and gorgeous tents, and were formidable by 
 their vast numbers. There are vast desert regions to the east 
 of Palestine : hence jSIidianites and similar desert peoples are 
 called children of the east. It is natural that the part of the 
 holy land which suffered most in this war was Gilead, a region 
 east of the river Jordan. Jllanasseh, Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali^ 
 are all tribes of Israel called upon to assist. 
 
 V. The Ammonites were a mountain people dwelling east of 
 the Jordan. Israel had come into conflict with them while 
 passing through the wilderness : and they continued through all 
 their history border foes of the Israelites. — Page 141. Bewail 
 
 19s 
 
Isjoteg ^ Bib le Stories 
 
 my virginitv : the great ambition of every Hebrew woman was 
 to be the ancestress, perhaps even the mother, of the promised 
 Messiah. Hence Jephthah's daughter bewails not her death, 
 but that she must die before becoming a mother. 
 
 vi. Ashkelon is one of the main cities of the Philistines, all 
 of which lie along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. — The 
 cleft of the rock of Etam : Samson had occupied some pass in 
 the mountains, so narrow that he alone could hold it against a 
 hQSt. — A Nazirite : the total abstainers of that day : they were 
 pledged to this from infancy, and in token of the pledge wore 
 hair that v/as never cut. 
 
 vii. A daughter of Belial : of all the idolatries to which the 
 Israelites yielded that of Belial was the most contemptible : 
 hence a man of Belial htcdivat an expression for one contempti- 
 ble in his wickedness. — ' Samuel ' in the original means ' asked 
 of God.' — 7'he luord of the LORD was precious in those days : 
 precious is an old English word for scarce. In that period 
 when the priests themselves were wicked the answers of God 
 to inquirers became rare, and (like that to Samuel) secret: 
 There was no open vision. — God do so to thee, and more also : 
 this is a Hebrew saymg, used in solemn charges. — The ark 
 of the covenant was the sacred chest in which were deposited 
 (among other things) the Tables written by the finger of God 
 with the ten commandments : it was the most sacred emblem 
 of the covenant between God and the Chosen People: the spot 
 where it was kept was regarded as the very presence of God. 
 Hence the terror of the Philistines when this ark was brought 
 into the battle. — Dagon : the chief idol of the Philistines: 
 
 196 
 
The Judges S<- Notes 
 
 half man, half fish, the Philistines being a maritime people, 
 whose cities lay along the coast of the Mediterranean. 
 
 viii. The seer''s house : the Bible history has an explanation 
 here : He that is now called a Prophet was beforetiiJie called a 
 Seer. — He communed with Saul upon the housetop: the flat 
 roof of a Hebrew house was like the verandah of an American 
 house, the regular place for resting and conversation. In the 
 climate of that land they could often sleep there all night. — A 
 band of prophets : from the time of Samuel we find regular 
 schools of prophets, like the monasteries of the middle ages. 
 The words of inspiration were accompanied with music and 
 bodily motion or dancing. 
 
 X. Note how the three personages of this important story 
 represent the three main weapons of ancient warfare : Saul is 
 great with the spear, Jonathan is the hero of the bow and arrow, 
 and David of the sling. These were the first forms of the 
 modern cavalry, infantry, artillery. Page 179. An evil spirit 
 from God : this is an expression of the same kind as that which 
 says God hardened Pharao/i's heart. The consequences of sin, 
 though they take the form of an evil spirit, are said to be sent 
 by God, whose providence unites suffering with sinning. — 
 Page 180. The teraphim : an idol image. — Page 188. Saying, 
 Go serve other gods : in those days every different country had 
 different religion : hence the driving David out of Israel was 
 equivalent to bidding him serve other gods than the Lord. 
 
 197 
 
BIBLE STORIES 
 
 The Kings and The Prophets 
 
Introduction to the kings and The 
 Prophets 
 
 In the fourth period of its history Israel was governed 
 by visible kings. But a portion of the nation still stood 
 for the idea of looking directly to the Lord for the guid- 
 ance of his people. They were represented by a succession 
 of '■prophets,'' or ^interpreters of God,'' who were inspired 
 to make objections when the kings were leading the people 
 astray. Thns the history of this period took the form of 
 a gover7iment by kings and a7i opposition of prophets. 
 
 The Bible history now gives, in regular order, descriP' 
 tio7is of the kings and accounts of the chief events of each 
 reign. Such history cannot be well represe?ded by extracts, 
 but shoidd be read as a whole. Its most ijuportafit parts, 
 however, are where the mere narrative of events is in- 
 terrupted by the stoj'ies of the prophets, as they arose 07ie 
 after another to take part in Israel's affairs. It is chiefly 
 these stories of the prophets which are represetited in the 
 present selection. 
 
 David was the founder of the Israelite monarchy. He 
 was the first to gather the scattered settleinents of his people 
 into a ■united nation. He made the city of ferusalem, 
 which he captured from the febusites, his metropolis. Un- 
 
Introduction ^ Bible Stories 
 
 like other cofiquerors of history, he was a poet and 7nusi- 
 cia}i, and laid the foundations of his cotmtry's literature. 
 He also established a ritual of worship, and collected the 
 materials for the Temple which his successor zvas to build. 
 David was so ?nuch ' the man after God^s own heart ' that 
 there was not much room in his reign for prophetic oppo- 
 sition. But one of our stories relates the great sin of 
 David, afid the prophet Nathaii's rebuke. As 07ie conse- 
 quence of this sin David had continual trouble i7i his 
 fa77iily, and a second story is devoted to the Rebellion 
 of Absalo77i. 
 
 Solo77io7i co77ipleted the Te77iple which his father had 
 pia7i7ied; this was the ce7itre of the 7iatio7tal religio7i, a7id 
 one of the 77iost wonderful buildi7igs of a7ttiquity . He also 
 exte7ided the co/n?7ierce of Israel to distant parts of the 
 world. But, while all this 77iade Solo77io}Cs reig7i the 77iost 
 splefidid portio7i of IsraeVs history^ it also i7itroduced 
 luxu7y a7id other ki7ids of trouble. Solo77io7i^s greatest 
 persojial disti7ictio7t is the fact that he appears as the 
 fou7ider of the Philosophy, or as it was called ' Wisdo7n^ 
 of the Hebrews. One of the stories i7i this series is con- 
 nected with the wisdo77i of Solo 771071. 
 
 Under Solo77to7i's so7i Rehoboa77i the division took place, 
 which is the subject of one of our stories. Henceforward 
 there were two separate ki7igdo7ns. 07ily two of the twelve 
 tribes followed Rehoboa7n, a7id these 77iade up the ki7igdo77i 
 of Judah ; to this however belo7iged Jerusalem and the 
 
Kings and Prophets B«- Introduction 
 
 Temple. The ten tribes^ under their leader Jeroboam, set 
 up the northern Kingdojn, usually called the kingdom 
 of Israel, and built the great City of Safnaria as a rival 
 to Jerusalem. 
 
 The Bible history deals most fidly with the northern 
 kingdom of Israel, in which the chief struggle between 
 kings and prophets took place. After a succession of 7na7iy 
 kings, and several revolutions, there came to the throne 
 the supremely wicked family of Omri, of which the chief 
 representative was King Ahab. He had for queen the 
 infamous Jezebel, a princess of the great merchajit city 
 Zidon ; in their reign the worship of the foreign god Baal 
 was set 21 p in Israel in a7itagonis?n with that of Jehovah. 
 The crisis brought out Elijah, greatest of the prophets ; 
 and the Story of Elijah is here given at length. As Moses 
 chose a successor in Joshua, so Elijah left Elisha to carry 
 071 his work : the W07tder sto7'ies of this prophet are i7i 
 part given below. The kingdoj/t of Israel beca77ie more 
 a7id 7>iore C07'rupt, tuitil at last it fell before the Assyria7is, 
 the orie7ital people who were at that ti77ie overrti7ini7ig 
 large parts of the world. The te7i tribes were carried 
 away i7ito captivity, a7id lost a77i07ig the populatio7is of 
 the far East. 
 
 Mea7iwhile, the ki7igdo77i of Judah had its succession 
 of rulers, its sins, a7id its revolutio7is ; bid taken as a 
 whole showed tnuch 7nore fidelity to the worship of God 
 than the sister ki7igdo7n. Two 7ia7nes stand out pr 07711' 
 
 203 
 
Introduction ^ Bible Stories 
 
 ne7it from its list of kings. Under the pious Hezekiah 
 fudah was threate7ied by Assyrian invasion, atid Jeru- 
 salem was besieged by the ari7iies of Sefmacherib. Here 
 appeared the great prophet Isaiah, and kept the king a?id 
 people firm to their trust i?i the Lord. The fafnous 
 story of the overthrow of Sennacherib is one of those here 
 given. Josiah was no less pious thaii Hezekiah. In his 
 reign was suddenly discovered the ' Book of the Law ' : 
 what exactly this book was is 7iot now kno-vn, but the dis- 
 covery led to a religious revolution, which is coiumejjio- 
 rated in the final story of this series. At last the corrupted 
 kijigdom of fudah in its turn was ovei'thrown by another 
 Eastern people, the Chaldeans ; a7id large part of the 
 fews carried captive to the Chaldea7i city of Babylon. 
 
 204 
 
Stories from The Kings and The 
 Prophets 
 
 i. David and the Prophet Nathan 
 ii. The Revolt of Absalom 
 iii. The Wisdom of Solomon 
 iv. Story of the Divided Kingdom 
 V. Stories of the Prophet Elijah 
 
 Elijah and the Prophets of Baal 
 
 Elijah in the Dese?-t 
 
 The Story of Naboth'^s Vineyard 
 
 Ascent of Elijah to Heaven 
 
 vi. Stories of the Prophet Elisha 
 The Shunammite''s Son 
 Naaman and Gehazi 
 
 vii. The Assyrian Army and the Prophet Isaiah 
 viii. Josiah and the Finding of the Law 
 
 205 
 
David and the Prophet Nathan 
 
 And it came to pass, that David walked upon the roof 
 of the king's house : and from the roof he saw a woman : 
 and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And 
 David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, 
 Is not this Bath-sheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And 
 David sent messengers, and took her. 
 
 And David wrote a letter to Joab, 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 
 pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned 
 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 Hittite died also. And when the 
 wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she 
 made lamentation for her husband. And when the mourn- 
 ing was past, David sent and took her home to his house, 
 and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the 
 thing that David had done displeased the Lord. 
 
 And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came 
 
 207 
 
Nathan ^ Bible Stories 
 
 unto him, and said unto 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, 
 and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was 
 unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto 
 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 unto 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 God of Israel, I anointed thee king 
 over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul ; 
 and I gave thee thy master's house, and gave thee the 
 house of Israel and of Judah ; 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 
 Hittite 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 
 
 20S 
 
Kings and Prophets Q^ Absalom 
 
 from thine house. And David said unto Nathan, I have 
 sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, 
 The Lord also hath put away thy sin ; thou shalt not die. 
 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occa- 
 sion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child 
 also that is born unto thee shall surely die. And Nathan 
 departed unto his house. 
 
 11 
 
 The Revolt of Absalom 
 
 Now in all Israel there was none to be so much praised 
 as Absalom for his beauty : from the sole of his foot even 
 to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 
 And when he polled his head, (now it was at every year's 
 end that he polled it : because the hair was heavy on him, 
 therefore he polled it :) he weighed the hair of his head 
 at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight. 
 
 And it came to pass, that Absalom prepared him a 
 chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And 
 Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the 
 gate : and it was so, that when any man had a suit which 
 should come to the king for judgement, then Absalom 
 called unto him, and said. Of what city art thou? And he 
 said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. And 
 P 2og 
 
Absalom -^ Bible Stories 
 
 Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and 
 ri"-ht ; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear 
 thee. Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge 
 in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause 
 might come unto me, and I would do him justice! And 
 it was so, that when any man came nigh to do him obei- 
 sance, he put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and 
 kissed him. And on this manner did Absalom to all 
 Israel that came to the king for judgement : so Absalom 
 stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 
 
 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The 
 hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. And David 
 said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, 
 Arise, and let us flee ; for else none of us shall escape 
 from Absalom : make speed to depart, lest he overtake us 
 quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smite the city 
 with the edge of the sword. And the king's servants said 
 unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do what- 
 soever my lord the king shall choose. And the king went 
 forth, and all his household after him. 
 
 And David went up by the ascent of the mount of 
 Olives, and wept as he went up ; and he had his head 
 covered, and went barefoot : and all the people that were 
 with him covered every man his head, and they went up, 
 weeping as they went up. 
 
 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there 
 came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, 
 
 2IO 
 
Kings and Prophets 8«- Absalom 
 
 whose name was Shimei : he came out, and cursed still as 
 he came. And he cast stones at David, and at all the 
 servants of king David: and all the people and all the 
 mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. And 
 thus said Shimei when he cursed. Begone, begone, thou 
 man of blood, and man of Belial : the Lord hath returned 
 upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead 
 thou hast reigned ; and the Lord hath delivered the king- 
 dom into the hand of Absalom thy son : and, behold, thou 
 art taken in thine own mischief, because thou art a man 
 of blood. Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the 
 king. Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? 
 let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. And 
 the king said, Because he curseth, and because the Lord 
 hath said unto him, Curse David ; who then shall say, 
 Wherefore hast thou done so? And David said to Abi- 
 shai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son seeketh my 
 life: how much more may this Benjamite now do it? let 
 him alone, and let him curse ; for the Lord hath bidden 
 him. It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong 
 done unto me, and that the Lord will requite me good for 
 his cursing of me this day. So David and his men went 
 by the way : and Shimei went along on the hill side over 
 against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at 
 him, and cast dust. 
 
 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed 
 over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. And 
 
 21 X 
 
Absalom ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead. And 
 David numbered the people that were with him, and set 
 captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 
 And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth 
 with you myself also. But the people said, Thou shalt 
 not go forth : for if we flee away, they will not care for 
 us ; neither if half of us die, will they care for us : but 
 thou art wortli ten thousand of us : therefore now it is 
 better that thou be ready to succour us out of the city. 
 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I 
 will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the 
 people went out by hundreds and by thousands. And the 
 king commanded, saying, Deal gently for my sake with 
 the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people 
 heard when the king gave all the captains charge concern- 
 ing Absalom. So the people went out into the field against 
 Israel : and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. And 
 the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants 
 of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of 
 twenty thousand men. For the battle was there spread 
 over the face of all the country : and the forest devoured 
 more people that day than the sword devoured. And 
 Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. And 
 Absalom rode upon his mule, and the mule went under 
 the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold 
 of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and 
 the earth; and the mule that was under him went on. 
 
 2X2 
 
Kings and Prophets d^ Absalom 
 
 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, 
 I saw Absalom hanging in an oak. And Joab said unto 
 the man that told him. And, behold, thou sawest it, and 
 why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I 
 would have given thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle. 
 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a 
 thousand pieces of silver in mine hand, yet would I not 
 put forth mine hand against the king's son : for in our 
 hearing the king charged, saying, Beware that none touch 
 the young man Absalom. Otherwise if I had dealt falsely 
 against his life, (and there is no matter hid from the king,) 
 then thou thyself wouldest have stood aloof. Then said 
 Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three 
 darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of 
 Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 
 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed 
 about and smote Absalom, and slew him. And Joab blew 
 the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after 
 Israel : for Joab held back the people. And they took 
 Absalom and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and 
 raised over him a very great heap of stones : and all Israel 
 fled every one to his tent. 
 
 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, 
 and bear the king tidings, how that the Lord hath 
 avenged him of his enemies. And Joab said unto him, 
 Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou 
 shalt bear tidings another day : but this day thou shalt 
 
 213 
 
Absalom ^ Bible Stories 
 
 bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead. Then 
 said Joab to the Cushite, Go tell the king what thou hast 
 seen. And the Cushite bowed himself unto Joab, and 
 ran. Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to 
 Joab, But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run 
 after the Cushite. And Joab said. Wherefore wilt thou 
 run, my son, seeing that thou wilt have no reward for the 
 tidings? But come what may, said he, I will run. And 
 he said unto him. Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way 
 of the Plain, and overran the Cushite. 
 
 Now David sat between the two gates : and the watch- 
 man went up to the roof of the gate unto the wall, and 
 lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running 
 alone. And the watchman cried, and told the king. 
 And the king said. If he be alone, there is tidings in his 
 mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. And the 
 watchman saw another man running : and the watchman 
 called unto the porter, and said. Behold, another man 
 running alone. And the king said. He also bringeth 
 tidings. And the watchman said. Me thinketh the run- 
 ning of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the 
 son of Zadok. And the king said. He is a good man, and 
 Cometh with good tidings. And Ahimaaz called, and 
 said unto the king. All is well. And he bowed himself 
 before the king with his face to the earth, and said, Blessed 
 be the Lord thy God, which hath delivered up the men 
 that Ufted up their hand against my lord the king. And 
 
 214 
 
Kinsrs and Prophets B^ Solomon 
 
 the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? 
 And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's ser- 
 vant, even me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I 
 knew not what it was. And the king said, Turn aside, 
 and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. 
 And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, 
 Tidings for my lord the king : for the Lord hath avenged 
 thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. And 
 the king said unto the Cushite, Is it well with the young 
 man Absalom ? And the Cushite answered, The enemies 
 of my lord the king, and all that rise up against thee to 
 do thee hurt, be as that young man is. And the king 
 was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the 
 gate and wept : and as he went, thus he said, O my son 
 Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had 
 died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! 
 
 Ill 
 
 The Wisdom of Solomon 
 
 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for 
 that was the great high place : a thousand burnt offerings 
 did Solomon offer upon that altar. In Gibeon the Lord 
 appeared to Solomon in a dream by night : and God said, 
 Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou 
 
Solomon ^ Bible Stories 
 
 hast shewed unto thy sen^ant David my father great kind- 
 ness, accordhig as he walked before thee in truth, and in 
 righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee ; and 
 thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast 
 given liim a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 
 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant 
 king instead of David my father: and I am but a little 
 child ; I know not how to go out or come in. And thy 
 servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast 
 chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor 
 counted for multitude. Give thy servant therefore an 
 understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may dis- 
 cern between good and evil ; for who is able to judge this 
 thy great people ? And the speech pleased the Lord, that 
 Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, 
 Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked 
 for thyself long life ; neither hast asked riches for thy- 
 self, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies ; but hast 
 asked for thyself understanding to discern judgement ; be- 
 hold, I have done according to thy word : lo, I have given 
 thee a wise and an understanding heart ; so that there 
 hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee 
 shall anv arise like unto thee. And I have also given 
 thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and 
 honour, so that there shall not be any among the kings 
 like unto thee, all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my 
 ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy 
 
 216 
 
Kings and Prophets B«- Solomon 
 
 father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. 
 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream : and 
 he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the 
 covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, 
 and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his 
 servants. 
 
 Then came there two women unto the king, and stood 
 before him. And the one woman said, Oh my lord, I and 
 this woman dwell in one house ; and we were together ; 
 there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two 
 in the house. And this woman's child died in the night ; 
 because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and 
 took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, 
 and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my 
 bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child 
 suck, behold, it was dead : but when I had considered it 
 in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did 
 bear. And the other woman said, Nay ; but the living is 
 my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said No ; but 
 the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they 
 spake before the king. Then said the king. The one saith. 
 This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead : and 
 the other saith. Nay ; but thy son is the dead, and my son 
 is the living. And the king said, Fetch me a sword. And 
 they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, 
 Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, 
 and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the 
 
 217 
 
Solomon -^ Bible Stories 
 
 living child was unto the king, Oh my lord, give her the 
 living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, It 
 shall be neither mine nor thine ; divide it. Then the king 
 answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no 
 wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And all Israel 
 heard of the judgement which the king had judged ; and 
 they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of 
 God was in him, to do judgement. 
 
 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of 
 Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to 
 prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jeru- 
 salem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, 
 and very much gold, and precious stones : and when she was 
 come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was 
 in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions : 
 there was not anything hid from the king which he told 
 her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the 
 wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, and 
 the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and 
 the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his 
 cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the 
 house of the Lord ; there was no more spirit in her. And 
 she said to the king. It was a tme report that 1 heard 
 in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom. 
 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine 
 eyes had seen it : and, behold, the half was not told me : 
 thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 
 
Kings and Prophets B*- Rehoboam 
 
 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which 
 stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 
 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to 
 set thee on the throne of Israel : because the Lord loved 
 Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judge- 
 ment and justice. 
 
 IV 
 
 Story of the Divided Kingdom 
 
 And Rehoboam went to Shechem : for all Israel were 
 come to Shechem to make him king. And it came to pass, 
 when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, that Jero- 
 boam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake 
 unto Rehoboam, saying. Thy father made our yoke griev- 
 ous : now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy 
 father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, 
 and we will serve thee. And he said unto them. Depart 
 yet for three days, then come again to me. And the 
 people departed. 
 
 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, 
 that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet 
 lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer- 
 to this people ? And they spake unto him, saying, If 
 thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt 
 
 219 
 
Rehoboam "*« Bible Stories 
 
 serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to 
 them, then they will be thy servants for ever. But he 
 forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given 
 him, and took counsel with the young men that were 
 grown up with him, that stood before him. And he said 
 unto them, What counsel give ye that we may return 
 answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, 
 Make the yoke that thy father did put upon us lighter ? 
 And the young men that were grown up with him spake 
 unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto this people that 
 spake unto thee, saying. Thy father made our yoke heavy, 
 but make thou it lighter unto us ; thus shalt thou speak 
 unto them. My little finger is thicker than my father's loins. 
 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy 
 yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you 
 with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 
 
 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the 
 third day, as the king bade, saying. Come to me again the 
 third day. And the king answered the people roughly, and 
 forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given 
 him ; and spake to them after the counsel of the young 
 men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will 
 add to your yoke : my father chastised you with whips, 
 but J. will chastise you with scorpions. So the king 
 hearkened not unto the people ; and when all Israel saw 
 that the king hearkened not unto them, the people an- 
 swered the king, saying, What portion have we in David ? 
 
 220 
 
Kings and Prophets 9«- Elijah 
 
 neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse : to your 
 tents, O Israel : now see to thine own house, David. So 
 Israel departed unto their tents. But as for the children 
 of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam 
 reigned over them. 
 
 Stories of the Prophet Elijah 
 
 Elijah and the Prophets of Baal 
 
 And Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Sama- 
 ria twenty and two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did 
 that which was evil in the sight of the Lord above all that 
 were before him. And he took to wife Jezebel the daugh- 
 ter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served 
 Baal, and worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for 
 Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 
 
 And Elijah the Tishbite said unto Ahab, As the Lord, 
 the God of Israel, liveth, before whom I stand, there shall 
 not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. 
 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Get 
 thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by 
 the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, 
 that thou shalt drink of the brook ; and I have commanded 
 the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did ac- 
 
Elijah "^ Bible Stories 
 
 cording unto the word of the Lord : for he went and 
 dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And 
 the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, 
 and bread and flesh in the evening ; and he drank of the 
 brook. 
 
 And it came to pass after many days, that the Avord of 
 the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, 
 shew thyself unto Ahab ; and I will send rain upon the 
 earth. And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And 
 the famine was sore in Samaria. And Ahab called Oba- 
 diah, which was over the household. (Now Obadiah 
 feared the Lord greatly : for it was so, when Jezebel cut 
 off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hun- 
 dred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed 
 them with bread and water.) And Ahab said unto Oba- 
 diah, Go through the land, unto all the fountains of water, 
 and unto all the brooks : peradventure we may find grass 
 and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all 
 the beasts. So they divided the land between them to 
 pass throughout it : Ahab went one way by himself, and 
 Obadiah went another way by himself. And as Obadiah 
 was in the way, behold, Elijah met him : and he knew him. 
 and fell on his face, and said. Is it thou, my lord Elijah ? 
 And he answered him. It is I : go, tell thy lord. Behold^ 
 EUjah is here. And he said, Wherein have I sinned, that 
 thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to 
 slay me ? As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation 
 
Kings and Prophets S«- Elijah 
 
 or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee : 
 and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the 
 kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. And now 
 thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord. Behold, Elijah is here. 
 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, 
 that the spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know 
 not ; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot 
 find thee, he shall slay me : but I thy servant fear the 
 Lord from my youth. Was it not told my lord what I did 
 when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid 
 an hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifty in a cave, 
 and fed them with bread and water ? And now thou say- 
 est, Go, tell thy lord. Behold, Elijah is here : and he shall 
 slay me. And Elijah said. As the Lord of hosts liveth, 
 before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him 
 today. So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him : 
 and Ahab went to meet Elijah. And it came to pass, when 
 Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Is it thou, thou 
 troubler of Israel ? And he answered, I have not troubled 
 Israel ; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have 
 forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast 
 followed the Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to 
 me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal 
 four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah 
 four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. 
 
 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gath- 
 ered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Eli- 
 
 323 
 
gljjah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 jail came near unto all the people, and said, How long halt 
 ve between two opinions ? if the Lord be God, follow him : 
 but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered 
 him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I, 
 even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord ; but BaaPs 
 prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them there- 
 fore give us two bullocks ; and let them choose one bul- 
 lock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the 
 wood, and put no fire under : and I will dress the other 
 bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under. 
 And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the 
 name of the Lord : and the God that answereth by fire, 
 let him be God. And all the people answered and said, 
 It is well spoken. And Elijah said unto the prophets of 
 Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it 
 first ; for ye are many ; and call on the name of your god, 
 but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which 
 was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the 
 name of Baal from morning even mitil noon, saying, O 
 Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that an- 
 swered. And they leaped about the altar which was 
 made. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked 
 them, and said. Cry aloud : for he is a god ; either he is 
 musing, or he is gone aside, or he is in a journey, or per- 
 adventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they 
 cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with 
 knives and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them. 
 
 224 
 
Kings and Prophets B«*- Elijah 
 
 And it was so, when midday was past, that they prophe- 
 sied until the time of the offering of the evening oblation ; 
 but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any 
 that regarded. And Elijah said unto all the people, Come 
 near unto me ; and all the people came near unto him. 
 And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was thrown 
 down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the 
 number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the 
 word of the Lord came, saying, Lsrael shall be thy name. 
 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the 
 Lord ; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as 
 would contain two measures of seed. And he put the 
 wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on 
 the wood. And he said, Fill four barrels with water, and 
 pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood. And he 
 said. Do it the second time ; and they did it the second 
 time. And he said. Do it the third time ; and they did it 
 the third time. And the water ran round about the altar; 
 and he filled the trench also with water. And it came to 
 pass at the time of the offering of the evening oblation, that 
 Elijah the prophet came near, and said, O Lord, the God 
 of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this 
 day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, 
 and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear 
 me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that 
 thou. Lord, art God, and that thou hast turned their heart 
 back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed 
 Q 225 
 
Elijah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the 
 dust, and Hcked up the water that was in the trench. And 
 when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces : and 
 they said. The Lord, he is God ; the Lord, he is God. 
 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal ; 
 let not one of them escape. And they took them : and 
 Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew 
 them there. And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat 
 and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain. 
 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went 
 up to the top of Carmel ; and he bowed himself down 
 upon the earth, and put his face between his knees. And 
 he said to his servant. Go up now, look toward the sea. 
 And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. 
 And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass 
 at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a 
 cloud out of the sea, as small as a man's hand. And he 
 said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Make ready thy chariot, and 
 get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came 
 to pass in a little while, that the heaven grew black with 
 clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab 
 rode and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the Lord 
 was on Elijah ; and he girded up his loins, and ran before 
 Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 
 
 236 
 
Kings and Prophets 8«- Elijah 
 
 Elijah ifi the Desert 
 
 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and 
 withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 
 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let 
 the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life 
 as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. 
 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and 
 came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left 
 his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey 
 into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a 
 juniper tree : and he requested for himself that he might 
 die ; and said, It is enough ; now, O Lord, take away my 
 life ; for I am not better than my fathers. And he lay 
 down and slept under a juniper tree ; and, behold, an 
 angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 
 And he looked, and, behold, there was at his head a cake 
 baken on the coals, and a cruse of water. And he did eat 
 and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of 
 the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, 
 and said, Arise and eat ; because the journey is too great 
 for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went 
 in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights 
 unto Horeb the mount of God. And he came thither 
 unto a cave, and lodged there ; and, behold, the word of 
 the Lord came to him, and he said unto him. What doest 
 thou here, Elijah "i And he said, I have been very jealous 
 
 327 
 
£jjjah -^ Bible Stories 
 
 for the Lord, the God of hosts ; for the children of Israel 
 have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, 
 and slain thy prophets with the sword : and I, even I 
 only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 
 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before 
 the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a 
 great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in 
 pieces the rocks before the Lord ; but the Lord was not 
 in the wind : and after the wind an earthquake ; but the 
 Lord was not in the earthquake : and after the earthquake 
 a fire ; but the Lord was not in the fire : and after the 
 fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard 
 it, that he WTapped his face in his mantle, and went out, 
 and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, 
 there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou 
 here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for 
 the Lord, the God of hosts ; for the children of Israel 
 have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, 
 and slain thy prophets with the sword ; and I, even I 
 only, am left ; and they seek my life, to take it away. 
 And the Lord said unto him. Go, return on thy way to 
 the wilderness of Damascus : and when thou comest, thou 
 shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria : and Jehu the 
 son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: 
 and Elisha the son of Shaphat shalt thou anoint to be 
 prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him 
 that escapeth from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay : 
 
 228 
 
Kings and Prophets B^ Elijah 
 
 and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha 
 slay. Yet will I leave me seven thousand in Israel, all 
 the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every 
 mouth which hath not kissed him. So he departed 
 thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was 
 ploughing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he 
 with the twelfth : and Elijah passed over unto him, and cast 
 his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after 
 Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and 
 my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said 
 unto him. Go back again ; for what have I done to thee ? 
 And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of 
 oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instru- 
 ments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did 
 eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered 
 unto him. 
 
 T/ie Story of Naboth's Vineyard 
 
 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the 
 Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by 
 the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake 
 unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may 
 have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my 
 house ; and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it: 
 or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it 
 in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid 
 
 229 
 
Elijah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers 
 unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and dis- 
 pleased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite 
 had spoken to him : for he had said, I will not give thee 
 the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down 
 upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no 
 bread. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto 
 him. Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? 
 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the 
 Jezreelite, and said unto him. Give me thy vineyard for 
 money ; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another 
 vineyard for it : and he answered, I will not give thee my 
 vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him. Dost thou 
 now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, 
 and let thine heart be merry : I will give thee the vineyard 
 of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab's 
 name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters 
 unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, and 
 that dwelt with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, 
 saying. Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among 
 the people : and set two men, sons of Belial, before him, 
 and let them bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst 
 curse God and the king. And then carry him out, and 
 stone him, that he die. And the men of his city, even the 
 elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jezebel 
 had sent unto them, according as it was written in the let- 
 ters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a 
 
 230 
 
Kings and Prophets 6«- Elijah 
 
 fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And the 
 two men, sons of BeUal, came in and sat before him : and 
 the men of Belial bare witness against him, even against 
 Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did 
 curse God and the king. Then they carried him forth out 
 of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. 
 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and 
 is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that 
 Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to 
 Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth 
 the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money : 
 for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, 
 when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose 
 up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to 
 take possession of it. 
 
 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, 
 saying. Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which 
 dwelleth in Samaria : behold, he is in the vineyard of Na- 
 both, whither he is gone down to take possession of it. 
 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the 
 Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? and 
 thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, 
 In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall 
 dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, 
 Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, 
 I have found thee : because thou hast sold thyself to do 
 that which is evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I 
 
 231 
 
Elijah -^ Bible Stories 
 
 will bring evil upon thee, and will utterly sweep thee away, 
 and will cut off from Ahab every man child, and him that 
 is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel. And of 
 Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying. The dogs shall eat 
 Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel. And it came to pass, 
 when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, 
 and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in 
 sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the Lord 
 came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab 
 humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth him- 
 self before me I will not bring the evil in his days : but 
 in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house. 
 
 Ascent of Elijah to Heaven 
 
 And it came to pass when the Lord would take up 
 Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with 
 Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry 
 here, I pray thee ; for the Lord hath sent me as far as 
 Beth-el. And Elisha said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy 
 soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to 
 Beth-el. And the sons of the prophets that were at 
 Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest 
 thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy 
 head today ? And he said. Yea, I know it ; hold ye your 
 peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I 
 pray thee ; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And 
 
 232 
 
Kings and Prophets 8«- Elijah 
 
 he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will 
 not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons 
 of the prophets that were at Jericho came near to Elisha, 
 and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take 
 away thy master from thy head today ? And he answered, 
 Yea, I know it ; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto 
 him, Tarry here, I pray thee ; for the Lord hath sent me 
 to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy 
 soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. 
 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood 
 over against them afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. 
 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and 
 smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, 
 so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came 
 to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto 
 Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken 
 from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double 
 portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast 
 asked a hard thing : nevertheless, if thou see me when I 
 am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee ; but if not, it 
 shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, 
 and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, 
 and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder ; and 
 Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha 
 saw it, and he cried. My father, my father, the chariots of 
 Israel and the horsemen thereof ! And he saw him no 
 more : and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them 
 
 233 
 
g^gtjj^ -98 Bible Storie s 
 
 in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that 
 fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of 
 Jordan. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from 
 him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord, 
 the God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the 
 waters, they were divided hither and thither : and Ehsha 
 went over. And when the sons of the prophets which 
 were at Jericho over against him saw him, they said, The 
 spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. 
 
 VI 
 
 Stories of the Prophet EMsha 
 
 The Sh7ina7nmite's Son 
 
 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, 
 where was a great woman ; and she constrained him to 
 eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he 
 turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her 
 husband. Behold, now, I perceive that this is a holy man of 
 God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make, I pray 
 thee, a little chamber on the wall 5 and let us set for him 
 there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick : 
 and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in 
 thither. And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and 
 
 234 
 
Kings and Prophets 6<- Elisha 
 
 he turned into the chamber, and lay there. And he said to 
 Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he 
 had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto 
 him, Say now unto her. Behold, thou hast been careful for 
 us with all this care ; what is to be done for thee ? would- 
 est thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the 
 host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 
 And he said. What then is to be done for her? And 
 Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no son. And he said, 
 Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the 
 door. And he said. At this season, when the time cometh 
 round, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said. Nay, my 
 lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 
 And the woman bare a son at that season, when the time 
 came around, as Elisha had said unto her. 
 
 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he 
 went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto 
 his father. My head, my head ! And he said to his servant. 
 Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him, 
 and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till 
 noon, and then died. And she went up, and laid him on 
 the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, 
 and went out. And she called unto her husband, and said. 
 Send me, I pray thee, one of the servants ; and one of the 
 asses, that I may run to tlie man of God and come again. 
 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him today? it is 
 neither new moon nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be 
 
 235 
 
Elisha "^ Bible Stories 
 
 well. Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, 
 Drive, and go forward ; slacken me not the riding, except 
 I bid thee. So she went and came unto the man of God 
 to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of 
 God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, 
 Behold, yonder is the Shunammite : run, I pray thee, now 
 to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it 
 well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she 
 answered. It is well. And when she came to the man of 
 God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi 
 came near to thrust her away ; but the man of God said. 
 Let her alone, for her soul is vexed within her ; and the 
 Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. Then 
 she said. Did I desire a son of my lord ? did I not say. Do 
 not deceive me? Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy 
 loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way : if 
 thou meet any man, salute him not ; and if any salute thee, 
 answer him not again : and lay my staff upon the face of 
 the child. And the mother of the child said. As the Lord 
 liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And 
 he arose, and followed her. And Gehazi passed on before 
 them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child ; but 
 there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he re- 
 turned to meet him, and told him saying. The child is not 
 awaked. And when Elisha was come into the house, 
 behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He 
 went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and 
 
 236 
 
Kings and Prophets 8«- Elisha 
 
 prayed unto the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the 
 child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon 
 his eyes, and his hands upon his hands : and he stretched 
 himself upon him; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 
 Then he returned, and walked in the house once to and fro ; 
 and went up, and stretched himself upon him : and the child 
 sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And 
 he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he 
 called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, 
 Take up thy son. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, 
 and bowed herself to the ground ; and she took up her son, 
 and went out. 
 
 Naaman and Gehazi 
 
 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, 
 was a great man with his master, and honourable, because 
 by him the Lord had given victory unto Syria : he was 
 also a mighty man of valour, but he was a leper. And 
 the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away 
 captive out of the land of Israel a little maid ; and she 
 waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mis- 
 tress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in 
 Samaria ! then would he recover him of his leprosy. And 
 one went in, and told his lord, saying. Thus and thus said 
 the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king of 
 Syria said. Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the 
 king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten 
 
 237 
 
Ejistia "^ Bible Stories 
 
 talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten 
 changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the 
 kino- of Israel, saying, And now when this letter is come 
 unto thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to 
 thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. And 
 it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the let- 
 ter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill 
 and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to 
 recover a man of his leprosy ? but consider, I pray you, 
 and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. And it was 
 so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of 
 Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, say- 
 ing. Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes ? let him come 
 now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in 
 Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and with his 
 chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 
 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and 
 wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come 
 again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was 
 wroth, and went away, and said. Behold, I thought. He 
 will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the 
 name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the 
 place, and recover the leper. Are not Abanah and Phar- 
 par, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of 
 Israel ? may I not wash in them, and be clean ? So he 
 turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came 
 near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the 
 
 23S 
 
Kings and Prophets B^ Elisha 
 
 prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou 
 not have done it ? how much rather then, when he saith 
 to thee, Wash, and be clean ? Then went he down, and 
 dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the 
 saying of the man of God : and his flesh came again like 
 unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he 
 returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and 
 came, and stood before him : and he said. Behold now, I 
 know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel : 
 now therefore, I pray thee, take a present of thy servant. 
 But he said. As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I 
 will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he 
 refused. And Naaman said, If not, yet I pray thee let 
 there be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth ; 
 for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering 
 nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord. In this 
 thing the Lord pardon thy servant ; when my master 
 goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he 
 leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of 
 Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, 
 the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. And he said 
 unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little 
 way. 
 
 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, 
 Behold, my master hath spared this Naaman the Syrian, in 
 not receiving at his hands that which he brought : as the 
 Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of 
 
 239 
 
Eiisha "^ Bible Stories 
 
 him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when 
 Naaman saw one running after him, he lighted down from 
 the chariot to meet him, and said. Is all well? And he 
 said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying. Behold, 
 even now there be come to me from the hill country of 
 Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets ; give 
 them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of 
 raiment. And Naaman said. Be content, take two talents. 
 And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two 
 bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon 
 two of his servants ; and they bare them before him. 
 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their 
 hand, and bestowed them in the house : and he let the 
 men go, and they departed. But he went in, and stood 
 before his master. And Eiisha said unto him. Whence 
 comest thou, Gehazi ? And he said, Thy servant went no 
 whither. And he said unto him. Went not mine heart 
 with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to 
 meet thee ? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive 
 garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and 
 oxen, and menservants and maidservants ? The leprosy 
 therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy 
 seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper 
 as white as snow. 
 
 240 
 
Kings and Prophets 8«- Isaiah 
 
 vii 
 
 The Assyrian Army and the Prophet Isaiah 
 
 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sen- 
 nacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced 
 cities of Judah, and took them. 
 
 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and 
 Rabshakeh to king Hezekiah with a great army into 
 Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. 
 And when they were come up, they came and stood by the 
 conduit of the upper pool, which is in the high way of the 
 fuller's field. And when they had called to the king, there 
 came out to them Eliakim, which was over the household, 
 and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the 
 recorder. And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to 
 Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, 
 What confidence is this wherein thou trustest ? Thou 
 sayest, but they are but vain words. There is counsel and 
 strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that 
 thou hast rebelled against me ? Now, behold, thou trustest 
 upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt; 
 whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce 
 it : so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. 
 But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God : is 
 
 R 241 
 
Isaiah "^ Bible Stories 
 
 not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah 
 hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, 
 Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem ? Now 
 therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my master the king 
 of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if 
 thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. How 
 then canst thou turn away the face of one captain of the 
 least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt 
 for chariots and for horsemen ? Am I now come up with- 
 out the Lord against this place to destroy it ? The Lord 
 said unto me. Go up against this land, and destroy it. 
 
 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and 
 Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants 
 in the Syrian language ; for we understand it : and speak 
 not with us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the peo- 
 ple that are on the wall. But Rabshakeh said unto them. 
 Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to 
 speak these words ? hath he not sent me to the men which 
 sit on the wall ? Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with 
 a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying. 
 Hear ye the word of the great king, the king of Assyria. 
 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you ; for 
 he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand : neither 
 let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The 
 Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be 
 given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Hearken not 
 to Hezekiah : for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make 
 
 242 
 
Kings and Prophets e«- Isaiah 
 
 your peace with me, and come out to me ; and eat ye 
 every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and 
 drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern ; until I 
 come and take you away to a land like your own land, a 
 land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vine37ards, a 
 land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not 
 die : and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth 
 you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Hath any of the 
 gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the 
 hand of the king of Assyria? Who are they among all 
 the gods of the countries, that have delivered their coun- 
 try out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jeru- 
 salem out of my hand ? But the people held their peace, 
 and answered him not a word : for the king's command- 
 ment was, saying, Answer him not. Then came Eliakim 
 the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and 
 Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the re- 
 corder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him 
 the words of Rabshakeh. 
 
 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that 
 he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, 
 and went into the house of the Lord. And he sent 
 Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the 
 scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sack- 
 cloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, And 
 they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a 
 day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely. It may 
 
 243 
 
Isaiah -^ Bible Stories 
 
 be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, 
 whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach 
 the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord 
 thy God hath heard : wherefore lift up thy prayer for the 
 remnant that is left. So the servants of king Hezekiah 
 came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye 
 say to your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of 
 the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants 
 of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I 
 will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear a rumour, and 
 shall return to his own land ; and I will cause him to fall 
 by the sword in his own land. 
 
 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria 
 warring against Libnah. And when he heard say of Tir- 
 hakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight 
 against thee : he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, 
 saying. Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, 
 saying. Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive 
 thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of 
 the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the 
 kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying 
 them utterly : and shalt thou be delivered ? Have the 
 gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have 
 destroyed? And Hezekiah received the letter from the 
 hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went 
 up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the 
 Lord. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, 
 
 244 
 
Kings and Prophets 8«- Isaiah 
 
 O Lord, the God of Israel, that sittest upon the cherubim, 
 thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of 
 the earth ; thou hast made heaven and earth. Incline 
 thine ear, O Lord, and hear ; open thine eyes, O Lord, 
 and see : and hear the words of Sennacherib, wherewith 
 he hath sent him to reproach the living God. Of a truth, 
 Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations 
 and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire : for 
 they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and 
 stone : therefore they have destroyed them. Now there- 
 fore, O Lord our God, save thou us, I beseech thee, out of 
 his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that 
 thou art the Lord God, even thou only. 
 
 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, 
 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Whereas thou 
 hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I 
 have heard thee. This is the word that the Lord hath 
 spoken concerning him : The virgin daughter of Zion hath 
 despised thee and laughed thee to scorn ; the daughter of 
 Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. Whom hast 
 thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast 
 thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high ? 
 even against the Holy One of Israel. By thy messengers 
 thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, ' With the 
 multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of 
 the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon ; and I 
 will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir 
 
 345 
 
Isaiah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 trees thereof. I have digged and drunk strange waters, 
 and with the sole of my feet will I dry up all the rivers of 
 Egypt/ Hast thou not heard how I have done it long ago? 
 now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay 
 waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps. Therefore their 
 inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and 
 confounded ; they were as the grass of the field, and as the 
 green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn 
 blasted before it be grown up. But I know thy sitting 
 down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy 
 raging against me. Because of thy raging against me, 
 and for that thine arrogancy is come up into mine ears, 
 therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in 
 thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which 
 thou camest. Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning 
 the king of Assyria, He shall not come unto this city, nor 
 shoot an arrow there, neither shall he come before it with 
 shield, nor cast a mount against it. By the way that he 
 came, by the same shall he return, and he shall not come 
 unto this city, saith the Lord. For I will defend this city 
 to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's 
 sake. 
 
 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the 
 Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians 
 an hundred fourscore and five thousand : and when men 
 arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead 
 corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and 
 
 246 
 
Kings and Prophets 6«^ josiah 
 
 went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to 
 pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his 
 god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer smote him with the 
 sword : and they escaped into the land of Ararat. 
 
 Vlll 
 
 Josiah and the Finding of the Law 
 
 And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king 
 Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the scribe, to the 
 house of the Lord, saying, Go up to Hilkiah the high 
 priest, that he may sum the money which is brought into 
 the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have 
 gathered of the peo^^le : and let them deliver it into the 
 hand of the workmen that have the oversight of the house 
 of the Lord. And Hilkiah the high priest said unto 
 Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in 
 the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah delivered the book 
 to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan the scribe came 
 to the king, and brought the king word again, and said. 
 Thy servants have emptied out the money that was found 
 in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the 
 workmen that have the oversight of the house of the Lord. 
 And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah 
 the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read 
 
 247 
 
josiah "^ Bible Stories 
 
 it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king 
 had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent 
 his clothes. And the king commanded, saying, Go ye, 
 inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all 
 Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found : 
 for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against 
 us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words 
 of this book, to do according unto all that which is written 
 concerning us. So Hilkiah, and they whom the king com- 
 manded, went unto Huldah the prophetess, (now she 
 dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter;) and they 
 communed with her. And she said unto them, Thus 
 saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell ye the man that 
 sent you unto me. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will 
 bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants 
 thereof, even all the words of the book which the king 
 of Judah hath read : because they have forsaken me, 
 and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might 
 provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands ; 
 therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and 
 it shall not be quenched. But unto the king of Judah, who 
 sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him. 
 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel : As touching the 
 words which thou hast heard, because thine heart was 
 tender, and thou didst humble thyself before the Lord, 
 when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and 
 against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a 
 
 248 
 
Kings and Prophets 8«*- Josiah 
 
 desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept 
 before me ; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. There- 
 fore, behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt 
 be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes 
 see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And 
 they brought the king word again. 
 
 And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the 
 elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up 
 to the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah and 
 all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, 
 and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great : 
 and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the 
 covenant which was found in the house of the Lord. And 
 the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before 
 the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his com- 
 mandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all 
 his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this 
 covenant that were written in this book : and all the people 
 stood to the covenant. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem 
 did according to the covenant of God, the God of their 
 fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations out 
 of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, 
 and made all that were found in Israel to serve, even to 
 serve the Lord their God. All his days they departed 
 not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers. 
 
 249 
 
j^otes -5S Bible Stories 
 
 Notes to the Kings and Prophets 
 
 ii. There are two messengers at the end of this story. One 
 is the son of an eminent priest, who happens to be a swift 
 runner ; the other (the Cushite, or Ethiopian) is a servant, a 
 professional runner. Joab is unwilling to let his friend Ahimaaz 
 take the news on this occasion, because he foresaw it would be 
 unwelcome to the king. 
 
 iii. All that in modern times is called science, or philosophy, 
 was called ' wisdom ' by the Hebrews. Solomon was the most 
 eminent of the wise men of Israel, and they looked up to him 
 as the founder of Hebrew wisdom. 
 
 iv. To your tents, O Israel, was the regular cry for starting 
 a revolt among the Israelites. 
 
 V. Baal (sometimes used in the plural form, the Baalim) 
 was an idol god, or group of idol gods, worshipped in the great 
 merchant cities of Tyre and Zidon. Introduced into Israel by 
 this Zidonian queen Jezebel, they proved the most dangerous 
 of all the forms of idolatry which corrupted the worship of the 
 Israelites. — The Asherah (also plural) were images used in this 
 or similar idolatrous worship. — The prophets of Baal — they 
 prophesied until the time of the offering, etc. : the literal mean- 
 ing of prophet is interpreter, one who interprets for a god. As 
 the prophets often accompanied their inspired utterances with 
 dancing, or violent gestures, these gestures of the prophets of 
 Baal are here spoken of as prophesying. — Sons of Belial : a 
 common expression for vile persons, Belial being the vilest of all 
 
 250 
 
Kings and Prophets B^ Notes 
 
 idol gods. — Page 228. Go . . . thou shall anoint Hazael, etc. 
 To understand the point of this Divine message it is necessary 
 to remember who the prophets were. They were representa- 
 tives of the original idea that the invisible God was the ruler 
 of Israel ; the kings being tolerated only so long as they faith- 
 fully represented him. Thus in God's commission to Elijah he 
 is resuming his rule of Israel, by ordering the prophet to anoint, 
 in place of the wicked Ahab, a king who would overthrow Baal 
 worshippers with a violence as great as their own. Further, as 
 Elijah had been depressed by the thought of his solitariness, 
 he is commissioned to name a successor to carry on the pro- 
 phetic work when he is no more. — Page 233. Let a double 
 portion of thy spirit be upon ine : the double portion was the 
 eldest son's inheritance; Elisha petitions to be in this way the 
 foremost successor of his master. 
 
 vi. Page 239. Two mules' burden of earth. The idea of 
 heathen nations at this time was that a god was a local being, 
 having power only in the country where he was worshipped. 
 Thus Naaman, wishing from gratitude to worship Israel's God, 
 supposed it necessary to have a portion of Israel's land, enough 
 to erect an altar upon. — The house of Riynmon : Rimmon was 
 the chief idol god worshipped by the Syrians. 
 
 vii. Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh : these are not 
 names of persons, but titles of offices in the Assyrian army and 
 court. We should say the Rabshakeh. — Page 241. We trust in 
 the Lord . . . is not that he whose high places and altars Heze- 
 kiah hath taken away ? The worship in the high places (moun- 
 tain groves) was only in name a worship of the Lord, it was 
 
 251 
 
Notes ^ Bible Stories 
 
 really a cover for idolatrous and wicked rites. Hezekiah had 
 been fulfilling the law in putting it down. But the Assyrian 
 officer either misunderstands this, or purposely uses it to frighten 
 the Jews with the idea that the king has offended God. — 
 Page 245. O Lord . . . that sittest upon the Chertibim. This 
 is a reference to the Ark, which was the symbol of the Divine 
 presence. Its cover was called. The Mercy-seat, and on it were 
 tigures of angels, or cherubim, whose outspread wings covered 
 the whole Mercy-seat. — Page 246. Hast thou not heard how 
 I have done it long ago ? The point of Isaiah's words to the 
 Assyrians is this : that all the victorious career of which the 
 Assyrian was so proud was simply the Lord's way of using him 
 as his own instrument to punish the wicked. — Psalms 46, 48, 
 76, were composed in commemoration of this overthrow of 
 Sennacherib. 
 
 viii. I have found the book of the law. What exactly was the 
 book found on this occasion we do not know : but it is certain 
 that the portion of the Bible called Deuteronomy was either 
 the whole or a part of what was discovered, and it was this 
 which produced the great impression. 
 
 252 
 
BIBLE STORIES 
 
 The Exile and Return 
 
Introduction to The exile and Return 
 
 At the close of the last period both the kingdoms of 
 fiidah and Israel had been carried away into captivity. 
 Something like seventy years elapsed before there was atiy 
 sign of their deliverance ; and diiritig this period their 
 Babylonian conquerors were themselves conquered by the 
 Medes and Persians. But meanwhile the history of the 
 Hebrew people is not entirely lost: certain stories pre- 
 served in other parts of Scripture give us a gli-mpse of 
 the exiles in their land of captivity. 
 
 These stories of the Exile are amongst the 7nost famous 
 stories in all literature. One group of them has for its 
 heroes Daniel and three less distinguished cojnp anions of 
 his, 10 ho were all carried together into Babylon. This 
 Babylon was the chief city of the Chaldeans, a people dis- 
 tijiguished ajnongthe nations of antiquity for ' sooths ay i^ig,'' 
 or the power of reading the future by the stars or other 
 7neans. By the aid of God Daniel and his companions 
 were able to surpass the Chaldeans in their own art ; they 
 thus were raised to the highest positions in the empire. 
 Alike when they were lowly and when they were exalted, 
 all efforts to shake their fidelity to the worship of their 
 fathers'" God proved vain. Thus by the agency of Daniel^ 
 
 255 
 
Introduction ^ Bible Stories 
 
 and his fellows the Chosen Nation even in its captivity 
 was enabled to continue its mission of witnessing for God 
 to the nations. 
 
 As the men of the Exile are represented by Daniel and 
 his companions, so we have a picture of the women in the 
 beautiful Story of Esther. Who exactly is the monarch 
 alluded to under the name Ahasuerus it is difficult to 
 determine ; but his empire is said to consist of a hundred 
 and twenty-seven provinces, with fews scattered throtigh 
 them all. Esther was a girl chosen for her beauty, after 
 the e7npire had been searched through and through, to be- 
 come the queen of Ahasuerus. She had 7iot told her fewish 
 birth ; a7id her cousin Mordecai, who had brought her up 
 from childhood, re?nained a^nongst the htimbler courtiers 
 to watch over her safety. By the skill of this Mordecai, and 
 the royal position of Esther, she was enabled, though at 
 the risk of her life, to avert a dreadful blow aimed at the 
 fews throtighout the empire, by which it had been intended 
 to destroy the whole race. Mordecai became prime jninister 
 of the empire, and the deliverance was celebrated by an 
 annual feast of the Jews. 
 
 At last came the Return from Captivity. This was 
 not a single incide7it, but a series of ?nigrations, by which 
 successive bands of exiles were permitted to return to the 
 holy land, and set up again the worship of God. The 
 effect of the Exile was to sift for ever the earliest worship- 
 pers of God from the Israelites who were ijtclined to 
 
 256 
 
Exile and Return 6«- Introduction 
 
 idolatry ; only the for7ner would care to return to Pales- 
 tine, and the restored co7ninunity was not the Hebrew 
 nation but the Jewish Church. The chief names coniiected 
 with the Return are Ezra and Nehejniah. The portion 
 of Scripture entitled The Chronicles was the productio?t 
 of this restored Jewish Churchy and contains the docu- 
 jnents throwing light 2ipon the Return from Exile. One 
 story here given is Nehemiah''s description of his journey 
 from Babylon aitd the rebuildittg of the walls of Jerusa- 
 lem. The account of the Renewal of the Covenant, tinder 
 Ezra and Nehefjiiah, between God and his restored people^ 
 and the prayer in which the whole history of Israel is 
 reviewed,, make an appropriate close for a series of Old 
 Testametit stories. 
 
 s 257 
 
Stories from The Exile and Return 
 
 i. Stories of the Captives in Babylon 
 The Burning Fiery Furnace 
 The Dreajn of the Tree that was cut dow7i 
 Belshazzar''s Feast 
 Daniel in the Den of Lions 
 
 ii. The Story of Esther 
 
 How afewish Maiden became a Queen 
 
 Hainan'' s Wicked Plot and how it was overthrown 
 
 Mordecai Prime Minister of the Empire 
 
 iii. Stories of the Return 
 
 How Nehemiah rebuilt the Walls of ferusalem 
 The Renewal of the Covenant tinder Ezra 
 258 
 
stories of the Captives in Babylon 
 
 The Burning Fiery Furnace 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose 
 height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six 
 cubits : he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of 
 Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather 
 together the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the 
 judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all 
 the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of 
 the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 
 Then the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the 
 judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all 
 the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto 
 the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king 
 had set up ; and they stood before the image that Nebu- 
 chadnezzar had set up. Then the herald cried aloud, To 
 you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 
 that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, 
 harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye 
 fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchad- 
 
 259 
 
Daniel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 nezzar the king hath set up : and whoso falleth not down 
 and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the 
 midst of a burning fiery furnace. Therefore at that time, 
 when all the peoples heard the sound of the cornet, flute, 
 harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the 
 peoples, the nations, and the languages, fell down and 
 worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the 
 king had set up. 
 
 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and 
 brought accusation against the Jews. They answered and 
 said to Nebuchadnezzar the king : O king, live for ever. 
 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that 
 shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, 
 psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall 
 down and worship the golden image : and whoso falleth 
 not down and worshippeth, shall be cast into the midst of 
 a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom 
 thou hast appointed over the affairs of the province of 
 Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego ; these men, 
 O king, have not regarded thee : they serve not thy gods, 
 nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 
 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to 
 bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they 
 brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar 
 answered and said unto them, Is it of purpose, O Sha- 
 drach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that ye serve not my god, 
 nor worship the golden image which I have set up ? Now 
 
 260 
 
Exile and Return 6«^ Daniel 
 
 if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the 
 cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psahery, and dulcimer, and all 
 kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which 
 I have made, well : but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast 
 the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace : 
 and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands ? 
 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to 
 the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer 
 thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve 
 is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace : and 
 he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, 
 be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy 
 gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set 
 up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form 
 of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and 
 Abed-nego : therefore he spake, and commanded that they 
 should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont 
 to be heated. And he commanded certain mighty men 
 that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and 
 Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery fur- 
 nace. Then these men were bound in their hosen, their 
 tunics, and their mantles, and their other garments, and 
 were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 
 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, 
 and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew 
 those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- 
 nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and 
 
 261 
 
j5aniel "^ Bible Stories 
 
 Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning 
 fiery furnace. 
 
 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose 
 up in haste : he spake and said unto his counsellors, Did 
 not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? 
 They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He 
 answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in 
 the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt ; and the as- 
 pect of the fourth is like a son of the gods. Then Nebu- 
 chadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery 
 furnace : he spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- 
 nego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth, and 
 come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, 
 came forth out of the midst of the fire. And the satraps, 
 the deputies, and the governors, and the king's counsel- 
 lors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire 
 had no power upon their bodies, nor was the hair of their 
 head singed, neither were their hosen changed, nor had 
 the smell of fire passed on them. Nebuchadnezzar spake 
 and said : Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and 
 Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his 
 servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's 
 word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not 
 serve nor worship any god, except their own God. There- 
 fore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and lan- 
 guage, which speak any thing amiss against the God of 
 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, 
 
 262 
 
Exile and Return B«- Daniel 
 
 and their houses shall be made a dunghill : because there 
 is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort. 
 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- 
 nego, in the province of Babylon. 
 
 The Dream of the Tree that was cut down 
 
 *■ Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all the peoples, nations, 
 and languages, that dwell in all the earth : peace be multi- 
 plied unto you. It hath seemed good unto me to shew 
 the signs and wonders that the Most High God hath 
 wrought toward me. How great are his signs! and how 
 mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting 
 kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to genera- 
 tion. 
 
 ' I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flour- 
 ishing in my palace. I saw a dream which made me 
 afraid ; and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of 
 my head troubled me. Therefore made I a decree to 
 bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they 
 might make known unto me the interpretation of the 
 dream. Then came in the magicians, the enchanters, the 
 Chaldeans, and the soothsayers : and I told the dream 
 before them ; but they did not make known unto me the 
 interpretation thereof. But at the last Daniel came in 
 before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to 
 the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy 
 
 263 
 
Daniel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 gods : and I told the dream before him, saying, O Belte- 
 shazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the 
 spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth 
 thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and 
 the interpretation thereof. 
 
 ' Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed : I saw, 
 and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height 
 thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the 
 height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof 
 to the end of all the earth. The leaves thereof were fair, 
 and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all : the 
 beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of 
 the heaven dwelt in the branches thereof, and all flesh was 
 fed of it. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, 
 and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from 
 heaven. He cried aloud, and said thus : " Hew down the 
 tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and 
 scatter his fruit : let the beasts get away from under it, 
 and the fowls from his branches. Nevertheless leave the 
 stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron 
 and brass, in the tender grass of the field ; and let it be 
 wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with 
 the beasts in the grass of the earth : let his heart be 
 changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto 
 him ; and let seven times pass over him : to the intent 
 that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the 
 kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and 
 
 264 
 
Exile and Return 6<- Daniel 
 
 setteth up over it the lowest of men." This dream I king 
 Nebuchadnezzar have seen : and thou, O Belteshazzar, 
 declare the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men 
 of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the 
 interpretation ; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy 
 gods is in thee. 
 
 ' Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was aston- 
 ied for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king 
 answered and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the 
 interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and 
 said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and 
 the interpretation thereof to thine adversaries. The tree 
 that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose 
 height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to 
 all the earth ; whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof 
 much, and in it was meat for all ; under which the beasts 
 of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of 
 the heaven had their habitation ; it is thou, O king, that 
 art grown and become strong : for thy greatness is grown, 
 and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end 
 of the earth. And whereas the king saw a watcher and 
 an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying. Hew 
 down the tree, and destroy it ; nevertheless leave the 
 stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band 
 of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field ; and let 
 it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be 
 with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him ; 
 
 265 
 
Daniel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 this is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of 
 the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king: 
 that thou shalt be driven from men, and thy dwelling 
 shall be wdth the beasts of the field, and thou shalt be 
 made to eat grass as oxen, and shalt be wet with the 
 dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee ; till 
 thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of 
 men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And whereas 
 they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots ; 
 thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt 
 have known that the heavens do rule. Wherefore, O 
 king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break 
 oflf thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by 
 shewing mercy to the poor ; if there may be a lengthen- 
 ing of thy tranquillity. 
 
 ' All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the 
 end of twelve months he was walking in the royal palace 
 of Babylon. The king spake and said, Is not this great 
 Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place, 
 by the might of my power and for the glory of my maj- 
 esty? While the word was in the king's mouth, there 
 fell a voice from heaven, saying : " O king Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, to thee it is spoken : the kingdom is departed 
 from thee. And thou shalt be driven from men, and thy 
 dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field ; thou shalt 
 be made to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass 
 over thee ; until thou know that the Most High ruleth in 
 
 266 
 
Exile and Return 8«- Daniel 
 
 the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he 
 will." The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebu- 
 chadnezzar : and he was driven from men, and did eat 
 grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of 
 heaven, till his hair was grown like eagles' feathers, and 
 his nails like birds' claws. And at the end of the days 
 I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and 
 mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the 
 Most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth 
 for ever ; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, 
 and his kingdom from generation to generation : and all 
 the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing : and 
 he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and 
 among the inhabitants of the earth : and none can stay 
 his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the 
 same time mine understanding returned unto me ; and 
 for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness 
 returned unto me ; and my counsellors and my lords 
 sought unto me ; and I was established in my kingdom, 
 and excellent greatness was added unto me. 
 
 ' Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour 
 the King of heaven ; for all his works are truth, and his 
 ways judgement : and those that walk in pride he is able 
 to abase.' 
 
 267 
 
Daniel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 Bels/iazzar''s Feast 
 
 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand 
 of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Bel- 
 shazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring 
 the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his 
 father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusa- 
 lem ; that the king and his lords might drink therein. 
 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken 
 out of the temple of the house of God which was at 
 Jerusalem; and the king and his lords drank in them. 
 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of 
 silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the 
 same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and 
 wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of 
 the wall of the king's palace : and the king saw the part 
 of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance 
 was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him ; and 
 the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote 
 one against another. The king cried aloud to bring in 
 the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The 
 king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoso- 
 ever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpre- 
 tation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a 
 chain of gold about his neck, and shall rule as one of 
 three in the kingdom. Then came in all the king's wise 
 men: but they could not read the writing, nor make 
 
 268 
 
Exile and Return 8«^ Daniel 
 
 known to the king the interpretation. Then was king 
 Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was 
 changed in him, and his lords were perplexed. 
 
 Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and 
 his lords came into the banquet house : the queen spake 
 and said : O king, live for ever ; let not thy thoughts 
 trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed : there is 
 a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy 
 gods ; and in the days of thy father light and under- 
 standing and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was 
 found in him : and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, 
 the king, I say, thy father, made him master of the magi- 
 cians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers ; forasmuch 
 as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, 
 interpreting of dreams, and shewing of dark sentences, 
 and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, 
 whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be 
 called, and he will shew the interpretation. 
 
 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The 
 king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, 
 which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom 
 the king my father brought out of Judah? I have heard 
 of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that 
 light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in 
 thee. And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been 
 brought in before me, that they should read this writing, 
 and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but 
 
 269 
 
Daniel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 they could not shew the interpretation of the thing. But 
 I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, 
 and dissolve doubts : now if thou canst read the writing, 
 and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou 
 shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold 
 about thy neck, and shalt rule as one of three in the king- 
 dom. Then Daniel answered and said before the king : 
 Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another ; 
 nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and 
 make known to him the interpretation. O thou king, the 
 Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the 
 kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty : and 
 because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, 
 nations, and languages trembled and feared before him : 
 whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept 
 alive ; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he 
 would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, 
 and his spirit was hardened that he dealt proudly, he was 
 deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory 
 from him : and he was driven from the sons of men ; and 
 his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was 
 with the wild asses ; he was fed with grass like oxen, and 
 his body was wet with the dew of heaven : until he knew 
 that the Most High God ruleth in the kingdom of men, 
 and that he setteth up over it whomsoever he will. And 
 thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, 
 though thou knewest all this : but hast lifted up thyself 
 
 370 
 
Exile and Return 8«- Daniel 
 
 against the Lord of heaven ; and they have brought the 
 vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords 
 have drunk wine in them ; and thou hast praised the gods 
 of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which 
 see not, nor hear, nor know : and the God in whose hand 
 thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not 
 glorified : then was the part of the hand sent from before 
 him, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the 
 writinjr that was inscribed* : 
 
 M 
 
 U 
 
 P 
 
 E 
 
 L 
 
 H 
 
 N 
 
 E 
 
 A 
 
 E 
 
 K 
 
 R 
 
 M 
 
 E 
 
 S 
 
 E 
 
 T 
 
 I 
 
 N 
 
 E 
 
 N 
 
 This is the interpretation of the thing : — 
 
 MENE 
 God hath numbered thy kingdom : 
 And brought it to an end! 
 
 TEKEL 
 Thou art weighed in the balances : 
 And art found wanting! 
 
 [* Daniel reads down, up, down: instead of across.] 
 271 
 
Daniel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 PERES 
 
 Thy kingdom is divided : 
 
 And given to the Medes and Persians! 
 
 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel 
 with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and 
 made proclamation concerning him, that he should rule as 
 one of three in the kingdom. In that night Belshazzar the 
 Chaldean king was slain, and Darius the Mede received 
 the kingdom. 
 
 Daniel in the Den of Lions 
 
 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred 
 and twenty satraps, which should be throughout the whole 
 kingdom ; and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel 
 was one ; that these satraps might give account unto them, 
 and that the king should have no damage. Then this 
 Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the 
 satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him ; and the 
 king thouo^ht to set him over the whole realm. 
 
 Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find 
 occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom ; but 
 the}' could find none occasion nor fault ; forasmuch as he 
 was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in 
 him. Then said these men. We shall not find any occa- 
 sion against this Daniel, except we find it against him 
 
 273 
 
Exile and Return 6<- Daniel 
 
 concerning the law of his God. Then these presidents 
 and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus 
 unto him : King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents 
 of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsel- 
 lors and the governors, have consulted together to estab- 
 lish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, that 
 whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for 
 thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the 
 den of lions. Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign 
 the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law 
 of the Medes and Persians, wiiich altereth not. Where- 
 fore king Darius signed the writing and the interdict. 
 
 And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he 
 went into his house ; (now his windows were open in his 
 chamber toward Jerusalem ;) and he kneeled upon his 
 knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks be- 
 fore his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men as- 
 sembled together, and found Daniel making petition and 
 supplication before his God. Then they came near, and 
 spake before the king concerning the king^s interdict : 
 Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that 
 shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty 
 days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of 
 lions? The king answered and said. The thing is true, 
 according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which 
 altereth not. Then answered they and said before the 
 king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the cap- 
 T 273 
 
Daniel ^ Bible Stories 
 
 tivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the inter- 
 dict that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three 
 times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, 
 was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver 
 him : and he laboured till the going down of the sun to 
 rescue him. Then these men assembled together unto 
 the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that it 
 is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no interdict nor 
 statute which the king establisheth may be changed. 
 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and 
 cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and 
 said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, 
 he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid 
 upon the mouth of the den ; and the king sealed it with 
 his own signet, and with the signet of his lords ; that 
 nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 
 
 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night 
 fasting ; neither were instruments of music brought before 
 him; and his sleep fled from him. Then the king arose 
 very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the 
 den of lions. And when he came near unto the den to 
 Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice : the king spake 
 and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, 
 is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver 
 thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, 
 O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and 
 hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me : 
 
 274 
 
Exile and Return B^ Esther 
 
 forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me ; and 
 also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then 
 was the king exceeding glad and commanded that they 
 should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was 
 taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found 
 upon him, because he had trusted in his God. And the 
 king commanded, and they brought those men which had 
 accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, 
 them, their children, and their wives ; and the lions had 
 the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces, 
 or ever they came at the bottom of the den. 
 
 11 
 
 The Story of Esther 
 
 How a Jewish Maiden became a Queen 
 
 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is 
 Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, 
 over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces :) that 
 in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne 
 of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, in the 
 third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his 
 princes and his servants ; the power of Persia and Media, 
 
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Esther ^ Bible Stories 
 
 the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before 
 him : when he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom 
 and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even 
 an hundred and fourscore days. And when these days 
 were fulfilled, the king made a feast unto all the people 
 that were present in Shushan the palace, both great and 
 small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king''s 
 palace. 
 
 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was 
 merry with wine, he commanded the seven chamberlains 
 to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown 
 royal, to shew the peoples and the princes her beauty : for 
 she was fair to look on. But the queen Vashti refused to 
 come at the king's commandment : therefore was the king 
 very wroth, and his anger burned in him. Then the king 
 said to the wise men, What shall w^e do unto the queen 
 Vashti according to law, because she hath not done the 
 bidding of the king Ahasuerus ? And Memucan answered 
 before the king and the princes : ' If it please the king, let 
 there go forth a royal commandment from him, and let it 
 be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes 
 that it be not altered, that Vashti come no more before 
 king Ahasuerus ; and let the king give her royal estate 
 unto another that is better than she.' And the saying 
 pleased the king and the princes ; and the king did ac- 
 cording to the word of Memucan. 
 
 After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus 
 
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Exile and Return S«^ Esther 
 
 was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had 
 done, and what was decreed against her. Then said the 
 king^s servants that ministered unto him. Let there be 
 fair young virgins sought for the king: and let the king 
 appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that 
 they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto 
 Shushan the palace ; and let the maiden which pleaseth the 
 king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased 
 the king ; and he did so. 
 
 There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace, whose 
 name was Mordecai, a Benjamite ; who had been carried 
 away from Jerusalem with the captives which had been 
 carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebu- 
 chadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. And 
 he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's 
 daughter : for she had neither father nor mother, and the 
 maiden was fair and beautiful ; and when her father and 
 mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daugh- 
 ter. So it came to pass, when the king's commandment 
 and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were 
 gathered together unto Shushan the palace, that Esther 
 was taken into the king's house. And the king loved 
 Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and 
 favour in his sight more than all the virgins ; so that he 
 set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen 
 instead of Vashti. Then the king made a great feast unto 
 all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast ; and 
 
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Esther ^ Bible Stories 
 
 he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, accord- 
 ing to the bounty of the king. 
 
 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two 
 of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those 
 which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hands 
 on the king Ahasuerus. And the thing was known to 
 Mordecai, who shewed it unto Esther the queen ; and 
 Esther told the king thereof in Mordecai's name. And 
 when inquisition was made of the matter, and it was found 
 to be so, they were both hanged on a tree : and it was 
 written in the book of the chronicles before the king. 
 
 Hamari's Wicked Plot^ and how it was Overthrown 
 
 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman 
 the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all 
 the princes that were with him. And all the king's ser- 
 vants, that were in the king's gate, bowed down, and did 
 reverence to Haman : for the king had so commanded con- 
 cerning him. But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did 
 him reverence. Then the king's servants, that were in the 
 king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou 
 the king's commandment? Now it came to pass, when 
 they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto 
 them, that they told Haman. And when Haman saw that 
 Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence, then 
 was Haman full of wrath. But he thought scorn to lay 
 
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Exile and Return 9«- Esther 
 
 hands on Mordecai alone ; wherefore Haman sought to 
 destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole king- 
 dom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai. 
 
 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a cer- 
 tain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the 
 peoples in all the provinces of thy kingdom ; and their 
 laws are diverse from those of every people ; neither keep 
 they the king's laws : therefore it is not for the king's 
 profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be writ- 
 ten that they be destroyed : and I will pay ten thousand 
 talents of silver into the hands of those that have the 
 charge of the king's business, to bring it into the king's 
 treasuries. And the king took his ring from his hand, 
 and gave it unto Haman the Agagite, the Jews' enemy. 
 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to 
 thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good 
 to thee. 
 
 Then were the king's scribes called in the first month, 
 on the thirteenth day thereof, and there was written ac- 
 cording to all that Haman commanded unto the king's 
 satraps, and to the governors that were over every prov- 
 ince, and to the princes of every people ; to every province 
 according to the writing thereof, and to every people after 
 their language ; in the name of king Aliasuerus was it writ- 
 ten, and it was sealed with the king's ring. And letters 
 were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, 
 to slay, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and 
 
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Esther ^ Bible Stories 
 
 old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the 
 thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month 
 Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. And the 
 king and Haman sat down to drink ; but the city of Shu- 
 shan was perplexed. 
 
 Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai 
 rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and 
 went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud 
 and a bitter cry : and he came even before the king^s 
 gate : for none might enter within the king's gate clothed 
 with sackcloth. And in every province, whithersoever the 
 king's commandment and his decree came, there was great 
 mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and 
 wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. And 
 Esther's maidens and her chamberlains came and told it 
 her ; and the queen was exceedingly grieved : and she sent 
 raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from 
 off him : but he received it not. Then called Esther for 
 Hathach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had 
 appointed to attend upon her, and charged him to go to 
 Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it was. So 
 Hathach went forth to Mordecai unto the broad place of 
 the city, which was before the king's gate. And Mordecai 
 told him of all that had happened unto him, and the exact 
 sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the 
 king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them. Also he 
 gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was 
 
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Exile and Returns*- Esther 
 
 given out in Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto 
 Esther, and to declare it unto her ; and to charge her that 
 she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto 
 him, and to make request before him, for her people. 
 And Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mor- 
 decai. Then Esther spake unto Hathach, and gave him 
 a message unto Mordecai, saying : All the king's servants, 
 and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that who- 
 soever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king 
 into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for 
 him, that he be put to death, except such to whom the 
 king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live : 
 but I have not been called to come in unto the king these 
 thirty days. And they told to Mordecai Esther's words. 
 Then Mordecai bade them return answer unto Esther, 
 Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's 
 house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether 
 boldest thy peace at this time, then shall relief and deliver- 
 ance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and 
 thy father's house shall perish. And who knoweth whether 
 thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? 
 Then Esther bade them return answer unto Mordecai, Go, 
 gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, 
 and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three daj's, 
 night or day : I also and my maidens will fast in like man- 
 ner ; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not accord- 
 ing to the law : and if I perish, I perish. So Mordecai 
 
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Esther ^ Bible Stories 
 
 went his way, and did aecording to all that Esther had 
 commanded him. 
 
 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put 
 on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the 
 king's house, over against the king's house : and the king 
 sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against 
 the entrance of the house. And it was so, when the king 
 saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she ob- 
 tained favour in his sight : and the king held out to Esther 
 the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew 
 near, and touched the top of the sceptre. Then said the 
 king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is 
 thy request? it shall be given thee even to the half of the 
 kingdom. And Esther said. If it seem good unto the king, 
 let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet 
 that I have prepared for him. Then the king said, Cause 
 Haman to make haste, that it may be done as Esther hath 
 said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that 
 Esther had prepared. And the king said unto Esther at 
 the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be 
 granted thee : and what is thy request? even to the half of 
 the kingdom it shall be performed. Then answered Esther, 
 and said, Aly petition and my request is ; if I have found 
 favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king 
 to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the 
 king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare 
 for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hatb said. 
 
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Exile and Return 6«- Esther 
 
 Then went Haman forth that day joyful and glad of 
 heart : but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, 
 that he stood not up nor moved for him, he was filled with 
 wrath against Mordecai. Nevertheless Haman refrained 
 himself, and went home ; and he sent and fetched his 
 friends and Zeresh his wife. And Haman recounted unto 
 them the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his chil- 
 dren, and all the things wherein the king had promoted 
 him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and 
 servants of the king. Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther 
 the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the 
 banquet that she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow 
 also am I invited by her together with the king. Yet all 
 this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the 
 Jew sitting at the king's gate. Then said Zeresh his wife 
 and all his friends unto him. Let a gallows be made of 
 fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak thou unto the 
 king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon : then go thou 
 in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing 
 pleased Haman ; and he caused the gallows to be made. 
 
 On that night could not the king sleep ; and he com- 
 manded to bring the book of records of the chronicles, 
 and they were read before the king. And it was found 
 written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, 
 two of the king's chamberlains, of those that kept the 
 door, who had sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus. 
 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been 
 
 283 
 
Esther ^ Bible Stories 
 
 done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants 
 that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him. 
 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman 
 was come into the outward court of the king's house, to 
 speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that 
 he had prepared for him. And the king's servants said 
 unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the 
 king said, Let him come in. So Haman came in. And 
 the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man 
 whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman said 
 in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour 
 more than to myself? And Haman said unto the king, 
 For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, let royal 
 apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the 
 horse that the king rideth upon, and on the head of which 
 a crown royal is set : and let the apparel and the horse be 
 delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble 
 princes, that they may array the man withal whom the 
 king delighteth to honour, and cause him to ride on horse- 
 back through the street of the city, and proclaim before 
 him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king 
 delighteth to honour. Then the king said to Haman, 
 Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou 
 hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth 
 at the king's gate : let nothing fail of all that thou hast 
 spoken. 
 
 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and ar- 
 
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Exile and Return 8<^ Esther 
 
 rayed Mordecai, and caused him to ride through the street 
 of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be 
 done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour. 
 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman 
 hasted to his house, mourning and having his head cov- 
 ered. And Haman recounted unto Zeresh his wife and all 
 his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said 
 his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai, 
 before whom thou hast begun to fall, be of the seed of the 
 Jews, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely 
 fall before him. While they were yet talking with him, 
 came the king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman 
 unto the banquet that Esther had prepared. 
 
 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther 
 the queen. And the king said again unto Esther on the 
 second day at the banquet of wine. What is thy petition, 
 queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is 
 thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be 
 performed. Then Esther the queen answered and said, If 
 I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please 
 the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my 
 people at my request : for we are sold, I and my people, to 
 be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if vv^e had 
 been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my 
 peace, although the adversary could not have compensated 
 for the king's damage. Then spake the king Ahasuerus 
 and said unto Esther the queen. Who is he, and where is 
 
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ggtljer -98 Bible Stories 
 
 he, that durst presume in his heart to do so ? And Esther 
 said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. 
 Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. 
 And the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of 
 wine. Then said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains that 
 were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits 
 high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who spake 
 good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. And 
 the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman 
 on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then 
 was the king's wrath pacified. 
 
 Mordecai Prime Minister of the Empire 
 
 On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of 
 Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And 
 Mordecai came before the king ; for Esther had told what 
 he was unto her. And the king took off his ring, which 
 he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. 
 And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. And 
 Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at 
 his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mis- 
 chief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had 
 devised against the Jews. Then the king held out to 
 Esther the golden sceptre. So Esther arose, and stood 
 before the king. And she said, If it please the king, and 
 if I have fouud favour in his sight, and the thing seem 
 
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Exile and Return 8«- Esther 
 
 right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it 
 be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the 
 Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which 
 are in all the king's provinces : for how can I endure to 
 see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can 
 I endure to see the destruction of my kindred? Then the 
 king Ahasuems said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai 
 the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, 
 and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he 
 laid his hand upon the Jews. Write ye also to the Jews, 
 as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with 
 the king's ring : for the writing which is written in the 
 king's name, and sealed wdth the king's ring, may no man 
 reverse. 
 
 Then were the king's scribes called at that time, in the 
 third month, which is the month Sivan, on the three and 
 twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all 
 that jMordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the 
 satraps, and the governors and princes of the provinces 
 which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty 
 and seven provinces, unto every province according to the 
 writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, 
 and to the Jews according to their writing, and according 
 to their language. And he wrote in the name of king 
 Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent 
 letters by posts on horseback, riding on swift steeds that 
 were used in the king's service : wherein the king granted 
 
 2S7 
 
Esther ^ Bible Stories 
 
 the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves 
 together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, 
 and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and 
 province that would assault them, their little ones and 
 women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, upon one 
 day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon 
 the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the 
 month Adar. So the posts that rode upon swift steeds 
 that were used in the king's service went out, being 
 hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. 
 
 And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king 
 in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown 
 of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple : and the 
 city of Shushan shouted and was glad. The Jews had light 
 and gladness, and joy and honour. And in every province 
 and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment 
 and his decree came, the Jews had gladness and joy, a 
 feast and a good day. And many from among the peoples 
 of the land became Jews ; for the fear of the Jews was 
 fallen upon them. 
 
 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on 
 the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command- 
 ment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in 
 the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have rule 
 over them ; whereas it was turned to the contrary, that the 
 Jews had rule over them that hated them ; the Jews gath- 
 ered themselves together in their cities throughout all the 
 
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Exile and Return 6«- Esther 
 
 provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as 
 sought their hurt : and no man could withstand them ; for 
 the fear of them was fallen upon all the peoples. And all 
 the princes of the provinces, and the satraps, and the gov- 
 ernors, and they that did the king's business, helped the 
 Jews ; because the fear of Mordecai was fallen upon them. 
 And the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves 
 together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and 
 slew three hundred men in Shushan ; but on the spoil they 
 laid not their hand. And the other Jews that were in the 
 king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood 
 for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew 
 of them that hated them seventy and five thousand ; but 
 on the spoil they laid not their hand. 
 
 This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar ; 
 and on the fourteenth day of the same they rested, and 
 made it a day of feasting and gladness. But the Jews that 
 were in Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day 
 thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth 
 day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting 
 and gladness. Therefore do the Jews of the villages, that 
 dwell in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of 
 the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good 
 day, and of sending portions one to another. 
 
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Nehemiah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 m 
 
 stories of the Return 
 
 How Neheiniah rebuilt the Walls of Jeriisalein 
 
 Now it came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twen- 
 tietli year, as I was in Shushan the palace, that Hanani, one 
 of my brethren, came, he and certain men out of Judah ,' 
 and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, 
 which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 
 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the 
 captivity there in the province are in great affliction and 
 reproach : the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and 
 the gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to 
 pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, 
 and mourned certain days ; and I fasted and prayed before 
 the God of heaven, and said, I beseech thee, O Lord, the 
 God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth 
 covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his 
 commandments : let thine ear now be attentive, and thine 
 eyes open, that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer of 
 thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, day and 
 night, for the children of Israel thy servants, while I con- 
 fess the sins of the children of Israel, v.'hich we have sinned 
 
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Exile and Return B«- Nehemiah 
 
 against thee: yea, I and my father's house have sinned. 
 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not 
 kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judge- 
 ments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. 
 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou command- 
 edst thy servant Moses, saying : ' If ye trespass, I will 
 scatter you abroad among the peoples : but if ye return 
 unto me, and keep my commandments and do them, though 
 your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heaven, yet 
 will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto 
 the place that I have chosen to cause my name to dwell 
 there.' Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom 
 thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong 
 hand. O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be atten- 
 tive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy 
 servants, who delight to fear thy name : and prosper, I 
 pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in 
 the sight of this man, (Now I was cupbearer to the king.) 
 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twenti- 
 eth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before 
 him, that I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. 
 Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. And 
 the king said unto me. Why is thy countenance sad, seeing 
 thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. 
 Then I was very sore afraid. And I said unto the king, 
 Let the king live for ever : why should not my countenance 
 be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, 
 
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Nehemiah ^ Bible Storie s 
 
 lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire ? 
 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make 
 request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said 
 unto the king. If it please the king, and if thy servant have 
 found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto 
 Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may 
 build it. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sit- 
 ting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when 
 wilt thou return ? So it pleased the king to send me ; and 
 I set him a time. Moreover I said unto the king. If it 
 please the king, let letters be given me to the governors 
 beyond the river, that they may let me pass through till 
 I come unto Judah ; and a letter unto Asaph the keeper 
 of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make 
 beams for the gates of the castle which appertaineth to the 
 house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that 
 I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to 
 the good hand of my God upon me. 
 
 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and 
 gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent 
 with me captains of the army and horsemen. And when 
 Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the 
 Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, for 
 that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the 
 children of Israel. So I came to Jerusalem, and was 
 there three days. And I arose in the night, I and some 
 few men with me ; neither told I any man what my God 
 
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Exile and Return 6«- Nehemiah 
 
 put into my heart to do for Jerusalem : neither was there 
 any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. And 
 I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the 
 dragon's well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls 
 of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates 
 thereof were consumed with fire. Then I went on to the 
 fountain gate and to the king's pool : but there was no 
 place for the beast that was under me to pass. Then 
 went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall ; 
 and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so 
 returned. And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what 
 I did ; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the 
 priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest 
 that did the work. Then said I unto them. Ye see the 
 evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and 
 the gates thereof are burned with fire : come and let us 
 build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a 
 reproach. And I told them of the hand of my God which 
 was good upon me ; as also of the king's words that he 
 had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and 
 build. So they strengthened their hands for the good 
 work. 
 
 But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we 
 builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indigna- 
 tion, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his 
 brethren and the army of Samaria, and said. What do 
 these feeble Jews ? will they fortify themselves ? will they 
 
 293 
 
Nehemiah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 sacrifice ? will they make an end in a day ? will they re- 
 vive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they 
 are burned ? Now Tobiah tlie Ammonite was by him, 
 and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, 
 he shall break down their stone wall. (Hear, O our God ; 
 for we are despised : and turn back their reproach upon 
 their own head, and give them up to spoiling in a land of 
 captivity : and cover not their iniquity, and let not their 
 sin be blotted out from before thee : for they have pro- 
 voked thee to anger before the builders.) So we built 
 the wall ; and all the wall was joined together unto half 
 the height thereof: for the people had a mind to work. 
 
 But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, 
 and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdo- 
 dites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem 
 went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, 
 then they were very wroth ; and they conspired all of them 
 together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to 
 cause confusion therein. But we made our prayer unto 
 our God, and set a watch against them day and night, 
 because of them. And Judah said, The strength of the 
 bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish : 
 so that we are not able to build the wall. And our adver- 
 saries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come 
 into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the 
 work to cease. And it came to pass that, when the Jews 
 which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times 
 
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Exile and Return S«^ Nehemiah 
 
 from all places, Ye must return unto us. Therefore set I 
 in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the 
 open places, I even set the people after their families with 
 their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, 
 and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, 
 and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them : 
 remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight 
 for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your 
 wives and your houses. And it came to pass, when our 
 enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had 
 brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of 
 us to the wall, every one unto his work. And it cam.e to 
 pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought 
 in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, 
 and the bows, and the coats of mail ; and the mlers were 
 behind all the house of Judah. They that builded the 
 wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves, every 
 one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with 
 the other held his weapon ; and the builders, every one 
 had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And 
 he that sounded the trumpet was by me. And I said unto 
 the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, 
 Tlie work is great and large, and we are separated upon 
 the wall, one far from another : in what place soever ye 
 hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us ; 
 our God shall fight for us. So we wrought in the work : 
 and half of them held the spears from the rising of the 
 
 295 
 
Nehemiah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 morning till the stars appeared. Likewise at the same 
 time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant 
 lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a 
 guard to us, and may labour in the day. So neither I, 
 nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the 
 guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, 
 every one went with his weapon to the water. 
 
 Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat 
 and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and unto the 
 rest of our enemies, that I had builded the wall, and that 
 there was no breach left therein ; (though even unto that 
 time I had not set up the doors in the gates ;) that San- 
 ballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying. Come, let us 
 meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. 
 But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent mes- 
 sengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so 
 that I cannot come down : why should the work cease, 
 whilst I leave it, and come down to you ? And they sent 
 unto me four times after this sort ; and I answered them 
 after the same manner. Then sent Sanballat his servant 
 unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter 
 in his hand : wherein was written, It is reported among 
 the nations, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews 
 think to rebel ; for which cause thou buildest the wall : 
 and thou wouldest be their king, according to these words. 
 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee 
 at Jerusalem, saying. There is a king in Judah : and now 
 
 296 
 
Exile and Return 8«^ Nehemiah 
 
 shall it be reported to the king according to these words. 
 Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. 
 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things 
 done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine 
 own heart. For they all would have made us afraid, say- 
 ing, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that 
 it be not done. But now, O God, strengthen thou my 
 hands. 
 
 And I went unto the house of Sheraaiah who was shut 
 up ; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of 
 God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the 
 temple : for they will come to slay thee ; yea, in the night 
 will they come to slay thee. And I said, Should such a 
 man as I flee? and who is there, that, being such as I, 
 would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. 
 And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him : but he 
 pronounced this prophecy against me : and Tobiah and 
 Sanballat had hired him. For this cause was he hired, that 
 I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might 
 have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach 
 me. Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat ac- 
 cording to these their works, and also the prophetess 
 Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have 
 put me in fear. 
 
 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of 
 the month Elul, in fifty and two days. And it came to 
 pass, when all our enemies heard thereof, that all the 
 
 297 
 
Nehemiah ^ Bible Stories 
 
 heathen that were about us feared, and were much cast 
 down in their own eyes : for they perceived that this work 
 was wrought of our God. 
 
 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they 
 sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them 
 to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both 
 with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psal- 
 teries, and with harps. And the sons of the singers gath- 
 ered themselves together, both out of the plain round 
 about Jerusalem, and from the villages. Then I brought 
 up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed 
 two great companies that gave thanks and went in pro- 
 cession. Whereof one went on the right hand upon the 
 wall toward the dung gate : (and Ezra the scribe was be- 
 fore them :) and by the fountain gate, and straight before 
 them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the 
 going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto 
 the water gate eastward. And the other company of them 
 that gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with 
 the half of the people, upon the wall, above the tower of 
 the furnaces, even unto the broad wall ; and above the gate 
 of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, and 
 the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even 
 unto the sheep gate : and they stood still in the gate of 
 the guard. So stood the two companies of them that 
 gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of 
 the rulers with me. And the singers sang loud, with 
 
Exile and Return S«- Ezra 
 
 Jezrahiah their overseer. And they offered great sacri- 
 fices that day, and rejoiced ; for God had made them 
 rejoice with great joy ; and the women also and the 
 children rejoiced : so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard 
 even afar off. 
 
 The Renewal of the Covenant under Ezra 
 
 And when the seventh month was come, the children 
 of Israel were in their cities. And all the people gathered 
 themselves together as one man into the broad place that 
 was before the water gate ; and they spake unto Ezra the 
 scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the 
 Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest 
 brought the law before the congregation, both men and 
 women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon 
 the first day of the seventh month. And he read tljerein 
 before the broad place that was before the water gate from 
 early morning until midday, in the presence of the men 
 and the women, and of those that could understand ; and 
 the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of 
 the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of 
 wood, which they had made for the purpose. And Ezra 
 opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he 
 was above all the people ;) and when he opened it, ail the 
 people stood up : and Ezra blessed the Lord, the great 
 God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen^ with 
 
 299 
 
Ezra ^ Bible Stories 
 
 the lifting up of their hands : and they bowed their heads, 
 and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 
 Also the Levites caused the people to understand the law : 
 and the people stood in their place. And they read in 
 the book, in the law of God, distinctly ; and they gave the 
 sense, so that they understood the reading. And Nehe- 
 miah, which was the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the 
 scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto 
 all the people. This day is holy unto the Lord your God ; 
 mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they 
 heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them. 
 Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send 
 portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared : for this 
 day is holy unto our Lord : neither be ye grieved ; for 
 the joy of the Lord is your strength. So the Levites 
 stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day 
 is holy ; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went 
 their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and 
 to make great mirth, because they had understood the 
 words that were declared unto them. 
 
 Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the 
 children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with 
 sackcloth, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel 
 separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and 
 confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. 
 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of 
 the law of the Lord their God a fourth part of the day ; 
 
 300 
 
Exile and Return 8«- Ezra 
 
 and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped 
 the Lord their God. Then the Levites said : 
 
 " Stand up and bless the Lord your God from ever- 
 lasting to everlasting : and blessed be thy glorious name, 
 which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Thou 
 art the Lord, even thou alone ; thou hast made heaven, 
 the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and 
 all things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in 
 them, and thou preservest them all ; and the host of 
 heaven worshippeth thee. Thou art the Lord the God, 
 who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out 
 of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of 
 Abraham ; and foundest his heart faithful before thee, and 
 madest a covenant with him to give the land of the 
 Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and 
 the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, even to give it unto his 
 seed, and hast performed thy words ; for thou art right- 
 eous. And thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in 
 Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red Sea ; and shew- 
 edst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his 
 servants, and on all the people of his land ; for thou 
 knewest that they dealt proudly against them ; and didst 
 get thee a name, as it is this day. And thou didst divide 
 the sea before them, so that they went through the midst 
 of the sea on the dry land ; and their pursuers thou didst 
 cast into the depths, as a stone into the mighty waters. 
 Moreover thou leddest them in a pillar of cloud by day ; 
 
 301 
 
Ezra ^ Bible Stories 
 
 and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light in the 
 way wherein they should go. Thou earnest down also upon 
 mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and 
 gavest them right judgements and true laws, good statutes 
 and commandments : and madest known unto them thy 
 holy sabbath, and commandedst them commandments, and 
 statutes, and a law, by the hand of Moses thy servant ; 
 and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and 
 brouffhtest forth water for them out of the rock for their 
 thirst, and commandedst them that they should go in to 
 possess the land which thou hadst lifted up thine hand to 
 give them. But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and 
 hardened their neck, and hearkened not to thy command- 
 ments, and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy 
 wonders that thou didst among them ; but hardened their 
 neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return 
 to their bondage : but thou art a God ready to pardon, 
 gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and plen- 
 teous in mercy, and forsookest them not. Yea, when they 
 had made them a molten calf, and said. This is thy God 
 that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great 
 provocations ; yet thou in thy manifold m.ercies forsookest 
 them not in the wilderness : the pillar of cloud departed 
 not from over them by day, to lead them in the way ; 
 neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and 
 the way wherein they should go. Thou gavest also thy 
 good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy 
 
 302 
 
Exile and Return S«^ Ezra 
 
 manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their 
 thirst. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the 
 wilderness, and they lacked nothing ; their clothes waxed 
 not old, and their feet swelled not. Moreover thou gavest 
 them kingdoms and peoples, which thou didst allot after 
 their portions : so they possessed the land of Sihon, even 
 the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king 
 of Bashan. Their children also multipliedst thou as the 
 stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, con- 
 cerning which thou didst say to their fathers, that they 
 should go in to possess it. So the children went in and 
 possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the 
 inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them 
 into their hands, with their kings, and the peoples of the 
 land, that they might do with them as they would. And 
 they took fenced cities, and a fat land, and possessed 
 houses full of all good things, cisterns hewn out, vineyards, 
 and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance : so they did 
 eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted them- 
 selves in thy great goodness. Nevertheless they were 
 disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law 
 behind their back, and slew thy prophets which testified 
 against them to turn them again unto thee, and they 
 wrought great provocations. Therefore thou deliveredst 
 them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed 
 them : and in the time of their trouble, when they cried 
 unto thee, thou heardest from heaven ; and according to 
 
 303 
 
Ezra ~^ Bible Stories 
 
 thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours who saved 
 them out of the hand of their adversaries. But after they 
 had rest, they did evil again before thee : therefore leftest 
 thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had 
 the dominion over them : yet when they returned, and 
 cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven ; and many 
 times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies ; 
 and testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring 
 them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and 
 hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against 
 thy judgements, (which if a man do, he shall live in them,) 
 and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and 
 would not hear. Yet many years didst thou bear with 
 them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit through 
 thy prophets : yet would they not give ear : therefore 
 gavest thou them into the hand of the peoples of the 
 lands. Nevertheless in thy manifold mercies thou didst 
 not make a full end of them, nor forsake them ; for thou 
 art a gracious and merciful God. 
 
 " Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and 
 the terrible God, v/ho keepest covenant and mercy, let 
 not all the travail seem little before thee, that hath come 
 upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, 
 and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy 
 people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this 
 day. Howbeit thou art just in all that is come upon us ; 
 for thou hast dealt truly, but we have done wickedly : 
 
 304 
 
Exile and Return S«- Ezra 
 
 neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our 
 fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy command- 
 ments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify 
 against them. For they have not served thee in their 
 kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest 
 them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest 
 before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. 
 Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land that 
 thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and 
 the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it. And it 
 yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast 
 set over us because of our sins : also they have power over 
 our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we 
 are in great distress. And yet for all this we make a sure 
 covenant, and write it ; and our princes, our Levites, and 
 our priests, seal unto it." 
 
 And the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the 
 singers, the Nethinim, and all they that had separated them- 
 selves from the peoples of the lands unto the law of God, 
 their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one that 
 had knowledge and understanding; they clave to their 
 brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into 
 an oath, " to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses 
 the servant of God, and to observe and do all the com- 
 mandments of the Lord our Lord, and his judgements and 
 his statutes ; and that we would not give our daughters 
 unto the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for 
 
 305 
 
Ezra ^ Bible Stories 
 
 our sons : and if the peoples of the land bring ware or any 
 victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy 
 of them on the sabbath, or on a holy day : and that we 
 would forgo the seventh year, and the exaction of every 
 debt." 
 
 306 
 
Exile and Return 9«- Notes 
 
 Notes to the Exile and Return 
 
 Page 259. Threescore cubits : the cudit was the length of the 
 average man's arm, from elbow to wrist. 
 
 Page 263. * Nebuchadjiezzar, the king, tinto all the peoples, etc' 
 It will be seen that this story is told in the form of the actual 
 proclamation made by Nebuchadnezzar concerning the wonder- 
 ful thing that happened to him. 
 
 Page 263. Magicians^ enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers, all 
 mean much the same thing. Sooth is an old word for truth ; 
 soothsayers professed to read the truth of coming events in the 
 stars, or in dreams, or by other means. The Chaldean nation 
 (of which Babylon was the capital) was so far ahead of other 
 peoples in this power of interpreting secrets that the word Chal- 
 deans was used as meaning soothsayers. 
 
 Page 264. Behold, a watcher and an holy one came down 
 from heaven : these are names for angels. Watcher survives 
 in the modern term Guardian Angel. 
 
 Page 266. And seven tifiies shall pass over thee : the inter- 
 pretation of the dream does not tell everything: it might be 
 seven days, or seven months, or seven years, or seven of any 
 other period. 
 
 Page 270. Shall rule as one of three : shall be made a mem- 
 ber of a council of three, to rule the state under the king. 
 
 Page 271. One reason why the other wise men could not 
 make out the writing on the wall was that they tried to read it 
 
 307 
 
j^Qjgg ^ Bible Stories 
 
 in the usual way, across ; and they could make no words of the 
 letters. Daniel sees that it must be read down, up, down, — 
 an old form of writing, called (in Greek) boustrophedon, that is, 
 the way an ox draws a plough, turning at the end of the furrow 
 and going back. As soon as Daniel suggests this, all can read 
 the words Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin. Mene means number; 
 tekel weight; peres division. But only Daniel sees what the 
 words mean when put together. 
 
 Page 278. Mordecai sat in the king's gate : in eastern life the 
 gate of a city or palace is like a modern city hall; persons Hnger 
 about it to have their affairs taken up by kings or magistrates. 
 Even now the Turkish court is called the Sublime Porte (gate). 
 
 Page 278. Hainan the Agagite : this is another word for 
 Amalekite. Haman thus belonged to a nation that was always 
 the foe of Israel (compare Story ix in The Judges^. 
 
 Page 282. Let the king and Haman come . . . unto the ban- 
 quet which I have prepared. Esther has to contend against the 
 power of the court favourite, Haman, and has nothing on her 
 side except her wonderful beauty. Thus her motive in inviting 
 to these banquets is to get time for her beauty to be more and 
 more felt by the king, before she reveals her purpose against 
 Haman. 
 
 Page 285. But if %ve had been sold for boridmen and bond- 
 women, etc. Esther knows human nature too well to trust 
 merely to the king's compassion. She hints in these words 
 at something which was too often forgotten in old times — how 
 that the loss of subjects' lives (for example, in w*ar) is so much 
 loss to the wealth of the kingdom, and therefore loss to the 
 
 308 
 
Exile and Return S«- Notes 
 
 sovereign. Had the Jewish nation been sold into slavery (she 
 says), there v^ould have been a price to set against the loss of 
 subjects, but when they are slain there is not even this. Although 
 the adversary could not have compensated for the king's damage : 
 an allusion to Hainan's offer of ten thousand talents (above, 
 p. 279), which had been made known to her by Mordecai. In 
 the light of this new idea — that the death of subjects is loss 
 to the king — what had before seemed a magnificent bribe of 
 Haman now appears a paltry sum to set against a whole nation 
 of subjects. 
 
 Page 292. Sanballat the Heronite, Tobiah the servant, the 
 Ammonite : these were officials, representing the Babylonian 
 or Persian government in the conquered country of Judea. The 
 persons appointed to these offices would be chosen by the con- 
 querors from the nations who had been neighbours and enemies 
 of the Jews; hence their hostility to Nehemiah's project of 
 rebuilding Jerusalem. 
 
 Page 294. And Judah said : that is, the very Jews who 
 were working with Nehemiah became discouraged. — The Jews 
 which dwelt by them . . . said . . . Ye must return unto us. 
 Many companies of Jewish exiles had been allowed to return to 
 the land of Judea; but Nehemiah was the first to attempt the 
 restoration of Jerusalem as a fortress. The timid Jewish exiles 
 here want Nehemiah to give up his plan, and live in the coun- 
 try like themselves. 
 
 Page 300. Nehemiah . . . the Tirshatha : this is a Persian 
 word : he had been appointed governor of Jerusalem under the 
 Persian king. — Ezra, the scribe : the word scribe has great 
 
 309 
 
Notes "^ Bible Stories 
 
 importance at this period of history. It does not merely mean 
 (as in modern English) a writer, but a teacher of the written 
 
 law. 
 
 Page 305. 7^-4^ -A'i'/Amm (a plural word) : some division of 
 sacred ofi&cials, the meaning of which is not clearly known. 
 
 3x0 
 
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 The Modern Reader's Bible. 
 
 A Series of Books from the Sacred Scriptures, 
 presented in Modem Literary Form, 
 
 BY 
 
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If 
 
Date Due 
 
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 3S188.A11 1899 
 
 ^he modern reader's Bible : a series of 
 
 uniim°" ^^^°'°9"^3' Seminary-Speer Library 
 
 1 1012 nnnsQ 5605