{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_8710/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_8710","id":"gutenberg_8710","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8710","summary":null,"tags":["Bible -- Illustrations","Category: Art","Category: Religion/Spirituality"],"text":"Produced by David Widger\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE DORE GALLERY OF BIBLE ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n\n\nIllustrated by Gustave Dore\n\n\nComplete\n\n\nThis volume, as its title indicates, is a collection of engravings\nillustrative of the Bible--the designs being all from the pencil of the\ngreatest of modern delineators, Gustave Dore. The original work, from\nwhich this collection has been made, met with an immediate and warm\nrecognition and acceptance among those whose means admitted of its\npurchase, and its popularity has in no wise diminished since its first\npublication, but has even extended to those who could only enjoy it\ncasually, or in fragmentary parts. That work, however, in its entirety,\nwas far too costly for the larger and ever-widening circle of M. Dore's\nadmirers, and to meet the felt and often-expressed want of this class,\nand to provide a volume of choice and valuable designs upon sacred\nsubjects for art-loving Biblical students generally, this work was\nprojected and has been carried forward. The aim has been to introduce\nsubjects of general interest--that is, those relating to the most\nprominent events and personages of Scripture--those most familiar to all\nreaders; the plates being chosen with special reference to the known\ntaste of the American people. To each cut is prefixed a page of\nletter-press--in, narrative form, and containing generally a brief\nanalysis of the design. Aside from the labors of the editor and\npublishers, the work, while in progress, was under the pains-taking and\ncareful scrutiny of artists and scholars not directly interested in the\nundertaking, but still having a generous solicitude for its success. It\nis hoped, therefore, that its general plan and execution will render it\nacceptable both to the appreciative and friendly patrons of the great\nartist, and to those who would wish to possess such a work solely as a\nchoice collection of illustrations upon sacred themes.\n\n\n\n\nGUSTAVE DORE.\n\nThe subject of this sketch is, perhaps, the most original and variously\ngifted designer the world has ever known. At an age when most men have\nscarcely passed their novitiate in art, and are still under the direction\nand discipline of their masters and the schools, he had won a brilliant\nreputation, and readers and scholars everywhere were gazing on his work\nwith ever-increasing wonder and delight at his fine fancy and\nmultifarious gifts. He has raised illustrative art to a dignity and\nimportance before unknown, and has developed capacities for the pencil\nbefore unsuspected. He has laid all subjects tribute to his genius,\nexplored and embellished fields hitherto lying waste, and opened new and\nshining paths and vistas where none before had trod. To the works of the\ngreat he has added the lustre of his genius, bringing their beauties into\nclearer view and warming them to a fuller life.\n\nHis delineations of character, in the different phases of life, from the\nhorrible to the grotesque, the grand to the comic, attest the versatility\nof his powers; and, whatever faults may be found by critics, the public\nwill heartily render their quota of admiration to his magic touch, his\nrich and facile rendering of almost every thought that stirs, or lies yet\ndormant, in the human heart. It is useless to attempt a sketch of his\nvarious beauties; those who would know them best must seek them in the\ntreasure--house that his genius is constantly augmenting with fresh gems\nand wealth. To one, however, of his most prominent traits we will\nrefer--his wonderful rendering of the powers of Nature.\n\nHis early wanderings in the wild and romantic passes of the Vosges\ndoubtless developed this inherent tendency of his mind. There he\nwandered, and there, mayhap, imbibed that deep delight of wood and\nvalley, mountain--pass and rich ravine, whose variety of form and detail\nseems endless to the enchanted eye. He has caught the very spell of the\nwilderness; she has laid her hand upon him, and he has gone forth with\nher blessing. So bold and truthful and minute are his countless\nrepresentations of forest scenery; so delicate the tracery of branch and\nstem; so patriarchal the giant boles of his woodland monarchs, that the'\ngazer is at once satisfied and entranced. His vistas lie slumbering with\nrepose either in shadowy glade or fell ravine, either with glint of lake\nor the glad, long course of some rejoicing stream, and above all, supreme\nin a beauty all its own, he spreads a canopy of peerless sky, or a\nwilderness, perhaps, of angry storm, or peaceful stretches of soft,\nfleecy cloud, or heavens serene and fair--another kingdom to his teeming\nart, after the earth has rendered all her gifts.\n\nPaul Gustave Dore was born in the city of Strasburg, January 10, 1833. Of\nhis boyhood we have no very particular account. At eleven years of age,\nhowever, he essayed his first artistic creation--a set' of lithographs,\npublished in his native city. The following year found him in Paris,\nentered as a 7. student at the Charlemagne Lyceum. His first actual work\nbegan in 1848, when his fine series of sketches, the \"Labors of\nHercules,\" was given to the public through the medium of an illustrated,\njournal with which he was for a long time connected as designer. In 1856\nwere published the illustrations for Balzac's \"Contes Drolatiques\" and\nthose for \"The Wandering Jew \"--the first humorous and grotesque in the\nhighest degree--indeed, showing a perfect abandonment to fancy; the other\nweird and supernatural, with fierce battles, shipwrecks, turbulent mobs,\nand nature in her most forbidding and terrible aspects. Every incident or\nsuggestion that could possibly make the story more effective, or add to\nthe horror of the scenes was seized upon and portrayed with wonderful\npower. These at once gave the young designer a great reputation, which\nwas still more enhanced by his subsequent works.\n\nWith all his love for nature and his power of interpreting her in her\nvarying moods, Dore was a dreamer, and many of his finest achievements\nwere in the realm of the imagination. But he was at home in the actual\nworld also, as witness his designs for \"Atala,\" \"London--a Pilgrimage,\"\nand many of the scenes in \"Don Quixote.\"\n\nWhen account is taken of the variety of his designs, and the fact\nconsidered that in almost every task he attempted none had ventured\nbefore him, the amount of work he accomplished is fairly incredible. To\nenumerate the immense tasks he undertook--some single volumes alone\ncontaining hundreds of illustrations--will give some faint idea of his\nindustry. Besides those already mentioned are Montaigne, Dante, the\nBible, Milton, Rabelais, Tennyson's \"Idyls of the King,\" \"The Ancient\nMariner,\" Shakespeare, \"Legende de Croquemitaine,\" La Fontaine's \"Fables,\"\nand others still.\n\nTake one of these works--the Dante, La Fontaine, or \"Don Quixote\"--and\nglance at the pictures. The mere hand labor involved in their production\nis surprising; but when the quality of the work is properly estimated,\nwhat he accomplished seems prodigious. No particular mention need be made\nof him as painter or sculptor, for his reputation rests solely upon his\nwork as an illustrator.\n\nDore's nature was exuberant and buoyant, and he was youthful in\nappearance. He had a passion for music, possessed rare skill as a\nviolinist, and it is assumed that, had he failed to succeed with his\npencil, he could have won a brilliant reputation as a musician.\n\nHe was a bachelor, and lived a quiet, retired life with his\nmother--married, as he expressed it, to her and his art. His death\noccurred on January 23, 1883.\n\n\n\n\nLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS\n\nGUSTAVE DORE\nTHE CREATION OF EVE\nTHE EXPULSION FROM THE GARDEN\nTHE MURDER OF ABEL\nTHE DELUGE\nNOAH CURSING HAM\nTHE TOWER OF BABEL\nABRAHAM ENTERTAINS THREE STRANGERS\nTHE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM\nTHE EXPULSION OF HAGAR\nHAGAR IN THE WILDERESS\nTHE TRIAL OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM\nTHE BURIAL OF SARAH\nELIEZER AND REBEKAH\nISAAC BLESSING JACOB\nJACOB TENDING THE FLOCKS\nJOSEPH SOLD INTO EGYPT\nJOSEPH INTERPRETING PHARAOH'S DREAM\nJOSEPH MAKING HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BRETHREN\nMOSES IN THE BULRUSHES\nTHE WAR AGAINST GIBEON\nSISERA SLAIN BY JAEL\nDEBORAH'S SONG OF TRIUMPH\nJEPHTHAH MET BY HIS DAUGHTER\nJEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER AND HER COMPANIONS\nSAMSON SLAYING THE LION\nSAMSON AND DELILAH\nTHE DEATH OF SAMSON\nNAOMI AND HER DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW\nRUTH AND BOAZ\nTHE RETURN OF THE ARK\nSAUL AND DAVID\nDAVID SPARING SAUL\nDEATH OF SAUL\nTHE DEATH OF ABSALOM\nDAVID MOURNING OVER ABSALOM\nSOLOMON\nTHE JUDGMENT OF SOLOMON\nTHE CEDARS DESTINED FOR THE TEMPLE\nTHE PROPHET SLAIN BY A LION\nELIJAH DESTROYING THE MESSENGERS OF AHAZIAH\nELIJAH'S ASCENT IN A CHARIOT OF FIRE\nDEATH OF JEZEBEL\nESTHER CONFOUNDING HAMAN\nISAIAH\nDESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB'S HOST\nBARUCH\nEZEKIEL PROPHESYING\nTHE VISION OF EZEKIEL\nDANIEL\nTHE FIERY FURNACE\nBELSHAZZAR'S FEAST\nDANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN\nTHE PROPHET AMOS\nJONAH CALLING NINEVEH TO REPENTANCE\nDANIEL CONFOUNDING THE PRIESTS OF BEL\nHELIODORUS PUNISHED IN THE TEMPLE\nTHE NATIVITY\nTHE STAR IN THE EAST\nTHE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT\nTHE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS\nJESUS QUESTIONING THE DOCTORS\nJESUS HEALING THE SICK\nSERMON ON THE MOUNT\nCHRIST STILLING THE TEMPEST\nTHE DUMB MAN POSSESSED\nCHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE\nTHE DISCIPLES PLUCKING CORN ON THE SABBATH\nJESUS WALKING ON THE WATER\nCHRIST'S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM\nJESUS AND THE TRIBUTE MONEY\nTHE WIDOW'S MITE\nRAISING OF THE DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS\nTHE GOOD SAMARITAN\nARRIVAL OF THE SAMARITAN AT THE INN\nTHE PRODIGAL SON\nLAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN\nTHE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN\nJESUS AND THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA\nJESUS AND THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY\nTHE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS\nMARY MAGDALENE\nTHE LAST SUPPER\nTHE AGONY IN THE GARDEN\nPRAYER OF JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF OLIVES\nTHE BETRAYAL\nCHRIST FAINTING UNDER THE CROSS\nTHE FLAGELLATION\nTHE CRUCIFIXION\nCLOSE OF THE CRUCIFIXION\nTHE BURIAL OF JESUS\nTHE ANGEL AT THE SEPULCHER\nTHE JOURNEY TO EMMAUS\nTHE ASCENSION\nTHE MARTYRDOM OF ST. STEPHEN\nSAUL'S CONVERSION\nTHE DELIVERANCE OF ST. PETER\nPAUL AT EPHESUS\nPAUL MENACED BY THE JEWS\nPAUL'S SHIPWRECK\nDEATH ON THE PALE HORSE\n\n\n\n\nTHE CREATION OF EVE.\n\n\n\"And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I\nwill make him a helpmeet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to\nfall on Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and closed up\nthe flesh instead thereof; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from\nman, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This\nis now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman,\nbecause she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father\nand mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.\"\nGenesis ii, 18, 21-24.\n\nIn these few words the Scriptures narrate the creation of the first\nmother of our race. In \"Paradise Lost,\" the poetic genius of Milton,\ngoing more into detail, describes how Eve awoke to consciousness, and\nfound herself reposing under a shade of flowers, much wondering what she\nwas and whence she came. Wandering by the margin of a small lake, she\nsees her own form mirrored in the clear waters, at which she wonders\nmore. But a voice is heard, leading her to him for whom she was made, who\nlies sleeping under a grateful shade. It is at this point the artist\ncomes to interpret the poet's dream. Amid the varied and luxurious\nfoliage of Eden, in the vague light of the early dawn, Eve is presented,\ncoy and graceful, gazing on her sleeping Lord, while in the background is\nfaintly outlined the mystic form of Him in whose image they were created.\n\n\n\n\nTHE EXPULSION FROM THE GARDEN.\n\n\nAnd the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know\ngood and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the\ntree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore, the Lord God sent him\nforth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was\ntaken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden\nof Eden cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep\nthe way of the tree of life.--Genesis iii, 22-24\n\nThey, looking back, all the eastern side beheld Of Paradise, so late\ntheir happy seat, Waved over by that flaming brand; the gate, With\ndreadful forces thronged, and fiery arms Some natural tears they dropped,\nbut wiped them soon; The world was all before them, where to choose Their\nplace of rest, and Providence their guide; They, hand in hand, with\nwandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.\n\nParadise Lost, Book XII.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MURDER OF ABEL.\n\n\nAnd Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I\nhave gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bare his brother Abel. And\nAbel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in\nprocess of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the\nground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the\nfirstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect\nunto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had\nnot respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the\nLord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance\nfallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest\nnot well, sin lieth at the door, and unto thee shall be his desire, and\nthou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it\ncame to pass,--when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against\nAbel his brother, and slew him.\n\nAnd the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I\nknow not Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the\nvoice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art\nthou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy\nbrother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not\nhenceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt\nthou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is\ngreater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from\nthe face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a\nfugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that\nevery one that findeth me shall slay me. And the Lord said unto him,\nTherefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him\nsevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should\nkill him.\n\nAnd Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of\nNod, on the east of Eden.--Genesis iv, 1-16\n\n\n\n\nTHE DELUGE.\n\n\nIn the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the\nseventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the\ngreat deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain\nwas upon the earth forty days and forty nights.\n\nIn the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the\nsons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them,\ninto the ark; they, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle\nafter their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth\nafter his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.\nAnd they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh,\nwherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and\nfemale of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in.\n\nAnd the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased,\nand bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. And the waters\nprevailed, and were increased, greatly upon the earth; and the ark went\nupon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon\nthe earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were\ncovered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains\nwere covered. And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl,\nand of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth\nupon the earth, and every man; all in whose nostrils was the breath of\nlife, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance\nwas destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man and cattle,\nand the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were\ndestroyed from the earth; and Noah only remained alive, and they that\nwere with him in the ark.\n\nAnd the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty\ndays.--Genesis vii, 11-24.\n\n\n\n\nNOAH CURSING HAM.\n\n\nAnd the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and\nJapheth; and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of\nNoah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.\n\nAnd Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he\ndrank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.\nAnd Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told\nhis two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid\nit upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the\nnakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw\nnot their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what\nhis younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a\nservant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed\nbe the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall\nenlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan\nshall be his servant.--Genesis ix, 18-27.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TOWER OF BABEL.\n\n\nAnd the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.\n\nAnd it came to pass as they journeyed from the east, that they found a\nplain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to\nanother, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had\nbrick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let\nus build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let\nus make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole\nearth.\n\nAnd the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the children\nof men builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they\nhave all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be\nrestrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go\ndown, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one\nanother's speech.\n\nSo the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the\nearth: and they left off to build the city.\n\nTherefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there\nconfound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord\nscatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.--Genesis xi, 1-9.\n\n\n\n\nABRAHAM ENTERTAINS THREE STRANGERS.\n\n\nIn the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And all\nthe men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the\nstranger, were circumcised with him.\n\nAnd the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the\ntent door in the heat of the day; and he lift up his eyes and looked,\nand, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet\nthem from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said,\nMy Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray\nthee, from thy servant: let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and\nwash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a\nmorsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on:\nfor therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou\nhast said.\n\nAnd Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready\nquickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the\nhearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and\ngood, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he\ntook butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it\nbefore them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did\neat.--Genesis xvii, 26, 27; xviii 1-8.\n\nBe not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have\nentertained angels unawares.--Hebrews xiii, 2.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM.\n\n\nAnd when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise,\ntake thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be\nconsumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid\nhold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of\nhis two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him\nforth, and set him without the city.\n\nAnd it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he\nsaid, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all\nthe plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. And Lot said\nunto them, Oh, not so, my Lord. Behold now, thy servant hath found grace\nin thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed\nunto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some\nevil take me and I die. Behold now this city is near to flee unto, and it\nis a little one: Oh, let me escape thither (is it not a little one?) and\nmy soul shall live. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee\nconcerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the\nwhich thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do\nanything till thou be come thither.\n\nTherefore the name of the city was called Zoar.\n\nThe sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered unto Zoar. Then the\nLord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord\nout of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all\nthe inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.\n\nBut his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of\nsalt.\n\nAnd Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood\nbefore the Lord and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all\nthe land of the plain, and beheld, and lo, the smoke of the country went\nup as the smoke of a furnace.--Genesis xix, 15-28.\n\n\n\n\nTHE EXPULSION OF HAGAR.\n\n\nAnd the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as\nhe had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old\nage, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called\nthe name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him,\nIsaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as\nGod had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son\nIsaac was born unto him.\n\nAnd Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will\nlaugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah\nshould have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old\nage. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast\nthe same day that Isaac was weaned.\n\nAnd Sarah, saw the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, which she had born unto\nAbraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this\nbondwoman and her son; for the son of this, bondwoman shall not be heir\nwith my son, even with Isaac.\n\nAnd the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.\nAnd God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of\nthe lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto\nthee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And\nalso of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy\nseed.\n\nAnd Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of\nwater, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child,\nand sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of\nBeer-sheba.--Genesis xxi, 1-14.\n\n\n\n\nHAGAR IN THE WILDERNESS.\n\n\nAnd Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of\nwater, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child,\nand sent her away; and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of\nBeer-sheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child\nunder one of the shrubs. And she went and sat her down over against him a\ngood way off, as it were a bow-shot: for she said, Let me not see the\ndeath of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice\nand wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called\nto Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear\nnot, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up\nthe lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.\nAnd God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and\nfilled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was with\nthe lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.\nAnd he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife\nout of the land of Egypt.--Genesis xxi. 14-21.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TRIAL OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and\nsaid unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take\nnow thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into\nthe land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of\nthe mountains which I will tell thee of.\n\nAnd Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took\ntwo of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for\nthe burnt offering, and rose up and went unto the place of which God had\ntold him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the\nplace afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with\nthe ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to\nyou. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon\nIsaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand and a knife, and they\nwent both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and\nsaid, My father: and he, said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the\nfire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And\nAbraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt\noffering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place\nwhich God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the\nwood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon\nthe wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay\nhis son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and\nsaid, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not\nthine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I\nknow that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine\nonly son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold\nbehind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and\ntook the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his\nson.\n\nAnd Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is to this\nday, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.\n\nAnd the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second\ntime, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou\nhast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that\nin blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy\nseed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore;\nand thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall\nall the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my\nvoice.--Geneszs xxii. 1-18.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BURIAL OF SARAH.\n\n\nAnd Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old these were the\nyears of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is\nHebron in the land of Canaan and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to\nweep for her.\n\nAnd Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of\nHeth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a\npossession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my\nsight.\n\nAnd the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, Hear us, my\nlord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres\nbury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but\nthat thou mayest bury thy dead.\n\nAnd Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even\nto the children of Heth. And he communed with them, saying, If it be your\nmind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for\nme to Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah,\nwhich he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it\nis worth he shall give it me for a possession of a burying-place amongst\nyou.\n\nAnd Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite\nanswered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all\nthat went in at the gate of his city, saying, Nay, my lord, hear me: the\nfield give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the\npresence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.\n\nAnd Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. And he\nspake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But\nif thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for\nthe field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.\n\nAnd Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me:\nthe land is worth four hundred shekels of silver: what is that betwixt me\nand thee? bury therefore thy dead.\n\nAnd Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the\nsilver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four\nhundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.\n\nAnd the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre,\nthe field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in\nthe field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure unto\nAbraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before\nall that went in at the gate of his city.\n\nAnd after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of\nMachpelah before Mamre; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the\nfield, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a\npossession of a burying-place by the sons of Heth.--Genesis xxiii.\n\n\n\n\nELIEZER AND REBEKAH.\n\n\nAnd the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and\nsware to him concerning that matter.\n\nAnd the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and\ndeparted; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose\nand went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels\nto kneel down, without the city by a well of water at the time of the\nevening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O\nLord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day,\nand shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the\nwell of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw:\nwater: and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let\ndown thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say,\nDrink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that\nthou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that\nthou hast shewed kindness unto my master.\n\nAnd it came to pass before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah\ncame out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor,\nAbraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was\nvery fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she\nwent down to the well, and filled her pitcher and came up. And the\nservant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little\nwater of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord; and she hasted, and\nlet down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had\ndone giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also,\nuntil they have done drinking. And she hasted and emptied her pitcher\ninto the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for\nall his camels.\n\nAnd the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had\nmade his journey prosperous or not.\n\nAnd it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a\ngolden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands\nof ten shekels weight of gold: and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell\nme, I pray thee; is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?\nAnd she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah,\nwhich she bare unto Nahor. She said moreover unto him, We have both straw\nand provender enough, and room to lodge in.\n\nAnd the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. And he said,\nBlessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute\nmy master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me\nto the house of my master's brethren.\n\nAnd the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these\nthings.--Genesis xxiv, 9-28.\n\n\n\n\nISAAC BLESSING JACOB.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so\nthat he could not see, he called Esau, his eldest son, and said unto him,\nMy son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. And he said, Behold now,\nI am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray\nthee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and\ntake me some venison; And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring\nit to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.\n\nAnd Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the\nfield to hunt for venison, and to bring it.\n\nAnd Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father\nspeak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me\nsavoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my\ndeath. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I\ncommand thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids\nof the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father such as he\nloveth; And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that\nhe may bless thee before his death.\n\nAnd Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy\nman, and I am a smooth man: My father peradventure will feel me, and I\nshall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and\nnot a blessing.\n\nAnd his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my\nvoice, and go fetch me them.\n\nAnd he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother\nmade savoury meat, such as his father loved. And Rebekah took goodly\nraiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put\nthem upon Jacob her younger son: And she put the skins of the kids of the\ngoats upon his hands and upon the smooth of his neck: And she gave the\nsavoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her\nson Jacob.\n\nAnd he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I;\nwho art thou, my son? And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first\nborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit\nand eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac said unto\nhis son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he\nsaid, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me. And Isaac said unto\nJacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou\nbe my very son Esau or not. And Jacob went; near unto Isaac his father;\nand he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are\nthe hands of Esau. And he discerned him not, because his hands were\nhairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.\n\nAnd he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. And he said,\nBring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may\nbless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat; and he brought\nhim wine, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near\nnow, and kiss me, my son. And he came near, and kissed him: and he\nsmelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the\nsmell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:\nTherefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the\nearth, and plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve thee, and nations\nbow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons\nbow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be\nhe that blesseth thee.--Genesis xxvii. 1-29.\n\n\n\n\nJACOB TENDING THE FLOCKS OF LABAN.\n\n\nAnd while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep:\nfor she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the\ndaughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his\nmother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the\nwell's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. And\nJacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. And Jacob told\nRachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son:\nand she ran and told her father.\n\nAnd it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's\nson, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and\nbrought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. And Laban\nsaid to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him\nthe space of a month. And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my\nbrother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for naught? tell me, what\nshall thy wages be?\n\nAnd Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name\nof the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful\nand well favoured.\n\nAnd Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for\nRachel thy younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better that I give her\nto thee, than that I should give her to another man; abide with me.\n\nAnd Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a\nfew days, for the love he had for her. And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me\nmy wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.\n\nAnd Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.\nAnd it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and\nbrought her to him; and he went in unto her. And Laban gave unto his\ndaughter Leah Zilpah his maid, for an handmaid. And it came to pass that\nin the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this\nthou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore\nthen hast thou beguiled me? And Laban said, It must not be so done in our\ncountry, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfil her week, and\nwe will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with\nme yet seven other years.\n\nAnd Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week; and he gave him Rachel his\ndaughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his\nhandmaid to be her maid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved\nalso Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other\nyears.--Genesis xxix, 9-30.\n\n\n\n\nJOSEPH SOLD INTO EGYPT.\n\n\nThese are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old,\nwas feeding the flock with his brethren, and the lad was with the sons of\nBilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph\nbrought unto his father their evil report. Now Israel loved Joseph more\nthan all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made\nhim a coat of many colors. And when his brethren saw that their father\nloved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak\npeaceably unto him.\n\nAnd Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated\nhim yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream\nwhich I have dreamed. For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field,\nand, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your\nsheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his\nbrethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou\nindeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his\ndreams and for his words.\n\nAnd he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said,\nBehold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon\nand the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father\nand to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What\nis this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy\nbrethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth. And his\nbrethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.\n\nAnd his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.\n\nAnd Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. And when\nthey saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired\nagainst him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this\ndreamer cometh. Come now, therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him\ninto some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him; and we\nshall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben heard it, and he\ndelivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And\nReuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is\nin the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of\ntheir hands to deliver him to his father again.\n\nAnd it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they\nstript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him;\nand they took him and cast him into a pit; and the pit was empty, there\nwas no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up\ntheir eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from\nGilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to\ncarry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is\nit if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell\nhim to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our\nbrother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.\n\nThen there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up\nJoseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty\npieces of silver; and they brought Joseph into Egypt.\n\nAnd the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of\nPharaoh's, and captain of the guard.--Genesis xxxvii, 2--12, 17-28, 36\n\n\n\n\nJOSEPH INTERPRETING PHARAOH'S DREAM.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed:\nand, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, there came up out of the\nriver seven well favoured kine and fat-fleshed; and they fed in a meadow.\nAnd, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill\nfavoured and lean-fleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of\nthe river. And the ill favored and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven\nwell favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.\n\nAnd he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn\ncame up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, seven thin ears and\nblasted with the east wind sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears\ndevoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it\nwas a dream.\n\nAnd it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he\nsent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men\nthereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could\ninterpret them unto Pharaoh.\n\n[At the suggestion of his chief butler Pharaoh sends for Joseph and\nrelates to him his dreams, which Joseph interprets as follows:]\n\nAnd Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath\nshewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven\nyears; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. And the\nseven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years;\nand the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years\nof famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God\nis about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of\ngreat plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise\nafter them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten\nin the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; and the\nplenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following;\nfor it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto\nPharaoh twice it is because the thing is established by God, and God will\nshortly bring it to pass.\n\nNow therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him\nover the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers\nover the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the\nseven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good\nyears that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them\nkeep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land\nagainst the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt;\nthat the land perish not through the famine.--Genesis xli. 1-36.\n\n\n\n\nJOSEPH MAKING HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BRETHREN.\n\n\nThen Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him;\nand he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man\nwith him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept\naloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.\n\nAnd Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?\nAnd his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his\npresence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you.\nAnd they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold\ninto Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that\nye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For\nthese two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five\nyears, in which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent\nme before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your\nlives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither,\nbut God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his\nhouse, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up\nto my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made\nme lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: And thou shalt dwell\nin the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy\nchildren, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and\nall that thou hast. And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five\nyears of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast,\ncome to poverty. And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother\nBenjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell\nmy father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye\nshall haste and bring down my father hither.\n\nAnd he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept\nupon his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them:\nand after that his brethren talked with him.\n\nAnd the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's\nbrethren are come and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.\n\nAnd Pharaoh said unto Joseph, say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade\nyour beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; and take your\nfather and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the\ngood of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.--Genesis\nxlv, 1-18.\n\n\n\n\nMOSES IN THE BULRUSHES.\n\n\nAnd there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of\nLevi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that\nhe was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not\nlonger hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with\nslime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the\nflags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what\nwould be done to him.\n\nAnd the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and\nher maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark\namong the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened\nit, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion\non him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his\nsister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the\nHebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's\ndaughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's\nmother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and\nnurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the\nchild and nursed it.\n\nAnd the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he\nbecame her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I\ndrew him out of the water.--Exodus ii, 1-10.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WAR AGAINST GIBEON.\n\n\nTherefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king\nof Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon,\ngathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and\nencamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.\n\nAnd the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying,\nSlack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us\nand help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the\nmountains are gathered together against us.\n\nSo Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him,\nand all the mighty men of valor. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them\nnot: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of\nthem stand before thee. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and\nwent up from Gilgal all night. And the Lord discomfited them before\nIsrael, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them\nalong the way that goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and\nunto Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and\nwere in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great\nstones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more\nwhich died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew\nwith the sword.\n\nThen spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the\nAmorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of\nIsrael, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley\nof Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people\nhad avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the\nbook of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and\nhastened not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that\nbefore it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man:\nfor the Lord fought for Israel.\n\nAnd Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.\nBut these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. And\nit was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at\nMakkedah. And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave,\nand set men by it for to keep them: and stay ye not, but pursue after\nyour enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter\ninto their cities; for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your\nhand.\n\nAnd it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an\nend of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed,\nthat the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities. Joshua\nx, 5-20.\n\n\n\n\nSISERA SLAIN BY JAEL.\n\n\nNow Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab, the\nfather-in-law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched\nhis tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.\n\nAnd they shewed Sisera that Barak, the son of Abinoam, was gone up to\nMount Tabor. And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine\nhundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from\nHarosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.\n\nAnd Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord\nhath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before\nthee? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after\nhim.\n\nAnd the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots and all his host,\nwith the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off\nhis chariot, and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued after the\nchariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the\nhost of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man\nleft.\n\nHowbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael, the wife of\nHeber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and\nthe house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said\nunto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had\nturned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. And he\nsaid unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am\nthirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered\nhim. Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall\nbe, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man\nhere? that thou shalt say, No. Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of\nthe tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and\nsmote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he\nwas fast asleep and weary. So he died.\n\nAnd, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said\nunto him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And when\nhe came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his\ntemples. Judges iv, 2-22.\n\n\n\n\nDEBORAH'S SONG OF TRIUMPH.\n\n\nThen sang Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam on that day, saying:--\n\nPraise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, When the people willingly\noffered themselves. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I,\nwill sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.\nLord, when thou wentest out of Seir, When thou marchedst out of the field\nof Edom, The earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also\ndropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, Even that Sinai\nfrom before the Lord God of Israel.\n\n*********************************\n\nBlessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be; Blessed\nshall she be above women in the tent. He asked water, and she gave him\nmilk; She brought forth butter in a lordly dish. She put her hand to the\nnail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; And with the hammer she\nsmote Sisera, She smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken\nthrough his temples. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: At her\nfeet he bowed, he fell: Where he bowed, there he fell down dead. The\nmother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice,\nWhy is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his\nchariots? Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to\nherself, Have they not sped? Have they not divided the prey; To every man\na damsel or two; To Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers\ncolours of needlework, Of divers colours of needlework on both sides,\nmeet for the necks of them that take the spoil? So let all thine enemies\nperish, O Lord: But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth\nforth in his might. Judges v, 2-5, 24-31\n\n\n\n\nJEPHTHAH MET BY HIS DAUGHTER.\n\n\nThen the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over\nGilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh\nof Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.\n\nAnd Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without\nfail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be,\nthat whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I\nreturn in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's,\nand I will offer it up for a burnt offering.\n\nSo Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them;\nand the Lord delivered them into his hands. And he smote them from Aroer,\neven till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of\nthe vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon\nwere subdued before the children of Israel.\n\nAnd Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter\ncame out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only\nchild; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. Judges xi, 29-34.\n\n\n\n\nJEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER AND HER COMPANIONS\n\n\nAnd it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said,\nAlas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of\nthem that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I\ncannot go back.\n\nAnd she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the\nLord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth;\nforasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies,\neven of the children of Ammon. And she said unto her father, Let this\nthing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down\nupon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.\n\nAnd he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with\nher companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.\n\nAnd it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her\nfather, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she\nknew no man.\n\nAnd it was a custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly\nto lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.\nJudges xi, 35-40.\n\n\n\n\nSAMSON SLAYING THE LION.\n\n\nThen went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and\ncame to the vineyards of Timnath; and, behold, a young lion roared\nagainst him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he\nrent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand; but\nhe told not his father or his mother what he had done. Judges xiv, 5-6.\n\n\n\n\nSAMSON AND DELILAH.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of\nSorek, whose name was Delilah.\n\nAnd the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her,\nEntice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means\nwe may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we\nwill give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.\n\nAnd Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great\nstrength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. And\nSamson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were\nnever dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. Then the lords\nof the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been\ndried, and she bound him with them. Now there were men lying in wait,\nabiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines\nbe upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is\nbroken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.\n\nAnd Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me\nlies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he\nsaid unto her, If they bind me fast with clew ropes that never were\noccupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. Delilah therefore\ntook new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The\nPhilistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in\nthe chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.\n\nAnd Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me\nlies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If\nthou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. And she fastened it\nwith the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.\nAnd he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam\nand with the web.\n\nAnd she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart\nis not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told\nme wherein thy great strength lieth. And it came to pass, when she\npressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was\nvexed unto death; that he told her all his heart, and said unto her,\nThere hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite\nunto God from my mother's womb if I be shaven, then my strength will go\nfrom me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.\n\nAnd when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and\ncalled for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for\nhe hath showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came\nup unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon\nher knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the\nseven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength\nwent from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he\nawoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before,\nand shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.\nJudges xvi, 4-20.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEATH OF SAMSON.\n\n\nBut the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down\nto Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the\nprison house.\n\nHowbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.\n\nThen the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a\ngreat sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our\nGod hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And when the people\nsaw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered\ninto our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew\nmany of us. And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they\nsaid, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for\nSamson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him\nbetween the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the\nhand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth,\nthat I may lean upon them. Now the house was full of men and women; and\nall the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof\nabout three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.\n\nAnd Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I\npray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I\nmay be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson\ntook hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on\nwhich it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other\nwith his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he\nbowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and\nupon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his\ndeath were more than they which he slew in his life.\n\nThen his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took\nhim, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the\nburying-place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty\nyears.--Judges xvi; 21-31\n\n\n\n\nNAOMI AND HER DAUGHTERS IN LAW.\n\n\nNow it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a\nfamine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn\nin the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. And the name\nof the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of\nhis two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And\nthey came into the country of Moab, and continued there. And Elimelech\nNaomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took\nthem wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the\nname of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years. And Mahlon\nand Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two\nsons and her husband.\n\nThen she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the\ncountry of Moab for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the\nLord had visited his people in giving them bread. Wherefore she went\nforth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with\nher; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.\n\nAnd Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her\nmother's house the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the\ndead, and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you\nin the house of her husband.\n\nThen she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. And they\nsaid unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.\n\nAnd Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are\nthere yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn\nagain, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If\nI should say, I have hope, if I should have a husband also to night, and\nshould also bear sons; would ye tarry for them till they were grown?\nwould ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it\ngrieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out\nagainst me.\n\nAnd they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her\nmother in law but Ruth cleave unto her.\n\nAnd she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and\nunto her gods return thou after thy sister in law.\n\nAnd Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following\nafter thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I\nwill lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou\ndiest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and\nmore also, if ought but death part thee and me.\n\nWhen she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she\nleft speaking unto her.\n\nSo they two went until they came to Beth-lehem.--Ruth i, 1-19.\n\n\n\n\nRUTH AND BOAZ.\n\n\nAnd Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the\nfamily of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.\n\nAnd Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and\nglean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she\nsaid unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went, and came and gleaned in the\nfield after the reapers; and her hap was to light on a part of the field\nbelonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.\n\nAnd, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The\nLord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee. Then said\nBoaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is\nthis? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It\nis the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of\nMoab: and she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers\namong the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning\nuntil now, that she tarried a little in the house.\n\nThen said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean\nin another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my\nmaidens: let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou\nafter them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch\nthee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that\nwhich the young men have drawn.\n\nThen she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto\nhim, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take\nknowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?\n\nAnd Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all\nthat thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine\nhusband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land\nof thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not\nheretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee\nof the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.\n\nThen she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord; for that thou\nhast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine\nhandmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.\n\nAnd Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the\nbread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers:\nand he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and\nleft. And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men,\nsaying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: and\nlet fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them,\nthat she may glean them and rebuke her not.\n\nSo she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had\ngleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.--Ruth ii, 1-17.\n\n\n\n\nTHE RETURN OF THE ARK.\n\n\nAnd the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven\nmonths. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners,\nsaying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? tell us wherewith we\nshall send it to his place. And they said, If ye send away the ark of the\nGod of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass\noffering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his\nhand is not removed from you. Then said they, What shall be the trespass\noffering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden\nemerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of\nthe Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.\nWherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice\nthat mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel:\nperadventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your\ngods, and from off your land. Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as\nthe Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought\nwonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they\ndeparted? Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on\nwhich there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring\ntheir calves home from them: and take the ark of the Lord, and lay it\nupon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a\ntrespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away,\nthat it may go. And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to\nBeth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we\nshall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that\nhappened to us.\n\nAnd the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart,\nand shut up their calves at home: and they laid the ark of the Lord upon\nthe cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their\nemerods. And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh,\nand went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to\nthe right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went\nafter them, unto the border of Beth-shemesh. And they of Beth-shemesh\nwere reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their\neyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came into the\nfield of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great\nstone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt\noffering unto the Lord.\n\nAnd the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was\nwith it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great\nstone: and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed\nsacrifices the same day unto the Lord.--1 Samuel vi, 1-5.\n\n\n\n\nSAUL AND DAVID.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that\nthe soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved\nhim as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no\nmore home to his father's house.\n\nThen Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own\nsoul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and\ngave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow,\nand to his girdle.\n\nAnd David went out withersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself\nwisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the\nsight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.\n\nAnd it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the\nslaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of\nIsrael, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy,\nand with instruments of music. And the women answered one another as they\nplayed, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten\nthousands.\n\nAnd Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said,\n\"They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have\nascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?\"  And\nSaul eyed David from that day and forward.\n\nAnd it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came\nupon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played\nwith his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.\nAnd Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the\nwall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.--1 Samuel\nxviii, I-II.\n\n\n\n\nDAVID SPARING SAUL.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the\nPhilistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the\nwilderness of Engedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all\nIsrael, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild\ngoats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and\nSaul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the\nsides of the cave.\n\nAnd the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said\nunto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou\nmayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and\ncut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. And it came to pass afterward,\nthat David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he\nsaid unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my\nmaster, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him,\nseeing he is the anointed of the Lord.\n\nSo David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to\nrise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.\nDavid also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after\nSaul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David\nstooped with his face to the earth and bowed himself.\n\nAnd David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying,\nBehold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how\nthat the Lord had delivered thee to-day into mine hand in the cave: and\nsome bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not\nput forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord's anointed.\nMoreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for\nin that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou\nand see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I\nhave not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The\nLord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine\nhand shall not be upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients,\nWickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon\nthee. After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou\npursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. The Lord therefore be judge, and\njudge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me\nout of thine hand.\n\nAnd it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words\nunto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul\nlifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more\nrighteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded\nthee evil. And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well,\nwith me: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand,\nthou killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go\nwell away? wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done\nunto me this day. And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be\nking, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.\nSwear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off my\nseed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's\nhouse.\n\nAnd David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat\nthem up unto the hold.--2 Samuel xxiv, 2--22.\n\n\n\n\nDEATH OF SAUL.\n\n\nNow the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled\nfrom before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. And the\nPhilistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the\nPhilistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchshua, Saul's sons.\n\nAnd the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he\nwas sore wounded of the archers. Then said Saul unto his armourbearer,\nDraw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised\ncome and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not;\nfor he was sore afraid. Therefore, Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.\nAnd when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon\nhis sword, and died with him.\n\nSo Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men,\nthat same day together.\n\nAnd when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and\nthey that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled,\nand that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled;\nand the Philistines came and dwelt in them. And it came to pass on the\nmorrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found\nSaul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. And they cut off his\nhead, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the\nPhilistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and\namong the people. And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth and\nthey fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.\n\nAnd when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the\nPhilistines had done to Saul; all the valiant men arose, and went all\nnight, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall\nof Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. And they took\ntheir bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven\ndays. 1 Samuel xxxi.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEATH OF ABSALOM.\n\n\nAnd David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of\nthousands and captains of hundreds over them. And David set forth a third\npart of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the\nhand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part\nunder the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I\nwill surely go forth with you myself also.\n\nBut the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away,\nthey will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for\nus: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better\nthat thou succor us out of the city.\n\nAnd the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the\nking stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and\nby thousands. And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying,\nDeal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all\nthe people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning\nAbsalom.\n\nSo the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was\nin the wood of Ephraim; where the people of Israel were slain before the\nservants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day, of\ntwenty thousand men. For the battle was there scattered over the face of\nall the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the\nsword devoured.\n\nAnd Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and\nthe mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught\nhold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth;\nand the mule that was under him went away.\n\nAnd a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold I saw Absalom\nhanged in an oak.\n\nAnd Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him,\nand why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have\ngiven thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.\n\nAnd the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of\nsilver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the\nking's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and\nIttai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. Otherwise I\nshould have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no\nmatter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldst have set thyself\nagainst me.\n\nThen said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts\nin his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was\nyet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten young men that bare Joab's\narmor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him. And Joab blew the\ntrumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab\nheld back the people. And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great\npit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all\nIsrael fled every one to his tent.--2 Samuel xviii, 1-17.\n\n\n\n\nDAVID MOURNING OVER ABSALOM.\n\n\nThen said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king\ntidings, how that the Lord hath avenged him of his enemies. And Joab said\nunto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear\ntidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the\nking's son is dead. Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou\nhast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. Then said Ahimaaz\nthe son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee,\nalso run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son,\nseeing that thou hast no tidings ready? But howsoever, said he let me\nrun. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain,\nand overran Cushi.\n\nAnd David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof\nover the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and\nbehold a man running alone. And the watchman cried, and told the king.\nAnd the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he\ncame apace, and drew near. And the watchman saw another man running: and\nthe watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running\nalone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. And the watchman\nsaid, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of\nAhimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh\nwith good tidings.\n\nAnd Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down\nto the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the Lord\nthy God, which hath delivereth up the men that lifted up their hand\nagainst my lord the king. And the king said, Is the young man Absalom\nsafe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy\nservant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was. And the king\nsaid unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood\nstill.\n\nAnd, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for\nthe Lord bath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against\nthee. And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And\nCushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise\nagainst thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.\n\nAnd the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate,\nand wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son\nAbsalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!\n\nAnd it was told Joab, Behold the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.\nAnd the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people:\nfor the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.\nAnd the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people\nbeing ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.\n\nBut the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my\nson Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!--2 Samuel xviii, 19 33; xix, 1-4.\n\n\n\n\nSOLOMON\n\n\nAnd David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he\nwas come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to\nDavid. And these be the names of those that were born unto him in\nJerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, Ibhar also, and\nElishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia, and Elishama, and Eliada, and\nEliphalet.--2 Samuel v. 13-16.\n\nAnd David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay\nwith her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the\nLord loved him.--2 Samuel xii, 24.\n\nSo David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And\nthe days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years\nreigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.\n\nThen sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was\nestablished greatly.--1 Kings ii, 10-12.\n\nAnd God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and\nlargeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And\nSolomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east\ncountry, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than\nEthan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol:\nand his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand\nproverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees,\nfrom the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that\nspringeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of\ncreeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the\nwisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his\nwisdom.--2 Kings iv, 29-34.\n\n\n\n\nTHE JUDGMENT OF SOLOMON.\n\n\nThen came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood\nbefore him.\n\nAnd the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house;\nand I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass\nthe third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered\nalso: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house,\nsave we two in the house. And this woman's child died in the night;\nbecause she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from\nbeside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid\nher dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my\nchild suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the\nmorning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.\n\nAnd the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is\nthy son.\n\nAnd this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and, the living is my son.\n\nThus they spake before the king.\n\nThen said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy\nson is the dead--and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and\nmy son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword.\n\nAnd they brought a sword before the king.\n\nAnd the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the\none, and half to the other.\n\nThen spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her\nbowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living\nchild, and in no wise slay it.\n\nBut the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.\n\nThen the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no\nwise slay it she is the mother thereof.\n\nAnd all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they\nfeared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do\njudgment. 1 Kings iii, 16-28.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CEDARS DESTINED FOR THE TEMPLE.\n\n\nAnd Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard\nthat they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was\never a lover of David.\n\nAnd Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, Thou knowest how that David my father\ncould not build a house unto the name of the Lord his God for the wars\nwhich were about him on every side, until the Lord put them under the\nsoles of his feet. But now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every\nside, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent. And, behold:\nI purpose to build a house unto the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord\nspake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy\nthrone in thy room, he shall build a house unto my name. Now therefore\ncommand thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants\nshall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for the\nservants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that\nthere is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the\nSidonians.\n\nAnd it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he\nrejoiced greatly and said, Blessed be the Lord this day, which hath given\nunto David a wise son over this great, people. And Hiram sent to Solomon,\nsaying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for: and I\nwill do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber\nof fir: My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea; and\nI will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt\nappoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt\nreceive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my\nhousehold.\n\nSo Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his\ndesire.\n\nAnd Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his\nhousehold and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram\nyear by year.\n\nAnd the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace\nbetween Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.\n\nAnd king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty\nthousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by\ncourses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and\nAdoniram was over the levy. And Solomon had three score and ten thousand\nthat bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains beside\nthe chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work, three thousand\nand three-hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work.\nAnd the king commanded and they brought great stones, costly stones, and\nhewed stones, to lay the foundation of the' house. And Solomon's\nbuilders, and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stone-squarers; so\nthey prepared timber and stones to build the house.--1 Kings v.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PROPHET SLAIN BY A LION.\n\n\nNow there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him\nall the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words\nwhich he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.\nAnd their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen\nwhat way the man of God went, which came, from Judah. And he said unto\nhis sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the, ass: and he rode\nthereon, and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an\noak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from\nJudah? And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and\neat bread. And he, said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee:\nneither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: for it\nwas said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink\nwater there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. He said\nunto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by\nthe word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house,\nthat he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went\nback with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.\n\nAnd it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord\ncame unto the prophet that brought him back: and he cried unto the man of\nGod that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou\nhast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment\nwhich the Lord thy God commanded thee, but camest back, and hast eaten\nbread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to\nthee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcass shall not come unto\nthe sepulchre of thy fathers.\n\nAnd it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk,\nthat he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had\nbrought back.\n\nAnd when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his\ncarcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood\nby the carcass.\n\nAnd, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the\nlion standing by the carcass: and they came and told it in the city where\nthe old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that brought him back from\nthe way heard thereof, he said, It is; the man of God, who was\ndisobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered\nhim unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the\nword of the Lord, which he spake unto him. And he spake to his sons,\nsaying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.\n\nAnd he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the ass and the\nlion standing by the carcass: the lion had not eaten the carcass, nor\ntorn the ass.--2 Kings xiii, II-28.\n\n\n\n\nELIJAH DESTROYING THE MESSENGERS OF AHAZIAH.\n\n\nAnd Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in\nSamaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go,\nenquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this\ndisease.\n\nBut the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to\nmeet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not\nbecause there is not a God in Israel, that 'ye go to enquire of\nBaal-zebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou;\nshalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt\nsurely die. And Elijah departed.\n\nAnd when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are\nye now turned back? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet\nus, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say\nunto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in\nIsrael, that thou sendest to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?\ntherefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone\nup, but shalt surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was\nhe which came up to meet you, and told you these words? And they answered\nhim, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his\nloins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.\n\nThen the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he\nwent up to him and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake\nunto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah\nanswered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let\nfire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there\ncame down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.\n\nAgain also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And\nhe answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said,\nCome down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man\nof God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.\nAnd the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.\n\nAnd he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the\nthird captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before\nElijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee,\nlet my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy\nsight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two\ncaptains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life\nnow be precious in thy sight.\n\nAnd the angel of the lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not\nafraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. And he\nsaid unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent\nmessengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it not because\nthere is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt\nnot come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely\ndie.\n\nSo he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken.--2\nKings i, 2-17.\n\n\n\n\nELIJAH'S ASCENT IN A CHARIOT OF FIRE.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a\nwhirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto\nElisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth-el.\nAnd Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I\nwill not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el.\n\nAnd the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha,\nand said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master\nfrom thy head to-day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.\nAnd Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord\nhath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul\nliveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.\n\nAnd the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and\nsaid unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from\nthy head to-day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And\nElijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me\nto Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I\nwill not leave thee. And they two went on.\n\nAnd fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar\noff and they two stood by Jordan.\n\nAnd Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the\nwaters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went\nover on dry ground.\n\nAnd it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto\nElisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee.\nAnd Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon\nme. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see\nme when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it\nshall not be so.\n\nAnd it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold,\nthere appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them\nboth asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.--2 Kings ii,\nI-II.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEATH OF JEZEBEL.\n\n\nAnd when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted\nher face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. And as Jehu\nentered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?\n\nAnd he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side?\nwho? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw\nher down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on\nthe wall, and on the horses and he trod her under foot. And when he was\ncome in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman,\nand bury her: for she is a king's daughter. And they went to bury her:\nbut they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms\nof her hands. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This\nis the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah the\nTishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of\nJezebel: and the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the\nfield in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is\nJezebel.--2 Kings ix, 30-37.\n\n\n\n\nESTHER CONFOUNDING HAMAN.\n\n\nSo the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.\n\nAnd the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of\nwine What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee:\nand what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of\nthe kingdom.\n\nThen Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favor in thy\nsight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my\npetition, and my people at my request: for we are sold, I and my people,\nto be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for\nbondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue although the enemy could not\ncountervail the king's damage.\n\nThen the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is\nhe, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?\n\nAnd Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.\n\nThen, Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. And the king\narising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace\ngarden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the\nqueen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.\n\nThen the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the\nbanquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was.\nThen said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house?\n\nAs the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. And\nHarbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the\ngallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had\nspoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king\nsaid, Hang him thereon.\n\nSo they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.\nThen was the king's wrath pacified.--Esther vii.\n\n\n\n\nISAIAH.\n\n\nIsaiah (in Hebrew, Yeshayahu, \"Salvation of God\"), the earliest and most\nsublime of the four greater Hebrew prophets, was the son of Amoz (2 Kings\nxix, 2-20; Isaiah xxxvii, 2), and he uttered his oracles during the\nreigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The dates\nof his birth and death are unknown, but he lived from about 760 B.C. to\nabout 700 B.C. He was married and had three sons--the children referred\nto in Isaiah viii, 18; and he appears to have resided near Jerusalem.\n\nBut by most competent critics it is now held that the last twenty-seven\nchapters (40-66) of the book bearing his name were the work, not of the\nprophet, but of a later writer who is commonly styled the second or\nDeutero-Isaiah. In this portion of the book, Cyrus, who was not born till\nafter 600 B.C., is mentioned by name (Isaiah, xliv, 28; xlv, i); and\nevents which did not take place till a century after the prophet's death\nare referred to as happening contemporaneously with the writer's account\nof them. The style of these last twenty-seven chapters, also, is\ndifferent, and the tone is more elevated and spiritual.\n\nDore's ideal portrait is more suited to the second or pseudo-Isaiah, than\nto the real one.\n\n\n\n\nDESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB'S HOST.\n\n\nTherefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall\nnot come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it\nwith shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the\nsame shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord.\nFor I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my\nservant David's sake.\n\nAnd it came to pass that night that the angel of the Lord went out, and\nsmote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five\nthousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all\ndead corpses.\n\nSo Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt\nat Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of\nNisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with\nthe sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esar-haddon his\nson reigned in his stead.--2 Kings xix, 32-37\n\n\n\n\nBARUCH.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah\nking of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,\nTake thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have\nspoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the\nnations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even\nunto this day. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil\nwhich I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his\nevil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.\n\nThen Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the\nmouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord, which he had spoken unto\nhim, upon a roll of a book. Jeremiah xxxvi; 1-4.\n\nThe word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah,\nwhen he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in\nthe fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,\nThus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch; thou didst\nsay, Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted\nin my sighing, and I find no rest.\n\nThus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus; Behold, that which I\nhave built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck\nup, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek\nthem not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord:\nbut thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou\ngoesth. Jeremiah xlv, 1-5.\n\n\n\n\nEZEKIEL PROPHESYING.\n\n\nEzekiel, the third of the great Hebrew prophets, was the son of the\npriest Buzi. (Ezekiel i, 3). He was probably born about 620 or 630 years\nbefore Christ, and was consequently a contemporary of Jeremiah and\nDaniel, to the latter of whom he alludes in chapters xiv, 14-20 and\nxxviii, 3. When Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. (2\nKings xxiv, 8-16; Jeremiah xxix, 1-2; Ezekiel xvii, 12; xix, 9), Ezekiel\nwas carried captive along with Jehoiachin, or Jeconiah, king of Judah,\nand thousands of other Jewish prisoners, to Babylonia, or as he himself\ncalls it, \"the land of the Chaldeans.\" (Ezekiel i, 3). Here, along with\nhis exiled fellow-countrymen, he lived on the banks of the river Chebar\n(Ezekiel i, 1-3), in a house of his own (viii, i). Here also he married,\nand here, too, his wife, \"the desire of his eyes,\" was taken from him\n\"with a stroke\" (Ezekiel xxiv, 15-18). His prophetic career extended over\ntwenty-two years, from about 592 B.C. to about 570 B.C.\n\nThe book bearing his name is written in a mystical and symbolical style,\nand abounds with visions and difficult allegories which indicate on the\npart of the author the possession of a vivid and sublime imagination.\nEzekiel's authorship of it has been questioned. The Talmud attributes it\nto the Great Synagogue, of which Ezekiel was not a member. It is\ndivisible into two portions. The first (chapters i-xxiv) was written\nbefore, and the second (chapters xxv-xlviii) after, the destruction of\nJerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C, the eleventh year of the\nprophet's captivity (Ezekiel xxvi, 1-2; XI, i). The present text is very\nimperfect, being corrupted by the interpolation of glosses and other\nadditions by later hands.\n\nDore's picture represents the prophet uttering his oracles to his\nfellow-exiles (\"them of the captivity\"), or to the \"elders of Judah,\" or\n\"elders of Israel,\" on one of the occasions to which he himself alludes\n(viii, I; xi, 25; xiv, I; xx, I).\n\n\n\n\nTHE VISION OF EZEKIEL.\n\n\nThe hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the\nLord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,\nand caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very\nmany in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.\n\nAnd he said unto me; Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O\nLord God, thou knowest.\n\nAgain he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye\ndry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these\nbones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:\nAnd I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and\ncover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live and ye\nshall know that I am the Lord.\n\nSo I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a\nnoise, and behold a shaking, and the, bones came together, bone to his\nbone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them,\nand the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.\n\nThen said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and\nsay to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O\nbreath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.\n\nSo I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and\nthey lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.\n\nThen he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of\nIsrael: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we\nare cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus\nsaith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and\ncause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of\nIsrael. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your\ngraves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put\nmy Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own\nland: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed\nit, saith the Lord.--Ezekiel xxxvii, 1-14.\n\n\n\n\nDANIEL.\n\n\nRespecting the parentage or family of Daniel, the fourth of the great\nHebrew prophets, nothing is known, though he appears to have been of\nnoble if not of royal descent (Daniel i, 3). When, in the third year of\nthe reign of King Jehoiakim (607, 606, 605, or 604 B.C.), Jerusalem was\nfirst taken by Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, then a youth, was among the\ncaptives carried to Babylon. By the king's orders, he, with others of the\nJewish youth, was educated for three years (Daniel i, 3-7). At this time\nDaniel acquired the power of interpreting dreams (i, 17), which he used\nwith such advantage in expounding a dream of Nebuchadnezzar, that he was\nmade ruler over the whole province of Babylon (Daniel ii, 46-48).\nDaniel's interpretation of Belshazzar's famous vision having been\nfulfilled by the capture of Babylon by Darius, that conqueror promoted\nDaniel to the highest office in the kingdom (Daniel vi, 1-3). The prophet\nalso prospered greatly during the reign of Cyrus (Daniel vi, 28).\n\nThe book of Daniel is written partly in Chaldaic or Syriac (the\nvernacular Aramaic language spoken by the people of Palestine), and\npartly in sacred Hebrew. It is manifestly divisible into two portions.\nThe first (chapters i-vi) narrating the details of the prophet's life,\nand the second (chapters vii-xii) setting forth his apocalyptic visions.\nMuch doubt has been cast upon the authenticity of the work. The evident\nreference in the eleventh chapter to the conquest of Persia by Alexander\nthe Great, which took place about 330 B.C., or more than two hundred\nyears after Daniel flourished, has led many modern critics to believe\nthat the work was composed in the time of the Maccabees.\n\nDore's picture appears to be intended to represent the prophet meditating\nover one of the many visions which came to him.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FIERY FURNACE.\n\n\nWherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.\nThey spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever.\nThere are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the\nprovince of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king,\nhave not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden\nimage which thou hast set up.\n\nThen Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach,\nMeshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.\n\nNebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach,\nand Abed-nego? do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image\nwhich I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the\nsound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and\nall kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made;\nwell: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the\nmidst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver\nyou out of my hands?\n\nShadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O\nNebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it\nbe so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery\nfurnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be\nit known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship\nthe golden image which thou hast set up.\n\nThen was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was\nchanged against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and\ncommanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it\nwas wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in\nhis army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into\nthe burning fiery furnace.\n\nThen these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats,\nand their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning\nfiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent and\nthe furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took\nup Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. And these three men, Shadrach,\nMeshach, and Abed-nego fell down bound into the midst of the burning\nfiery furnace.\n\nThen Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and\nspake, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into\nthe midst of the fire? They answered, and said unto the king, True, O\nking.\n\nHe answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of\nthe fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the\nSon of God.\n\nThen Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace,\nand spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the\nmost high God, come forth and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and\nAbed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes,\ngovernors, and captains, and the king's counselors, being gathered\ntogether, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was\na hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the\nsmell of fire had passed on them.--Daniel iii, 8, 9, 12-27.\n\n\n\n\nBELSHAZZAR'S FEAST.\n\n\nBelshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and\ndrank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine,\ncommanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father\nNebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that\nthe king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink\ntherein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the\ntemple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his\nprinces, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine\nand praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood,\nand of stone.\n\nIn the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over\nagainst the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's\npalace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's\ncountenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the\njoints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.\n\n[On the failure of his astrologers and soothsayers to interpret the\nwriting, the king, at the suggestion of his queen, sends for Daniel, who\ninterprets it as follows:]\n\nO thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom,\nand majesty, and glory, and honor: and for the majesty that he gave him,\nall peoples, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom\nhe would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he\nset up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up,\nand his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne,\nand they took his glory from him and he was driven from the sons of men;\nand his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the\nwild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with\nthe dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the\nkingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.\n\nAnd thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou\nknewest all this; but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven;\nand they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and\nthy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and\nthou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and\nstone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy\nbreath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.\n\nThen was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was\nwritten.\n\nAnd this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.\nThis is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy\nkingdom and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art\nfound wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and\nPersians.\n\nIn that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius\nthe Median took the kingdom.--Daniel v.\n\n\n\n\nDANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN.\n\n\nNow when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house;\nand his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled\nupon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his\nGod, as he did aforetime.\n\nThen these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making\nsupplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the\nking concerning the king's decree Hast thou not signed a decree, that\nevery man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days,\nsave of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.\n\nThe king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of\nthe Medes and Persians, which altereth not.\n\nThen answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the\nchildren of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the\ndecree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.\n\nThen the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with\nhimself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till\nthe going down of the sun to deliver him.\n\nThen these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O\nking, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor\nstatute which the king establisheth may be changed. Then the king\ncommanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions.\nNow the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest\ncontinually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon\nthe mouth of the den and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with\nthe signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning\nDaniel.\n\nThen the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither\nwere instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from\nhim. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste\nunto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a\nlamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O\nDaniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest\ncontinually, able to deliver thee from the lions?\n\nThen said Daniel unto the King, O king, live forever. My God hath sent\nhis angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me:\nforasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee,\nO king, have I done no hurt.\n\nThen was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should\ntake Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and\nno manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. And\nthe king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel,\nand they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their\nwives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones\nin pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.--Daniel vi.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PROPHET AMOS.\n\n\nAmos, one of the earliest of the Hebrew prophets, flourished during the\nreign of Uzziah, about 790 B.C., and was consequently a contemporary of\nHosea and Joel. In his youth he lived at Tekoa, about six miles south of\nBethlehem, in Judaea, and was a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit\n(Amos i, i; vii, 14). This occupation he gave up for that of prophet\n(vii, 15), and he came forward to denounce the idolatry then prevalent in\nJudah, Israel, and the surrounding kingdoms.\n\nThe first six chapters of his book contain his denunciations of idolatry;\nthe other three, his symbolical vision of the overthrow of the people of\nIsrael, and a promise of their restoration. The style is remarkable for\nclearness and strength, and for its picturesque use of images drawn from\nthe rural and pastoral life which the prophet had led in his youth.\n\n\n\n\nJONAH CALLING NINEVEH TO REPENTANCE.\n\n\nAnd the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise,\ngo unto to Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching\nthat I bid thee.\n\nSo Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.\nNow Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. And Jonah\nbegan to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet\nforty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.\n\nSo the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on\nsackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word\ncame unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid\nhis robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And\nhe caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree\nof the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor\nflock taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water: but let man and\nbeast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them\nturn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their\nhands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his\nfierce anger, that we perish not?\n\nAnd God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God\nrepented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he\ndid it not.--Jonah iii.\n\n\n\n\nDANIEL CONFOUNDING THE PRIESTS OF BEL.\n\n\nNow the Babylonians had an idol called Bel: and there were spent upon him\nevery day, twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and\nsixty vessels of wine. The king also worshipped him, and went every day\nto adore him: but Daniel adored his God. And the king said unto him: Why\ndost thou not adore Bel? And he answered, and said to him Because I do\nnot worship idols made with hands, but the living God, that created\nheaven and earth, and hath power over all flesh. And the king said to\nhim: Doth not Bel seem to thee to be a living God? Seest thou not how\nmuch he eateth and drinketh every day? Then Daniel smiled and said: O\nking, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and brass without,\nneither hath he eaten at any time.\n\nAnd the king being angry called for his priests, and said to them: If you\ntell me not, who it is that eateth up these expenses, you shall die. But\nif you can show that Bel eateth these things, Daniel shall die, because\nhe hath blasphemed against Bel.\n\nAnd Daniel said to the king: Be it done according to thy word.\n\nNow the priests of Bel were seventy besides their wives and little ones\nand children. And they went with Daniel into the temple of Bel. And the\npriests of Bel said: Behold, we go out: and do thou, O king, set on the\nmeats, and make ready, the wine, and shut the door fast, and seal it with\nthy own ring: and when thou comest in the morning, if thou findest not\nthat Bel hath eaten all up, we will suffer death, or else Daniel that\nhath lied against us.\n\nAnd they little regarded it, because they had made under the table a\nsecret entrance, and they always came in by it, and consumed those\nthings.\n\nSo it came to pass after they were gone out, the king set the meats\nbefore Bel: and Daniel commanded his servants, and they brought ashes,\nand he sifted them all over the temple before the king: and going forth\nthey shut the door, and having sealed it with the king's ring, they\ndeparted.\n\nBut the priests went in by night, according to their custom, with their\nwives and their children: and they eat and drank all up.\n\nAnd the king rose early in the morning, and Daniel with him. And the king\nsaid: Are the seals whole, Daniel? and he answered: They are whole, O\nking. And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked upon the\ntable, and cried out with a loud voice Great art thou, O Bel, and there\nis not any deceit with thee. And Daniel laughed: and he held the king\nthat he should not go in: and he said: Behold the pavement, mark whose\nfootsteps these are. And the king said: I see the footsteps of men, and\nwomen, and children. And the king was angry. Then he took the priests,\nand their wives, and their children: and they showed him the private\ndoors by which they came in, and consumed the things that were on the\ntable.\n\nThe king therefore put them to death, and delivered Bel into the power of\nDaniel: who destroyed him, and his temple.--Daniel xiv, I-21 (Douay\nVersion).\n\n\n\n\nHELIODORUS PUNISHED IN THE TEMPLE.\n\n\nBut Heliodorus executed that which he had resolved on, himself being\npresent in the same place with his guard about the treasury.\n\nBut the spirit of the Almighty God gave a great evidence of his presence,\nso that all that had presumed to obey him, falling down by the power of\nGod, were struck with fainting and dread. For there appeared to them a\nhorse with a terrible rider upon him, adorned with a very rich covering:\nand he ran fiercely and struck Heliodorus with his fore-feet, and he that\nsat upon him seemed to have armor of gold. Moreover, there appeared two\nother young men, beautiful and strong, bright and glorious, and in comely\napparel: who stood by him, on either side, and scourged him without\nceasing with many stripes.\n\nAnd Heliodorus suddenly fell to the ground, and they took him up covered\nwith great darkness, and having put him into a litter they carried him\nout. So he that came with many servants, and all his guard into the\naforesaid treasury, was carried out, no one being able to help him, the\nmanifest power of God being known. And he indeed by the power of God lay\nspeechless, and without all hope of recovery.--2 Maccabees iii, 23-29.\n\n\n\n\nTHE NATIVITY.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from\nCaesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was\nfirst made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be\ntaxed, every one into his own city.\n\nAnd Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into\nJudaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he\nwas of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary, his\nespoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they\nwere there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And\nshe brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling\nclothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in\nthe inn.\n\nAnd there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,\nkeeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord\ncame upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and\nthey were sore afraid: And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for,\nbehold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all\npeople. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,\nwhich is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall\nfind the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And\nsuddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host\npraising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth\npeace, good will toward men.\n\nAnd it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,\nthe shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and\nsee this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto\nus. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe\nlying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the\nsaying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard\nit, wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But\nMary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the\nshepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that\nthey had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.\n\nAnd when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child,\nhis name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was\nconceived in the womb.--Luke ii.\n\n\n\n\nTHE STAR IN THE EAST.\n\n\nNow when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the\nking, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying,\nWhere is he that born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the\neast, and are come to worship him.\n\nWhen Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all\nJerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and\nscribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should\nbe born. And they said unto him; In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is\nwritten by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem! in the land of Juda, are not\nthe least among the princes of Juda: for out of the shall come a\nGovernor, that shall rule my people Israel.\n\nThen Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them\ndiligently, what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem,\nand said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have\nfound him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.\nWhen they had heard the king, they parted; and, lo, the star, which they\nsaw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the\nyoung child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding\ngreat joy.--Matthew ii, I-10.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.\n\n\nAnd when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to\nJoseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his\nmother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word:\nfor Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.\n\nWhen he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and\ndeparted into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it\nmight be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,\nOut of Egypt have I called my son.--Matthew ii 13-15.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS.\n\n\nThen Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding\nwroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem,\nand in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to\nthe time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.\n\nThen was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,\nIn Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great\nmourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted,\nbecause they are not.--Matthew ii, 16-18.\n\n\n\n\nJESUS QUESTIONING THE DOCTORS.\n\n\nNow his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the\npassover.\n\nAnd when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the\ncustom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they\nreturned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his\nmother, knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the\ncompany, went a day's journey and they sought him among their kinsfolk\nand acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to\nJerusalem, seeking him.\n\nAnd it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple,\nsitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them\nquestions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding\nand answers.\n\nAnd when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him,\nSon, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have\nsought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that, ye sought\nme? wist ye not that I must be about my father's business? And they\nunderstood not the saying which he spake unto them.\n\nAnd he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto\nthem but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.\n\nAnd Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.\nLuke ii, 41-52.\n\n\n\n\nJESUS HEALING THE SICK.\n\n\nAnd Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and\npreaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness\nand all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout\nall Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with\ndivers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils,\nand those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy;--and he\nhealed them.--Matthew iv, 23--24.\n\n\n\n\nSERMON ON THE MOUNT.\n\n\nAnd there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from\nDecapolis and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.\n\nAnd seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was\nset, his disciples came unto him. And he opened his mouth and taught\nthem.\n\nAnd it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were\nastonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority,\nand not as the scribes.\n\nWhen he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed\nhim.--Matthew iv, 25; v, 1-2, 28-29, viii, I.\n\n\n\n\nCHRIST STILLING THE TEMPEST.\n\n\nAnd when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And,\nbehold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship\nwas covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to\nhim, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto\nthem, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and\nrebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men\nmarveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the\nsea obey him?--Matthew viii, 23-27.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DUMB MAN POSSESSED.\n\n\nAs they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a\ndevil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the\nmultitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.\n\nBut the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the\ndevils.--Matthew ix, 32-34\n\n\n\n\nCHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he\ndeparted thence. And when he was come into his own country, he taught\nthem in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said,\nWhence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the\ncarpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren James,\nand Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with\nus? Whence then hath this man all these things?\n\nAnd they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not\nwithout honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.\n\nAnd he did not many mighty works there because of their\nunbelief.--Matthew xiii, 53-58\n\n\n\n\nTHE DISCIPLES PLUCKING CORN ON THE SABBATH.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath\nday; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.\n\nAnd the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day\nthat which is not lawful?\n\nAnd he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had\nneed, and was an hungered, he, and they that were with him? How he went\ninto the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did\neat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and\ngave also to them which were with him? And he said unto them, The sabbath\nwas made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man\nis Lord also of the sabbath.--Mark ii, 23-28.\n\n\n\n\nJESUS WALKING ON THE WATER.\n\n\nAnd when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. And\nwhen, even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone\non the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary\nunto them: and about the fourths watch of the night he cometh unto them,\nwalking upon the sea, and would have passed: by them. But when they saw\nhim walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried\nout: for they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked\nwith them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.\n\nAnd he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they\nwere sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they\nconsidered not the miracle of the loaves; for their heart was\nhardened.--Mark vi, 46-52.\n\n\n\n\nCHRIST'S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.\n\n\nAnd when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto\nthe mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go\ninto the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass\ntied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring the unto me. And if any\nman say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and\nstraightway he will send them.\n\nAll this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the\nprophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh\nunto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass'; and a colt the foal of an ass.\n\nAnd the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the\nass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him\nthereon.\n\nAnd a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut\ndown branches; from the trees, and strewed them in the way. And the\nmultitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to\nthe son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord;\nHosanna in the highest.\n\nAnd when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who\nis this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of\nGalilee.--Matthew xxi, I-II.\n\n\n\n\nJESUS AND THE TRIBUTE MONEY.\n\n\nAnd they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to\ncatch him in his words.\n\nAnd when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art\ntrue, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men,\nbut teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to\nCaesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give?\n\nBut he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring\nme a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it.\n\nAnd he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they\nsaid unto him, Caesar's.\n\nAnd Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are\nCaesar's, and to God the things that are God's.\n\nAnd they marveled at him.--Mark xii, 13-17.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WIDOW'S MITE.\n\n\nAnd Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast\nmoney into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.\n\nAnd there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which\nmake a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto\nthem, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than\nall they which have cast into the treasury: for all they did cast in of\ntheir abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even\nall her living.--Mark xii, 13-17\n\n\n\n\nRAISING OF THE DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS.\n\n\nAnd, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by\nname; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, and besought him greatly,\nsaying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come\nand lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed and she shall live. And\nJesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.\n\nAnd a certain woman which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had\nsuffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had,\nand was nothing bettered, but rather grew, worse, when she had heard of\nJesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said,\nIf I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the\nfountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was\nhealed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that\nvirtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who\ntouched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the\nmultitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked\nround about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing\nand trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before\nhim, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her Daughter, thy faith\nhath made the whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.\n\nWhile he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house\ncertain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master\nany further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith\nunto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he\nsuffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the\nbrother of James. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the\nsynagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.\nAnd when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and\nweep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to\nscorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the\nmother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where\nthe damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto\nher, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee,\narise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the\nage of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.\n\nAnd he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded\nthat something should be given her to eat.--Mark v, 22-43.\n\n\n\n\nTHE GOOD SAMARITAN.\n\n\nBut he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my\nneighbor?\n\nAnd Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to\nJericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and\nwounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there\ncame down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on\nthe other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and\nlooked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan,\nas he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had\ncompassion on him. And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in\noil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn,\nand took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two\npence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him;\nand whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.\nWhich now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell\namong the thieves?\n\nAnd he said, He that shewed mercy on him.\n\nThen said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.--Luke x, 29-37.\n\n\n\n\nARRIVAL OF THE SAMARITAN AT THE INN.\n\n\nBut a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he\nsaw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his\nwounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and\nbrought him to an inn, and took care of him. Luke x, 33-34\n\n\n\n\nTHE PRODIGAL SON.\n\n\nLikewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of\nGod over one sinner that repenteth.\n\nAnd he said, a certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to\nhis father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And\nhe divided unto them his living.\n\nAnd not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took\nhis journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with\nriotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in\nthat land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to\na citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.\nAnd he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did\neat: and no man gave unto him.\n\nAnd when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my\nfather's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will\narise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned\nagainst heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy\nson: make me as one of thy hired servants.\n\nAnd he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way\noff, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his\nneck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned\nagainst heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy\nson. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and\nput it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And\nbring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:\nfor this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.\nAnd they began to be merry.\n\nNow his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the\nhouse, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and\nasked what these things meant.\n\nAnd he said unto him, thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the\nfatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.\n\nAnd he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and\nintreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years\ndo I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and\nyet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:\nbut as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with\nharlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.\n\nAnd he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is\nthine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy\nbrother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.--Luke\nxv, 10-32\n\n\n\n\nLAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN.\n\n\nThere was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen,\nand fared sumptuously every day:\n\nAnd there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate,\nfull of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the\nrich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.\n\nAnd it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels\ninto Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell\nhe lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and\nLazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy\non me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water\nand cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.\n\nBut Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy\ngood things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted,\nand thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is\na great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you\ncannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.\n\nThen he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him\nto my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto\nthem, lest they also come into this place of torment.\n\nAbraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear\nthem.\n\nAnd he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the\ndead, they will repent.\n\nAnd he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither\nwill they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.--Luke xvi, 19-31\n\n\n\n\nTHE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.\n\n\nAnd he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that\nthey were righteous, and despised others.\n\nTwo men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the\nother a publican; The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I\nthank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust,\nadulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give\ntithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would\nnot lift up as much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast,\nsaying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to\nhis house justified rather than the other: for every: one that exalteth\nhimself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.\nLuke xviii, 9-14.\n\n\n\n\nJESUS AND THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA.\n\n\nThen cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the\nparcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was\nthere. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the\nwell: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to\ndraw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.\n\n(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)\n\nThen saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a\nJew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have\nno dealings with the Samaritans.\n\nJesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and\nwho it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked\nof him, and he would have given thee living water.\n\nThe woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the\nwell is deep from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou\ngreater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof\nhimself, and his children, and his cattle?\n\nJesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall\nthirst again but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him\nshall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a\nwell of water springing up into everlasting life.\n\nThe woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not,\nneither come hither to draw.\n\nJesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman\nanswered and said, I have no husband.\n\nJesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou\nhast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in\nthat saidst thou truly.\n\nThe woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our\nfathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the\nplace where men ought to worship.\n\nJesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall\nneither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye\nworship ye know not what: we know what we worship; for salvation is of\nthe Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall\nworship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to\nworship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him\nin spirit and in truth.\n\nThe woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called\nChrist: when he is come, he will tell us all things.\n\nJesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.\n\nAnd upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the\nwoman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?\n\nThe woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and\nsaith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things, that ever I\ndid: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came\nunto him.--John iv 5-30\n\n\n\n\nJESUS AND THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY.\n\n\nJesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came\nagain into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down,\nand taught them.\n\nAnd the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery;\nand when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this\nwoman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law\ncommanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they\nsaid, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.\n\nBut Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as\nthough he heard them not.\n\nSo when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto\nthem, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at\nher.\n\nAnd again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.\n\nAnd they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went\nout one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last; and Jesus\nwas left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had\nlifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman\nwhere are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No\nman, Lord.\n\nAnd Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.\n--john viii, 1-11\n\n\n\n\nTHE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS.\n\n\nNow Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where\nMartha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and\ncomforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out,\nfollowed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when\nMary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet,\nsaying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.\n\nWhen Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which\ncame with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said,\nWhere have ye laid him?\n\nThey said unto him, Lord, come and see.\n\nJesus wept.\n\nThen said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could\nnot this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even\nthis man should not have died?\n\nJesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a\ncave and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone.\n\nMartha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this\ntime he stinketh for he hath been dead four days.\n\nJesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest\nbelieve, thou shouldest see the glory of God?\n\nThen they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid.\n\nAnd Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou\nhast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the\npeople which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast\nsent me.\n\nAnd when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come\nforth.\n\nAnd he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes:\nand his face was bound about with a napkin.\n\nJesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.\n\nThen many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which\nJesus did, believed on him.--John xi, 30-45\n\n\n\n\nMARY MAGDALENE.\n\n\nOf Mary \"called Magdalene\" (Luke viii, 2) but few particulars are\nrecorded in scripture. We first hear of her as having been delivered by\nJesus of seven devils (Luke viii, 1-3; Mark xvi, 9). Impelled, no doubt,\nby gratitude for her deliverance, she becomes one of his followers,\naccompanying him thenceforward in all his wanderings faithfully till his\ndeath. She was the first person to whom he appeared after his\nresurrection (Mark xvi, 9; John xx, 1, 11-18) The common belief that she\nwas a fallen woman is destitute of the slightest foundation. On the\ncontrary, the references to her as being in the company of such women as\nJoanna, the wife of Herod's steward, Salome, the mother of James and\nJohn, and Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke viii, 3; Mark xvi, 40; John\nxix, 25), strongly discountenance such a supposition. The error, which\nhad no other source than ecclesiastical tradition, has been fostered and\nperpetuated by the stupid blunder of the translators of the authorized\nversion in identifying her with the \"sinner\" who is described in Luke\nvii, 37-50 as washing the feet of Jesus with her tears (see head-note to\nLuke vii).\n\nThe Roman Catholic notion that this \"sinner\" was Mary the sister of\nLazarus is almost equally groundless (see Douay Bible, head-note to\nMatthew xxvi, and the foot-note references to Luke vii, 37, found in most\nCatholic Bibles). The only reason for this identification is that the\nanointing by the \"sinner\" is described as taking place in the house of a\nPharisee named Simon (Luke vii, 36, 39-40 43-44); that the anointing by\nthe unnamed woman, as described in Matthew xxvi, 6-13 and Mark xiv, 3-9,\ntook place in the house of one \"Simon the leper,\" in Bethany; and that\nMary, the sister of Lazarus, is described in John xi, 2, and xii, 3-8, as\nanointing Jesus in a house (apparently that of Lazarus himself) in\nBethany, when a conversation ensues altogether different from that\nrecorded in Luke vii, but similar to that related in Matthew xxvi, and\nMark xiv, save that the objection to the anointing of Jesus is made, not\nby \"his disciples\" (Matthew xxvi, 8), not by \"some that had indignation\"\n(Mark xiv, 4), but by \"one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son\"\n(John xii, 4). The demeanor of Mary, the sister of Lazarus, is, however,\nby no means that of a fallen and sinful though penitent woman but that of\na pious and good one (see Luke x, 39, 42; John xi, 28-33; xii, 3).\n\nDore's illustration, which portrays Mary Magdalene as a heartbroken and\ndespairing sinner, shows that he has fallen into the common error.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LAST SUPPER.\n\n\nNow the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to\nJesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat\nthe passover? And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto\nhim, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at\nthy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed\nthem; and they made ready the passover.\n\nNow when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did\neat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.\n\nAnd they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say\nunto him, Lord, is it I?\n\nAnd he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish,\nthe same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him:\nbut woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been\ngood for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed\nhim, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast\nsaid.\n\nAnd as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it,\nand gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And\nhe took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye\nall of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for\nmany for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink\nhenceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new\nwith you in my Father's kingdom.\n\nAnd when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of\nOlives.--Matthew xxvi, 17-30.\n\n\n\n\nTHE AGONY IN THE GARDEN.\n\n\nAnd he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and\nhis disciples all followed him. And when he was at the place, he said\nunto them, Pray that ye enter not in temptation.\n\nAnd he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down,\nand prayed Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:\nnevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.\n\nAnd there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.\n\nAnd being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it\nwere great drops, of blood falling down to the ground.\n\nAnd when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found\nthem sleeping for sorrow, and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and\npray, lest ye enter into temptation--Luke xxii, 39-46.\n\n\n\n\nPRAYER OF, JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF' OLIVES.\n\n\nThen cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith\nunto, the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took\nwith him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and\nvery heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even\nunto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.\n\nAnd he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O\nmy Father, if be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as\nI will, but as thou wilt.\n\nAnd he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto\nPeter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye\nenter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is\nweak.\n\nHe went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if\nthis cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.\n\nAnd he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.\n\nAnd he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying\nthe same words.\n\nThen cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and\ntake your rest behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is\nbetrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise let us be going: behold, he is\nat hand that doth betray me. Matthew xxvi, 36-46\n\n\n\n\nTHE BETRAYAL.\n\n\nAnd he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take\nyour rest it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is\nbetrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that\nbetrayeth me is at hand.\n\nAnd immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and\nwith him great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests\nand the scribes and the elders. And he that betrayed him had given them a\ntoken, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and\nlead him away safely. And as soon as he was come, he goeth straight way\nto him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.\n\nAnd they laid their hands on him, and took him. And one of them that\nstood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut\noff his ear. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as\nagainst a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? I was daily with\nyou in the temple teaching, and ye took me not but the scriptures must be\nfulfilled.\n\nAnd they all forsook him, and fled.--Mark xiv, 41-50\n\n\n\n\nCHRIST FAINTING UNDER THE CROSS.\n\n\nThe incident depicted in this illustration seems to be as apocryphal as\nthat embodied in the artist's picture of Mary Magdalene. There is\nabsolutely no warrant in scripture for the notion that Christ fainted\nunder the burden of the cross. The only foundation for such an idea to\nfound in the Bible is contained in the head note to Mark xv, which is\nquite unwarranted by the text. According to the three synoptic gospels\nthe cross was borne not by Christ, but by Simon, a Cyrenian (see Matthew\nxxvii, 32; Mark xv, 2 1; Luke xxiii, 26). According to the fourth\nevangelist, Jesus bore the cross without assistance the whole distance to\nthe place crucifixion (John xix, 16-18). In not one of the four\nnarratives is there so much as a hint that he fainted under the burden.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FLAGELLATION.\n\n\nThen released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he\ndeliver him to be crucified.--Matthew xxvii, 26.\n\nAnd so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto\nthem, and deliver Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.--Mark\nxv, 15.\n\nThen Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. John xix.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CRUCIFIXION.\n\n\nAnd when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a\nplace of a skull they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and\nwhen he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him,\nand parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which\nwas spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon\nmy vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there;\nand set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING\nOF THE JEWS.\n\nThen were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand,\nand another on the left.\n\nAnd they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying,\nThou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save\nthyself. If thou be the Son of God come down from the cross.\n\nLikewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders,\nsaid, He saved others: himself he cannot save. If he be the King of\nIsrael, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He\ntrusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he\nsaid, I am the Son of God.\n\nThe thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his\nteeth.--Matthew xxvii, 33--44.\n\n\n\n\nCLOSE OF THE CRUCIFIXION.\n\n\nNow from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the\nninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,\nsaying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why\nhast thou forsaken me?\n\nSome of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man\ncalleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge,\nand filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.\nThe rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.\n\nJesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.\n\nAnd, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the\nbottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were\nopened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of\nthe graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and\nappeared unto many.\n\nNow when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw\nthe earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly,\nsaying, Truly this was the Son of God.\n\nAnd many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from\nGalilee, ministering unto him: among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary\nthe mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's\nchildren.--Matthew xxvii, 45-56.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BURIAL OF JESUS.\n\n\nWhen the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph,\nwho also himself was Jesus' disciple he went to Pilate, and begged the\nbody of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when\nJoseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid\nit in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled\na great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.\n\nAnd there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against\nthe sepulchre.--Matthew xxvii, 57-61\n\n\n\n\nTHE ANGEL AT THE SEPULCHRE.\n\n\nIn the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of\nthe week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.\n\nAnd, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord\ndescended from, heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,\nand sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment\nwhite as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as\ndead men.\n\nAnd the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know\nthat ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen,\nas he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and\ntell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and, behold, he goeth\nbefore you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.\n\nAnd they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and\ndid run to bring his disciples word.--Matthew xxviii, 1-8.\n\n\n\n\nTHE JOURNEY TO EMMAUS.\n\n\nAnd, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus\nwhich was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.\n\nAnd they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it\ncame to pass that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus\nhimself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were holden that\nthey should not know him.\n\nAnd he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye\nhave one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?\n\nAnd the one of them, whose, name was Cleopas, answering said unto him,\nArt thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things\nwhich are come to pass there in these days?\n\nAnd he said unto them, What things?\n\nAnd they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet\nmighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief\npriests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have\ncrucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have\nredeemed Israel: and beside all this, to-day is the third day since these\nthings were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us\nastonished, which were early at the sepulchre; and when they found not\nhis body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels,\nwhich said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went\nto the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him\nthey saw not.\n\nThen he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that\nthe prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things,\nand to enter into his glory?\n\nAnd beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in\nall the scriptures the things concerning himself.\n\nAnd they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as\nthough he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying,\nAbide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he\nwent in to tarry with them.\n\nAnd it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and\nblessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and\nthey knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.\n\nAnd they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he\ntalked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?\n\nAnd they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the\neleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord\nis risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.\n\nAnd they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of\nthem in breaking of bread.--Luke xxiv, 13-35.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASCENSION.\n\n\nNow upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came\nunto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and\ncertain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the\nsepulchre. * * *\n\nAnd they remembered his words. And returned from the sepulchre, and told\nall these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. * * *\n\nAnd, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus,\nwhich was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked\ntogether of all these things which had happened. * * *\n\nAnd they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the\neleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord\nis risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things\nwere done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.\nAnd as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and\nsaith unto them, Peace be unto you. * * *\n\nAnd, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in\nthe city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.\n\nAnd he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and\nblessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted\nfrom them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and\nreturned to Jerusalem with great joy. Luke xxiv, 1-2, 8-9, 13-14, 33-36,\n49-52.\n\nThe former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began\nboth to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that\nhe through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom\nhe had chosen: to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by\nmany infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of\nthe things pertaining to the kingdom of God: and, being assembled\ntogether with them, commanded them that they should not depart from\nJerusalem, but, wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye\nhave heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be\nbaptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.\n\nWhen they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord,\nwilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel? And he said\nunto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the\nFather hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that\nthe Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both\nin Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part\nof the earth.\n\nAnd when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up:\nand a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked\nsteadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in\nwhite apparel.--Acts i, 1-10\n\n\n\n\nTHE MARTYRDOM OF ST. STEPHEN.\n\n\nAnd Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles\namong the people.\n\nThen there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue\nof the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of\nCilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to\nresist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned\nmen, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses\nand against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the\nscribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the\ncouncil. And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to\nspeak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: for we have\nheard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and\nshall change the customs which Moses delivered us.\n\nAnd all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face\nas it had been the face of an angel.\n\nThen said the high priest, Are these things so?\n\nAnd he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken: [Stephen here makes his\ndefense, concluding with a terrible, denunciation of the Jews as being\nstiffnecked and persecutors of their prophets, and as betrayers and\nmurderers of Jesus Christ.]\n\nWhen they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they,\ngnashed on him with their teeth.\n\nBut he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven,\nand saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,\nand said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing\non the right hand of God.\n\nThen they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran\nupon him with one accord, and cast him out of, the city, and stoned him:\nand the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose\nname was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying,\nLord Jesus, receive my spirit.\n\nAnd he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin\nto their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.\n\nAnd Saul was consenting unto his death.--Acts vi, 8-15; vii, 1-2, 54-56;\nviii, 1.\n\n\n\n\nSAUL'S CONVERSION.\n\n\nAnd Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the\ndisciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him\nletters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way,\nwhether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.\n\nAnd as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined\nround about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard\na voice, saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he\nsaid, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou\npersecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he\ntrembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And\nthe Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told\nthee what thou must do.\n\nAnd the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice,\nbut seeing no man.\n\nAnd Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no\nman: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he\nwas three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.\n\nAnd there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him\nsaid the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.\n\nAnd the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called\nStraight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of\nTarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a man named\nAnanias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his\nsight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how\nmuch evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: and here he hath\nauthority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But\nthe Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to\nbear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:\nfor I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.\n\nAnd Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his\nhands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto\nthee in the way as thou camest, hash sent me, that thou mightest receive\nthy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell\nfrom his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and\narose and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was\nstrengthened.\n\nThen was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And\nstraightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of\nGod.--Acts ix, 1-20.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DELIVERANCE OF ST. PETER.\n\n\nNow about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex\ncertain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the\nsword.\n\nAnd because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take\nPeter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had\napprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four\nquarternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him\nforth to the people.\n\nPeter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing\nof the church unto God for him.\n\nAnd when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was\nsleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers\nbefore the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came\nupon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the\nside, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell\noff from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind\non thy sandals: And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment\nabout thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist\nnot that it was true which was done by the angel but thought he saw a\nvision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto\nthe iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own\naccord and they went out and passed on through one street and forthwith\nthe angel departed from him.\n\nAnd when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that\nthe Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of\nHerod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.--Acts xii,\n1-11\n\n\n\n\nPAUL AT EPHESUS.\n\n\nAnd it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having\npassed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus; and finding certain\ndisciples, he said unto them, Have ye, received the Holy Ghost since ye\nbelieved? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether\nthere be any Holy Ghost. And he, said unto them, Unto what then were ye\nbaptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily\nbaptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that\nthey should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on\nChrist Jesus.\n\nWhen they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.\nAnd when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them;\nand they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about\ntwelve.\n\nAnd he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three\nmonths, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of\nGod.\n\nBut when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that\nway before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the\ndisciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this\ncontinued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia\nheard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.\n\nAnd God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his\nbody were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases\ndeparted from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.\n\nThen certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over\nthem which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure\nyou by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva,\na Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit\nanswered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the\nman in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and\nprevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and\nwounded.\n\nAnd this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus;\nand fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.\nAnd many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many\nof them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and\nburned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found\nit fifty thousand pieces of silver.\n\nSo mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.--Acts xix, 1--20.\n\n\n\n\nPAUL MENACED BY THE JEWS.\n\n\nDo therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow\non them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with\nthem, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those\nthings, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that\nthou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.\n\nThen Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them\nentered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of\npurification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of\nthem.\n\nAnd when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia,\nwhen they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid\nhands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help: this is the man, that\nteacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this\nplace: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted\nthis holy place. (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus\nan Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)\n\nAnd all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took\nPaul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.\nAnd as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain\nof the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar: who immediately took\nsoldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them and when they saw the\nchief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. Then the chief\ncaptain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two\nchains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. And some cried one\nthing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the\ncertainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.\nAnd when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the\nsoldiers for the violence of the people. For the multitude of the people\nfollowed after, crying, Away with him.\n\nAnd as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief\ncaptain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? Art not\nthou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest\nout into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? But Paul\nsaid, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen\nof no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.\n\nAnd when he had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned\nwith the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence,\nhe spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue.--Acts xxi, 23-40.\n\n\n\n\nPAUL'S SHIPWRECK.\n\n\nAnd while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat,\nsaying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued\nfasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat;\nfor this is for your health: for there shall not a hair fall from the\nhead of any of you.\n\nAnd when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in\npresence of them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then\nwere they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.\n\nAnd we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.\n\nAnd when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the\nwheat into the sea. And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they\ndiscovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded,\nif it were possible, to thrust in the ship. And when they had taken up\nthe anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the\nrudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward\nshore. And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship\naground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmovable, but the\nhinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. And the soldiers'\ncounsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and\nescape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their\npurpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves\nfirst into the sea, and get to land: and the rest, some on boards, and\nsome on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they\nescaped all safe to land.\n\nAnd when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called\nMelita.\n\nAnd the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a\nfire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because\nof the cold.--Acts xxvii, 33-44; xxviii, 1-2\n\n\n\n\nDEATH ON THE PALE HORSE.\n\n\nAnd when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth\nbeast say, Come and see.\n\nAnd I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was\nDeath, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the\nfourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with\ndeath, and with the beasts of the earth. Revelation vi, 7-8","title":"The Dor\u00e9 Bible Gallery, Complete: Containing One Hundred Superb Illustrations, and a Page of Explanatory Letter-press Facing Each","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":35567}