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salom; he said that it put shame upon his servants who had that day risked their lives for him, and had saved his life, and the lives of his sons and of his wives. And he prayed the king to go forth and speak comfortably to his people. So king David arose, and went down and sat in the gate; and all the people came before the king.

And when it was known throughout the land that Absalom was dead, all the people among the tribes of Israel who had followed Absalom began to say one to another, "The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom. And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why are we silent about bringing the king back."

Then king David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and commanded them to speak to the elders of Judah, his own tribe, and say, "Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house?" So the men of Judah sent word to the king to ask him to return to them to Jerusalem. And they

went forth as far as Gilgal to meet the king, and bring him back over the Jordan.

So king David returned from Mahanaim, and came to the Jordan. And as soon as he had crossed the river with his household, Shimei, the Benjamite, who had cursed king David on the day that he fled from Absalom, fell down before the king; for he had hasted to come down with the men of Judah to meet the king. And he said, "Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem; for thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I have come first of all the house of Israel to meet my lord the king." Then Abishai said to David, "Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed ?" But David answered that there should no man be put to death that day in Israel. And he said to Shimei, "Thou shalt not die."

Then David went onward from the Jordan to Jerusalem, and returned to his own house. And

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after a while there was peace again throughout all the land, and the kingdom of David was again established over all the people of Israel.

2 Samuel xix. Deuteronomy xxvii. 16. Psalm cxliii. 4. ; xxxviii. 6. 8.

To impute, is to reckon good or evil to a person.
Perversely, is wrongly, in a self-willed way.

Chapter CXXXEEE.

THE PREPARATIONS OF KING DAVID FOR BUILD-
ING THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD.

B.C. ABOUT four years after the death of Absalom, 1017. king David began to make preparations for build

about

ing the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. For he said, "Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries." So he prepared gold and silver, and brass and iron, and cedar trees, which the people of Tyre and Sidon brought to Jerusalem. And he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.

And when king David had prepared abundantly all things that were required for building the temple of the Lord, he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel. And he said to Solomon, "My son, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God: but the word of the Lord came unto me saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be called Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever. Now, my son, the Lord be with thee; prosper thou, and build the house of the Lord thy God, as He hath said of thee. The Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God. Then shalt thou prosper, if thou

takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the Lord charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed."

And after this, king David gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and Levites, that he might provide for the worship of the Lord God of Israel in the temple that was to be built for His name. Then he divided the priests, the sons of Aaron, according to their families, into twenty-four courses or bands. Each band or course was to fulfil in turn the duties of the priests' office, to bless the people in the name of the Lord, to burn incense before Him, and to offer burnt sacrifices day by day continually, and on the Sabbaths, and on the set feasts, according to the appointed order, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. And he also divided the Levites into twenty-four courses, to minister in turn before the Lord, to wait on the priests, the sons of Aaron, for the service of the house of the Lord, and to keep the charge of the tabernacle, and take care of the holy place. And he separated from among the Levites those who

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