Eighty years old, am I to-day - could I discern between good and bad? or could thy servant taste what I might eat, and what I might drink? or could I hearken any more to the voice of singing men and singing women? Wherefore, then, should thy servant yet be a burden unto my lord the king?

Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father, and my mother. But here is thy servant Chimham - let him pass over with my lord the king, and do unto him that which may be good in thine eyes.

Then said the king, With me, shall Chimham pass over, and, I, will do unto him that which shall be good in thine eyes, - and, whatsoever thou shalt choose to lay upon me, I will do for thee.

Then said David unto Abishai, Now, shall Sheba son of Bichri, do us more harm than Absolom, - thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue him, lest he have got him into fortified cities, and so have escaped our eye.

When, they, were by the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa, had arrived before them. Now, Joab, was girded about with his war-coat as his upper garment, and, over it, a girdle with a sword, fastened upon his loins, in the sheath thereof, and, it, came out and fell.

So the woman came unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast it out unto Joab. And he blew with a horn, and they dispersed themselves from the city, every man to his home; but, Joab, returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

so they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin, in Zelah, in the grave of Kish his father, thus did they all that the king commanded, - and God suffered himself to be entreated for the land, after this.

My God, was my rock, I sought refuge in him, - My shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, My Saviour! from violence, thou didst save me.

In my distress, called I on Yahweh, Yea, unto my God, did I call, - and he hearkened, out of his temple, unto my voice, and, my cry for help, was in his ears!

For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, - and not broken away from my God;

For, by thee, I ran through a troop, - by my God, I leapt over a wall.

As for God, blameless is his way, - the speech of Yahweh, hath been proved, a shield, he is to all who seek refuge in him.

For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? and who a Rock, save our God?

GOD, is my fortress of strength, - and shewed to the blameless his way;

Yahweh liveth, and blessed be my rock, - and exalted be the God (of the rock) of my salvation: -

The GOD who hath avenged me, and brought down peoples under me;

Now, these, are the last words of David, - The oracle of David, son of Jesse, Yea the oracle of The man raised up on high, The Anointed of the God of Jacob, the Delight of the Songs of Israel:

Said the God of Israel, Unto me, spake the Rock of Israel: - One Ruling over Men, A Righteous One, ruling in the reverence of God,

When, not so, was my house with GOD, Then, a covenant age-abiding, he appointed me, Ordered in all things and guarded, Now that it is all my salvation and all my desire, Will he not make it shoot forth?

And David longed, and said, - Who will give me to drink water out of the well of Bethlehem, that is within the gate?

And the three mighty men brake through the camp of Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was within the gate, and bare it, and brought it in unto David, - yet would he not drink, but poured it out unto Yahweh,

Then said Joab unto the king - Yea, Yahweh thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and suffer the eyes of my lord the king, to see it, - but, my lord the king, wherefore doth he find pleasure in this thing?

And they passed over the Jordan, - and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city, that is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, even towards Jazer.

And, when David arose in the morning, the word of Yahweh, had come unto Gad the prophet, the seer of David, saying:

So Gad came in unto David, and told him, - and said to him: Shall there come unto thee seven years of famine in thy land? Or, for three months, wilt thou flee before thine enemies while, they, pursue thee? Or shall there be, for three days, pestilence in thy land? Now, consider and see, what, answer, I shall return to him that sent me.

And David said unto Gad - I am in a great strait, - let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Yahweh, for, manifold, are, his compassions, but, into the hand of man, let me not fall.

And Gad came unto David, on that day, - and said unto him - Go up, rear thou unto Yahweh an altar, in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

So David went up, according to the word of Gad, as Yahweh had commanded.

Then said Araunah unto David, Let my lord the king accept it and cause to ascend what is good in his own eyes, - see! the oxen for the ascending-sacrifice, and the threshing-sledges and ox-yokes for wood.

The whole, did Araunah give, as a king to a king. And Araunah said unto the king, Yahweh thy God, accept thee!

But the king said unto Araunah - Nay! but I will, buy, it of thee, for a price, and will not cause to ascend unto Yahweh my God, offerings that have cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor, and the oxen, for fifty shekels of silver;

Now, King David, was old, advanced in days, - and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

Wherefore his servants said unto him - Let there be sought for my lord the king, a young woman - a virgin, so shall she stand before the king, that she may become his companion, - and she shall lie in thy bosom, and my lord the king shall get, heat.

Go, and get thee in unto King David, and thou shalt say unto him - Didst not, thou thyself, my lord O king, swear unto thy handmaid, saying - Solomon thy son, shall become king after me, yea, he, shall sit upon my throne? Why, then, hath, Adonijah, become king?

And she said unto him - My lord, thou thyself, didst swear by Yahweh thy God, unto thy handmaid, Assuredly, Solomon thy son, shall become king after me, - yea, he, shall sit upon my throne.

even as I sware unto thee by Yahweh, God of Israel, saying, Assuredly, Solomon thy son, shall become king after me, yea, he, shall sit upon my throne, in my stead, even so, will I do this day.

Then did Benaiah son of Jehoiada make response unto the king, and say - Amen! so, say Yahweh, God of my lord the king.

While yet he was speaking, lo! Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, came in, - and Adonijah said - Come in, for, a worthy man, thou art, and, good tidings, dost thou bring.

Moreover also, the servants of the king have been in, to bless our lord King David, saying - Thy God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne, - And the king bowed himself upon his bed.

Moreover also, thus and thus, hath said the king, - Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, who hath given, to-day, one to sit upon my throne, mine own eyes also beholding it.

and keep the observances of Yahweh thy God, by walking in his ways, by keeping his statutes, his commandments, and his regulations and his testimonies, as written in the law of Moses, - to the end thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;

to the end that Yahweh may establish his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy sons will take heed to their way, by walking before me, in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, (then, said he) there shall not be cut off to thee a man, from off the throne of Israel.

And Bath-sheba said: Good! I myself, will speak for thee, unto the king.

Then swore King Solomon by Yahweh, saying, - So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, if, at the cost of his life, Adonijah hath not spoken this word.

Also, unto Abiathar the priest, said the king - To Anathoth, get thee unto thine own fields, for, death-doomed, thou art, - but, this day, will I not put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of My Lord, Yahweh, before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

And Shimei said to the king - Good, is the word, as my lord the king hath spoken, so, will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

Then sent the king and called for Shimei, and said unto him - Did I not put thee on oath by Yahweh, and adjure thee, saying - On the day thou goest forth and takest thy journey hither or thither, know, that thou shalt, die. Then saidst thou unto me - Good, is the word I have heard.

In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared unto Solomon, in a dream by night, - and God said, Ask, what I shall give thee.

Now, therefore, O Yahweh my God, thou, hast made thy servant king, instead of David my father, - and, I, am but a little child, I know not how to go out and come in.

Wilt thou, then, give unto thy servant, a heart that hearkeneth, to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad, - for who is able to judge this thine honoured people?

And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, - that Solomon had asked this thing;

And God said unto him - Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself many days, nor asked for thyself riches, nor asked the lives of thine enemies, - but hast asked for thyself discernment, in hearing a cause,

And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had delivered, and they stood in awe before the king, - for they saw, that, the wisdom of God, was in him, to execute justice.

And God gave wisdom unto Solomon, and discernment, and very great largeness of heart, - like the sand that is on the shore of the sea:

Thou, knewest David my father, how that he could not build a house unto the Name of Yahweh his God, because of the wars that were about him on every side, - until Yahweh should put them under the soles of his feet;

but, now, Yahweh my God hath given me rest on every side, - there is neither adversary nor incident of evil.

Behold me! then, purposing to build a house for the Name of Yahweh my God - even as Yahweh spake unto David my father, saying - Thy son, whom I will set in thy stead, upon thy throne, he, shall build the house for my Name.

and he said - Blessed, be Yahweh, God of Israel, who spake with his mouth, unto David my father, - that which with his hand he hath fulfilled, saying: -

And so it came to pass, that it was near the heart of David my father, - to build a house for the Name of Yahweh, God of Israel.

So then Yahweh hath established his word which he spake, - and I have been raised up in the room of David my father, and have taken my seat upon the throne of Israel, as spake Yahweh, and have built the house for the Name of Yahweh, God of Israel;

and said - O Yahweh, God of Israel! Not like thee, is there a God, in the heavens above, or upon the earth beneath, - keeping Covenant and Lovingkindness for thy servants who are walking before thee, with all their heart;

Now, therefore, O Yahweh, God of Israel, keep thou for thy servant David my father, that which thou didst promise him, saying, There shall not be cut off to thee a man from before me, to sit upon the throne of Israel, - if only, thy sons take heed to their way, by walking before me, as thou hast walked before me.

Now, therefore, O God of Israel, - verified be thy word, I pray thee, which thou didst speak to thy servant, David my father.

But, in very deed, will God dwell, upon the earth? Lo! the heaven, yea the heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee, how much less this house which I have built?

Yet wilt thou turn unto the prayer of thy servant, and unto his supplication, O Yahweh my God, - to hearken unto the cry, and unto the prayer, wherewith thy servant doth pray before thee to-day;

then wilt, thou thyself, hear in the heavens and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou mayest teach them the good way, wherein they should walk, - and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people, for an inheritance?

Blessed, be Yahweh, who hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised, - there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

Yahweh our God be with us, as he was with our fathers, - let him not leave us, nor forsake us;

And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before Yahweh, be near unto Yahweh our God, day and night, - that he may maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as any need ariseth:

To the end that all the peoples of the earth may know, that, Yahweh, is God, - there is none else.

So shall your heart be sound with Yahweh our God, - to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

And Solomon made, at that time, a festival - and all Israel with him - a great convocation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the ravine of Egypt, before Yahweh our God, seven days, and seven days, - fourteen days.

then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel, unto times age-abiding, - as I promised unto David thy father, saying, There shall not be cut off to thee a man, from off the throne of Israel.

then will I cut off Israel, from the face of the soil, which I have given unto them, and, the house which I have hallowed for my Name, will I suffer to be carried away from before me, - and Israel shall become a byword and a mockery, among all the peoples;

And men will answer - Because they forsook Yahweh their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold of other gods, and bowed themselves down to them, and served them, for this cause, hath Yahweh brought in upon them all this ruin.

Yahweh thy God be blessed, who delighted in thee, to set thee upon the throne of Israel, - because Yahweh loveth Israel unto times age-abiding, therefore hath he appointed thee to be king, to execute justice and righteousness.

And, all the earth, did seek the face of Solomon, - to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

Yea it came to pass, in the old age of Solomon, that, his wives, turned aside his heart after other gods, - his heart therefore was not sound with Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Therefore did Yahweh shew himself angry with Solomon, - because his heart had turned aside from Yahweh God of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice;

for, six months, did Joab remain there, with all Israel, - until he had cut off every male in Edom,

And God raised up against him an adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, - who had fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah, his lord;

and said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten places, - for Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel - Behold me! about to rend the kingdom, out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give unto thee ten tribes:

Because they have forsaken me, and bowed themselves down to Ashtoreth, goddess of the Zidonians, to Chemosh, god of the Moabites, and to Milcom, god of the sons of Ammon, - and have not walked in my ways, by doing what is right in mine eyes, even my statutes and my regulations, like David his father.

And they spake unto him, saying - If, to-day, thou wilt be servant unto this people, and wilt serve them, - and answer them kindly, and speak unto them good words, then will they be, thy, servants, always.

Then came the word of God unto Shemaiah, the man of God, saying:

And lo! a man of God, came in out of Judah, by the word of Yahweh, unto Bethel, - as Jeroboam was standing by the altar, to make a perfume.

And it came to pass, when the king heard the word of the man of God which he proclaimed against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam thrust forth his hand, from off the altar, saying - Lay hold of him! and his hand which he had thrust forth against him was dried up, that he could not draw it back to him.

Moreover, the altar, was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, - according to the sign which the man of God had given, by the word of Yahweh.

Then responded the king and said unto the man of God - Appease, I pray thee, the face of Yahweh thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored unto me. So the man of God appeased the face of Yahweh, and the hand of the king was restored unto him, and became as aforetime.

Then spake the king unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, - and let me give thee a present.

But the man of God said unto the king - If thou wouldst give me the half of thy house, I would not go in with thee, - neither would I eat bread or drink water, in this place;

But, a certain aged prophet, was dwelling in Bethel, - whose sons came in and related to him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel - and the words which he had spoken unto the king, and they related them to their father.

And their father said unto them, Which way then went he? Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God went who had come in out of Judah.

and went after the man of God, and found him, sitting under an oak. And he said unto him - Art, thou, the man of God who came in out of Judah? And he said - I am.

and he cried out unto the man of God who had come in out of Judah, saying, Thus, saith Yahweh, - Forasmuch as thou hast rebelled against the bidding of Yahweh, and hast not kept the commandment which Yahweh thy God commanded thee;

And, when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said - The man of God, it is, who rebelled against the bidding of Yahweh, - therefore did Yahweh deliver him unto the lion, and it hath torn him and slain him, according to the word of Yahweh which he spake unto him.

And the prophet took up the dead body of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back, - and the aged prophet came into the city, to make lamentation, and to bury him.

And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake unto his sons, saying, When I die, then shall ye bury me in the grave wherein the man of God is buried; beside his bones, lay my bones;

Go, say to Jeroboam - Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the midst of the people, - and gave thee to be leader over my people Israel;

therefore, behold me! bringing misfortune against the house of Jeroboam, and I will cut off the meanest pertaining to Jeroboam, whether shut up or left at large, in Israel, - and will consume after the house of Jeroboam, as one consumeth dung, till it be all gone: