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"HE \VILL CARRY THE l^ANIEJS IN HIS BOSOM."

YOUNG FOLKS' BIBLE

IN WORDS OF EASY READING ;

THE SWEET STORIES OF GOD'S WORD

IN THE LANGUAGE OF CHILDHOOD

AND

In. the Reautiftal Delineations of Christian Art.

THE WHOLE DESIGNED TO

IMPRESS THE MIND AND HEART OF THE YOUNGEST READERS, AND KINDLE A
GENUINE LOVE FOR THE BOOK OF BOOKS.

JOSEPHINE POLLARD,

Author of ''History of the Old Testament" "History of the New Testament," etc., etc.

REV. W. H. MILBURN, 13. ID.,

TO WHICH IS ADDED

THE CHILD AND THE BIBLE,

By PROF. DAVID SWING,

AND

AN .ADDRESS TO CHILDREN:

THE BIBLE THE BOOK FOR THE YOUNG,

By REV. JOHN H. BARROWS, D. D.

NEARLY 200 STRIKING ORIGINAL ENGRAVINGS AND WORLD-FAMOUS
MASTER-PIECES OF SACRED ART,

AND WITH

IvlAGNIEICENT COLORED

CHICAGO AXD NEW YORK;

5. Jjeale £f (£/orapaay,
1890.

I'.y JOSEPH L. BLAMIRE.
18S8.

Ry R. S. PEALE & CO.
1889.

Stack

oil

PREFACE.

The word Bible is from the Greek, and means
THE BOOK. It is made up of several small books,
and when bound in two parts is known as the Old
Testament and the New Testament. A Testament
is a will ; and the Bible is God's will made for man's
good, and for his guide through life. The Old Testa-
ment tells of God's love and care for the Jews, and
His thought of Christ can be traced through all its
pages. There is a good deal in the Bible that a child
cannot understand, and the queer names make it
very hard reading.

It has been the Author's aim to tell the story
simply, and in Bible language, so that the little ones
can read it themselves, and learn to love and prize
it as the best of all books.

j. P.

2230711

INTRODUCTION.

BY REV. WILLIAM HENRY MILBURN, D. D.

NO man of his time filled a larger space in the public eye of this
country than John Randolph of Roanoke. His eccentricities,
audacity and brilliancy, — his pride of birth and race, fearlessness
and self-assertion, — his incisive and trenchant speeches set off with spark-
ling wit, keen satire, fierce invective, clothed in perfect English, and
uttered with the style of a master, his sharp criticisms of the faults and
short-comings of his fellow-Congressmen, which gained for him the title,
"schoolmaster of Congress," together with his political consistency and
fitfulness of temper, invested all his movements and sayings with a
peculiar charm for the people. In his earliest years he had been carefully
taught by his beautiful mother, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten
Commandments, and many parts of God's Word, until he had them by
heart, and yet, in his haughty youth and early manhood he strove to set
at naught these teachings: furnished himself with a "whole body of in-
fidelity," as he styled his collection of the writings of Voltaire and other
French authors, as well as British, who strove to abolish the Bible, and
for many years it seemed at once his pride and delight to wield the weap-
ons drawn from these arsenals against the truths which make men wise
unto Eternal Life, and to jeer with flout and scoff at all he had learned
from his mother's lips. But later on he confessed, with heart-breaking
sobs and bitter tears, that with all his arrogance and insolence, his stern
resolve to become and continue a Deist, he had never been able to put
aside for a single day or night the lessons taught him by his mother, and
that the hallowed forms of sound words, learned on her lap or at her
knee, had dwelt with him, and were ever sounding in his ears, to ad-
monish, counsel and reprove. There have been few more pathetic scenes
than that in which Randolph came to die ; a gaunt old man, old before

his time; worn out by misery, shrivelled and haggard, sitting upright in
his bed, covered by a blanket, even his head enveloped and his hat on top
of it ; unutterable despair looking out at his eyes, his pinched lips and
squeaking voice uttering, "Let me see it; get a dictionary; find me the
word Remorse." A dictionary could not be found. "Write it; I must
see it," he almost shrieked with failing voice. The word was written on
his visiting card below his name ; he demanded that it should be written
above as well. The card was handed to him. "Remorse, John Ran-
dolph of Roanoke, Remorse." With horror in his face and that card in
his hand, his eyes staring at the word, he breathed his last. From that
mournful death-bed seemed to come floating the solemn words, "Take
fast hold of instruction; keep her; let her not go, for she is thy life,"
and "He that sinneth against wisdom wrongeth his own soul."

Long centuries ago, a young man of aristocratic birth, handsome
person, polished manners, brilliant and highly cultivated intellect, was
walking, on a day in the reign of the Emperor Julian, by the bank
of the river Orontes, not far from the stately city of Antioch, the
Paris of that age, — and saw something floating in the stream. The
branch of a tree enabled him to drag it ashore ; it proved to be a copy of
the sacred Scriptures; Julian, the mad master of the world, had issued
an edict, annexed to which were heavy penalties, that all copies of that
book should be destroyed. The young man who drew the manuscript to
shore had been taught the lessons of that volume from a child, by his
pious mother, Anthusa ; but he had thrown off the yoke of his mother's
faith ; had become a devotee of heathen philosophy, poetry and rhetoric,
and at the same time steeped himself in the licentious pleasures and dis-
sipations of the Grove of Daphne, the Hippodrome and Theatre, and re-
solved that "the man Christ Jesus should not reign over him." He
opened the parchment, some words on the page caught his eye; they
were familiar, yet shone with a new light and were armed with irresistible
power: he read on ; his mother's prayers were answered ; he embraced
the truth, bowed his neck to the yoke he had foresworn, and the vol-
ume he rescued from the flood became a treasure-trove for the world, —

through fifteen centuries alike in the east and west, — that man has been
known as St. John Chrysostom, the "Mouth of Gold," one of the most
saintly and eloquent preachers, whose life, genius, sufferings and death for
conscience's sake adorned the history of mankind.

Not far from the same time, a young man bathed in tears lay writh-
ing in agony under a rig tree in the garden of his house at Milan. His
devout mother, Monica, in their Numidian home, had taught him the
way of life written in God's Word ; but as he grew to manhood he strove
to shake off the influence and authority of her instruction; became a lib-
ertine, reached forth to grasp the crown of heathen eloquence and learn-
ing, and for more than ten years wrought steadily to undo the sacred
work his mother had performed for him as a child. But the lesson she
had taught him lay deeper than his surging passions, imperious intellect,
and haughty will, and because of their power over him he could find no
rest night or day. He journeyed to Carthage, Rome, Milan, the chief
cities of the western world, to study art and eloquence, to drench his soul
with the pleasures of sense and lay the ghost of his disquiet; but in vain.
In his anguish under the fig tree he heard, or seemed to hear, again and
again, "Take it up and read, Take it up and read." Springing to his
feet, he ran to a friend near by who was reading the Word. Seizing the
volume, his eyes rested on the words, "Let us walk honestly as in the
day ; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wanton-
ness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and
make not provisions for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." The birth-
pangs of his conversion were ended ; he found peace in believing; and
that incident makes an era in the history of the world, for that man
was none other than Saint Augustine, the influence of whose writings has
swayed with more might than that of an imperial sceptre the destinies of
western Christendom for ages. "Therefore, whosoever heareth these say-
ings of mine and doeth them," saith the Lord, "I will liken him unto a
wise man which built his house upon a rock ; and the rain descended,
and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house ; and
it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth

these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a fool-
ish man which built his house upon the sand ; and the rains descended,
and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house and
it fell, and great was the fall of it." Woe to Randolph ! he heard and
would not, and his house fell, and great was the fall of it. Mankind with
one voice calls Augustine and Chrysostom blessed ; they heard, obeyed,
and their houses stand forever; they were built upon the rock. "Their
Rock is not as our Rock, our enemies themselves being judges" was the
boast of Israel at an early day. With how much fuller emphasis may
Christendom utter it to-day. Compare India with Britain, China with
the United States, and after all other forces are measured and allowed,
it will be found that the significant and self-renewing causes for the su-
periority of the western nations over the eastern are the presence, author-
ity and influence of the Old and New Testament. "And he shewed me
a pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne
of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either
side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of
fruits and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were
foi *he healing of the nations."

AH this beautiful book, Miss Pollard, with admirable tact and skill,
has made a path by which the children may draw near to that river and
drink of the water of life ; and the artists whose genius has been laid un-
der such effective contribution by the liberality of the publisher, will help
the little ones to gather the leaves and pluck the fruit of that tree.

Every home in the land blessed by the presence of boys and girls will
be illumined and enriched by this volume; every mother who strives to
train her children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" will be
signally helped by its ministry.

The letter-press will quicken the understanding and attune the ear, and
the treasures of art contained in these pages will arouse the imagination
and stimulate the memory of the young to lay hold upon and receive all
that is contained in "the one Book — " "Oldest Choral melody as of the
heart of mankind ; soft and great as the summer midnight, as the world
with the seas and stars."

No man's education can be complete, no human life can have its
full store of flowers and fruits, which is not begun, continued and ended
in the ever deepening study and love of the articulate word of God.

I cannot better close this introduction than with this remarkable pas-
sage, modified to suit my purpose. "Who will say that the uncommon
beauty and marvelous English of the household Bible is not the strong-
hold and safeguard of the literary taste and culture of this country as well
as its character. It lives like a music that can never be forgotten, like the
sound of church bells which the reader hardly knows how he can forego.
Its felicities often seem to be almost things rather than mere words. It
is part of the national mind, and the anchor of national seriousness. The
memory of the dead passes into it. The potent traditions of childhood
are stereotyped into its phrases. The power of all the man's griefs and
trials are hidden beneath its words. It is the representative of his best
moments; and all that there has been about him of soft and gentle and
pure and penitent and good, speaks to him forever out of his English
Bible. It is his sacred thing, which doubt has never dimmed'and contro-
versy never soiled. It has been to him all along as the silent, yet oh,
how intelligible ! voice of his guardian angel, and in the length and
breadth of the land there is not a Christian, with one spark of religious-
ness about him, whose spiritual Biography is not in his Saxon Bible."

WASHINGTON, April, 1889.

THE CHILD AND THE BIBLE.

BY PROF. DAVID SWING.

THAT reading and study are very imperfect which do not bring to
all our young1 people a knowledge of the general contents of the
Bible. The Old and New Testaments contain the best moral and
religious thought and belief of two important epochs in man's history
— the Hebrew and Christian periods. It contains the history, the wis-
dom, the morality, the piety and the hope of that part of the human
race that made religion the chief aim of the nation and the individual.
The Hebrew people was set apart for the special task of carrying for-
ward the idea of God. That race gradually separated the real Creator
from the many false divinities of the barbarian tribes and slowly built up
that conception of Deity which is seen set forth in the Book of Job and
in the twenty-third and nineteenth Psalms. The Book of Job and the
Psalms of David are the grand autumnal fruitage of that vineyard of
worship in which Enoch and Abraham were toilers in the early spring-
time of our world.

No such advance toward the true God would have taken place had
the Mosaic race moved out of Egypt only to found a State which might
build elsewhere duplicates of the pyramids of the Nile, or a State which,
like Babylonia, might live only for luxury, or which, like Greece, might
live only for the fine arts, or which, like Rome, might find a reason of
being in wars of conquest. Divinely led, the Hebrew people migrated
from Egypt that beyond the Red Sea and the Jordan they might found
a republic or empire for the study and founding of the true religion.
Israel stands as the wonder of the past, the only nation in all history
that elected God for its king and went up into a high mountain so as to

deduce its laws from the thunder and storm and from the sunlight and
peace of His presence. With what success it achieved its task may be
learned from reading- the meditations in Job and the Psalms, and from
the lofty rhapsodies of Isaiah and Malachi. When to the sacred records
of that long day and night of toil and progress are added the coming of
the divine Christ and the moral phenomena of t7ie first Christian centu-
ry, a book is composed at which to scoff is a proof of a weak or a wicked
mind, and in which to read often and thoughtfully is evidence of a will-
ingness to seek after the living God and to find the best answers to the
many problems of life and death.

Much that is valuable in these two testaments is recorded in events
or in parables, and for all young minds and for nearly all older intellects,
the doctrines, the alarms, the benedictions, the promises, the hopes are
treasured up in incidents which might be thrown upon canvas or carved
out of marble. Faith is seen in the picture of Abraham ; patriotism,
courage, honor, piety in Moses ; justice in the story of Lot's wife ; eter-
nal friendship in Ruth ; reckless ambition in Absalom ; resignation in
Job ; faithfulness in Daniel ; while in the New Testament the pictures
offered in the Christ, the Marys, the Johns and St. Paul have been too
many and too great for art to equal.

These incidents and persons of the Bible form in the mind of the
one who knows them a perfect treasure-house filled with the gems of
true religion. When that gifted writer who composed the hymn " Nearer
my God to Thee " sat down to her task, what an imperfection would
have marked her poem had she not known of Jacob's stony pillow and

beautiful dream!

Though like a wanderer,

The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,

My rest a stone.

And the two following stanzas would have been wanting ; nor is it
probable that the writer, although a woman most gifted, could have found
in all literature any compensation for her loss and our loss. In the
" Battle-Hymn of the Republic," the eloquent writer shows in her first

line her memory of Simeon, and through his eyes she looked and said :
" Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord," and in the
last verse, back comes one of the most beautiful incidents in the New
Testament : " In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea."

Thus have thousands of years, in all, acted as the great time- space
tor attaching the Hebrew and Christian mind and heart to the persons
and incidents found in the Holy Scriptures. Not to know all these
Heaven-sent emblems of virtue, wisdom, piety and salvation is not only
not to be a Christian, but it is to stand afar off from the honor of even
a common education and the most needful culture.

For the youth of our country Josephine Pollard, a wonderful friend
of all those who are living their early years, and as good a writer as she
is a friend, has detached from the Bible this volume of historic incidents,
and while they make a continuous record of the old and the new dispen-
sations, they are separated from that which is too abstract to detain and
impress the youngest readers. To these interesting events she has made
the engraver add his art, and the picture of the pencil comes to help the
picture more hidden in the words. While Christ is speaking of -the
"lost sheep" the picture reveals the lonely mountains and the lamb
missed from the flock. While the great Teacher is speaking of the fool-
ish virgins, the picture appears of the thoughtless ones attempting in
vain to find oil for their lamps. Thus the pictures of history combine
with the suggestive sketches of the artist and engraver, to make, indeed,
a Bible for Young People. The authoress came to her task with rare
fitness, and while the young folks are reading her volume they will find
not only the religious truths they all need, but they will also find the
simplicity and power of their own English language.

AN ADDRESS TO CHILDREN,

BY JOHN H. BARROWS, D.D.

THE BIBLE THE BOOK FOR THE YOUNG.

GOD once said : " And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy chil-
dren." The whole Bible, Old Testament and New, was meant
to be taught to the boys and girls all over the world. When I
was in Egypt, fifteen years ago, I lay one beautiful moonlight night on
the white sand of an island in the river Nile. It was an island away up
near the equator, and as I lay there I saw beautiful trees with their long,
leafy branches above me ; I saw green fields reaching out on either side ;
I heard the old river Nile rippling over the stones in its bed ; and I
thought of the rich fields of cotton and wheat and sugar-cane and of the
thousands of palm trees which I had seen along the river, and of all the
people who had gotten their bread from the waters of the Nile, which,
covering the sand of the desert, make it fertile and fruitful, and I blessed
God for the Nile. Where does it come from ? You have learned that
the Nile springs from the snows of very high mountains away up in
Abyssinia, and from two immense lakes in the center of Africa, and it
carries the waters from these mountains and lakes down through Egypt,
and turns a desert into a garden.

But there is another river more wonderful than the river of old
Egypt. It flows down from God out of heaven, and flows over this
world, and brings with it all that is beautiful and healthful and good.
The waters of this river are carried off in little canals, and are brought
into the homes and churches and Sunday-schools ; and wherever they
go tend to make lives good and happy. Little children love this River

of God, and dip their cups into it and drink, and there is a voice speak-
ing in their ears and saying : " Whosoever will, let him take of the water
of life freely." There are some people who have traveled round the
world and seen many very interesting lands and strange and curious
people — white men, red men, black men, copper-colored men, yellow
men, but they will tell you that they never saw men where the children
were happy, where the homes were happy, and where people were try-
ing to do each other good, unless this River of God went there first.
This beautiful river that is doing so much for all who live on its banks,
- it is the Bible, the Word of God, which tells us about Himself and
about ourselves, which speaks to us of a Savior and of the life after
death.

Some years ago a black prince in Africa sent a messenger to Queen
Victoria, a man who was to ask her what was the reason that England
was so rich and prosperous ; and she sent back to this African savage
something that told the whole story. What do you suppose it was ?
Not a rifle, not a sword, not a steam-engine, not a plow, not a sewing--
machine, but a copy of the Bible. Let me tell you five things about
this book, and if you know how to spell the word Bible you will find
them easy to remember — B-I-B-L-E.

First, then, the Bible is a beautiful book. I do not mean as to its
shape and color. It may be very lovely or it may be very plain, as it
looks to your eye. I have seen Bibles that you could buy for a sixpence,
and I have a New Testament that I bought for a penny. I have seen
Bibles which were copied with a pen and filled with pictures on which
men labored for years, and which you couldn't buy for a thousand dollars.
When I say that the Bible is a beautiful book, I mean that it is full of
beautiful thoughts and beautiful pictures and beautiful stories that speak
to our minds. God often talks with children through pictures. You love
things that speak to you through the eye, like flowers and birds, and
your dear mother's face. Just think of some of the pictures God has
given us in this Book.

I see, with my mind's eye, a garden, large, fair, with great trees and

beautiful walks, pure, clear streams with lovely flowers, with animals
playing- about, with two trees that were set apart from the rest, one
called the Tree of Life and the other the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil. I see a man in this garden, and animals passing before
him and hear him giving them names. Now I see a city with twelve
gates, each gate a pearl. The city has walls made of twelve kinds of
jewels, and the streets are of pure gold, and there is no temple in the
city and no sun, but it is very glorious and wonderful. I see a beautiful
River and a glorious Sea, and a great multitude of shining ones with
harps in their hands, and I see a throne and One that sits thereon, more
lovely and beautiful and mighty and glorious than any words can say.
The little three-year-old boy before he can read, loves to take his
picture book and see things that are to him very wonderful, and when he
gets a little older he loves to take a box of paints and a brush and color
the pictures in some of his books. The first book I ever colored was
full of Bible pictures. There was the picture of a man on the top of a
hill with his son laid on a heap of stones. The father's face was sad,
and the old man was lifting a knife in his hand ; and there was a sheep
caught in a bush near by ; and there was the figure of an angel in the
sky. Then there was the picture of a young man lying on the ground,
with stones under his head for a pillow, and a stairway or ladder reach-
ing up to the heavens above, with angels going up and down. There
was the picture of a boy whose father gave him a coat of many colors,
and how I liked to daub on the red and yellow and blue paint, and I am
afraid I took a pin and punched out the eyes in the pictures of the
brothers of this boy — those brothers who, as you remember, cast him
into a dry well and afterward sold him as a slave. There was a picture
of a little boy lying in a little boat which was among the tall grasses of
a river. There was the picture of a great tent in the desert, with altars
on which fire was burning, and a great pillar of cloud resting down on
it in the midst of the tent. And then far over in the book was the pic-
ture of the best Man who ever lived, taking little children in His arms,
putting His hands on them and blessing them.

The Bible is a beautiful book for a great many reasons that I can't
^,peak of now. Its beauty is not like that of an apple blossom, which
soon fades away. It grows more and more lovely as you grow older.
I like ic see a little child reading with happy face from this book which
tells of God's love ; but it is lovelier still to see the old grandmother,
who loved the Bible in childhood, putting on her spectacles and reading
these words of David : " Oh, how I love thy law ! It is my meditation
all the day. How sweet are thy words to my taste, yea, sweeter than
honey to my mouth ! " Two of the most beautiful things that we ever
see are gold and honey — gold, bright shining, and the honey which
looks like liquid gold, shut up in little boxes of pearl. Now I am going
to end what I have to say about the Bible as beautiful, by telling you
what David said of the words of the Lord that are found in this book :
" More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold ;
sweeter also than honey and the honey comb."

But the Bible is not only a beautiful book for children, but it is an
interesting book. You like to read it and hear it, partly because it tells
so much about children, boys and girls like you. You read in this book
about two brothers, one of whom loved God, and the other did net love
his brother, and slew him because his own deeds were evil and his
brother's righteous. You read about a little girl who was taken off in
a certain war, and became a servant for the wife of a great general.
He was a leper, and this little girl, believing in God and in God's prophet,
Elisha, told her mistress that the prophet in Israel could heal her master
of his awful disease. You read the story of a little boy whose mother
gave him early to the Lord, and who went to live with an old man in a
great tent, which was God's house, and who heard the voice of the Lord
calling to him in the night. Did you never hear God's voice speaking
to your heart, and do you always answer as did this boy in the taber-
nacle at Shiloh : "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth " ?

And in this Book you have read of four boys in the court of the great
king of Babylon who would not defile themselves with the rich meats
and the fiery wines, and who formed a boys' temperance society in the

court of the king, and who rose to high honor and great fame. Above
all, you read of the perfect Child who was obedient to his earthly father
and mother, and who did the will of his Heavenly Father, and who grew
into the bravest, noblest, truest, most manly man that ever lived, and who
died for us all — that Man whose words are, I think, the first words of the
Bible that you learned by heart. I have heard of a little girl who lived
where the Bible is not permitted to be read by the children. But she had
a present of the good Book from her Sunday School teacher. It was
discovered that she had this book ; it was snatched from her and thrown
into the fire. She watched it burn, while the tears rolled down her cheeks,
and turning sadly away, said : "Thank God, there are fourteen chapters
of the Gospel of John which they can't burn up, for I have committed
them, to memory."

The Bible interests you because it is full at wonderful things. It tells
of a wonderful God who doeth marvelous things for His people. It tells
of the flood which swept away the wicked world ; of the plagues which
fell on wicked Egypt ; of the march of two millions of people through the
Red Sea which God divided ; it tells you of the wonderful life of the chil-
dren of Israel in the desert, with God's hand feeding them with the birds
and the bread ; it leads you to the foot of a great mountain, on which
God came down in a chariot of fire, while the thunders roared and the
trumpet blown by some mighty angel sounded loud and long, and the
mountain shook and smoked like a great furnace, and all the people trem-
bled while God gave the law which begins : " I am the Lord that brought
thee out of Egypt. Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

This Bible has more wonderful things than you will find anywhere
else. It tells of great battles, of the sun and moon standing still, of cities
falling down at the blowing of trumpets ; of fire descending from heaven ;
it tells of shipwrecks and storms, and cruel kings, and men willing to die
for the name of Jesus. It tells of God's wonderful love, and how the Son
of God came from heaven to earth and died for us on the Cross and rose
from the grave. And the best thing, children, about all these Bible won-
ders, is this, that they are true. A wonderful God doeth wonderful things.

This is a wonderful world we live in. You children know it and feel it,
and some older people have got to become much wiser than they now are
to be as wise as you are. Is not the Bible an interesting Book ? My
children will listen longer to the story of the Bible than anything else.
And as you grow older, if you will only keep on studying the Bible, it will
keep its interest till you die.

Children who live in cities love to ride, in summer, in the parks and
see the wonderful figures which the gardeners have made with their plants
and flowers, the stars and stripes, an elephant, the ball-player, a giraffe,
a sun-dial, a calendar, an obelisk, sphinxes, and so forth. Now, this book
is a great garden on which God has made figures that will last as long
as the world lasts. There is Adam, with his face dark and sorrowful be-
cause he had sinned ; there is Abel, looking up to that heaven which he,
first of all men, entered ; there is Noah, a preacher of righteousness, who
preached many years without converting a soul, but kept on believing
God ; there is Abraham with a staff in his hand ; there is Moses holding
the wondrous rod and the book of the law ; there is David with his harp ;
there is Paul, going forth to preach Christ ; there is John, looking into
heaven. The children who have the Bible taught them will find great
interest in these figures. But the greatest interest in the Bible is this,
that it is a sign-board pointing us to our Father's house in Heaven.

Now, I come to the third letter. The B-I-^?-L-E- — is not only a
Beautiful book, and an Interesting book, but it is a Blessed book. That
is, it makes people happy and good, good and happy. A poor man comes
from England to Chicago with his wife and three children, expecting to
get work and to make him a lovely home. But he fails to get work and
he has to sell many things to get bread for his family. At last he is in
despair, but a good man comes to his house, learns of his need, gives him
bread and gets him work ; and that night the Englishman says to his wife,
" Wasn't he a blessed man to help us at this time ? " But in a few days
the baby of the house is taken sick and soon dies, and the good man
comes again and advances money to pay for the funeral of the dear little
child ; and they say, " Blessed man ! " again. But that night, when all is

over, and the baby is laid to sleep in the cemetery, the poor man takes
down the Bible and reads to his wife of Christ's love to children, and of
the beautiful world beyond, where there is no more crying and death, and
the wife says, " Oh, isn't that a blessed Book ! "

Blessed Book. So the mother thinks whose boy has gone off to
school or to sea. How careful she was to put a copy of the Bible in his
hands and to get from him the promise to read it every day. She knows
perfectly well that no great harm can come to him, if he reads and obeys
what is written in the Word of God. I know a young lady who was very
much distressed when in Paris several years ago because her hand-bag, a
little portmanteau, had been lost. And when, after much hunting, it was
found, she confessed that what distressed her most of all in the thought
of losing her hand-bag was this, that it contained the little Bible which
had been given to her when a child and which she had made her daily
companion ever since. I hope that each of you owns a Bible which, the
gift of a mother or of some dear friend, is growing more and more blessed
to you as you go forward into your lives. There is much darkness in the
future. You will have sorrows as well as joys. The clouds will gather.
The shadows will sometimes descend and you will wonder where you are
to walk, or what you are to do. But remember what David has said of
this blessed Book: "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a guide to my
path."

Now, we come to the fourth letter, B-I-B-Z-E. Beautiful, Interest-
ing, Blessed, L, Life-giving. This is something better than anything we
have yet said to you about the Bible. It gives life to those who are dead.
You have seen a patch of ground early in the spring on which nothing
was growing. But the rain falls, and the warm sunshine pours down, and
the seeds in that soil burst into life and spring up and cover the earth with
living plants and flowers. And so God's Word brings its dew and sunshine
on our cold, dead hearts, and the flowers of love, hope, peace and joy spring
up. The Bible is like bread, like the manna which came to the children of
Israel in the desert. It feeds our souls. It gives us life. How does it give
us life ? It teaches us about God and his great love in Jesus, and when we

come to get from Him the forgiveness of our sins, when we come to know
God and love God and trust in God, we have life. " This is life eternal,"
said Jesus, " that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent." Some of you are giving money to send this Book
to the heathen people. Where this Book goes it gives life like bread sent
to people who are starving.

But why do we need the Bible to know about God ? Do not the
stars and the sun and the earth tell us that there must be a God who made
all these wonderful things and rules them ? Yes, they tell us that God
is powerful, that He is very great, but they do not tell us that he loves us
poor sinners. The Egyptians believed in God ; yes, in many gods.
They were, as we know, a very wise and learned people. And yet this
people Moses found bowing down and worshiping cats and crocodiles and
beetles. They did not know the one God who led His people, and who
said, " Thou shalt have no other gods before me," and who is not only
holy, but merciful, forgiving our sins. Suppose that you were on an ocean
steamer way out at sea, and she was sinking into the waves. To what
or to whom would you pray ? You wouldn't pray to the waves. They
would not have mercy on you. You wouldn't pray to the stars. They
wouldn't have mercy on you. You would pray to the God who is revealed
in this Book, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has said
that nothing can take us from His love, neither life nor death, land nor
ocean, nothing can separate us from His love.

Children, this Book tells us one thing which all need to learn, and
that is, how we may gain life eternal, how we rnay escape from death.
This Book is the story of God's love. It is the story of Jesus, our Savior.
He that has Christ in his heart has life. " I am the resurrection and the
life," said Jesus; "I am the way, the truth and the life." If this Book
does not lead you to Christ, you have failed to get from it what God gave
it for. David said of the Bible: "The law of the Lord is perfect, con-
verting the soul."

We come now to the fifth letter, B-I-B-L-^ — Everlasting. The
Bible is Beautiful, Interesting, Blessed, Life-giving, and Everlasting. It

is something that does not wear out. " The word of the Lord endureth
forever." Children's clothes wear out, as you well know. Your play-
things break ; your shoes don't last ; your books get torn ; these bodies
die ; but the Bible lasts. It was good in David's time. It was good
when Christ was a child, and He read it. It was good in Paul's time, and
he added to it. It was good when Martin Luther translated it into the
German language, and William Tyndale translated it into English. It
lasts the way an oak tree lasts, that grows bigger and bigger and sends
out little shoots that grow into other oaks and make a mighty forest.
This Bible is now speaking to men in nearly three hundred different lan-
guages. It is going to be the one Book of the world. A hundred years
ago a famous infidel in France, named Voltaire, foolishly published his
opinion that the religion of the Bible would soon die out, but to-day men
are using Voltaire's printing-press in Geneva to publish this grand old
Book. Here is something, children, that is going to last. You can stand
on it safely. God is in it When the little girl whose father was an infi-
del and whose mother was a Christian was dying, and she said to her
father, " Shall I hold to your principles, father, or shall I turn now to my
mother's God ? " the father said : " Believe in your mother's God."

Just before beginning a great battle on the sea, you remember that
Admiral Nelson hung out a flag with these words for all to see : " England
expects every man to do his duty." And so our great General, the Cap-
tain of our salvation, expects that every boy trained up in a Christian
church will do his duty. He expects that you will take this Beautiful,
Interesting, Blessed, Life-giving and Eternal book and make it your guide,
your compass, your rudder, your chart on the great ocean of life. He
expects that you will be true men and women, honest, pure, obedient to
God, loving your country and all the world. He expects that you will
be faithful to duty, that you will be clean in body and in lips and mouth
and eyes and heart. He expects to meet you and welcome you all in
glory above.

A passenger on one of our ocean steamers found an old friend in the
captain. They talked about one of their old classmates in school. Said

the passenger : " I could never understand why Will did not succeed.
He left college well educated, full of life and health, well-to-do. He gave
up the ministry which he had intended to enter, having fallen in with some
free-thinking fellows. He studied law, but gave that up and went to
farming. He became a skeptic. He left his wife and farming and became
a gold-seeker in California. He left this and went to Idaho. He had lost
everything, and supported himself by odd jobs. I knew him there. He
was not a drunkard or a gambler, but he had never succeeded. He tried
something new several times a year. He was now almost mad in his op-
position to the religion of the Bible. Soon he died, bitterly rebelling
against God. It is wonderful that such a man should ever have come to
such an end."

The captain was silent for a while, but at last said : " Old sailors
have a superstition that there are phantom ships (that is, ghosts of ships)
which cross the sea. I saw a vessel once that showed me how this idea
may have sprung up. It was a full-rigged bark, driving under full sail.
There was no one on board. Some disease may have broken out, and
all the sailors had left. I could not capture her, though I tried. Several
months later I passed her again. Her topmast was gone ; her sails were
in rags ; the wind drove her where it would. A year later she came in
sight one stormy winter night. She was a shattered hulk and went down
at last in the darkness and storm. She was a good ship at first, but,"
added the captain, " she had lost her rudder." Boys and girls, young
men and women, I pray you, on this voyage of life, not to lose the rudder
by which, in the storm, you may hold the ship true to the harbor.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

GOD MADE THE WORLD, 23

CHAPTER II.
THE GREAT FLOOD ; AND A GREAT TOW-ER, ... , „ 43

CHAPTER III.

A-BRA-HAM : THE MAN OF FAITH, 52

CHAPTER IV.
JA-COB AND E-SAU, 64

CHAPTER V.
JA-COB AND RA-CHEL, ....... . 71

CHAPTER VI.

Jo-SEPH AND HIS BRETH-REN, 76

CHAPTER VII.

THROUGH THE RED SEA AND THE WIL-DER-NESS, . . . 91

CHAPTER VIII.

HOW JOSH-U-A AND JEPH-THAH FOUGHT FOR THE LORD, . 112

CHAPTER IX.
SAM-SON, THE STRONG MAN, 118

Contents.
CHAPTER X.

PAGE

RUTH, .......<•«« 128

CHAPTER XL
JOB, . . 132

CHAPTER XII.
SAM-U-EL, THE CHILD OF GOD, . . . . t . 139

CHAPTER XIII.

SAM-U-EL, THE MAN OF GOD, . . . . „ . 147

CHAPTER XIV.
DA-VID AND SAUL, .157

CHAPTER XV.

SOL-O-MON, THE WlSE MAN, . . . . • « « 177

CHAPTER XVI.

E-LI-JAH, 183

CHAPTER XVII.

E-LI-SHA 192

CHAPTER XVIII.

Jo-NAH, THE MAN WHO TRIED TO HlDE FROM GOD, . . 2OO

CHAPTER XIX.
DAN-I-EL, ........ 204

CHAPTER XX.

THE GOOD QUEEN ES-THER, . . . . . . . 217

NEW TESTAMENT.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE-

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, ....... 235

CHAPTER II.
THE STAR IN THE EAST, ....... 244

CHAPTER III.
THE BOY-HOOD OF JE-SUS, . . . . . . 251

CHAPTER IV.
JE-SUS AND JOHN THE BAP-TIST, . . . . . 256

CHAPTER V.

THE WO-MAN AT THE WELL JE-SUS BY THE SEA, . . 267

CHAPTER VI.
JE-SUS HEALS THE SICK, AND DOES GOOD WORK ON THE DAY

OF REST, . . . . . . . . . 276

CHAPTER VII.
THE SER-MON ON THE MOUNT, ..... 286

CHAPTER VIII.
GOOD WORDS AND GOOD WORKS, ..... 295

CHAPTER IX.
JE-SUS AT THE SEA-SHORE, ...... 303

CHAPTER X.
JE-SUS BRINGS THE DEAD TO LIFE. — FEEDS FIVE THOU-SAND, 311

Contents.

PAGE

CHAPTER XL
JE-SUS HEALS THE SICK. — His FORM CHANGED ON THE MOUNT, 320

CHAPTER XII.
THE GOOD SA-MAR-I-TAN. — MAR-THA AND MARY. — THE MAN

BORN BLIND, , 327

CHAPTER XIII.
JE-SUS THE GOOD SHEP-HERD. — LAZ-A-RUS BROUGHT TO LIFE. —

THE FEAST AND THOSE WHO WERE BID TO IT, . . 337

CHAPTER XIV.
THE PROD-I-GAL SON. — THE PHAR-I-SEE AND THE PUB-LI-CAN. —

BABES BROUGHT TO JE-SUS. — ZAC-CHEUS CLIMBS A TREE, 346

CHAPTER XV.

THE FEAST OF THE PASS-OVER. — THE SUP-PER AT BETH-A-NY, 353

CHAPTER XVI.
PAR-A-BLES OF OUR LORD, ...... 362

CHAPTER XVII.
THE LORD'S SUP-PER. — JE-SUS IN GETH-SEM-A-NE. — THE JU-DAS

Kiss. — PE-TER DE-NIES JE-SUS, . . . . . 375

CHAPTER XVIII.
CHRIST BE-FORE PI-LATE. — CHRIST ON THE CROSS, . . 382

CHAPTER XIX.

JE-SUS LEAVES THE GRAVE. — AP-PEARS TO MA-RY. — STE-PHEN

STONED. — PAUL'S LIFE, SHIP-WRECK AND DEATH, . 395

CHAPTER XX.
WHAT JOHN SAW WHILE ON THE ISLE OF PAT-MOS. — THE GREAT

WHITE THRONE. — THE LAND OF LIGHT, . . . 412

History of the Old Testament

CHAPTER I.

GOD MADE THE WORLD.

FAR back in the past, more years than you could
think or count, God made the world. It did not look
at first as it does now, for there was no live thing on
it, no men, beasts, or birds, not a bush, tree or plant,
but all was dark and drear.

Then God said, Let there be light! And the
light came. And God saw the light, and it pleased
him, and he gave it the name of Day. And when
the day was gone, and the dark came back to stay
for a while, he gave the dark spell the name of Night.
And God did these things on the first day.

The next day God made the clouds, and the
sky in which they were to move; and he gave the
sky a name; he called it Heav-en.

Then he drove the wa-ters to one place where
they were both deep and wide, and he called the wa-
ters Seas, and to the dry land he gave the name of

34 History of the Old Testament.

Earth. And God made the grass to grow up out of
the earth, and the trees and shrubs that have fruit on
them. And the grass and the shrubs and the trees
were to bear seeds, so that when these seeds were put
in-to the ground more grass and trees and shrubs would
grow there. God did these things on the third day.

And God put two great lights in the sky, the Sun
to shine by day, and the Moon to shine by night ;
and he made the stars, and put each one in its place.
And these things he did on the fourth day.

And he made the great whales, and all the fish
that live in the sea, and the birds that swim on it, as
well as those that fly through the air, and make their
nests in the deep woods. And these things God did
on the fifth day.

God made the beasts: those that are wild and
live in the deep, dark woods, far from the homes of
men ; and those that are tame and of use to men,
and live where men live — such as the horse, the cow,
the ox and the, sheep. And he made the things that
creep on the ground, and flies and bugs that course
through the air.

And then God made Man, and told him that he
should rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all else that lived on the earth. And he told
man that the fruit which grew on the trees and shrubs
should be his food, while the beasts were to feed on

AU-AM AND EVE DRIV-EN FROM PAR.A-DISE.

36 History of the Old Testament.

the leaves, and on the. grass that was spread out on
the earth. These things were done on the sixth day.

The next day God did no work at all, but made
it a day of rest.

God made man out of the dust of the earth, and
breathed in him till the man breathed and moved,
and showed signs of life. Then God made a gar-den
for man to live in, where all sorts of trees grew that
were nice to look at, and that bore fruit good to eat.
And this place was called E-den. And through it
flowed a large stream that kept the earth moist

And God took Ad-am, the man he had made,
and put him in the gar-den, and told him to take care
of it. He told him he might eat of the fruit that
grew on all the trees but one. God said he must
not eat of that tree, for if he did he would be sure to
die. And all the birds and beasts came to Adam,
that he might give them their names. And the
names he gave them are those by which they are
known to this day.

And God saw it was not good for man to be
a-lone ; he should have some one to be with him and
help him. So he had a deep sleep fall on Ad-am,
and while he slept God took out of his side a bone,
and out of this bone he made a wo-man. Then he
brought this wo-man he had made to Ad-am, and
she was his wife.

God Made the World. 37

Now there was in this gar-den of E-den a great
big snake. And this snake spoke to the wo-man —
as Sa-tan speaks to us — to tempt her to sin.

The snake said: Has God told you not to eat of
all the trees in the gar-den ?

And the wo-man said that they might eat of all
but one ; if they ate of that or touched it they would
be sure to die. The snake told them they should
not die, and that God did not wish them to eat of it
for fear they would grow wise, and know more than
he thought was good for them.

The wo-man heard what the snake said, and when
she saw that the tree was nice to look at and the fruit
seemed good to eat, she gave no thought to what
God had said, but took some of the fruit and ate of it ;
she gave some to the man, Ad-am, and he did eat.

In a short time they heard a voice, and knew that
God spoke to them. Yet they did not come near
him when they heard his voice, but ran and tried to
hide from him.

But God spoke once more, and said to the man,
Where art thou ?

And Ad-am said, I heard thy voice, and my fear
was so great that I hid from thee.

And God said, Did'st thou eat of the tree I told
thee not to eat of?

And the man said, She whom thou dids't give

38 History of the Old Testament.

me to be with me brought me some of the fruit, and
I did eat.

And God said to the man's wife, What is this
that thou hast done?

And she told God what the snake had said, and
how she came to eat of the fruit, and God was wroth
with them all. He said the snake should crawl on
the ground and eat dust all the days of its life ; and
he told the wife she should know what it was to be
sick and sad, and should have much grief and care.

And God drove the man and his wife out of
E-den, and would let them live no more in that fair
place. And he sent an-gels to keep watch, and a
sword of fire that would turn in all ways, so that the
two whom God for their sins drove out of E-den
could not get back to the home they had lost.

And God told Ad-am that as he had paid heed
to what his wife said, and did eat of the tree which
the Lord had told him not to eat of, the ground
should bear no more fruit for him by it-self, as it had
done up to this time, and Ad-am would have to work
hard all his life to raise food to eat, and when he died he
would go back to the dust out of which he was made.

But God told Ad-am and his wife that there was
a way by which their souls might live on high when
their flesh was laid in the ground. He said he
would send One from the sky who would give his
life for theirs : that is, he would be put to death for

God Made the World.

their sins. Then if they would turn from their sins,
and give their hearts to the One who was to save
them, God
would not turn
his face from
them, but when
they died they
would have a
home with him,
and have no
thought of sin.
So Ad-am
went forth to
till the land,
and he gave his
wife the name
of Eve. And
they made
coats out of the
skins of beasts.
Ad-am and
his wife had
two sons : Cain
and A-bel.
When they
grew up to be men, Cain, who was the first-born, took
care of a farm ; A-bel kept a flock of sheep.

CAIN AND A-BEL OF-FER-ING SAC-RI-FJ-CES TO GOD.

40 History of the Old Testament.

They both had bad hearts, and at times would be
led in-to sin, just as Ad-am and his wife had been.
But when A-bel did wrong he was grieved, and
sought to make peace with God. One day he brought
a lamb from his flock, and killed it, and burnt it on
a heap of stones. And the smoke went up on high.

This act of A-bel's pleased God, for it was the
sign that a Lamb was to be sent to the world to save
men from their sins.

But Cain kept on in his sins, and paid his vows
to God not with a lamb, but with fruit or grain out
of the field. This did not please God, and the
smoke went not up on high. When Cain saw this
he was in a rage, and showed by his looks that he
was wroth with God. Yet God spoke to him in a
kind voice, and said, Why art thou wroth ? and why
art thou so cast down ?

If Cain did right God told him he would be
pleased with his gift ; but if he did not do right, the
fault was his own.

Then Cain was wroth with A-bel, for he saw that
God was pleased with A-bel's gift and not with his.
And one day when both of them were out in the
field he rose up and slew A-bel, and the blood ran
out of A-bel's wounds and sank deep in the ground.

As soon as this deed was done, God spoke to
Cain, and said : Where is A-bel?

God Made the World.

in my care,
and knew just

Cain said, I know not. He is not
Then God, who had seen the crime,
how bad his heart was, said to Cain : What hast
thou done?
The voice of A-
bel's blood cries
to me from out
the ground."

And God
told Cain that
for his great sin
he should move
from place to
place, as one
who was in fear
of his life, and
had no home to
stay in. And
if he should
plant aught in
the field to bear
food, it should
not grow well.
Weeds would come up and choke it, or it would bear
leaves and no fruit, so that Cain would not have
much to eat.

And Cain said if God drove him here and there

THE DEATH OF A-BEL.

42 History of the Old Testament.

on the face of the earth, and would not take care of
him, all those who met him would want to kill him.

But God said the man who hurt Cain would have
a worse fate. God set a mark on Cain ; what kind
of a mark it was we are not told, but those who saw
it would know it was Cain, and it would bring to
their minds chat God had said no man should kill him.

Ad-am lived to be an old, old man, and had a
large flock of chil-dren, who grew up and were wed,
and they went off and made homes, and day by day
were folks born in-to the world. When Ad-am died
he was laid in the ground and went back to dust, as
God had said he should when he wrent out of E-den.

One of the men who lived in those days was
named E-noch. It is said of him that he walked
with God. That means that he loved God, and
thought of him, and kept near him all the time, and
did his best to please him.

And E-noch did not die, but God took him up
to be with him while he still lived, just as if he were
to take up one of us.

And E-noch had a son whose name was Me-thu-
se-lah, who died at a great old age. In those times
men lived more years than they do now, but in all
the years since the world was made no man has been
known to live to be as old as Me-thu-se-lah.

CHAPTER II.

THE GREAT FLOOD; AND A GREAT TOWER.

IN the course of time, when there came to be
more folks in the world, they grew fond of sin.
They did not love
God, or try to please
him. And God was
wroth with them, and
said he would send
a flood that would
drown the world,
and there should
not be any dry land
left for men, beasts,
or birds to live on.

But though most
of the folks at that
time were as bad as
they could be, there
was one good man
in their midst, and
his name was No-ah.

And God loved No-ah and told him what he
meant to do. And God bade No-ah build an ark.

THE ARK.

44 History of the Old Testament.

This was a boat. It was to be made large, with
rooms in it, and a great door on its side. And it
was to be quite high, and to have a roof on top.

And God told No-ah when the ark was done he
and his sons and their wives should go in it.

And he told No-ah to take in with him two of
each kind of bird and of beast, and of bug, and of
things that crept, and to take care of them in the ark
so long as the flood should be on the earth ; for all
that were not in the ark would be sure to be drowned.

So No-ah set out at once to build the ark; and
it took him a great while to build it. When not at
work on the ark, he would talk of God, and of his
plan to send a flood to wash sin out of the world, and
would urge the folks to give up their sins, and lead
good lives. But they paid no heed to his words,
and went from bad to worse all the time that No-ah
was at work on the ark.

When it was done God told No-ah to come in-to
the ark, for he saw he was a good man who had
done his best to serve him, and to bring the birds
and beasts with him. For in a few days he would
send the rain on the earth, and all that was left on it
would be drowned.

So No-ah did as God told him. And when he
and his wife, and his three sons and their wives, and
the birds and the beasts, both small and great, had

46 History of the Old Testament.

passed through the great door of the ark, God shut
them in.

At the end of a week the rain set in, and did not
stop for more than a month. The rain seemed to
pour out of the sky, and all the springs, the large and
small streams, and the great seas, rose up and swept
through the length and breadth of the land. They
came to where the ark was, and went round and
round it, and rose so high that the ark was borne
from its place and set a-float on the great wide sea.

Then those who had paid no heed to No-ah, but
had kept on in their sins, were in a sad plight. The
flood had come, and they knew now that all that he
had told them was true. How glad they would
have been to go with him in the ark. But it was too
late. They ran in wild haste to the tops of the hills
in hopes to find there a safe place. But still the
floods rose and rose till there was no place for them
to go, and all those not in the ark were drowned,
and there was not a bit of dry land in the whole wide
world.

But God took care of No-ah, and those who were
with him, and kept them safe till the floods went
down. At the end of five months the sea had gone
down so much that the ark stood high and dry on a
mount known as Ar-a-rat It stood there for at
least two months, and at the end of that time the

The Great Flood ; and a Great Tower.

sea had gone down so that tops of high hills could
be seen here and there.

And No-ah sent forth a ra-ven, and the bird flew
this way and that,
but came not back
to the ark.

Then No-ah
sent forth a dove,
that he might find
out if the ground was
yet dry. And the
dove flew here and
there in search of
green things, but
found not a tree in
sight, and naught
but cold hard rock,
and so she flew back
to the ark and No-ah
put out his hand and
took her in.

At the end of a
week No-ah sent out
the dove once more, and at the close of the day
she came back with a leaf in her mouth.

As soon as No-ah saw the leaf he knew that the
waves had gone down or the dove could not have

THE RE-TURN OF THE DOVE.

48 History of the Jld Testament.

found it. And he knew that God had sent the dove
back to him that he might know the ground would
soon be dry.

In a few days he sent the dove out for the third
time, but she did not come back; and No-ah was
sure then that the ground was dry, and that God
meant that for a sign that he should leave the ark in
which he had been shut up so long.

And God spoke to No-ah and told him to come
out of the ark, and to bring out all that had been in
there with him. And No-ah did so, and he built
up a heap of stones as A-bel had done, on which he
laid beasts and birds, and burnt them, which was the
way in which man gave thanks to God in those
days.

And No-ah's heart was full of praise to God,
who had kept him, and those who were near and
dear to him, safe from the flood, while all the rest of
the world was drowned.

And God told No-ah and his sons that they
should rule on the earth, and might kill the beasts
and use the flesh for food. Up to this time those
who dwelt on the earth had lived on the fruits of
trees and such things as grew out of the ground, and
did not know the taste of meat.

And God told No-ah that he would send no
more floods to drown the world as this one had done.

The Great Flood ; and a Great Tower.

And he gave No-ah a sign that he would keep his
word, so that when No-ah saw it he would have no
fear of a flood.
And this sign
was the rain-
bow, which God
set up in the sky
as a bow of hope
to No-ah and to
all the world.

No-ah lived
for years and
years af-ter the
flood, and died
at a ripe old age.

The tribes of
No-ah grew so
fast that the
world was quite
well filled once
more.

And you
would think they
would have been
glad to serve God, and to do right in his sight. But
their hearts were full of sin, and they went on as
those had done who were drowned in the flood.

NO-AH'S SAC-RI-FICE.

HE-BREWS, AND THEIR MODE OK TK AV-EL-ING

The Great Flood ; and a Great Tower

At this time all those who dwelt on the earth
spoke but one tongue; that is, they used the same
kind of speech.

Now these tribes did not stay in one spot all the
time, but would pack
up their tents and move
from place to place as
they chose.

And as they went
to the east they came
to a plain in the land of
Shi-nar. And they
said, Let us make brick
and build a high tow-er
that shall reach up to
the sky. And let us
make a name, so that
when we go from this
place it will be known
what Igreat men were
here, and what great
deeds they could do.

And they set to
work to build it. God,
who read their hearts, knew that sin was at work
there, and that the tow-er they meant to build was
not to serve him in, or to add to his praise. So he

BUILD-ING THE TOW-ER OF BA-BEL.

52 History of the Old Testament.

was not pleased with their work, and chose a strange
way to stop them. He made them all at once speak
in strange tongues. This one could not tell what
that one said, and they made such a noise that it
grew to be just a ba-bel of sound. And that is why
it was called the tow-er of Ba-bel.

CHAPTER III.

ABRAHAM : THE MAN OF FAITH.

THERE dwelt in the land of Ur a man whose
name was A-bra-ham. And in that land the men
did not serve the true God, but had set up false gods
to whom they paid their vows.

And God told A-bra-ham to leave his home and
go to a land which he would show him. A-bra-ham
did not know where the land was, but he had great
faith, and knew that God would take care of him and
bring him to the land he had told him of.

So A-bra-ham took Sa-rah, his wife, and his
bro-ther's son, whose name was Lot, and they set out
for the land which God had said he would show
him.

A-bra-ham was a rich man, and so was Lot, and
they had a great wealth of flocks, and of herds, and

Abraham : the Man of Faith. 53

of tents. And they each had a large force of herds-
men. And these herds-men were at strife.

And A-bra-ham told Lot it was best that they
should part ; and he said to him, Choose where thou
shalt go. If thou wilt take the left hand I will go to
the right, and if thou wilt go to the right hand then
I will go to the left.

So Lot looked round and saw that the plain of
Jor-dan was rich in grass, and would be a fine place
for him and his herds to dwell in; so he made his
choice at once, and went to live there.

Two large towns were on this plain, Sod-om and
Go-mor-rah. The men in Sod-om were full of sin,
yet Lot, though a good man, went to live there that
he might have a chance to add to his wealth.

As soon as Lot had gone, the Lord told A-bra-
ham that he would give to him and his heirs all that
land as far as he could see it. And the tribe of
A-bra-ham would be so great that no one could
count them.

Now Sa-rah A-bra-ham's wife, had a hand-maid
— that is, a maid-of-all-work — whose name was Ha-
gar; and she came from E-gypt. Ha-gar did Sa-
rah a great wrong, and Sa-rah drove her from the
house, and she fled to the woods.

An an-gel of the Lord found Ha-gar there by a
spring of wa-ter, and said to her, From whence

54 History of the Old Testament.

didst thou come? and where wilt thou go? And she
said she had fled from Sa-rah, whose maid she was.

And the an-gel said she must go back to Sa-rah
and do as she wished her to do. And he told Ha-
gar she would have a son whose name would be
Ish-ma-el, and that he would live out of doors and be
at strife with all men. So Ha-gar went back to Sa-
rah, and in due time God gave her a son, who was
called Ish-ma-el.

When A-bra-ham was an old man, God told him
that he and Sa-rah should have a son, who should
be called I-saac.

One day at the hour of noon, when A-bra-ham
sat by the door of his tent, he looked up and saw
three men quite near him. Then he ran out to
meet them, and bowed his face to the ground. And
A-bra-ham bade them sit down and rest, and let
some wa-ter be brought that they might wash their
feet.

No one in those days wore such shoes as are
worn now. Some went bare-foot, and some wore
just a sole tied to the foot with strings, which did
not keep off the dust and dirt as our shoes do.

So when one came in from a long walk the first
thing he did was to bathe his feet, as that gave rest
and ease, and when guests came the bowl was
brought for their use.

Abrak.ir.i : tke Man of Faith.

And A-bra-ham brought them food to eat, and
stood by to wait on them ; and when they had had
their fill, went
with them to
show them the
way.

In those
days the Lord
came down on
the earth and
spoke with men,
and it is thought
that one of these
three was the
Lord, and the
two with him
were an-gels.

And the
Lord told
A-bra-ham that
he meant to burn
Sod-om and Go-
mor-rah for the
sins of those
who dwelt there. This made A-bra-ham sad, and he
said there might be a few good men there, and he
begged the Lord to spare the towns for their sakes.

THE AN-GELS VIS-IT.

56 History of the Old Testament.

The Lord said he would do so if ten good men
could be found there.

And the Lord left A-bra-ham and he went back
to his tent. At the close of the day, Lot sat in the
gate of Sod-om and two an-gels came there. And as
soon as Lot saw them he rose up to meet them and
bowed down with his face to the ground.

Then these an-gels told Lot to take out of Sod-
om all those who were dear to him, and flee in great
haste, as the Lord meant to4 set the place on fire.

They were told not to look back, but while on
their way Lot's wife turned her head, which was a
sign that her heart was in Sod-om, and she died
where she stood, and turned to salt.

But Lot and his two girls reached Zo-ar at dawn
of the next day. Then the Lord rained fire on Sod-
om and Go-mor-rah, and they were burnt up in fierce
flame, with all that lived there, and all that grew out
of the ground.

In due time God gave A-bra-ham the son he had
said he should have.

And the child grew, and as soon as it could eat,
A-bra-ham made a great feast. And at this feast
Sa-rah saw that Ha-gar's son, Ish-ma-el, made fun
of her boy, and she begged A-bra-ham to cast him
out. A-bra-ham did not wish to do this, but God
spoke to him and told him to do as Sa-rah had said,

Abraham : the Man of Faith.

for I-saac was to be the true heir. So the next day
A-bra-ham gave food and drink to Ha-gar and sent
her and her child out of his house.

And Ha-
gar took her
boy and went
to the waste
lands of Beer-
she-ba.

And when
there was
nought for the
child to drink,
he grew weak,
and was like
to die. And
Ha-gar laid
him 'neath a
bush and went
off and sat
down and hid
her face, and
wept, for she
loved her boy
very much and did not want to see him die.

And a voice spoke to Ha-gar out of the sky, and
said, What ails thee, Ha-gar? Fear not, for God

DE-STRUC-TION OF THE CIT-IES OF THE PLAIN.

58 History of the Old Testament.

hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Rise,
lift up the lad and hold him in thine arms.

And the voice told her that her son should be
the head of a great tribe. And as she raised her
eyes she saw a well of wa-ter, and she ran to it and
gave her son a drink and he was soon strong and
well once more.

And God was kind to Ish-ma-el, and he grew,
and made his home in the woods, and came to have
great skill with the bow.

Now it was God's wish to try the faith of A-bra-
ham to him.

And he told him to take his son, I-saac, and go
to the land of Mo-riah, and lay him on the al-tar he
was to build on one of the mounts there. It was
not a hard task to kill a lamb, and to burn it so that
the smoke of it should rise up to God, like praise
from the hearts of men. But how could A-bra-ham
take his own dear son, I-saac, and lay him on the
wood, and let him be burnt up like a lamb ?

Yet God told him to do it, and A-bra-ham knew
that it was safe for him to do as God said.

So he rose the next day and took two of his
young men with him, and I-saac his son, and cut the
wood the right length, and set out for the mount of
which God had told him.

And as they drew near the place he took the

60 History of the Old Testament.

wood from the ass and. laid it on I-saac's back, and
took the fire in his hand and a knife, and the two
went up the mount.

Now I-saac did not know what the Lord had
told A-braham to do, nor why his fa-ther took him
up to the mount. And he said, Here is the fire and
the wood, but where is the lamb?

And A-bra-ham said, My son, God will give us
the lamb we need.

And when they came to the place, A-bra-ham
piled up the stones and put the wood on them, and
bound I-saac and laid him on the wood.

Then he drew forth the knife to kill his son.
And just then a voice from the sky cried out, A-bra-
ham ! A-bra^ham ! And A-bra-ham said, Here am I.

And the Lord told him to do no harm to I-saac,
for now he knew that A-bra-ham loved him, since he
would not spare his own dear son if it was God's
wish that he should give him up.

And as A-bra-ham turned his head he saw a ram
that was caught in a bush, and he took the ram and
laid it on the wood, and burnt it in-stead of his son.

At the end of a few years A-bra-ham went to live
at Heb-ron. And Sa-rah died there.

When I-saac grew up to be a man, A-bra-ham
did not wish him to take a wife from the land of Ca-
naan where they served strange gods.

Abraham : the Man of Faith.

So he sent one of his men to the land where he
used to live to bring back a wife for I-saac.

And as he drew near to a large town in that
land he made his cam-
els kneel down by a
well. And it was the
time of day when the
wo-men of the place
went out to draw wa-
ter from the well.

And the man
whom A-bra-ham had
sent, asked God to
help him, and to let
him know which one
of them was to be
I-saac's wife. And
he said he would ask
one of them for a
drink, and if she was
kind and gave him a
drink, and let his
cam-els quench their
thirst, then he should
know that she was the one God chose to be the wife
of A-bra-ham's son.

And he raised his heart to God and said, O

RE-BEK-AH AT THE WELL.

6 2 History of the Old Testament.

Lord God of A-bra-ham, give me good speed this
day.

And while he yet spoke a fair young maid named
Re-bek-ah went down to the well and came up with
the jar she had filled. And the man ran to meet
her, and said to her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

And she said, Drink, my Lord, and held the jar
in her hand so that he could drink with ease.

Then she said, I will give thy cam-els a drink;
and she went down to the well and drew for all the
cam-els. And the man stood still, and was yet
in doubt if this was the maid whom God chose to be
I-saac's wife.

And as soon as the cam-els had drunk their fill,
the man took a gold ear-ring, and two bands of gold
for the wrists, and gave them to Re-bek-ah. And
he said, Whose child art thou ? tell me, I pray
thee. And is there room in thy sire's house for us
to lodge in ?

The maid said that her sire's name was Beth-
u-el, and that there was no lack of straw and food,
and there was room in the house where he and his
men might lodge.

The man was glad when he heard this, for he
knew the Lord had led him, and had brought him
to the house to which he was sent. And he bowed
his head and gave thanks,

RE-BEK-AK JOUR-NEY-ING TO I-SAAC.

64 History of the Old Testament.

The next day Re-bek-ah and her maids went
with A-bra-ham's head man. And they came to the
land of Ca-naan.

At the close of the day I-saac went to walk in the
fields, and as he raised his eyes he saw the cam-els
on their way home, and he went out to meet them.

Re-bek-ah said to the man with whom she rode,
What man is this that comes through the field to
meet us?

And the man told her that it was A-bra-ham's
son, I -saac,

Then the maid drew her veil round her so as to
hide her face, and came down from the cam-el. And
I-saac took her to his house and made her his wife.
And A-bra-ham gave all that he had to I-saac; and
when he died he was laid by the side of Sa-rah, his
wife, in the tomb he had bought at Mach-pe-lah.

And to this day no one has had such faith or
trust in God as did A-bra-ham.

CHAPTER IV.

JA-COB AND E-SAU.

I-SAAC and Re-bek-ah had two sons. Their
names were Ja-cob and E-sau. E-sau was the first-

THE MEET-1NU OF I-SAAC AND RE-BEK-AH.

66 History of tlie Old Testament.

born, and in those days the first-born son had what
was called the birth-right. This made him chief of
all the rest, and heir to the most of his sire's wealth.

When the boys grew up to be men, E-sau took
to the fields and to out-door sports, while Ja-cob
was a plain man and dwelt in tents. And I-saac
was fond of E-sau, who killed the deer, and brought
him the meat to eat. But Re-bek-ah was more fond
of Ja-cob.

One day Ja-cob had made some food called pot-
tage, and E-sau came in from the field and said,
Feed me, I pray thee, with that pot-tage, for I am
faint.

And Ja-cob said, Sell me thy birth-right.

And E-sau said, I am at the point of death, so
what good will a birth-right do me ?

So he sold his birth-right to Ja-cob — which was
a wrong thing for him to do — and took the bread
and meat, and ate and drank, and then went on his
way.

Now there came a time when I-saac was an old
man, and his eyes were dim, for he had not long to
live. And he called E-sau to his bed-side and told
him to go out with his bow and shoot a deer and bring
him some of the meat he was so fond of, that he
might eat it and bless E-sau ere he died.

And Re-bek-ah heard what I-saac had said to

Jacob a;;d Esau.

E-sau, and she told it to Ja-cob. And she said to
him, Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence
two good kids, and I will make such a dish as thy
fa-ther loves. And
thou shalt bring it to
him that he may eat,
and that he may bless
thee ere his death.

So Ja-cob did as
he was told, and
brought the kids to his
mo-ther that she
might cook them in
a way that would
please the good man
of the house.

Then Re-bek-ah
put some of E-sau's
clothes on Ja-cob, and
put the skins of goats
on his hands, for
E-sau's hands had on
them a thick coat of
hair. And then Ja-cob took the meat and the
bread and went in to his fa-ther.

And I-saacsaid, Who art thou, my son?

And Ja-cob said, I am E-sau, thy first-born.

I-SAAC SPEAK-1NG TO E-SAU.

68 History of the Old Testament.

Rise, I pray thee, and eat of the deer's meat I have
brought, that thy soul may bless me.

And I-saac said to Ja-cob, How is it that thou
hast found it so soon, my son ?

And he said, The Lord thy God brought it to me.

And I-saac said to Ja-cob, Come near, I pray
thee, that I may feel thee, my son, and know if thou
be my son E-sau or not. And Ja-cob went near to
his fa-ther and he felt him, and said, The voice is
Ja-cob's voice, but the hands are the hands of E-sau.

And he said, Art thou in truth my son E-sau ?

And Ja-cob said, I am.

And he said, Bring near the food, and I will eat,
that my soul may bless thee.

And Ja-cob brought it near to him, and he did
eat, and he brought him wine and he drank.

And his fa-ther said to him, Come near now, and
kiss me, my son.

And he came near, and gave him the kiss. Then
the old man asked God to bless this whom he
thought was his first-born, and make him great, and
give him all good things.

Ja-cob was scarce yet gone out from his fa-ther
when E-sau came in from the hunt. And he
brought in a nice dish of meat, and said, Let my fa-
ther rise and eat of the flesh of the deer, that thy
soul may bless me.

Jacob and Esau.

And I-saac said, Who art thou?

And he said, I am thy son, thy first-born, E-sau.

And I-saac shook like a leaf, and said, Who?
Where is he that took deer's meat and brought it to
me so that I did eat ere
this, and bless him?
Yea, and he shall be
blest.

When E-sau heard
these words he cried out
with great grief, and said
to his fa-ther, Bless me
too, O my fa-ther!

But I-saac said that
he could not take from
Ja-cob what was now
his — though he had won
it through fraud.

And E-sau said in
his heart, My fa-ther will
soon be dead, and then
I will kill Ja-cob. JA.COB,S DREAM.

And these words

were told to Re-bek-ah, and she sent for Ja-cob and
said to him that E-sau meant to kill him, and he
must leave home at once and go and stay with her
bro-ther La-ban till E-sau's wrath had cooled.

70 History of the Old Testament.

And Ja-cob went out from Beer-shc-ba.

And as he went on his way he came to a place
where he thought he would he down and rest. The
sun was set, the day had been a long one, and he
was quite worn out. So he put some stones for his
head to rest on, and was soon sound a-sleep.

And while he slept he had a strange dream. He
saw a flight of steps that stood on the ground, the top
of which was far, far up in the sky. And bright an-
gels went up and down the steps. And the Lord
stood at the top, and said, I am with thee, and will
take care of thee, and will bring thee back to this
land, for I will not leave thee till I have done that
which I have told thee of.

And Ja-cob woke out of his sleep, and said, 'Tis
true the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.

And he was in great fear, and said, This is the
house of God, and this is the gate of heav-en !

Then he rose up and took the stone on which
his head had lain and set it up on end, and he
poured oil on top of it. And he gave to that place
the name of Beth-el, and made a vow to love and
serve God all the rest of his life.

And though he had done wrong, God for-gave
him, and he was known as a great and good man.

CHAPTER V.

JACOB AND RACHEL.

As Ja-cob went on his way to the East he came
to a well that was out
in the field, near which
lay three great flocks
of sheep. And there
was a great stone on
top of the well. And
the men who took care
of the flocks would roll
the stone from the
mouth of the well, and
give drink to the sheep.
Then they would roll
the stone back to the
mouth of the well.

Ja-cob said to the
men, Whence do ye
come?

And they told him.

And he said, Know
ye La-ban, the son of
Na-hor?

RA-CHEL AND JA-COB AT THE WELL.

And they said, We know him.

7 2 History of the Old Testament,

And he said, Is he well?

And they said, He is well. And there is one of
his girls now, Ra-chel, and she comes this way with
her sheep.

While Ja-cob yet spake with the men, Ra-chel
came up with the sheep that she took care of. And
when Ja-cob saw her, he came near, and drew the
stone from the mouth of the well, and gave drink to
the whole of her flock.

And as soon as he told her that he was Re-bek-
ah's son, she ran home with the news.

And when La-ban heard that his sis-ter's son was
near, he ran out to meet him, and threw his arms
round his neck and kissed him, and brought him
to his house.

And Ja-cob dwelt there for the space of a month.

And La-ban said to Ja-cob, Thou art bone of my
bone and flesh of my flesh, but it is not right for thee
to serve me for nought. Tell me how much I shall
pay thee?

Now La-ban had two girls — Le-ah and Ra-chel.
And Ja-cob was in love with Ra-chel; and he said
to La-ban, I will serve thee seven years if thou wilt
give me Ra-chel for a wife.

And La-ban said it would please him to have
Ja-cob for a son-in-law, and Ja-cob served sev-en years
for Ra-chel, and they seemed to him but a few days,

Jacob and Rachel. 73

so great was his love for her. And at the end of
that time Ja-cob said to La-ban, Give me my wife,
for I have served thee my full time.

And La-ban made a feast, and brought in Le-ah
to be Ja-cob's wife. In those days the bride wore a
veil, and the man she wed could not look on her face
till the next day.

So Ja-cob did not find out this trick till the next
morn, and then he came in great wrath to La-ban
and said, What is this thou hast done to us? Did I
not serve with thee for Ra-chel ? and why did'st thou
cheat me ?

And La-ban said, In our land the first-born must
wed the first. Serve me sev-en years more, and thou
shalt have Ra-chel for a wife. And Ja-cob did so,
and though he dwelt with both — which was thought
to be no sin in those days — he was far more fond of
Ra-chel than he was of Le-ah.

Le-ah bore Ja-cob a host of sons, but it was years
ere Ra-chel had a child. And this made her sad.
But at last she had a son, and she called his name
Jo-seph. And as soon as Jo-seph was born Ja-cob
told La-ban to give him his wives and all the goods
that he owned, and let him go back to the land he
came from.

But La-ban begged him to stay. He had found,
he said, that the Lord had blest him for Ja-cob's

74 History of the Old Testament.

sake, and he might have some of the land and the
flocks if he would still serve him.

So Ja-cob took care of La-ban's flocks, and had
sheep and goats of his own, and things went well
for a time.

But one day Ja-cob heard La-ban's sons say some
hard things of him, and he saw that La-ban did not
give him the kind looks that he used to. And he
felt that the time had come for them to part. And
the Lord told Ja-cob to go back to the land he came
from, and he would deal well with him. And Ja-
cob took his wives, and the flocks and the goods he
owned, and set out for the land of Ca-naan.

Ja-cob sent one of his men to K-sau to say that
he was on his way home, and was in hopes he would
find grace in his sight.

And the man brought back word that E-sau was
on his way to meet Ja-cob with a large force of men.
And Ja-cob thought of the wrongs he had done his
broth-er, and was in great fear of him.

He sought the help of God, and God told him
what to do. And Ja-cob sent great droves of sheep
and goats, and ewes and rams, and camels and colts,
and cows, and choice ones from all his live stock, as
a gift to E-sau.

And at night, when no one else was near, a man
whose face shone with a strange light, came to Ja-

Jacob and Rachel.

cob and wound his arms round him and tried to
throw him. And the two strove so hard that
Ja-cob's thigh was put out of joint.

And as it grew
light the man said, Let
me go, for the day
breaks.

Ja-cob said, I will
not let thee go till thou
hast blest me.

And the man said,
What is thy name?
And he said, Ja-cob.

And he said Thy
name shall be no more
Ja-cob but Is-ra-el, for
as a prince thou hast
pow-er with God and
with men.

And when he had
blest Ja-cob he went
his way. And Ja-cob
gave the place the name
of Pe-ni-el, for, said he,
I have seen God face to face and my life has been
spared. For Ja-cob knew by this that E-sau would
not kill him.

THE MEET-ING OF JA-COB AND E-SAU.

76 History of the Old Testament.

When Ja-cob was an old, old man Ra-chel bore
him a son; and they called his name Ben-ja-min.
And Ra-chel died. And it was hard for Ja-cob to
have her die and leave him, for his love for her was
great, and she was a good wife to him.

CHAPTER VI.

JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN.

JA-COB had twelve sons, and he was more fond of
Jo-seph than of all the rest; for he was the child of
his old age. And he gave him a fine coat, and made
a great pet of him. This did not please the rest of
the sons, and they showed their hate of Jo-seph in
all sorts of ways.

One night Jo-seph had a strange dream, and he
told it to Le-vi, Sim-e-on, and the rest, and it made
them hate him all the more.

He said, As we bound sheaves in the field, lo,
my sheaf rose and stood up straight. And your

sheaves stood round, and bowed to my sheaf.

And those who heard him said, Shalt thou in-
deed reign o'er us? And his words and his deeds1
filled them with a fierce hate.

And it was not long ere he told them of a fresh

Joseph and kis Brethren.

dream he had had, in which he saw the sun and
moon and c-lev-en stars bow down to him. And he
told it to Ja-cob,
and his e-lev-en
sons.

And Ja-cob
took him to task,
and said to him,
What does this
dream mean ? Are
all of us to bow
down to the earth
to thee? And he
made up his mind
to watch these
signs, which might
be sent of God.

Now J a-cob
had large flocks
of sheep and goats
at Shech-em, and
all of his sons but
Jo-seph had gone

J T 1 1 JO-SEPH S DREAM.

there to feed them.

And Ja-cob said to Jo-seph, Go and see if it be well
with thy brethren, and with the flocks, and bring me
back word.

7 8 History of the Old Testament.

And Jo-seph went out from the vale of Heb-ron
to the land of Shech-em.

When he came there he found that his broth-crs
had gone on to Do-than. And Ja-cob went to Do-
than and found them. And as soon as he came in

SHECH-EM, THE FIRST CAI'-I-TAL OF THE KING-DOM OF 1S-KAEL.

sight they thought of a way in which they might get
rid of him.

Come, let us kill him, they said; and throw him
in-to a pit, and say that a wild beast ate him up.
Then we shall see what will be-come of his dreams.

But Reu-ben heard it, and saved him out of their
hands. And he said, Let us not kill the lad. Shed
no blood; but cast him Jn-to this pit, and lay no hand

Joseph and his Brethren.

on him. For he meant to take him out of the pit,
and bear him home to his fath-er.

But when Jo-seph came near these men who
should have been kind
to him, they took off his
coat and threw him in-to
the pit, which was dry,
or he would have
drowned. These old
dry wells were left as
traps in which to catch
the wild beasts that
prowled round in the
dead of night, and well
these bad men knew
what would be Jo-seph's
fate.

As they sat down to
eat, they looked up and
saw a lot of men and
cam-els on their way to
E-gypt, with spices, and
balm and myrrh.

And Ju-dah — one of Ja-cob's sons — said, Let us
not kill the lad, for he is of our own flesh, but let us
sell him to these men. And the rest thought it was
a good scheme. So they drew Jo-seph up out of the

JO-SEPH SOLD BY HIS BROTH-ERS.

8o History of tJic Old Testament.

pit and sold him for a small sum, and those who
bought the lad took him down with them to E-gypt.

And the bad men took Jo-seph's coat and dipped
it in the blood of a kid they had slain. And they
brought it to Ja-cob, and said, This have we found.
Is it thy son's coat?

And Ja-cob knew it at once, and said, It is my
son's coat. Jo-seph has no doubt been the prey of
some wild beast. And his grief was great.

The men who bought Jo-seph brought him down
to E-gypt and sold him to Pot-i-phar for a slave.

And the Lord was with Jo-seph, who served Pot-
i-phar so well, that the rich man put him in charge of
his home and lands. But Pot-i-phar's wife told false
tales, and Jo-seph, who had done no wrong, was thrust
in-to jail. Pha-ra-oh was then king of E-gypt. And
it came to pass that he fell out with his but-ler and
chief cook, and had them shut up in the same place
where Jo-seph was bound.

And the man on guard put them in charge of Jo-
seph, who went in and out of the ward as he chose.
And one morn when he came in to them he saw they
were sad, and asked them why it was.

And they said, We have dreamed dreams, and
there is no one to tell us what they mean.

And Jo-seph said, Tell me them, I pray you.

And the chief but-ler told his dream to Jo-seph

Joseph and his Brethren.

first. And he said, In my dream I saw a vine, that put
forth three branch-es and brought forth ripe grapes.

And Jo-seph said to him, In three days shall
Pha-ra-oh lift
up thine head,
and put thee
back in thy
place, and thou
shalt serve him
as of old. But
think of me
when it shall
be well with
thee ; speak of
me to the king,
and bring me
out of this house.

And the
but-ler said that
he would.

Then the
chief cook told

1 • i 1 JOSEPH'S COAT.

his dream; and

he said, In my dream I had three white bas-kets on
my head. And in the top one were all sorts of bake
meats for the king. And the birds did eat out of
the bas-ket that I bore on my head.

82 History of the Old Testament.

And Joseph said to him, In three days shall
Pha-ra-oh lift up thy head and hang thee on a tree ;
and the birds shall eat the flesh from thy bones.

The third day was the king's birth-day, and he
made a great feast. And he put the chief but-ler
back in his place, and hung the chief cook; just as
Jo-seph had said he would do. But the chief but-ler
gave not a thought to Jo-seph, nor spoke one good
word for him to the king, as he had said he would.

Two years from this time the king had a dream,
from which he woke, and then fell asleep and dreamt
the self-same dream. This was such a strange thing
that it made the king feel ill at ease. And he sent
for all the wise men in the land to tell him what these
dreams meant.

Then the chief but-ler spoke to the king, and said
that when he and the cook were in jail, there was a
young man there, a Jew, whom the chief of the guard
made much use of. And we told him our dreams,
and he told us what they meant. And it came out
just as he said.

Then the king sent at once for Jo-seph, and said
to him: In my dream I stood on the bank of the
Nile. And there came up out of the riv-er seven fat
cows, and they fed in a field near by. Then sev-en
lean cows came up that were naught but skin and
bone. And the lean cows ate up the fat cows. And

Joseph and his Brethren*

»3

yet no one would have known it, for they were just
as lean as when I first saw them. Then I woke,
but soon fell a-sleep once more.

Then I dreamt, and in my dream I saw sev-en
ears of corn come up on one stalk, full and good.
And lo, sev-en ears
that were thin and
dried up with the east
wind sprang up af-ter
them. And the poor
ears ate up the good
ones.

Jo-seph said, For
sev-en years there will
be no lack of food in
the land, and all will
go well ; and then there
will come a time of
great want, and rich
and poor will be in
need of food, and not
a few will starve to
death. Let the king choose a wise man to see that
corn is laid up in the land when the good years
bring the rich growth, so that there will be no lack
of food in the years when the crops are small.

And the king said to Jo-seph, Since God hath

FHA-RA-OH'S DREAM.

84 History of the Old Testament.

showed thee all this there is none so wise as thou
art. So he put him in charge of all the lar. 1 of
E-gypt, and he was to rank next to the king. And
the king took a ring from his own hand and put it
on Jo-seph's hand, and when he rode out, men bowed
the knee, and his word was law in all the land.
And Jo-seph took a wife, and he who was brought
to E-gypt a slave, was now a rich man.

And there came years when the grain grew rank
in the fields, and the crops were large. And Jo-seph
saw that a large part of it was laid up, and that there
was no waste of the good food. For the end of those
rich years came and then there was a time of dearth
in all the lands, when the earth would not yield, and
men and beasts were in want of food.

But there was no lack of corn in E-gypt. And
Jo-seph sold the corn that he had stored in the
barns, and crowds came in to buy it.

When Ja-cob heard that corn could be bought in
E-gypt, he told his sons to go down and buy some,
that they might not starve to death.

And ten of them went down to buy corn in
E-gypt. But Ja-cob kept Ben-ja-min at home,
for fear he would be lost to him as Jo-seph was
lost.

When Ja-cob's ten sons came to the place where
Jo-seph was, they bowed down to the ground. And

JOSEPH AND HIS BROTH-ERS.

86 History of tke Old Testament.

Jo-seph knew them at once, but they did not know
him, or give a thought to his dreams.

And Jo-seph spoke in a rough voice, and said,
Whence come ye?

And they said, From the land of Ca-naan to buy
food.

And he said, Ye are spies, and have come to see
how poor the land is.

And they said to him, Nay, my lord, but to buy
food are we come. We are all one man's sons ; and
we are true men, and not spies.

But Jo-seph would have it that they were
spies.

And they said, There were twelve of us, sons of
one man. Young Ben-ja-min is at home with his
fa-ther, and one is dead.

And Jo-seph said, Go prove that ye are not spies;
let one of the ten that are here go and fetch the young
lad, Ben-ja-min. And he put them in jail for three
days. And he said, Let one of you be bound, and
kept in the guard-house, while the rest of you take
back the corn that you need. And they saiJ that
they would do this.

Then he took Sim-e-on from their midst, and had
him bound, and put in the guard-house.

And he sent word to his men to fill their sacks
with corn, and to put back the price in each sack, and

Joseph and his Brethren.

to give them food to eat on the way. And thus did
Jo-seph do good to those who did ill to him.

When Ja-cob's nine sons went home they told all
that had been g^ — ^ ^_^^_1^^-—
said and done
to them, and
that the lord of
the land bade
them bring
B e n - j a - m i n
down to E-gypt
or he would
think they were
spies, and their
lives would not
be safe.

Ja-cobsaid,
My son shall
not go down
with you, for
his broth-er is
dead, and he is
all I have left.
If harm should come to him on the way, I should
die of grief.

When the corn they had brought from E-gypt
was all gone, Ja-cob told his sons to go down and

THE MEET-ING OF JO-SEPH AND BEN-JA-MIN.

History of the Old Testament.

buy more. And Ju-dah spoke up and said, The
man swore we should not see his face if Ben-ja-min
was not with us. If thou wilt send him with us we
will go; but if thou wilt not send him we will not
go down.

Then Ja-cob said, If it must be so, take Ben-ja-
min with you, and may God give you grace with this
man that he may send my two boys back to me.

So the men took Ben-ja-min and went down to
E-gypt, and stood face to face with Jo-seph.

And they gave Jo-seph the gifts they had brought,
and bowed down to the earth. And he asked how
they all were, and if their fath-er was well ; and when
he saw Ben-ja-min he said, Is this the young broth-er
of whom you spoke? And he said to the lad, God
be good to thee, my son.

And Jo-seph's heart was so full at sight of the
boy, and he longed so to throw his arms round him,
that he had to make haste and leave the room that
his tears might not be seen.

Then he came back and had the feast set out,
and all did eat and drink, and were glad at heart.
And when the time came for his guests to leave, Jo-
seph told his head man to fill their sacks with corn,
to put their gold back in the mouth of the sacks, and
to put in the young lad's sack the cup from which
Jo-seph drank at each meal.

Joseph and his Brethren. 89

This was done, and when they had gone out of
the town Jo-seph bade his man go and say to them:
My lord's cup is lost, and you must know who stole it.

And when the man came up with Ja-cob's sons, he
said just whal
Jo-seph told hii
to say. And|
they were all in|
a rage, and said:
Why does nr
lord say sue
things of us? ]
the cup is found[
on one of us,
kill him; and!
make the resl
of us slaves.

And eac
one of them casl
his sack on th<
ground, and

. . - JA-COB BLESS-ES JO-SEPH'S CHIL-DREN.

loosed it at the

top. And the cup was found in Ben-ja-min's sack.
Then they rent their clothes, and in great grief went
back to Jo-seph's house and found him there. And
they fell down at his feet.

And Ju-dah said, God has found out our sins.

90 History of tke Old Testament.

Let us be your slaves; and take him as well in whose
sack the cup was found.

Jo-seph said, No ; but the man in whose sack the
cup was found shall stay and serve me, and the rest
shall go in peace.

Then Ju-dah, who had sworn that he would bring
back the boy, said to Jo-seph: If we go home, and
our fath-er sees the lad is not with us, he will die of
grief. For his life is bound up in the lad's life.

Jo-seph could not keep back his tears, and when
he had sent all the men of E-gypt out of the room,
he said to his broth-ers, Come near, I pray you.

And they came near. And he said, I am Jo-
seph, whom ye sold in-to E-gypt. But grieve not
that ye did this thing, for God did send me here that
I might save your lives. Go home and tell my fath-
er that God hath made me lord of all Egypt, and bid
him come down to me at once. And say that he
shall dwell near me, in the land of Go-shen, and I
will take care of him.

Then he fell on Ben-ja-min's neck, and they wept ;
and he kissed his broth-ers and shed tears, but they
were tears of joy.

Ja-cob took all that he had and went down to
E-gypt. And three-score and ten souls went with
him. And they dwelt in the land of Go-shen, and

Ja-cob died there.

•f •

Through the Red Sea and the Wilderness. 91

Joseph's breth-ren thought that he would hate
them now that their fath-er was dead. And they
fell down at his feet and wept and prayed that he
would do them no harm.

Jo-seph bade them fear not, for he would take
care of them and be kind to them. They had meant
to do him an ill turn when he was a lad, but God
had made it turn out for good, and it was all right.
And Jo-seph lived to a good old age, and had two
sons, whose names were 'E-phra-im and Ma-nas-seh,

CHAPTER VII.

THROUGH THE RED SEA AND THE WILDERNESS.

BY and by there rose up a new King in E-gypt
who knew not Jo-seph. He was called Pha-ra-oh, as
this was the name by which all the kings of E-gypt
were known. And he said there were more He-
brews, or Jews, in the land than there ought to be,
and if war should break out, and these Jews should
take sides with the foes of Pha-ra-oh and his race,
they would be sure to win. So he set them hard
tasks, and made them bear great loads, and did all he
could to vex them, and still they grew in strength.
God had said they were to be as the stars in the sky,

92 History of the Old Testament.

and as the sands of the sea, that no one could count.
And the king of E-gypt tried to stop this thing.

And he made it a law that if a boy child was
born to the He-brews it should be put to death at
once ; but a girl child might live. And this was the
cause of great grief to the poor bond slaves, who
were forced to do the will of the great king.

One day the prin-cess went down to bathe in the
stream that ran near her house. And her maids
went with her. And as she stood on the shore of the
Nile, she caught sight of a small boat built like an
ark, that was hid in the reeds, and sent her maids to
fetch it out.

When the prin-cess looked in the ark she saw the
child. And the babe wept. And the prin-cess
tried to soothe it, but the child cried the more, for her
voice was a strange one. And she said, This is a
He-brew child.

And one of her maids spoke up, and said, Shall I
get thee a He-brew nurse, that she may nurse the
child for thee?

And the prin-cess said, Yes; go.

And the maid brought her own and the babe's
moth-er, to whom the prin-cess said, Take this child
and nurse it for me, and I will pay thee for it.

And the wo-man took the child and took care
of it.

THE KIND-ING OF MO-SBS.

a A History of the Old Testament.

And the child grew, and was brought down to
Pha-ra-oh's house, and the prin-cess made him her
son, and gave him the name of Mo-ses: which
means " Drawn out."

One day, when Mo-ses had grown to be a man,
he went out to look at those of his own race, and to
watch them at their tasks. And while he stood
there a man from E-gypt struck one of the Jews;
and when Mo-ses looked to the right and to the left
and saw that no one was near, he slew the one from
E-gypt and hid him in the sand.

And the next day, when he went out, he saw
there was a fight be-tween two He-brews. And he
said to the one who was in the wrong, Why did you
strike that man ?

And he said, Who made thee our judge? Dost
thou want to kill me, as thou didst the one from
E-gypt ?

And Mo-ses was scared, for he thought no one
knew of this deed.

As soon as it came to the ears of the king, he
sought to slay Mo-ses. But Mo-ses fled from him,
and dwelt in the land of Mid-i-an, and found a wife
there, and took care of the flocks of Jeth-ro, his
wife's fath-er.

One day as he led his flock out in search of food
he came to Mount Ho-reb, and there he saw a flame

Through the Red Sea and the Wilderness.

of fire stream out of a bush, and the bush was not
burnt in the least.

As he drew near the bush the Lord spoke to him
out of the flame, and Mo-
ses hid his face, for he
dared not look on God.

The Lord said, The
cry of the chil-dren of Is-
ra-el has come up to me,
and I have seen how ill
they have been used.
And I will send thee to
Pha-ra-oh that thou mayst
bring them forth out of
the land of E-gypt.

But Mo-ses was loth
to go.

And the Lord said,
What is that in thine
hand ? And Moses said,
A rod, And the Lord
said, Cast it on the
ground. And he cast it
on the ground, and it was changed to a snake, and
Mo-ses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Mo-ses,
Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And
Mo-ses did so, and it was a rod in his hand. And

MO-SES BROUGHT BE-FORE PHA-RA-OH's DAUGH-TER.

96 History of the Old Testament.

the Lord said, Put now thy hand in on thy breast.
And he put it in, and when he drew it out it was
white, and like a dead hand. And he put his hand
in once more, and drew it out, and it was like the
rest of his flesh.

Then Mo-ses said, O, my Lord, I am not fit to do
this work, for I am slow of speech, and a man of few
words.

And the Lord said to him, I will be with thee,
and teach thee what thou wilt say.

Still Mo-ses was loth to go, and the Lord was
wroth with him, and said, Take Aa-ron with thee.
He can speak well. And thou shalt tell him what
to say and do, and I will teach you, and with this
rod in thy hand thou shalt do great things, as if thou
wert God.

So Mo-ses took his wife and his sons and put
them on an ass, and went back to E-gypt with the rod
of God in his hand.

And Mo-ses and Aa-ron went in to the king and
begged him to let the He-brews go out of the land.
And he would not, but laid more work on the men,
and bade them make bricks with-out straw, and do
all sorts of hard tasks.

And the Lord sent plagues on the land, and the
ponds dried up, and all the large streams were turned
to blood, and the fish died, and the stench of them

Through the Red Sea and the Wilderness.

made the air scarce fit to breathe. And there was
no wa-ter they could drink. Then there came a
plague of frogs,
and they were
so thick in the
land that Pha-
ra-oh said he
would let the

ses would rid
him of the frogs
at the same
time.

But the
king did not
keep his word,
for as soon as he
found the frogs
grew less, he
said the He-
brews should
not go.

Then the

Lord smote the land with lice ; but still
heart was hard.

Then the Lord sent flies in such swarms

MOS-ES AT THE BURN-ING BUSH.

Pha-

ra-

oh's
that

98 History of the Old Testament.

there was no place that was free from them, and they
made the food not fit to eat.

And the king told Mo-ses he would let the bond-
slaves go to serve their God, but they were not to go
far till the land was rid of flies. Then Mo-ses went
forth and prayed to God, and the flies left the land.
But still the king's heart was hard, and he would
not let them go.

Then the Lord sent worse plagues : the flocks
and herds died ; there were boils on man and beast ;
the crops did not come up, and rain, hail, and balls
of fire came down from the sky. And still the heart
of the king was as hard as stone. Then the Lord
sent lo-custs, that ate up all the hail had left, and
there was not a green leaf on the trees nor a blade of
grass to be seen in the whole land.

And the king bade Mo-ses to set him free from
this plague. And the Lord sent a strong west wind,
that blew the flies in-to the Red Sea. Yet Pha-ra-oh
would not let the He-brews go.

Then the Lord told Mo-ses to stretch out his
hand, and there came up a thick cloud that made the
land so dark that the folks staid in bed for three
days. And Pha-ra-oh said to Mo-ses, Get thee out
of my sight. For if I see thy face thou shalt die.

And Mo-ses said, Thou hast well said: I will see
thy face no more.

Through the Red Sea and the Wilderness. 9^)

And the Lord sent one more plague on E-gypt:
he smote the first-born of men and of beasts, and a
great cry was heard through the land. And then
Pha-ra-oh had to let
the chil-dren of Is-ra-el
go, for he could not
keep up this strife with
God. And Mo-ses led
the He-brew chil-dren
out of E-gypt, and the
Lord sent a cloud by
day and a fire by night
to show them the
way.

And when they
were in camp by the
Red Sea, they looked
up and saw Pha-ra-oh
and his hosts, and were
in great fear lest he
should kill them. And
they cried out to the
Lord, and blamed
Mo-ses that he had
brought them in-to such straits.

As they came to the Red Sea, Mo-ses raised his
rod and the sea rose like a wall on each side, and

MIR-IAM, THE SIS-TER OF MO-SES, AND THE VVO-ME.N
OF IS-RAEL SING-ING PRAISES.

ioo History of tlie Old Testament.

the chil-dren of Is-ra-el went on dry land through the
midst of the sea.

Then Pha-ra-oh and his hosts came close in the
rear, and passed down be-tween the great sea-wall
that rose at the right hand and at the left. And the
waves that had stood still at a sign from God were
let loose, and the king and his horse-men were swept
out of sight.

When the chil-dren of Is-ra-el came out of the
Red Sea they were three days with naught to drink.
And when they came to a stream, called Ma-rah,
they found it bitter. And they said to Mo-ses,
What shall we drink?

And Mo-ses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord
showed him a tree, and when he had cast a branch
of it in the stream it was made sweet at once. And
they came to E-lim, where were ten wells and three-
score palm-trees, and there they made their camp.

It was not long ere there was a great cry for
bread.

And Mo-ses plead with God, and when the sun
went down that day quails flew in-to the camp, and
they had all the meat they cared to eat. At dawn
of the next day, as soon as the dew was off the ground,
there came a rain of what was at first thought to be
hail-stones.

But Mo-ses said it was food that God had sr

101

IO2 History of the Old Testament.

them to eat, and they were to take all and no more
than they would need for one day. For they were
to trust in God that he would feed them each day.
On the sixth day they were to take what would last
them for two days, for no food fell on the day of rest.

This new food was called man-na.

As they went on they came to Reph-i-dim, but
found no wa-ter to drink. And they found fault
with Mo-ses. And Mo-ses cried out, Lord, what
shall I do to these, who have a mind to stone me?

At this time they were near Mount Ho-reb, where
God spoke to Mo-ses out of a bush that was on fire,
yet not burnt.

And God told Mo-ses to take his rod in his hand
and go on till he came to a rock. And this rock he
was to strike with his rod, and wa-ter would flow out
of it. And Mo-ses did as the Lord told him, and
when he struck the rock the wa-ter ran out.

In the third month from the time they left E-gypt,
the chil-dren of Is-ra-el came near Mount Si-na-i, and
went in-to camp. And Mo-ses went up to the top
of the Mount, and the Lord spoke to him there.

On the third day a thick -cloud of smoke rose
from Mount Si-na-i, and a loud noise that made
those that heard it quake with fear. And Mo-ses
led his flock out of the camp, and they came and
stood at the foot of the mount. And they said to

MO-SES AND THE TA-BLES OF THE LAW;.

T03

WELL A*ND PALM-TREES IN THE DES-EKT.

THE RIV-EB NILE IN E-GTPT.

104

Through the Red Sea and the Wilderness. 105

Mo-ses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but
let not God speak with us lest we die. But Mo-ses
told them that God had not come to make them die,
but to make them fear to do aught that did not please
him.

And God gave to Mo-ses two blocks of stone on
which were the Ten Laws that the chil-dren of Is-ra-el
were to keep.

Now while Mo-ses was in the mount, face to face
with God, those whom he had brought out of E-gypt
were in camp at the foot. And Mo-ses staid so
long that they made up their minds he would not
come back. So they said to Aa-ron, Make us a God
that we can bow down to. And Aa-ron bade therfi
throw all the gold they had into the fire. And they
did so, and it took the form of a calf. And when
God saw this he was not pleased, but bade Mo-ses
make haste down the mount.

When Mo-ses came down from the mount with
the two flat stones in his hands, and drew near the
camp, and saw what had been done, he was in a
great rage. He cast the blocks of stone out of his
hands and broke them at the foot of the mount,

Thenxhe took the calf which they had made, and
burnt it in the fire till there was nought left of it but
a fine dust. And Mo-ses begged God to blot out
the sins of those whom he had led out of E-gypt.

io6 History of the Old Testament.

And the Lord told Mo-ses to hew out two blocks of
stone like to the first, and bring them up with him
to the top of Mount Si-na-i.

This Mo-ses did, and the Lord wrote on them
the Ten Laws that all were to keep if they would
reach the land they sought.

They were more than two-score years on the road,
and in that time they met with plagues, and there
was strife in their midst, yet as they went there was
the fire by night and the cloud by day to show that
the Lord was with them.

When they came to Mount Hor and were yet
a long way from Ca-naan, Aa-ron died, and there
was great grief at his loss. They were sick at heart
and foot-sore, and spoke hard words of God and
Mo-ses. There is no bread here for us, they said,
and no wa-ter, and we loathe this man-na. And for
this sin God sent snakes in-to their camp, and they
bit the chil-dren of Is-ra-el so that a few of them died.
Then they plead with Mo-ses to rid them of the
snakes, and make their peace with God.

And Mo-ses prayed for them. And God told
him to make a snake like to those which bit
his flock, and set it up on a pole. And all those
who would look at this brass snake should be made
well.

And Mo-ses did so. And this sign was meant

SINKI.

Through the Red Sea and the Wilderness.

109

to show forth Christ, who was to heal men of their
sins, and to be raised up on a cross.

And Mo-ses
led his flock, till
they came to
the plains of
Mo-ab. And
Ba-lak, the king
of that land,
thought they
had come to
fight with him,
and he sent a
man named Ba-
laam out to
curse them and
drive them back.
HetoldBa-laam
he would make
him a rich man
if he would do
this thing, and
as Ba-laam was
fond of wealth
he said he would do the the king's will. So he set
forth on his ass, and had not gone far when he met
an an-gel with a drawn sword in his hand. Ba-laam

BA-LAAM AND THE ASS.

no ffistory of the Old Testament.

did not see him, but the ass did and turned out
of the road. But the an-gel went on and stood in
a place where there was a wall on each side.

When the ass came to the place she went close
to the wall and tried to get by. But she hurt Ba-
laam's foot and he struck her and made her go on.
And the an-gel went on and stood in a place where
there was no room to turn to the right hand or the
left.

Then the ass shook with fright and fell down on
the ground. And Ba-laam struck her with the staff
that he had in his hand.

And the Lord made the ass speak like a man,
and say, What have I done to thee that thou hast
struck me these three times?

Ba-laam said, To make thee move on : I would
there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill thee.

Then the ass said, Am I not thine? and have

been wont to do so to thee? And Ba-laam said,

No. Then the Lord made Ba-laam see the an-gel

that stood in the way with a drawn sword in his hand,

and Ba-laam bowed his face to the ground.

Then the an-gel said, Why hast thou struck thine
as-s these three times? Lo, I came out to stop thee,
and to turn thee from the way of sin. And the ass
saw me, and turned from the path, and if she had
not done so I would have slain thee.

Through the Red Sea and the Wilderness.

Then he said to Ba-laam, Go with the men the
king has sent, but say on-ly what I shall tell thee.

So Ba-laam went with the men, and when Ba-lak
heard that he
was come he
went out to meet
him. The next
day Ba-lak took
Ba-laam to a
high place, from
whence he could
look down on the
camp of Is-ra-el,
and curse them.

But the Lord
would not let
him curse them,
but made him
speak good
things of them.
This was done
on three high
mounts, and at
last the king was
wroth, and said to Ba-laam, I sent for thee to curse my
foes, and lo, these three times hast thou blest them.

And Ba-lak bade him make haste and go back

MOSES ON MOUNT NE-BO.

1 1 2 History of the Old Testament.

to his own home. And Ba-laam went off as poor as
he came, for Ba-lak gave him none of his gold.

The Lord brought Mo-ses and his flock to the
banks of the Jor-dan, which they would have to cross
to reach the land of Ca-naan. And while they were
there, Mo-ses went up to the top of Mount Ne-bo to
talk with God. And God told him how large the
land was that he would give to the chil-dren of Is-
ra-el. And he said that Mo-ses should look on it,
but should not step foot in the land. And Mo-ses
died on Mount Ne-bo, and though an old man, was
well and strong till the Lord took him. And no
one knows in what part of the earth his grave was
made.

CHAPTER VIII.

HOW JOSHUA AND JEPHTHAH FOUGHT FOR THE LORD.

WHEN Mo-ses died, Josh-u-a took charge of the
chil-dren of Is-ra-el, and sought to do God's will, as
Mo-ses had done. And Josh-u-a sent word through
the camp that in three days they would cross the
Jor-dan. And when they set foot in the stream the
waves stood back as they did in the Red Sea, and
they went through Jor-dan on dry ground. And as

How Joshua and Jephthah Fougkt for the Lord.

they came up out of the stream the waves closed up
and there was no path-way through them.

The chil-dren of Is-ra-el made their camp at a
place called Gil-gal ;
and as there was no
lack of food in this
good land, the Lord
ceased to rain down
man-na for them to
eat.

The next day
Josh-u-a left the
camp and came near
:o the walls of Jer-i-
cho. There he met
a man with a drawn
sword in his hand.
And Josh-u-a said,
Art thou for us or
for our foes ?

And the man
said, As prince of
the Lord's host am
I now come. And at these words Josh-u-a fell on
his face to the earth ; for he knew it was the Lord
that spoke to him.

The Lord told Josh-u-a to have no fear of the

PASS-ING THROUGH THE JOR-DAN.

H4 History of the Old Testament,

king of Jer-i-cho, for the chil-dren of Is-ra-el should
take the town. All their men of war were to march
round the town once each day for six days. Some
of the priests were to bear the ark, which held the
things they made use of when they went in to talk
with God, and some were to blow on rams' horns.

And the next day — when the six days were at an
encj — they were to march round the town sev-en
times, and the priests were to blow their horns. And
when the men of Is-ra-el heard a long loud blast they
were all to give a great shout and the wall would fall

o o

flat to the ground, and they could march in and take
the town.

Josh-u-a bade his men do all the Lord had said;
and told them to make no noise with their voice as
they went their rounds till he bade them shout.
And when the priests blew their horns for the last
time, Josh-u-a cried, Shout! for the Lord is with us!
and there was a great shout and the wall fell, and
they took the town ; and the fame of Josh-u-a spread
through all the lands.

Josh-u-a fought with more than a score of kings
and won their lands from them ; but yet there was
much land in Ca-naan for which the chil-dren of Is-
ra-el would have to fight.

But as the years went on, Josh-u-a grew so old
that he could not lead his men to war as he used to

How Joshua and Jephthah Fought for the Lord. 115

do. And he called his flock to him and told them
how good the Lord had been to them. And he bade
them love the Lord and serve him, and put from

JOSH-VJ-A AND THE STONE OF WIT-NESS.

them all strange gods. He said, Choose ye this day
whom ye will serve ; but as for me and my house we
will serve the Lord.

And the men said, The Lord hath done great

n6 History of the Old Testament.

things for us, and him will we serve, for he is

our God.

And Josh-u-a took a great stone and set it up
'neath an oak tree that stood near where the ark was
kept at Shi-loh. And this stone, he said, was to be
a sign of the vow they had made there to serve the
Lord. And when the talk was at an end, the men
went to their own homes.

And ere long Josh-u-a died. And they laid him
in the part of the land that God gave him as his own,
on the north side of the hill of Ga-ash.

Then the chil-dren of Is-ra-el went to war with
the tribes that were in the land of Ca-naan, as Josh-
u-a had told them to do. But they did not drive
them all out, as they should have done, but made
friends with those that were left, and were led in-to
sin, and were made to serve as bond-slaves. And
when they were sick of their sins, and sought the
help of the Lord, he sent men to rule them, and to
lead them out to war and set them free from these
friends who proved to be the worst kind of foes.

Now there was a man in Is-ra-el whose name was
Jeph-thah. He was a brave man, and had done
great deeds, but the chil-dren of Is-ra-el were not
kind to him, so he fled from their land, and went to
live in the land of Tob. But when the Jews had
need of a man to lead them out to war, they thought

How Joshua and Jephthah Fought for the Lord.

117

of Jeph-thah. And they said, Come, and be at the
head of us when we go out to fight the Am-mon-ites.

And Jeph-thah said, If I go with you, and win
the fight, will you make
me judge in Is-ra-el?

And they said they
would.

Now ere the fight
took place, Jeph-thah
made a vow that if the
Lord would let him
win he would give to
God — that is, would
slay and burn as if it
were a lamb — the first
who came out of his
doors to meet him
when he went back to
his home.

Jeph-thah should
not have made this rash
vow, and need not have
kept it if he had asked
God to for-give the sin.

He went out to fight the Am-mon-ites, and by
the help of the Lord the chil-dren of Is-m-el were
set free from them.

JEPH-THAH AND HIS DAUGH-TER.

n& History of the Old Testament.

When the fight was at an end Jeph-thah went
back to his home, and the first to come out to meet
him was his own child, a fair young maid, whose
face was bright with joy. She was all the child that
Jeph-thah had, and when he saw her he rent his
clothes and told her of the vow he had made.

And she said, My fath-er, if thou hast made a
vow to the Lord, do with me as thou hast said.
And he took his child and did to her as he had said
he would, and all the young girls in Is-ra-el wept
for her.

Jeph-thah was a judge for six years, and then
he died.

CHAPTER IX.

SAMSON : THE STRONG MAN.

THE Jews kept on in their sins, and took no
pains to please the Lord, and so fell in-to the hands
of the Phil-is-tines.

And there was at that time a man in Is-ra-el
whose name was Ma-no-ah. Both he and his wife
served the Lord ; and they had no child. And God
sent one of his an-gels to the wife of Ma-no-ah to tell

Samson: the Strong Man. 119

her that she should have a son who was to be brought
up to serve the Lord, and to do his work.

Ere long Ma-no-ah and his wife had a son, to
whom they gave the name of Sam-son.

And the child grew, and the Lord blest him.
And when he was grown up he went to Tin-muth,
where he met a Phil-is-tine wo-man and fell in love
with her.

Then his pa-rents plead with him to find a wife
in Is-ra-el, and not to take this one who was no friend
to his race. But Sam-son would not give her up.

So they went with him to Tin-muth. And on
the way a li-on ran out and roared at him. And
Sam-son put his arms round the beast and tore him
with his hands as if he had been a young kid. But
he did not tell his fath-er and moth-er what he had
done.

The time soon came when Sam-son was to set
the Jews free from the Phil-is-tines. And he went
down to one of their towns and slew a few of their
men, and then went back to his own home, while his
wife stayed in Tin-muth.

When it was time to bring the wheat in from the
field, Sam-son went down to see his wife, and took
with him a young kid. But when he came to the
house her fath-er would not let him go in, and told
him that she was his wife no more, but had gone to

History of the Old Testament.

live with some one else. Then Sam-son was in a
great rage, and he went and caught more than ten
score fox-es, and set bits of wood on fire, and tied
these fire-brands to their tails, and let them loose in
the fields and vine-yards of the Phil-is-tines.

And they set fire to the grain, and burnt it all up.

And the grape-vines and fruit trees were burnt,
and much harm was done.

When the Phil-is-tines found out that it was
Sam-son who had done this they took his wife and
her fath-er and burnt them to death. And Sam-son
fought and slew a host of the Phil-is-tines, and then
went on the top of a high rock called E-tam to stay
there.

Then a crowd of men went up with a rush to the
top of the rock, and they said to Sam-son, We have
come to bind thee, that we may give thee into the
hands of the Phil-is-tines.

Sam-son made them swear that they would not
put him to death, and they bound him with strong
cords and brought him down from the rock.

As they drew near the camp of the Phil-is-tines
a great shout went up from the men there. And
the Lord gave Sam-son such strength that he broke
the cords from his arms as if they had been burnt
threads.

And Sam-son took up the jaw-bone of an ass,

Samson : the Strong Man.

121

and with it he fought the Phil-is-tines and slew a host
of them.

Then a great thirst came on him, and there was
no well near from which he could drink. And he
grew so weak that
he cried out to the
Lord not to let him
die of thirst or fall
into the hands of
his foes.

And the Lord
made a spring at
that place and wa-
ter ran out, and
when Sam-son had
drunk, his strength
came back to him.

Sam-son came
to the town of Ga-
za, and went in a
house there. Now
the Phil-is-tines
dwelt in Ga-za,
and when they heard that Sam-son was there they
shut the gates of the town, and kept watch near them*
all night. They said when the day dawns we will
kill him.

SAM-SON SLAY-ING THE PHIL-IS-TINES.

122 History of the Old Testament.

But in the dead of the night Sam-son rose up
and came to the gates of the town, and when he found
them shut he took them up — posts, bar and all — and
bore them a long way off to the top of a hill.

Sam-son's hair had not been cut, and it had grown
thick and long. And there was a wo-man named
De-li-lah whom Sam-son used to go and see. And
when the Phil-is-tines heard of it they came to her
and told her if she would find out how they might
bind Sam-son and bear him off, they would give her
a large sum of gold.

So when Sam-son came to De-li-lah's house she
said to him, Tell me, I pray thee what makes thee
so strong, and with what thou couldst be bound and
not break loose?

Sam-son said if they bound him with seven green
withes — that is, cords made out of soft twigs — he
would be so weak that he could not break them.

When De-li-lah told this to the Phil-is-tines they
brought her seven green withes, and Sam-son let her
bind him with them. Now she had men hid in her
house who were to take Sam-son if he could not
break the twigs. And when she had bound him
she cried out, The Phil-is-tines seize thee, Sam-son !
And as soon as she had said these words he broke
the green withes as if they were burnt threads.

Then De-li-lah knew that Sam-son made fun of

Samson: the Strong Man. 123

her and told her lies, and she said once more, Tell
me, I pray thee, with what thou canst be bound and
not break loose.

Sam-son told her if he were bound with new

SAM-SON CAR-RY-ING THE GATES OF GA-ZA.

ropes, which had not been used, that his strength
would leave him, and he would be too weak to break
them.

So she took new ropes and bound him. But ere
the men who were hid in the room could spring out

124 History of the Old Testament.

and take him, Sam-son broke the ropes from his
arms as if they had been threads.

Then De-li-lah told Sam-son that he did but
mock her and tell her lies, and she begged him to let
her know how he might be bound.

And he said if she would weave his hair with the
web in the loom his strength would go from him.
And she wove his long hair in with the web, and
made it fast with a large peg that was part of
the loom.

Then she cried out, and Sam-son rose up and
went off with the great peg, and the whole of the
web that was in the loom.

Then she said he did not love her or he would
not make sport of her in this way. And she teased ;
him each day, and gave him no peace, so that at last j
he had to tell her the truth.

He said his hair had not been cut since he was
born, and if it were shaved off he would lose all his
strength.

It was wrong for Sam-son to tell her this, for she
was bad at heart and not a true friend. But he did
not know then how great was his sin.

De-li-lah knew that this time Sam-son had told
her the truth ; so she sent for the Phil is-tines to come
up to her house.

Then while Sam-son slept, she had a man come

Samson: the Strong Man.

I25

in and shave all the hair from his head. And when
this was done she cried out, The Phil-is-tines seize
thee, Sam-son.

And he
woke from his
sleep, and
knew not his
strength had
gone from him.

Then the
Phil-is-tines
took him and
put out his
eyes, brought
him down to
Ga-za, and
bound him
with chains of
brass. And
they made him
fast to a mill-
stone, and he
had to work
hard to grind
their corn.

While he was shut up in jail Sam-son had time
to think of his sins, and he no doubt cried out to the

SAM-SON AND DE-LI-LAH.

126 History of the Old Testament.

Lord to keep him. For his hair grew out and his
strength came back. But the Phil-is-tines did not

know this.

They had made their own god, and its name was
Da-gon. And they thought that Da-gon gave Sam-
son in-to their hands, and loud was their praise of
him. And all the Phil-is-tines met in the large house
that had been built for Da-gon that they might bow
down to their god and give him thanks.

The crowd was great, and their hearts were full
of joy. And they said, Send for Sam-son that he
may make sport for us. And poor blind Sam-son
was brought in, and sat down in their midst. And
those in the house and those on the roof made sport
of him in all sorts of ways.

And Sam-son put his arms round two of the
great posts that held up the house. And he bent
down, and the house fell, and most of the Phil-is-
tines were killed. Sam-son died with them, and by
his death slew more of the foes of Is-ra-el than he had
slain in all his life.

"AM-SON DE-STKOYS THE TEMPLE.

127

CHAPTER X.

RUTH.

WHILE Is-ra-el was ruled by a judge whose name
has not come down to us, a dearth came on the land
of Ca-naan. And one of the Jews who dwelt in
Beth-le-hem, took his wife and his two sons and
went to stay for a while in the land of Mo-ab. His
wife's name- was Na-o-mi. The man died while
they were in Mo-ab, and in a few years each of the
sons took him a wife. And their names were Or-pah
and Ruth. At the end of ten years the sons died,
and Na-o-mi and their wives dwelt in the land of
Mo-ab.

When Na-o-mi heard there was no lack of food
in Is-ra-el, she made up her mind to go back to
Beth-le-hem to live.

She told Or-pah and Ruth of her plan, and said
if they choose to stay in the land of Mo-ab, where they
were born, they might do so.

And they kissed her and wept and said they
would go with her. But she bade them stay where
they were, and at last Or-pah, with tears in her eyes,

Ruth.

129

kissed Na-o-mi good-bye and went back to her own

home. But Ruth would not leave her. She told

Na-o-mi not to

urge her to go,

for nought but

death should

part them.

So they went
to the town of
Bet h-le-hem
where Na-o-mi
used to live.

It was the
days when the
grain was ripe
in the fields, and

e men

had

gone out to cut
it down.

And Na-o-
mi had a kins-
man in Beth-le-
hem, whose
name was Bo-az,

and he was a rich and great man. And Ruth said
to Na-o-mi, Let me now go to the fields and glean
the ears of corn.

RUTH AND NA-O-MI.

130

History of the Old Testament.

To glean is to pick up. And poor folks, who

had no fields of their own, went to pick up that which

was left on the ground for them.

And Na-o-mi told
Ruth to go. And
she went out and came
to the field that was
owned by the rich
man, Bo-az.

When Bo-az saw
Ruth he asked the
men who she was, and
where she came from.
And one of them said,
She came with Na-o-
mi from the land of
Mo-ab. And she
said to us, I pray you
let me glean where
the field has been
reaped. And we
told her she might,
and she has been

there for some hours. Then Bo-az went to Ruth.
So she went out each day to his field, and gleaned

there till the grain was all cut and in the barns.

Na-o-mi said to Ruth, Bo-az will win-now the

RUTH.

Rutk.

bar-ley to-night. To win-now is to fan, or to drive

off by means of a wind. The grain was first threshed,

then thrown

from the hands

up in the air.

The wind

would blow off

the chaff and

the good grain

would fall to

the ground.

N a-o- m i
told Ruth to go
in and speak
to Bo-az the
things she told
her. So Ruth
did as Na-o-mi
said, and went
down to the
fields where
Bo-az and his

BO-AZ AND RUTH.

men were.

When she

came back to Na-o-mi she told her all that she had
said and done.

The next day Bo-az went down to the gate of

History of the Old Testament.

Beth-le-hem, and told all the chief men whom he
met there that he meant to make Ruth his wife.
And the men said they would make it known, and
prayed the Lord would bless Ruth and add to the
fame and wealth of the rich and great Bo-az.

So Bo-az took Ruth for his wife. And they had
a son O-bed. And Na-o-mi was its nurse.

CHAPTER XL

JOB.

THERE was a man in the land of Uz whose name
was Job. He was a good man and tried to do all
that was right in the sight of the Lord. And God
gave him ten chil-dren : sev-en boys and three girls.
He gave Job great wealth, too, so that there was no
man in all that part of the world as rich as he was.

When Job's sons were grown up and had homes
of their own, they used to make feasts in turn, and
send for their three sis-ters to come and eat and drink
with them. And Job kept them in mind of all they
owed to God, and urged them to lead good and true
lives, and to do no wrong.

When Job had lived at his ease and been a rich
man for a long term of years, a great change took

Job.

place. He lost all his wealth, and all his chil-dren;
for it was God's will to try him and see how he
would bear these ills.

One day one of his men came to him in great
haste, and said, While we were in the field with the
ploughs, a band of thieves came and drove off the ox-
en and ass-es and slew thy men who were with them,
and I a-lone am left to tell thee.

While this man spoke, there came up one who
said, A great fire has come down from the sky and
burnt up thy sheep, and all those who took care of
them, and I a-lone am left to tell thee.

While he yet spoke, a third man came and said,
Thy foes came and took all thy cam-els, and slew
the men who had charge of them, and I a-lone am
left to tell thee.

Then a fourth came, and said, Thy chil-dren
were at a feast in the house of thy first-born son,
when there came a great wind that broke down the
house, and it fell on the young men and they are
all dead, and I a-lone am left to tell thee.

When Job heard these things he tore his clothes,
and bowed down to the earth, as if at the feet of God.
And he said, I had nought when I came in-to the
world, and I shall have nought when I die and go
out of it. God gave me all that I had, and God
took it from me. He knows what is best for me,

History of the Old Testament.

and I thank him for all that he has done. So Job
did not sin, nor speak ill of God, though^ his grief
was so great and had come uo-on him in such a
strange, swift way.

To try Job still more, God let him get sick and
he was in great pain. Boils came on him and from
head to foot he was a mass of sores.

Then his wife came to Job and said, Dost thou
still trust God? Do so no more, but curse him,
though he kill thee for it.

Job said, Thou dost not speak wise words.
When we have so much good from God, shall we
not be con-tent to take our share of the ills he may
send? In all this Job said not a word that was wrong.

Now Job had three friends, who, when they
heard of his hard lot, came to talk with him and cheer
him. But when they saw him, the change was so
great they did not know him.

Then they rent their clothes and wept, and sat
down on the ground near him, but did not speak for
some time, for they could see that his grief was great.
These friends thought that Job must have done some
great sin, else these ills would not have been sent
upon him. When they spoke to him they said, If
thou hast done wrong, do so no more, and God will
free thee from thy pains.

Now Job knew that he had done no wrong,

JOB, AND liib FRIENDS.

History of the Old Testament.

and he said to them, You came to soothe me, but
what you say does not soothe me at all. Did I send
for you, or ask you to help me ? If you were in such
grief as I am, I might say hard things of you and
call you bad men. But I would not do so; but
would speak kind words to you, and try to help you
bear your ills, and to make your grief less.

Then Job spoke of his own griefs, and said: O,
that the Lord would put me to death that I might
suf-fer no more. When I lie down at night I can-
not sleep, but toss on my bed in pain and wish the
day would dawn. Or, if I fall a-sleep for a while, I
have the worst kind of dreams, so that I would be
glad to die and wake no more in this world. O, that
I had some one to speak to God for me, for he does
not hear when I pray. Yet I know that he lives who
will save my soul, and that he will come on the earth,
and I shall rise up from my grave and see God
for my-self.

But when Job found that he could not die, nor
be made well, but must still bear his pains, he grew
cross, and was not at all like the Job of old. He
found fault, and said that his griefs were too great,
and that God was not kind to put him in such pain.

His three friends did not try to calm him, or to
cheer him with the hope that his woes would soon
be at an end, nor did they bid him trust in God and

Job. I37

seek help and strength from him. But they told him
that he must have done some great wrong, else God
would not have sent all these ills upon him.

This did not please Job, and he spoke to them in
great wrath, and they spoke back in the same style.

When they had talked in this way for some time,
and had each of them said things they ought not to
have said, they heard a voice speak to them out of a
whirl-wind that swept by the place. It was the voice
of God.

And the voice spoke to Job and told him of the
great works that God had done ; that it was he who
made the earth, the sea, and the sky. He sends the
rain on the field to make the grass grow and the flow-
ers to spring up. He sends the cold and the heat,
the frost and the snow, and the ice that stops the flow
of the streams. He sends the clouds, and the roar
and the flash that come from them when the storms
rage. He made the horse that is so swift and strong,
and has no fear in time of war, but will rush in-to the
fight at the sound of the trump.

All this and more the voice spoke from the whirl-
wind. And when God had told Job of all these
great works, he asked him if he could do these things,
or if he thought he was so wise that he could teach
God what it was best to do.

Then Job saw what a sin it was to find fault with

138 History of the Old Testament.

God. And he was full of shame, and said: My
guilt is great ; I spoke of that of which I knew naught,
and I bow down in the dust before thee.

God said to Job's three friends, I am wroth with
you, for you did not speak in the right way to Job.
Now, lest I pun-ish you, take sev-en young bulls and
sev-en rams and burn them on the al-tar, and ask Job
to pray for you, for him will I hear. So they did as
the Lord told them, and Job prayed for them, and
God for-gave them their sins.

In a short time Job was well once more. His
pains all left him; and then his friends and all his
folks came to see him and they had a good feast.
And each man brought him a rich gift, and the Lord
blest him more than he had done before, and gave
him twice as much wealth. He had great herds of
sheep, and cam-els, and ox-en and ass-es, and large
fields for them to roam in, and a host of men to care
for them. So that he was a great man once more.

And God gave him ten chil-dren : sev-en boys
and three girls. And when these girls grew up,
there were no maids in all the land so fair as they in
face and form. And Job had great peace of mind,
and dwelt at his ease for long, long years ; and when
he died he was an old, old man.

CHAPTER XII.

SAMUEL, THE CHILD OF GOD.

THERE was a man of Is-ra-el who went up each
year from the town of
Ra-mah to a place called
Shi-loh to pay his vows
to the Lord of hosts.
And his wife, whose
name was Han-nah,
went with him. The
man's name was El-ka-
nah.

E-li was the high-
priest at that time, and
as he sat in the Lord's
house he saw Han-nah
on her knees with her
eyes full of tears.

And he spoke to her
in a kind voice, and said :
May God grant thee
what thou dost ask of
him. And Han-nah was glad at the high-priest's

words, for she had asked God to give her a son.

139

SAM-U-EL.

History of the Old Testament.

And the Lord gave Han-nah a son, and she
called his name Sam-u-el, which means "Asked of
the Lord."

Sam-u-el was quite young when Han-nah took
him up to the house of the Lord at Shi-loh. And
when they brought the child to E-li, Han-nah said,
I am the wo-man that stood by thee here and prayed
to the Lord. For this child did I pray, and the
Lord heard me and gave me what I asked for. So
I have brought him to the Lord ; so long as he lives
shall he be the child of God. For this was the vow
she made if God would give her a son.

A.nd Sam-u-el was left to stay with E-li in the
Lord's house.

Now E-li had two sons, and they were priests in
the Lord's house. But they were not fit for the
place, for they were bad men, and broke God's laws.
And by their sins they kept men from the house of
the Lord.

But Sam-u-el, though a young child, did what was
right and pleased the Lord. And his moth-er made
him a coat, and brought it to him each year when
she and her hus-band went up to Shi-loh. And E-li
spoke kind words to them, and asked the Lord to
bless them for the sake of the child whom they gave
to him.

Now E-li was an old man, and when he heard

Samuel, the Child of God.

141

of all the things his sons had done, he did not drive
them out of the Lord's house as he should have done,
but let them go on in their sins. He cared more to
please his sons than he
did to please the Lord.

One night when E-li
and Sam-u-el lay down to
sleep, the child heard a
voice speak his name.
And he said, Here am I.
And he got up and ran
to E-li, for he thought it
was his voice, and he said,
Here am I, for thou did'st
call me.

E-li said, I did not call
thee, my son. Go back,
and lie down. And the
lad did so.

In a short time he
heard the same voice say,
Sam-u-el — Sam-u-el.

And he rose at once
and went to E-li, and said

to him, Here am I, for thou did'st call me. But
E-li said, I did not call thee, and sent the lad back
to his bed once more.

HAN-NAH PRE-SENTS SAM-U-EL TO E-U.

142 History of the Old Testament.

Then Sam-u-el heard the voice a third time, and
went to E-li and said, Here am I, for thou did'st
call me.

And E-li knew it was the Lord who spoke to
Sam-u-el. And he said to the lad, Go, lie down, and
if he call thee, say, Speak, Lord, for I hear thee.

And Sam-u-el went and lay down. And the
Lord came for the fourth time, and called, Sam-u-el
-Sam-u-el !

And Sam-u-el said, Speak, Lord, for I hear thee.

And the Lord told Sam-u-el all that he meant to
do to the house of E-li. He had let his sons go on
in their sins, and they were to be put to death in a
way that would make men fear God.

Sam-u-el lay still till day-light. Then he rose,
but did not dare to tell E-li what God had told him.

But E-li called him and said, What did the Lord
say to thee? I pray thee hide it not from me.

So Sam-u-el told E-li all that the Lord had said.
When E-li heard it, he said, It is the Lord, let him
do what he thinks is best.

And Sam-u-el grew, and the Lord was with him
and blest him, and it was known to all that he was
one of God's saints, who could fore-tell things that
were to take place. Such wise men were some-times
called seers.

The words which God spoke to Sam-u-el came

Samuel, tlie Child of God. 143

true; for the chil-dren of Is-ra-el went out to fight
the Phil-is-tmes, and a host of them were slain.

Those who came back said, Let us take the ark
out with us to save us from our foes.

CAP-TURE OF THE ARK.

Now God had not told them to take the ark, and
it was a sin for them to touch it. They should have
put their trust in the Lord, and looked to him for help.

144 History of the Old Testament.

But they sent to Shi-loh for the ark, and E-li's
two sons came with it. When it was brought to the
camp the Jews gave such a shout that the earth shook
with the noise.

And when the Phil-is-tines heard it, they said,
What does it mean ? And they were told that the ark
of the Lord had been brought to the camp of Is-ra-el.

And they were in great fear; for they said, God
is come to the camp ! Woe un-to us, for this is the
first time such a thing has been done !

And they said, Let us be strong and fight like
men, that we may not be slaves to these Jews!

So they fought once more with the Jews, and
slew a host of them, and the rest fled to their tents.
And the ark of the Lord fell in-to the hands of the
foe, and E-li's two sons were slain.

And the same day a man ran down to Shi-loh,
with his clothes rent, and bits of earth on his head to
show his grief.

E-li sat on a seat by the way-side, where he kept
watch, for he was in great fear lest harm should come
to the ark of God. And when the man came through
the crowd and told that the ark was lost, all cried out
with great fear. And when E-li heard the noise, he
said, What is it? What do those sounds mean?
For his eyes were dim with age, and he could not see.

And the man ran up to E-li and said, I am he

Samuel, the Child of God.

that came out of the fight, and I fled from there
to-day.

And E-li said, What word hast thou, my son?

THE RE-TURN OF THE ARK.

And he said that Is-ra-el had been put to flight
with great loss, his two sons were dead, and the ark
of God in the hands of the Phil-is-tines.

When the man spoke of the ark of God, E-li fell off

146 History of the Old Testament,

the seat by the side of the gate, and broke his neck,
and died there. And he had been a high priest and
a judge in Is-ra-el for two-score years.

And the ark of God was with the Phil-is-tines
for more than half the year, and to each place where
it was sent it brought great grief.

So at last they sent for their wise men, and said
to them, What shall we do with the ark of the Lord?
To what place shall we send it?

And the wise men told them to make a new cart,
and tie two cows to it, but to bring the calves home
with them. Then they should put the ark on the
cart, and let the cows draw it where they would.

If the cows should leave their calves and go down
to the land of Is-ra-el, it would be a sign that the
Lord was their guide, and that he had sent these ills
on the Phil-is-tines for their great sins.

But if the cows did not take the ark, it would
show that the Lord did not want it back, and that
all these ills they had to bear had come by chance,
and were not sent from the Lord.

So the Phil-is-tines did as their wise men said.
They took the two cows and tied them to the cart,
and shut up their calves at home. And they laid
the ark on the cart, and let the cows go where they
chose.

And the cows took the straight road to the land

Samuel, the Man of God. 147

of Is-ra-el till they came to a place called Beth-she-
mesh.

The Jews who dwelt there were out in the wheat
fields. And the cows brought the cart to the fields of
a man named Josh-u-a, and stood there by a great
stone.

Then some of the men of Le-vi came and took
the ark and set it on the stone. And they broke up
the cart, and burnt the cows as a gift of praise to
the Lord.

CHAPTER XIII.

SAMUEL THE MAN OF GOD.

WHEN E-li died, Sam-u-el was made a judge in
Is-ra-el. And he went from place to place to teach
men the law. And as the ark had not been brought
back to Shi-loh, Sam-u-el built an al-tar in his own
house and served God there.

The chil-dren of Is-ra-el set up strange gods, and
the Phil-is-tines went to war with them. And Sam-
u-el told them to give up their false gods and serve
the Lord, and he would save them from their foes.
And they did so. And he said, Come up to Miz-
peh, and I will pray to the Lord for you.

148 History of the Old Testament.

And they came to Miz-peh, and gave their hearts
to the Lord, and were in grief for their sins.

And when the Phil-is-tines heard they were at
Miz-peh, they went up to fight them. And the
chil-dren of Is-ra-el were in great fear, and Sam-u-el
plead for them, and when the fight came on the Lord
sent a fierce storm that put the Phil-is-tines to flight,
and they fled from the field with great loss.

And Sam-u-el set up a stone at Miz-peh, and gave
it the name of Eb-en-e-zer — "The Stone of Help."

When Sam-u-el was an old man he set his two
sons to judge Is-ra-el. But his sons were not just
men, and did not rule as their fath-er had done. If
a man did wrong, they would say it was right if he
paid them for it. And the wise men came to Sam-
u-el, and said to him, As thou art old, and thy sons
walk not in thy ways, make us a king to judge us.

Sam-u-el felt hurt when they asked him to choose
a king, and asked the Lord to tell him what to do.

And the Lord told Sam-u-el to choose a king
for them.

Now there was a man whose name was Kish,
and he had a son whose name was Saul, a tall young
man of fine form and good looks.

And the ass-es of Kish were lost. And he said
to Saul, his son, Take one of the men with you, and
go find the ass-es.

Samuel, the Man of God.

149

And they went a long way and could not find
them. And Saul said to the man with him, Come,
let us go back, lest my fath-er think we are lost.

THE STONE OF HELP.

And the man said to Saul, There is a man of
God here, and what he says is sure to come to pass.
It may be that he can tell us what we ought to do

History of the Old Testament.

Saul said, Thy word is good ; come, let us go.
And they went to the town where Sam-u-el, the man
of God, was. And they met him on their way.

And the Lord made it known to Sam-u-el that
this was the man he should choose to reign in Is-ra-el.

And Saul drew near to Sam-u-el, and said, Tell
me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.

And Sam-u-el said, I am the seer; and the ass-es
that were lost are found. And he took Saul and his
man to his own house, and made them spend the
night there.

The next day Sam-u-el took Saul to the roof of
his house, and had a talk with him.

Then they went out on the street, and as they
drew near the gate of the town, Sam-u-el said to Saul,
Bid thy man pass on, but do thou stand still for a
while, that I may show thee the word of God.

Then Sam-u-el took a horn of oil and poured it
on Saul's head.

This was done when a man was made a high-
priest; and the same thing was done when he was
made a king. And God was pleased with Saul, and
gave him a new heart ; but as yet none but these two
knew that Saul was to be King of the Jews.

Sam-u-el spoke to the chil-dren of Is-ra-el and
told them once more all that the Lord had done for
them, how he had brought them out of the land of

Samuel, the Man of God.

E-gypt, and set them free from their foes, and yet
they would not serve the Lord, but cried out for a
king. So he bade them all go up to Miz-peh that
the Lord might choose them a king.

And the
Lord chose
Saul. Butwhen
the men went
to seek for him,
they could not
find him. And
the Lord said,
He hath hid in
the midst of the
stuff. And they
ran and brought
him out, and he
was so tall that
all the rest had
to look up to
him.

And Sam-
u-el said, This
is he whom the Lord hath sent to rule thee. There
is none like him, as thou canst see.

And they all cried out, God save the king!
Then Sam-u-el told them what they were to do,

SAUL IN HIS HID-ING PLACE.

152 History of the Old Testament.

and how the king was to rule, and wrote it down in
a book.

When Saul had been king for two years, he set
out with his son, Jon-a-than, to fight the Phil-is-tines.
And a great host went with them. And the Phil-
is-tines had more men than they could count. And
when the Jews saw the strength of their foes, they
were in great fear, and ran and hid in caves and pits,
or fled to the high hills where the rocks would screen
them. So there were but few left to go out with
Saul, and they shook with dread.

And Saul came to Gil-gal, where he was to meet
Sam-u-el, but he was not there. Sam-u-el had told
him to wait for him, and he would tell him what he
was to do.

But at the end of a week Saul had the flesh
brought to him and laid on the stone, and he set fire
to it, that the flame might rise to God and bring
peace to the land. And as soon as Saul had done
this thing, Sam-u-el came. And Saul went out to
meet him, that he might bless him.

And Sam-u-el said, What hast thou done?

And Saul told of the strait he was in, and that
the Phil-is-tines were near in great force, and said
that when Sam-u-el did not come he felt that he must
send up a plea to God for aid in this hour.

Sam-u-el told him that he had done wrong.

Samuel, the Man of God. 153

When the Lord told him to wait, he should wait.
And now his reign would be a short one, and God
would choose a new king to take his place.

In those days men fought with bows and ar-rows.
And while the Jews were held as slaves by the
Phil-is-tines they would not let them have swords or
spears, lest they should rise up and kill them.

And they sent all the smiths out of the land, lest
they should make these things for the chil-dren of
Is-ra-el.

So when they went out to fight none of them had
a sword or a spear but Saul and his son.

In those days men wore coats of mail, and bore
a shield with them so as to ward off the darts. These
shields were made of a thick piece of wood, on which
the skin of an ox was stretched when dried.

Jon-a-than, Saul's son, wore a coat of mail, and
had a man to bear his spear and his shield when he
did not care to use them. And he said to his man,
Come, let us go to the camp of the Phil-is-tines. For
it may be that the Lord will help us.

And the man said he would go.

Jon-a-than said this should be their sign: They
would go where the foe could see them, and if they
said, Wait there till I come to you, they would know
the Lord did not mean to help them. But if the
Phil-is-tines said, Come up to us and we will show

1 54 History of the Old Testament.

you some-thing, they would go up, for the Lord
would be with them.

So Jon-a-than and his man stood out where the
foe could see them. And the Phil-is-tines made
sport of them, and cried out, Come up to us, and we
will shew you some-thing.

And the two went up the rocks on their hands
and feet, and fought with the Phil-is-tines, and slew
a score of them. And the Lord shook the earth, so
that the Phil-is-tines were in great fear.

Now Saul and the men who were with him did
not know what his son had done. But his watch-
man, who was on the look-out, saw that there was a
fight in the camp of the Phil-is-tines, and told Saul
of it.

And Saul and his men went to join in the fight.
And all those who had hid in caves and holes, or up
on the mount, when they heard that the Phil-is-tines
had fled, went with Saul, and Is-ra-el won the day.

But Saul did not de-sire to please the Lord in all
things. For when the Lord sent him out to fight
King A-gag, he told Saul to wipe him and all he had
from the face of the earth. But Saul kept back some
of the spoils, the best of the sheep and lambs, and
did not put the king to death as he should have done.

And the Lord told Sam-u-el that Saul was not
a good king, and his reign should be short.

Samuel, the Man of God.

'55

And it made Sam-u-el sad to hear this, and he
prayed to God all night. Then he had a talk with
Saul, who did not
look at his sins in
the right light. And
Sam-u-el told him
that his reign as
king would soon be
at an end.

God told Sam-
u-el not to mourn
for Saul, but to go
down to Beth-le-
hem, to the house
of a man named
Jes-se, one of whose
sons was to be made
king. And the Lord
said he was not to
look for one with a
fine face or form. For
the Lord sees not as
man sees, and he
looks on the heart.

So he went down to Beth-le-hem, and did as the
Lord told him. And Jes-se had his sev-en sons
pass one by one before Sam-u-el. And Sam-u-el

DA-VID A-NOINT-ED BY SAM-U-EL.

History of the Old Testament.

thought that the first-born must be the one whom
God chose to be king. But the Lord told him he
was not the one. And they all went by, and nut
one of them was the one on whom God had set his
seal.

And Sam-u-el said to Jes-se, Are these all thy
sons?

And Jes-se said, No there is yet one left; but he
is quite a. lad, and is now in the field where he cares
for the sheep.

And Sam-u-el told Jes-se to send for him at
once. And Jes-se sent for him, and he was
brought in, and his cheeks were red, and his eyes
bright. And the Lord said to Sam-u-el, Rise — for
this is he.

And Sam-u-el rose, and took the horn of oil and
poured it on the young man's head. So the Lord
chose Da-vid to be king when Saul should be put
out of the way.

And Da-vid felt a great change in his heart, for
the Lord was there to make him strong and wise,
and fit for the high place he was to fill.

But there was no peace in Saul's heart, and his
mind was ill at ease.

And his men said it might soothe him to have
some one play on the harp, For sweet sounds will
some-times calm the mind.

David and Saul. Ic-y

So Saul said, Find a man who can play well on
the harp, and bring him to me.

And one of them said that he knew such a man.
He was the son of Jes-se, who dwelt at Beth-le-hem,
and his name was Da-vid.

And Saul sent men to Jes-se and told him to
send Da-vid, his son, who kept the sheep.

And Da-vid came to Saul, and stayed with him
to wait on him. And when Saul was sad and ill at
ease, Da-vid would take his harp and play for him,
and he would soon be well.

CHAPTER XIV.

DAVID AND SAUL.

WHILE Saul was yet king, the Phil-is-tines came
forth once more to fight the chil-dren of Is-ra-el.
And Saul and his men went out to meet them.
There were two high hills cu each side of a deep
vale, and from these two hills the foe-men fought.

The Phil-is-tines had on their side a man who
was more than ten feet high. He wore a coat of
mail, and was bound with brass from head to foot, so
that no sword or spear could wound him.

And he cried out to Saul's men, Choose a man

History of tke Old Testament.

from your midst and let him come down to me. If
he can fight with me and kill me, then we will, be
your slaves. But if I kill him then you must serve
us. I dare you to send a man to fight with me.

When Saul and his men heard these words they
were in great fear, for there was no one in their ranks
who would dare fight with such a gi-ant.

And each morn and eve, for more than a month,
this great man, whose name was Go-li-ath, drew near
Saul and his troops and dared them to send a man
out to fight him.

Now when the war broke out three of Jes-se's
sons went with Saul, but Da-vid went back to Beth-
le-hem to feed sheep.

And Jes-se said to Da-vid, Take this parched
corn and these ten loaves of bread, and run down to
camp and bring me back word how thy broth-ers
are.

And Da-vid rose up the next morn, and found
some one to take care of his sheep, and went as his
fath-er told him.

And he came to the camp just as the men were
on their way to the fight, and the air was filled with
their shouts.

And he left the goods he had brought in the care
of a man, and ran in the midst of the troops, and
spoke to his three broth-ers.

David and Saul.

And while he stood there, Go-li-ath came out
from the ranks of the Phil-is-tmes, and dared some
one to fight with him.

And Da-vid heard his words. And the men of
Is-ra-el fled from
his face. And Da-
vid heard them
speak of what would
be done to the man
who should kill
him ; for the king
would give him
great wealth, and]
set him in a high'
place.

And Da-vid
spoke to the men
near him, and made
use of strong words.

And his broth-
ers told him to go

home and take care of his sheep, for it was just a
trick of his to come up to camp that he might see
the fight.

Da-vid said, I have done no wrong? and the men
to whom he spoke went and told Saul what he had
said. And Saul sent for him, but did not know

DA-VID BE-FORE SAUL.

160 History of the Old Testament.

that he was the same one who used to play on the
harp for him.

And Da-vid told Saul he would go out and fight
the great man from Gath. And Saul said, Thou
art but a youth, and he has been a man of war all
his days.

Then Da-vid told Saul how he had fought with
and slain the wild beasts that came out of the woods
to eat up the lambs of his flock. And, said he, this
man is no more than a wild beast, and the Lord will
save me from him as he did from the paw of the li-on
and the bear.

And Saul said, Go, and the Lord go with thee.
And Saul put on him a coat of mail, and clothed
him in brass from head to foot, and hung a sword at
his side. But Da-vid took them all off, and said, I
have not tried them, and can-not use them.

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose five
smooth stones from the brook and put them in a bag
that he wore. And his sling was in his hand when
he drew near to Go-li-ath.

Go-li-ath came near to Da-vid, and when he .saw
what a youth he was, he drew up his head with
great scorn.

Da-vid ran to meet him, and put his hand in his
bag and drew forth a stone, and slung it, and struck
Go-li-ath on the fore-head with such force that the

DA-VID WITH GO-LI- ATUS HEAD.

1 62 History of the Old Testament.

stone sank in through the bone and he fell on his
face to the earth.

Then Da-vid ran and stood on Go-li-ath, and
drew his sword from its sheath, and slew him and
cut off his head.

And when the Phil-is-tines saw that the man
in whom they had put their trust was dead they fled.

And Da-vid came back from the fight with the
head of Go-li-ath in his hand, and was brought to
Saul.

And Saul would not let Da-vid go back to his own
home, but made him stay with him. And Jon-a-
than fell in love with him, and to show his love, took
off all the rich clothes he had on and put them on
Da-vid, and gave him his sword, his bow, and his
belt. And Da-vid did as Saul told him, and all who
saw him were pleased with him, and Saul put him
at the head of his men of war.

But when King Saul and his men went through
the towns on their way back from the fight, the folks
came out and sang and danced to praise them for
what they had done.

But they said more in praise of Da-vid than of
Saul, and when Saul heard it he was wroth, and from
that day ceased to be Da-vid's friend.

The next day Da-vid stood near Saul with his
harp in his hand to play him some sweet tunes.

David and Saul.

163

And Saul held a spear in his hand, and he cast it

at Da-vid so that it would go through him and pin

him to the wall.

But Da-vid saw it

and took a step one

side, and it did him

no harm.

Twice was this
done, and when
Saul found that he
could not hurt Da-
vid, he was in great
fear of him, for he
knew the Lord was
with him. So he
drove Da-vid from
his house, and sent
men to lay in wait
to kill him.

But Da-vid fled
from them and ran
to the place where
Jon-a-than was,
and said to him,
What have I done that the king seeks my life?

Now Jon-a-than did not know that the king meant
to kill Da-vid, so he said to hirn, Thou shalt not die.

JON-A-THAN AND DA-VIU.

164 History of the Old Testament.

My fath-er would have told me if he meant to kill
thee. But Da-vid said it was true.

The next day was to be a feast day, and the
king would look for Dav-id to come and eat with
him. But Da-vid was in such fear of Saul that he
did not care to go, and begged Jon-a-than to let him
hide him-self for three days. If the king asks where
I am, said Da-vid, tell him that thou did'st give me
leave to go home.

Jon-a-than told Da-vid that at the end of the three
days he should come and hide in the field near a rock
that was there. And Jon-a-than said he would shoot
three ar-rows as if he took aim at a mark. And he
would send a lad out to pick them up. And if he
said to the lad, Go, find them, they are on this
side of thee, then Da-vid might know that all was at
peace and the king would do him no harm. But if
he should cry out that the darts were be-yond the lad,
then Da-vid would know that he must flee, for the
king meant to do him harm.

So Da-vid hid him-self in the field ; and when
the feast day came Saul sat down to eat with his back
to the wall. And he saw that Da-vid was not in his
place, but said not a word. The next day when he
found Da-vid was not in his place, Saul said to his
son, Why comes not Da-vid to eat these two days?

Jon-a-than said that Da-vid plead so hard for

David and Saul.

leave to go home to his own folks, that he had told
him to go, and that was why he was not at the feast.

Then Saul was
in a great rage,
and said to his
son, As long as
Da-vid lives thou
canst not be a
king. Send for
him, and bring
him here that he
may be put to
death.

And Jon-a-
than said, Why
should he be
slain ? What hath
he done ?

Saul threw
his spear at Jon-
a-than. And the
young man knew
by this that the
king meant to kill
Da-vid. So the next morn the king's son went out
to the field, and took a lad with him. And he said,
Run now, and pick up the ar-rows that I shoot

JON-A-THAN SHOOT-ING THE AR-ROWS.

1 66 History of the Old Testament.

And as he ran, Jon-a-than sent a dart o'er his
head; and when the lad came to the place -where it
fell, the king's son cried out, It is be-yond thee.
Make haste, and stay not.

Da-vid heard these words and knew that he must
flee, for if Saul caught him he would kill him.

The lad brought the darts to Jon-a-than, and did
not know why the king's son had shot them and called
out to him as he did. And Jon-a-than gave him his
bow and ar-rows, and sent him back to town with
them.

As soon as the lad was £one, Da-vid came out

from the place where he was hid, and fell on his face
to the ground, and bowed three times. Then he
rose and threw his arms round Jon-a-than's neck,
and the two friends wept as if their hearts would break.

Then Da-vid fled from Saul, and hid in the woods
and caves.

Saul went out with a large force of men to seek
Da-vid on the rocks where the wild goats fed.
And Saul came to a cave, and went in to lie down
and rest.

Da-vid and his men were in the cave, but Saul
could not see them. And the men wished to kill
Saul ; but Da-vid would not let them. While he
was there Da-vid stole up to Saul and cut off a piece
of his robe. And Saul did not know it.

DA-VID AND SAtJU

1 68 History of the Old Testament.

When Saul we,nt out of the cave, Da-vid went
out af-ter him and cried out, My lord and my king !

And when Saul looked back, Da-vid bowed down
to him with his face to the earth. And he told Saul
to pay no heed to those who said he meant to harm
the king. For if he had sought to kill Saul he might
have done so that day while he was in the cave.
And Da-vid showed Saul the piece of his robe he
had cut off.

And some bade me kill thee, said Da-vid, but I
would not, for thou art my lord and my king. Then
Da-vid held up the piece of" cloth he had cut from
Saul's robe, and said, Since I was so near thee as
to cut this off and did not. kill thee, thou may'st know
that I have no wish to harm thee. Yet thou dost
hunt for me to kill me. Let the Lord judge 'twixt
thee and me, and save me from thy hand, and save
thee as he will, for I will not harm thee.

When Saul heard Da-vid speak thus, all hate
went out of his heart, and he wept as he said, Thou
hast done good to me for the wrongs I did thee, and
may the Lord bless thee for it. Now I know that
thou wilt some day be the king of Is-ra-el.

And Saul went home, and Da-vid and his men
went back to the cave.

But Da-vid knew that he could not trust Saul, so
he fled to the land of the Phil-is-tines, and he

David and Saul.

169

and his men dwelt there in the town of Gath for
the space of a year and four months.

While he was
there, the Phil-is-tines
went out to fight with
Saul once more, and
when he saw what a
host of them there
was, his heart shook
with fear. He asked
the Lord what he
should do, but the
Lord did not come
to him in dreams, or
speak one word to him.

S a m - u - e 1 was
dead, and the Lord
had said it was a sin
to go to a witch, or a
seer, to find out the
things that would
take place, and Saul
had sent all these
folks out of the land.

But now he was in such a strait that he felt he
must have help of some sort. And one of his men
told him there was at En-dor a witch who could work

DA-VID TAKES GO-LI-ATH's SWORD.

1 70 History of the Old Testament.

strange charms, and fore-tell what was to take place.
So the king drest him-self so that he would not be
known, and went at night with two of his men to see
the witch of En-dor. And he said to her, Bring me
up him whom I shall name to thee.

And the witch said to him, Dost thou not know
that Saul has sent all those that work charms out ot
the land? And why dost thou set a snare for my
life, so that I will be put to death ?

And Saul said, As the Lord lives there shall no
harm come to thee for this thing.

Then the witch said, Whom shall I bring up to
thee? And he said, Bring me Sam-u-el.

So'the witch ma^le strange signs and spoke strange
words, and swept her wand round and round. And
when she saw the form of Sam-u-el rise up, she cried
with a loud voice, Why did'st thou not tell me the
truth? for thou art Srml !

And the king said, Have no fear. What did'st
thou see?

And the witch c^id, I saw an old man with a
cloak round him.

And Saul knew it was Sam-u-el, and bowed his
face to the ground. And Sam-u-el said, Why hast
thou brought me up? And Saul told him that he
was in 'a great strait, that God had left him, and did
not come to him in dreams or by the hand of wise

David and Saul. 17*

men, and he thought that Sam-u-el might tell him
what to do.

Sam-u-el said, Why then dost thou ask of me if
the Lord hath left thee? He hath done to theejust
as he said he would. Thy reign is at an end, and
Da-vid shall rule in thy stead. And he told Saul
that the next day he and his sons would be dead,
and Is-ra-el in the hands of the foes.

When Saul heard these words he fell down in a
swoon, for he had had no food for a day and a night.

And the witch brought bread and bade him eat,
that he might have strength to go on his way. And
Saul and his men ate of the food, and went their way
that night.

Now the lords of the Phil-is-tines brought all
their troops to a place called A-phek. And the king
of Gath went there, and took Da-vid and his men
with him. But the lords of the Phil-is-tines would
not hr.vc the Jews in their midst lest they should turn
on them and give them in-to the hands of king Saul.

So Da-vid and his men had to leave the camp,
and the Phil-is-tines went out to fight, and the men
of Is-ra-el fled from them with great loss. The king's
three sons were slain, and an ar-row struck Saul and
gave him a bad wound.

And Saul said to the man who bore his shield,
Draw thy sworu and put me to death. But the man

iy3 History of the Old Testament.

did not dare to kill his king. So Saul took his own
sword and fell on it, and thus died by his own hand.
And when the man saw that Saul was dead, he fell
on his sword and died with him.

And when it was known that Saul and his sons
were dead, the Jews fled from that part of the land,
and the Phil-is-tines went to live there.

In the course of a few years Da-vid was made
king of Is-ra-el, and then went to live at Je-ru-sa-lem.
He went to war, and took spoils of rich kings, and
the Lord was with him, for he sought to do that
which was right and just.

Da-vid had two sons : Sol-o-mon and Ab-sa-lom.

And in all the land there was no man with such
a fine face and form as Ab-sa-lom, and he won much
praise for his good looks. And he had a thick
growth of long hair. But Ab-sa-lom had a bad
heart, and his sins made Da-vid weep. But he did
not scold Ab-sa-lom as he should have done, for the
king was fond of his son, and so Ab-sa-lom went on
from bad to worse.

He told what he would do when he was king,
and made friends with those who thought it a fine
thing to be on good terms with the king's son.

When he was two-score years of age, Ab-sa-lom
said to the king, Let me, I pray thee, go up to Heb-
ron to pay my vows.

David and Saul.

173

And Da-vid told him to go. But it was not to
serve the Lord that Ab-sa-lom went, but to have
him-self made king
in-stead of Da-vid.
And he took ten score
men with him, who
did not know why or
where they went, and
sent spies all through
the land to speak in
his praise and urge
that he be made king.

And when Da-vid
heard of it he said to
his men, Rise, let us
flee from this place,
lest Ab-sa-lom come
and put us to death.

And they all fled
from Je-ru-sa-lem,and
went to hide in some
lone place. And
when Ab-sa-lom came
to Je-ru-sa-lem he
went to one of Da-vid's friends and asked him what
he should do to be made king. A-hith-o-phel, who
had once been a friend of Da-vid, and had now gone

DA-VID FOR-G1V-ING AB-SA-LOM.

174 History of the Old Testament.

with the king's ^on, had said that he would go out
with a large force and come up with Da-vid when he
was weak and faint, so that he would be in a great
fright. Those who were with Da-vid would flee,
and he would soon put the king to death. Then, of
course, Ab-sa-lom would be king.

But Ab-sa-lom would not do this till he had heard
what Hu-sha-i said. Now Hu-sha-i was a true friend
of Da-vid, and he told Ab-sa-lom to take more men
than A-hith-o-phel had said, for he thought that
would give Da-vid a chance to get out of the way.
And Hu-sha-i sent two young men to tell Da-vid not
to stop on the plains that night, but to cross the Jor-
dan, lest he and all who were with him should be
put to death.

But a boy saw the two sons of the high-priest who
were on their way to Da-vid, and went and told Ab-
sa-lom. And the priest's sons ran to a house near
by, and hid in the well. And the woman who kept
the house spread corn on top so that no one could
see that a well was there.

And when Ab-sa-lom's men came up and asked
the wo-man where the priest's sons were, she said
they had gone on past the brook Ked-ron. And
when the two could not be found the men went back.

Then the priest's sons came up out of the well,
and made haste to give to Da-vid the word that Hu-

David and Saul.

sha-i had sent. And at dawn Da-vid and all his
men crossed the Jor-dan.

As soon as Ab-sa-lom had all the men he thought
he would need, he set out to fight with Da-vid. And
Da-vid drew up his men in line, and put Jo-ab at
their head. And the king
said, I will go out with
you. But the men said
he should not; so Da-vid
staid by the gate and saw
them go out to the fight,
and bade them be kind to
Ab-sa-lom for his sake.

The fight took place in
a wood. Ab-sa-lom rode
on a mule, and as the mule
passed 'neath a great oak,
Ab-sa-lom's head caught
in a branch, and he hung
in mid air, while the mule
went off down the road.

And a man saw it and told Jo-ab. And Jo-ab
said, Why did'st thou not kill him ? And the man
said he would not kill the king's son, for he had heard
Da-vid ask them to be kind to him.

But Jo-ab said, I can-not waste time with thee.
And he took three darts in his hand and thrust them

THE DEATH OF AB-SA-LOM.

176

History of the Old Testament.

througn Ab-sa-lom, so that he died. And he was
thrown in-to a pit that was in the wood, and a great
heap of stones was piled on him. And all the men

who had been with
him went back to
their tents.

Da-vid sat in
the gate, and when
men came back
with news of the
fight, he would ask
of each one, Is
Ab-sa-lom safe?
And at last one of
them said, May all
the king's foes be
as this young man
is. Then Da-vid
knew that Ab-sa-
lom was dead, and
he went to his own
room and wept.

And he cried
out with a loud
voice, O, my son, Ab-sa-lom ; my son, my son Ab-
sa-lom ! I would that God had let me die in thy
stead, O, Ab-sa-lom, my son, my son !

DA-VID HEAR-ING OF AB-SA-LOM'S DEATH.

Solomon, the Wise Man. 177

Da-vid was king for two-score years, and was an
old man when he died and had hosts of friends.
And when he felt that his death was near, he bade
his men take Sol-o-mon to a place called Gi-hon, and
pour oil on his head. Then they were to blow the
horn and cry out, God save King Sol-o-mon.

And this was done ; and when Da-vid died, Sol-
o-mon sat on his throne and ruled Is-ra-el.

CHAPTER XV.

SOLOMON, THE WISE MAN.

SOL-O-MON gave his heart to God when he was
young, and tried to lead a good life, and to do no
wrong. And God spoke to him in a dream one
night and said, Ask what I shall give thee.

And Sol-o-mon said, Grant me, I pray thee a
wise mind that I may know right from wrong, and
judge well those who look up to me as their king.

This speech pleased the Lord, and he said, Since
thou didst not ask me for great wealth, or for long
life, or that thy foes might be put to death, I will
make thee wise, and will give thee both great wealth
and a long life if thou wilt serve me and keep my
laws.

History of the Old Testament.

There came two women to the king. And one
of them said, My lord, I and this wo-men live in one
house, and we each of us had a son. And this wo-
man's child died
in the night, and
while I slept she
came and took
my child from
me, and laid her
own child by my
side. And when
I woke, and went
to feed my child,
itwasdead. And
I knew it was not
my son.

It is your
son.

It is not; the
child that lives
is mine.

The dead

THE JUDG-MENT OF SOL-O-MON. CHllCl IS yOUTS.

In this way

they spoke, and the king heard them, and said, Bring
me a sword !

And a sword was brought to him.

Solomon, the Wise Man.

179

And the king said, Cut the live child in two,
and give half to one and half to the other.

When the real moth-er of the child heard these
words she cried
out, O my lord,
give her the
child, but do not
kill it.

But the oth-
er said, Cut it in
half, and let it
be hers

not

mine.

Then the
king told his
men to give the
child to the one
who tried to
save its life, for
he knew that
she was the
moth-er. And
it was to find
this out that he

sent the men for the sword, and not to take the
child's life.

When Sol-o-mon had been king for four years,

SHIPS OF SOL-O-MON.

180 History of the Old Testament.

he laid out the plan that Da-vid had made for the
house of the Lord.

He had a talk with Hi-ram the king of Tyre, and
told him that it was time to build the house. And
the king of Tyre was glad, and did all he could to
aid him. He sent Sol-o-mon great trees from the
woods, and sent him men to help in the work ; men
who had skill with the ax, and with fine tools of all
sorts.

The house was built of stone, and each stone was
hewn from the rock, cut so as to fit in the wall ere
it was brought to the place where it was to stand, so
that no ax nor tools should be used in the house when
it was put up.

The walls of the rooms were in-laid with gold,
and gems, and the floor of the place where the ark
was kept was of pure gold, and in front of the shrine
were loops and chains of fine gold.

The doors of the house were made of the wood
of the fir tree, and they were carved with great skill,
and touched up with gold.

It took Sol-o-mon sev-en years to build the house
of the Lord; and when it was done he made a feast,
and the priests brought the ark of the Lord from
Mount Zi-on, where Da-vid kept it.

And all the tribes of Is-ra-el came to Je-ru-sa-lem,
that they might be there when the ark was brought.

Solomon, the Wise Man.

181

And when the ark was put in its place, and the
priests came out, there was such a cloud in the house
that all stood still. For the Lord was in the cloud.

Then Sol-o-
mon stood up, and
with raised hands
asked him to come
down and dwell in
the house, and to
dwell in men's
hearts, that they
might walk in the
right way, and love
God all their days.

Now the fame
of Sol-o-mon came
to the ears of a rich
queen, who dwelt
at She-ba, and she
thought she would
like to see if this
man was as wise
and rich as he was
said to be. She
had a long way to come, and a great train came with
her, and these brought loads of rich spice, and
gold and sil-ver and gems of worth. And the queen

QUEEN OF SHE-BA.

1 82 History of the Old Testament.

had a talk with Sol-omon and he told her all she
ought to know.

And she said to the king, What I had heard of
thee in my own lands I did not think could be true.
So I came to see for my-self, and I find the half
was not told me. So she gave rich gifts to Sol-o-
mon, and he gave rich gifts to her, and the queen
went back to her own land.

Now it was thought no sin in those days for a
man to have more than one wife. And some of Sol-
o-mon's wives had been brought up to serve false
gods. And it was a sin for the king to wed with
such. And as he grew old these wives made him
serve their Gods, and turn from the true God whom
he had been taught to love and fear.

And this did not please the Lord, and he said
that Sol-o-mon's son should not be king when Sol-o-
mon died. For Da-vid's sake he would let him be
a prince of two tribes all the days of his life. But
ten tribes he would take from him.

And foes rose up to plague Sol-o-mon, and for
his sins he had to give up the peace and rest that
had long been his. When he had been king for two-
score years Sol-o-mon died, and his fame has come
down to this day, for no man has been born in-to the
world so wise and great as King Sol-o-mon.

. CHAPTER XVI.

ELIJAH.

A-HAB was the last of the six kings who ruled the
ten tribes. And he made them serve Ba-al, and
built a house for this false god.

These acts did not please God, so he sent E-li-
jah, a seer, to tell A-hab that for years and years
there should be no rain in the land. And he told
E-li-jah to hide near a brook from which he should
drink, and the birds of the air would bring him
food to eat.

E-li-jah did as the Lord told him, and he drank
from the brook, and the birds brought him his food
from day to day. But as there was no rain, the
brook dried up, and there was lack of food in the land.

So the Lord told Elijah to go to the town of Za-
re-phath, where a wo-man dwelt who would give him
food.

And when E-li-jah came to the gate of the town,
a poor wo-man drew near him to pick up some sticks.
And he said to her, Bring me a drink, I pray thee.

And as she went, he said, Bring me, I pray thee,
a bit of bread in thine hand.

183

1*4

B-LI-tAH FED BY RA-VKNS.

Elijah.

And she said, As the Lord lives, I have no bread
in the house, and but a hand-ful of meal, and a few
drops of oil. And I came out to pick up a few sticks
that I might light the fire, and bake a small loaf for
me and my son, that we
may eat it and die.

E-li-jah said, Fear
not ; go and do as thou
hast said. But first make
me a small loaf, and then
make one for thee and
thy son. For thus saith
the Lord, The meal shall
not waste, nor the cruse
of oil fail till the day the
Lord sends rain on the
earth.

So the wo-man went
her way and did as E-li-
jah told her, and there was
from that time no lack of

food in her house. But EL,JAH AND THE WID.OW,S CH1LD<
one day her son was ill,
and he grew worse and worse, and then died.

When E-li-jah heard of it, he said, Give me thy'
son. And he took the child from her arms and bore
him to his own room, and laid him on his bed.

1 86 History of the Old Testament.

And E-li-jah cried to the Lord, and said, O Lord,
I pray thee let this child's soul come back to him.

And the Lord sent back the soul of the child,
and E-li-jah took the boy and brought him to his
moth-er.

And she said to E-li-jah, Now by this I know
that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the
Lord in thy mouth is truth.

For three years there had been no rain in the
land, and at the end of that time the Lord said to
E-li-jah, Go show thy-self to A-hab, and I will send
rain on the land.

So E-li-jah went, and on the way he met with
one of A-hab's head men, who loved the Lord. He
knew E-li-jah, and bade him turn back, for the king
would be sure to put him to death. But E-li-jah
said that he would shew him-self to A-hab that day.
So the man told the king that E-li-jah was near, and
the king came out to meet him.

And he found fault with E-li-jah, for he thought
he was to blame for the lack of food, and for the
long drouth.

E-li-jah told the king to have all those he ruled
meet in a mass at one place. And when they came
there, E-li-jah cried out to them, How long will ye
turn your hearts from God ?

And he told them to prove which was the true

Elijah.

187

God, Ba-al, or E-li-jah's God. And he told them to
bring two young bulls, and to take the flesh of one
and lay it on the wood in front of Ba-al, and he would
lay the flesh of the oth-
er young bull on the
Lord's al-tar. And he
said, Call ye on your
gods and I will call on
mine, and let the God
that sends down fire be
the God whom we all
shall serve.

And they said it was
a good plan.

So they cried out
from sun-rise till noon, O
Ba-al, hear us! But
there was no voice or
sign that their god heard
them.

E-li-jah said, Cry
with a loud voice, for he
is a god. He may be
asleep, or lost in thought.

And they cried, and made a great noise, and at
last fought with their knives till they drew blood.

And E-li-jah said, Come near me.

THE LIT-TLE CLOUD.

1 88 History of 'the Old Testament.

And they all came near to him.

And E-li-jah took twelve stones, and built an al-
tar to the Lord. And he put the flesh and the wood
on it, and the wood was wet through and through.

Then he cried out, Hear me, O Lord, hear me,
and let it be known that thou art the true God.

Then fire came down from on high and burnt up
the flesh, and the wood and the stones, and the dust;
and the ground that had been made so wet was as dry
as it could be.

And when the crowd saw this they all bowed
down to the ground, and said, The Lord he is God!
The Lord he is God !

And they broke up the false gods, and gave their
hearts for a while to the Lord.

Then E-li-jah told A-hab that he might eat and
drink, for the rain would soon set in. And he went
to the top of a high mount to pray for rain. Not a
cloud was in the sky. The sea was calm. But E-li-
jah knew that he must watch, and wait, and pray,
and the sign would come.

At last there rose up out of the sea — that is,
where the sea and sky seem to meet — a small cloud,
the size of a man's hand. And soon the sky was
black with clouds, and the wind blew, and there was
a great storm of rain.

Now A:hab had a bad wife, and when he told

Elijah

189

her what E-li-jah had done, she made a vow to kill
him.

And E-li-jah had to flee for his life. He was so
worn -out that when he came to a lone place he sat
down in the shade of a
tree and wished that he
might die. While he
slept, an an-gel drew near,
at whose touch E-li-jah
woke. And the an-gel
said, Rise and eat.

And E-li-jah found
food and drink set out for
him. And he ate and
drank, and then lay down
and slept. And the an-
gel came once more, and
bade E-li-jah eat, that he
might have strength to go
on his way. And he sat
up, and ate the food the
Lord had sent, and it gave
him such strength that he
went without food for more than a month. And
at the end of that time he came to Mount Ho-reb.
And he went to a cave and lay down and slept there.

And the Lord spoke to him, and said, Why art

E-U-JAH AND KING A-HAB.

190

History of the Old Testament.

thou here, E-li-jah ? And E-li-jah said the chil-dren
of Is-ra-el had not kept their word, but had gone

back to their false
gods, and slain all
those who sought
to turn them from
their sins. And I
have fled from
them, said E-li-jah,
for they seek my
life.

The Lord said,
Go forth, and stand
on the mount. And
there came a great
wind that split the
high hills, and
broke up the rocks.
But the Lord was
not in the wind.

Then the earth
shook, so that there
was no firm ground
on which to walk;
and smoke came up out of the great cracks that were
made. But the Lord was not in the earth-quake.
Then there came a still, small voice. When E-li-

E-LI JAH IN THE W1L-DER-NESS.

Elijah.

191

jah heard it he hid his face in his cloak, and went
out and stood at the door of the cave.

And the voice said,
Why art thou here, E-li-
jah? And E-li-jah said
that he fled from those
who sought to kill him.
And the Lord told him
to leave the cave, and go
back, and pour oil on the
head of E-li-sha, who
was to take his place.

And E-li-jah found
E-li-sha at work with
the plough in a large
field. And as he went
by him he threw his
cloak round E-li-sha,

And E-li-sha knew
that this meant he must
leave all and go with
E-li-jah. And he went
home to bid fare-well to
his dear ones there, and
then came back to be near E-li-jah and to wait on him.

Now the time drew near when E-li-jah was to
leave the earth. And he and E-li-sha stood near

E-LI-JAH GOES TO HEAV-EN.

192 History of the Old Testament*.

the shore of the Jor-dan. And E-li-jah took his
cloak and struck the waves, and they made a wall
on each side, and the two men went through on dry
land. And as they stood on the oth-er side, E-li-jah
said to E-li-sha, Ask what I shall do for thee, ere 1
leave thee.

And E-li-sha said, Let me, I pray thee, be twice
as good and wise as thou.

E-li-jah said, Thou dost ask a hard thing. But
if thou dost see me when the Lord takes me from
thee, then it shall be so. But if thou dost not see,
then it shall not be so.

So they went on, and while they yet spoke, there
came a great light in the sky, and the clouds took on
strange forms. And E-li-jah was caught up as if b)
a whirl-wind, and E-li-sha cried out as he saw hin
pass through the sky, but he was soon out of sight
and E-li-sha saw him no more.

CHAPTER XVII.

ELISHA.

As E-li-jah rose trom the earth he let his cloak
fall on E-li-sha. And E-h-sha went down to the
Jor-dan, and took the cloak and struck the waves,

Elisha.

193

and they stood up on each side, so that he went

a-cross dry shod. And it was made known to all

the seers and wise men that E-li-sha had been called

to fill E-li-jah's place,

and

that

he gave proof
the Lord was
with him.

As E-li-sha went
from Jer-i-cho to
Beth-el, some young-
folks ran out and
made fun of him, and
cried, Go up, thou
bald head! Go up,
thou bald head!

E-li-sha turned
back, and asked the
Lord to take them in
hand. So the Lord
sent two great bears
out of the wood, and
they fell on the chil-
dren and tore over
two-score of them.

One day E-li-sha came to Shu-nem, where a rich
wo-man dwelt. And she bade him come in and eat.
And as oft as he went that way, he made it a rule

THE CHILD-REN OF BETH-EL.

r94 History of the Old Testament.

to stop and take the food and drink she set out
for him.

And she had a room built for him on the side of
her house, and put a bed and a chair in it, that he
might go in and out as he chose, and have a place
to rest in.

And one day when he was in this room, he sent
for the wo-man to come to him. And he said to
her, What can I do to pay thee for all thy kind care
of us? Shall I speak to the king for thee? She
said there was no need, that she sought no pay, and
then left the room.

E-li-sha said to his man, What is there that I can
do for her?

And the man said, She has no child.

And E-li-sha said, Call her. And she came
back and stood at the door. And when the man of
God told her that she should have a son, she thought
he did not speak the truth.

And the word of the Lord came true, for in less
than a year she had a son.

And the child grew up, and went out one day to
the field to see the men reap the corn. And while
he was there he felt sick, and cried out to his fath-er,
My head ! my head !

And his fath-er said to a lad, Take the boy home
to his moth-er. And she took him, and he sat in

Elisha.

T95

her lap till noon, and then died. And she took
the boy to E-li-sha's room, and laid him on the bed
of the man of God, and then went out and shut
the door.

Then she sent for one of the young men, and had
him bring an ass to the door, and she got on the ass,
and bade the man drive as fast as he could till she
told him to stop.

She went till she came near Mount Car-mel.
And E-li-sha saw her, and sent Ge-ha-zi out to meet
her, and to ask her if it was well with her and with
the child. And she said to him, It is well.

But when she came to E-li-sha she fell at his feet,
and Ge-ha-zi drew near to push her from the man of
God.

But E-li-sha said, Touch her not. She is in
great grief, and the Lord has hid it from me and not
told me of it.

And the wo-man said, Did I ask thee for a son ?
Then he knew that the boy was dead.

Then E-h-sha said to Ge-ha-zi, Take my staff, and
go thy way with all speed. Stop to speak to no one.
And lay my staff on the face of the child.

And the moth-er of the child said, As the Lord
lives, I will not leave thee. And E-li-sha rose and
went with her, while Ge-ha-zi ran on a-head. And
he laid the staff on the face of the child, but the child

iv/6 History of the Old Testament.

did not speak nor hear. And he ran out to meet
E-li-sha and to tell him the lad did not wake.

And when E-li-sha came to the house he found
the child dead, and laid on his bed. So he went in
the room and shut the door, and prayed to the Lord.

Then he got on the bed, and lay on the child till
his flesh grew warm. Then he left the room for a-
while to walk up and down, and when he went back
he lay on the child till its breath came back, and it
gave signs of life.

And he sent for the moth-er. And when she
came to the room he said, Take up thy son. And
she fell at the feet of E-li-sha, with thanks too deep
for words, and then took her son in her arms and
went out.

There was a man in Sy-ri-a, who took charge of
all the troops that went to war with the king. This
man's name was Na-a-man, and he had done brave
deeds, for which he held high rank, and was much
thought of. But this man fell ill, and none but those
of his own house would go near him. And there
was no cure for him. But his wife had a maid to
wait on her. And this maid said that if Na-a-man
would go to E-li-sha she was sure that he would cure
him.

And Na-a-man came down to Sa-ma-ri-a with a
note from his own king to the king of Is-ra-el.

Eliska.

When the king of Is-ra-el read the note he was very
wroth, and said, Am I God that I can bring the
dead to life? For he thought that it was but a trick
to bring on a
war.

When E-li-
sha heard that
the king rent his
clothes, he sent
word to have
Na-a-man come
to him.

And Na-a-
man drove up in
fine style, and
stood at the door
of E-li-sha's
house. And E-li-
sha sent word to
him to bathe at
the Jor-dan sev-
en times, and he
would be made
well.

This put Na-a-man in a rage, for he thought that
E-li-sha would come out to him and call on the name
of God, and touch him so as to heal him.

E-LI-SHA AND THE CHILD.

198 History of the Old Testament*

And he said, Are there not streams in Da-mas-
cus in which I can bathe and be made well? And
he went off in a rage.

But some of his men drew near, and said, My
lord, if he had bid thee do some great thing wouldst
thou not have done it? Why not then do as he says,
and wash and be clean ?

And Na-a-man gave heed to their words and
went down to the Jor-dan. And he took sev-en
baths, and then his flesh grew as soft and pink as
the flesh of a child, and health and strength came
back to him. And Na-a-man went back to E-li-sha's
house, he and all his men, and he said, Now I know
there is no God in all the earth but the God of Is-
ra-el.

Now the time drew near when E-li-sha was to
die. And the king, Jo-ash, came to see him as he
lay sick in bed.

And E-h-sha said, Take the bow and the darts.
And the king took them. And E-li-sha said, Put
thy hands on the bow. And the king did so, and
E-li-sha put his hands on the king's hands. Then
E-li-sha said, Throw wide the east win-dow. And
when this was done he said shoot. And the king
shot; and E-ii-sha told him that he should set Is-ra-
el free from its foes.

Then he said to the king, Take the darts. And

Elisha.

199

he took them. And E-li-sha said, Strike them on
the ground. And the king struck them on the
ground three times, and no more.

And the
man of God was
wroth with him,
and said, Thou
shouldst have
struck five or
six times, for
then thou
wouldst have
laid the Sy-ri-
ans low, now
thou shalt smite
them but three
times.

And E-li-
sha died, and
was laid in the
ground. And
one day as some

f. 1 T 1 1 THE AR-ROW OF DE-LIV-ER-ANCE.

the iolks

went out with a dead man to lay him in the grave
that was dug for him, they saw a band of thieves
from the land of Mo-ab and did not dare to go on.
So they put the dead man in the grave where E-li-

2OO History of the Old Testament.

sha lay. And as soon as the corpse touched the
bones of E-li-sha the man came to life and stood
on his feet.

CHAPTER XVIII.

JONAH, THE MAN WHO TRIED TO HIDE FROM GOD.

THERE was a seer in Is-ra-el whose name was
Jo-nah. And the Lord told Jo-nah to go to Nin-e-
veh, a large town where there was great need of good
men. But Jo-nah did not care to go there, so he
ran down to J op-pa and found a ship there that would
set sail for Tar-shish in a few days. So he paid his
fare, and went on board the ship to go to Tar-shish.
where he seemed to think the Lord would not find
him.

But as soon as the ship was well on its way, the
Lord sent forth a great wind, and the waves rose
high, and the storm beat the ship, and it was blown
here and there as if it were a toy. And those on
board of her were in great fear, and cried out to their
gods, and threw all the goods that were in the ship
in-to the sea, so that she would not sink.

Jo-nah was down in the hold, where he lay and
slept, though the storm was so fierce.

And the one who had charge of the ship came

Jonah, the Man who Tried to Hide from God.

201

to him and said, What does this mean? Rise, and
call on thy God to save us from ship-wreck.

And the rest of the men said, Come, and let us
cast lots that we
may know who
is to blame for
this.

So they cast
lots, and the lot
fell on Jo-nah.
And they said
to him, Tell us,
we pray thee,
who has brought
on us these ills.
What is thy
trade? where
dost thou come
from? where
dost thou live?
and of what tribe
art thou?

And he said

I am a Jew, and have fled from the Lord who made
the sea and sky.

And the men were in great fear and said, Why
hast thou done this 'thing? And what shall we do

JO-NAH IN THE STORM.

2O2 History of the Old Testament.

to thee that the sea may be still for us? For the
waves were rough, and the winds blew a gale.

And Jo-nah said to the men, Take me up and
cast me in-to the sea; then shall the sea be calm for
you, for I know it is for my sake that this great storm
has come up-on you.

The men did not want to drown Jo-nah, so they
tried their best to bring the ship to land, but could
not.

Then they cried to the Lord, O Lord, we pray
thee, count it no sin to us that we take this man's
life, for thou, O Lord, hast sent this storm on us for
some of his sins.

So they took up Jo-nah, and cast him in-to the
sea, and the sea grew still and calm.

And when the men saw this they were in great
fear, and brought gifts to the Lord, and made vows
that they would serve him.

Now the Lord had sent a great fish to the side
of the ship to take Jo-nah in-to its mouth as soon as
he was thrown in-to the sea.

And Jo-nah was in-side the fish for three days
and three nights. And he prayed to the Lord while
he was in the fish ; and cried to God to help him, and
to blot out his sins. And God heard him, and bade
the fish throw him up on the dry land.

Then the Lord spoke to Jo-nah once more, and

Jonak, the Man who Tried to Hide from God. 203

said, Rise, and goto Nin-e-veh, and preach to it as I
bid thee.

And Jo-nah rose and went.

And when God saw them turn from their sins and
pray to him, he did not do to Nin-e-veh as he said
he would.

But this did not please Jo-nah. He thought that
Nin-e-veh should be brought low, for those who dwelt
there were not good friends to the Jews. Then, too,
Jo-nah's pride was hurt, for he knew that men would
laugh at him, and have no faith in what he said, so
he went out of the town and sat down by the road-
side.

And God made a vine to grow up there in one
night, that Jo-nah might sit in its shade and find rest
from his grief. And Jo-nah was glad when he saw
the gourd. The next morn God sent a worm to gnaw
the root of the vine, and it soon dried up.

When the sun rose God sent a hot wind, and the
sun beat on Jo-nah's head so that he grew sick and
fell in a faint. And he was wroth, and had no wish
to live.

And God said to Jo-nah, Is it well for thee to be
in such grief for the loss of a gourd ?

And Jo-nah said, Yes. There was good cause
why he should feel as he did and long to die.

Then the Lord said to him, Thou wouldst have

204 History of the Old Testament

had me spare this vine which cost thee nought, and
which grew up in a night and died in a night. And
why should I not spare Nin-e-veh — that great town-
in which are hosts and hosts of young folks who do
not know their ri^ht hand from their left?

So God put Jo-nah to shame, and made him see
what a sin it was to wish to crush Nin-e-veh just to
please his own self and for fear men would laugh at
him.

And Jo-nah found out, what we all need to learn,
that it is of no use to try to hide from God.

CHAPTER XIX.

DANIEL.

THERE was a king of Bab-y-lon whose name was
Neb-u-chad-nez-zar. And he sent one of his chief
men to choose some of the young Jews who had
been well brought up, that they might wait on him.

The chief chose four youths whose names were
Dan-i-el, Sha-drach, Me-shach and A-bed-ne-go.
And these were brought to Bab-y-lon, that they
might be taught as the king wished.

And the Lord was with these four young men,

Daniel.

205

and made them wise, and strong in mind, and fair

of face.

When they had been taught for three years they

were brought
to the king's
house. And
the king kept
them near
him, and
made use of
them, for he
found that
they knew ten
times more
than all the
wise men in
the whole
realm.

One night
the king had
a dream that
woke him out
of his sleep.
And he sent
for all the wise
men — those who could read stars, and those who
could work charms — to tell what the dream meant.

KING NEB-U-CHAU-NEZ-ZAR.

206 History of the Old Testament.

And they all came, but none of them could tell
the dream that had gone out of the king's own head.
And no king, they said, would ask such a thing of
wise men.

The king was wroth at this and gave word that
all the wise men should be put to death. And they
sought Dan-i-el and his friends, that they might kill
them.

Dan-i-el said, Why is there such haste? And
when he was told he went in to the king and said if
he would give him time he would make his dream
clear to him.

In the night God showed the king's dream to
Dan-i-el, and all that it meant was made clear to him.
And Dan-i-el gave praise and thanks to God who
had been so good to him.

Then he went to the chief, and told him not to
slay the wise men, but to bring him in to the king.

Then Dan-i-el told the king his dream, and all
that would come to pass, and when the king heard
it he fell on his face before Dan-i-el and said to him,
It is true that your God is a God of gods, and a
Lord of kings, and that nought is hid from him, since
thou hast told me this dream.

And the king made Dan-i-el a great man, and
gave him rich gifts, and put him at the head of all
the wise men in the land.

Daniel.

207

Now king Neb-u-chad-nez-zar made a great god
out of gold, and set it on one of the plains of Bab-y-lon.

And one of the king's men cried out with a loud
voice, and said
it was the king's
law that all
should bow
down to the god
of gold that he
had set up. And
those who did
not bow down
were to be thrown
in-to a great hot
fire and burnt
up.

And some
men brought
word to the king
that the three
Jews would not
serve his gods,
or bow down
to this one of
gold which he had set up.

These three men were brought to the king, and
he said to them, Is it true, O Sha-drach, Me-shach,

NEB-U-CHAD-NEZ-ZAR'S DREAM.

208 History of tke Old Testament*

and A-bed-ne-go that ye will not serve my gods or
bow down to the one of gold which I have set up?
And he said he would give them one more chance, and
if they did not bow down when they heard the call,
they should be cast in the same hour in-to the flames.
The three Jews said to the king, Be it known to thee
now that we will not serve thy gods, nor bow down
to the new one thou hast set up. And if we are cast
in the fire, the God whom we serve will save us from
death and bring us out of thy hands, O king.

Then was the king in a great rage, and he sent
word that a fierce fire should be made. And the
three Jews were bound and thrown m-to the flames
with all their clothes on. And the fire was so hot
and they went so near that sparks flew out and killed
the men who took up Sha-drach, Me-shach and A-
bed-ne-go.

These three Jews fell down in the midst of the
flames, but soon rose to their feet, and the Lord
would not let the flames burn them.

When the king saw this he rose in great haste
and said to his chiefs, Did we not cast three men
bound in the midst of the fire ?

And they said, True, O king.

And the king said, Lo, I see four men loose, and
they walk through the flames and are not hurt, and
the form of the fourth is like to the son of God.

Daniel.

209

Then the king came to the door of the cage of
fire and said to Sha-drach, Me-shach and A-bed-ne-
go, Ye who serve the most high God, come forth,
and come here.

And the
three young
Jews came forth
out of the midst
of the fire, and
not a hair of
their head was
singed, nor were
their clothes
harmed, nor
was the smell of
fire on them.

And the
king praised the
God who had
shown that he

uld

save

DWELL-ING WITH THE BEASTS.

from death

those who put their trust in him. And the king
made it a law that those who spoke ill of the God of
Sha-drach, Me-shach, and A-bed-ne-go should be
put to death, and their homes torn down, for there
was no God who could save as he could.

2io History of the Old Testament.

For a while the king served God and gave him
praise for all he had done for him. But men who
thought to please the king, spoke of his great wealth
and praised all that he did, so that he grew vain and
proud, and thought more of him-self than he did of

God.

And the king had a dream that made him shake

with fear, and he sent for Dan-i-el. And Dan-i-el
feared to tell the king the truth. But the king told
him to speak out. Then Dan-i-el told him what
would take place.

And it all came on king Neb-u-chad-nez-zar. In
the same hour his mind left him and he was not fit
to reign. So he was thrust out of doors, and did eat
grass with the beasts of the fields. \nd he lay on
the ground, and was wet with the dews, and his hair
grew so long that his flesh could not be seen, and his
nails were like bird's claws.

And at the end of the sev-en years Neb-u-chad-
nez-zar raised his eyes to God, and his mind came
back to him, and he spoke in praise of the most High.

And Neb-u-chad-nez-zar was made king once
more, and grew strong and great, and gave the praise
to God ; the King of kings, who could raise up those
who were down, and bringdown those who were full
of pride.

When Neb-u-chad-nez-zar died, a new king was

211

212 History of the Old Testament.

on the throne of Bab-y-lon whose name was Bel-shaz-
zar. And Bel-shaz-zar made a great feast, and much
wine was drunk. And the king sent for the rich cups
which his fath-er had brought from the Lord's house
in Je-ru-sa-lem. And he and all at the feast drank
from these cups, which was a great sin.

In the midst of the feast there came forth a man's
hand, that wrote on the wall of the king's house.

And the king saw the hand, and was in great
fear, and sent at once for all his wise men.

But none of them could read what was on the
wall, and the king knew not what to do. Then
Dan-i-el was sent for, and the king said he should
have great wealth and high rank if he could read the
words on the wall.

Dan-i-el said, Keep thy gifts, O king, and give
thy fees to some one else. Yet will I read the words
on the wall and tell you what they mean. For the
God who gives thee life and takes care of thee,
thou hast no word of praise. And so God sent
this hand to write on the wall.

ME-NE, ME-NE, TE-KEL, U-PHAR-SIN,

which means that thy reign as king is at an end.

When Dan-i-el had told what the hand wrote on
the wall, and what the words meant, Bel-shaz-zar bade
his men clothe him in red, and put a gold chain on

21 A History of the Old Testament.

his neck, and make it known that he was to be third
in rank from the king.

That same night Bel-shaz-zar was slain, and Da-
ri-us took his place on the throne

Now Da-ri-us was pleased with Dan-i-el, and
thought him such a wise and good man that he made
him chief of a large force of men who held high rank.
And this made these men hate Dan-i-el, and they
tried to find out some ill that he had done that they
might tell it to the king. But they could find no
fault in him. Then they thought of a way in which
they could harm him.

They came to the king and asked him to make a
law that if one should ask help of God or man for
one month, he should be cast in-to a den of h-ons.

They might ask help of the king, but of no one
else.

And the king told them to write down this law,
and he put his name to it.

When Dan-i-el heard of the law which the king
had sent out he went to his home and knelt down
three times a day with his face to Je-ru-sa-lem,
and gave thanks to God first as he had done all
his life.

And the men who were on the watch to catch
him in some crime, drew near his house and heard
him pray to his God. So they went and told the

Daniel.

2I5

king, and the king was wroth to think he had made
such a law. And he tried his best to save Dan-i-el.
But the men held him to his word, and said it would
not do for him to change a law that had been made.

Then the
king bade them
bring Dan-i-el
and cast him in
the den of wild
beasts. And
he said to Dan-
i-el, Thy God,
whom thou dost
serve so well,
will be sure to
save thee.

And a stone
was brought
and laid on the

mouth
den.

of the

Then the

ROCK GRAVE OF DA-RI-US.

king went to his own house, but would take no food,
nor did he sleep all that night. And at dawn he
rose and went in haste to the den of wild beasts.
And as he drew near he cried out with a sad voice, O
Dan-i-el, canst thy God save thee from the li-ons?

2l6

History of the Old Testament.

And Dan-i-el said, O king, my God hath shut the
li-ons' mouths so that they have not hurt me, since
I had done no wrong in his sight nor in thine, O king.

Then the king
was glad, and bade
his men take Dan-i-el
out of the den. And
when he was brought
out, there was not a
scratch found on him,
for his trust was in
God, and God took
care of him.

Then the king
had those men who
found fault with
Dan-i-el, thrown in-
to the den — they and
their wives, and their
chil-dren — and the
wild beasts were quick
to eat them up.
Then Da-ri-us made a law that all men should
serve the God of Dan-i-el, who was the one true God.
When Da-ri-us died, Cy-rus was made king.

CY-RUS, KING OF PER-SIA.

CHAPTER XX.

THE GOOD QUEEN ESTHER.

FAR back in the past, wise men had fore-told that
the Jews would be kept out of Je-ru-sa-lem for three-
score and ten years, and at the end of that time a
king, Cy-rus, would let them go back to the land they
came from. And he did so.

Not all the Jews went back to their own land,
but some of them made their homes in Per-si-a and
else-where. And King A-has-u-e-rus was on the
throne.

In the third year of his reign he made a great
feast.

And he sent for Vash-ti, the queen, to throw off
her veil and let his guests see how fair she was.

But Vash-ti would not do it.

Then the king was in a rage, and said to his
wise men, What shall we do to Queen Vash-ti to
make her know that the king's will is her law ?

And the wise men said, Vash-ti hath done wrong
to the king and to all the lords of the land.

For when this is told, wives will not do as their

liege lords wish. They will say, The king sent word

217

2 1 8 History of tke Old Testament.

for Vash-ti, the queen, to be brought to him, but she
came not. Let the king make a law and put Vash-
ti from him and choose a new queen, that all wives,
great and small, may take heed and do as they are
told.

The king and all the lords thought these were
wise words. And the king made it a law that a man
should rule in his own house.

Then some of the king's men, whose place it was
to wait on him, came to him and said it would be
a good plan for him to have all the fair maids in the
land brought to his house, that he might choose one
of them to be queen, in the place of Vash-ti.

And the king did as. they said.

Now there was a Jew in the king's house, whose
name was Mor-de-ca-i. He was a poor man, and
was there to wait on the king.

And there was a maid named Es-ther, who was
one of his kins-folk. And she was "fair of face, and
full of grace."

And when the word went forth from the king,
scores and scores of fair young maids came to the
king's house, and Es-ther came with them. And
one of the king's men had them all in his charge.

This man was so pleased with Es-ther that he was
more kind to her than he was to the rest, and sent
maids to wait on her, and put her and her maids

ES-THER AND THE KING.

219

220 History of the Old Testament.

in the best part of the house where the wo-men were.
But Es-ther had not let it be known that her folks
were Jews, for Mor-de-ca-i had told her not to tell it.

As soon as the king saw Es-ther he fell in love
with her, and set the crown on her head, and made
her queen in the place of Vash-ti.

Then the king made a great feast, and gave gifts
to the poor for the new queen's sake. And she had
not yet made it known that her folks were Jews.

Now two of the king's men, who stood on guard
at the doors of his house, were wroth with the king
and sought to kill him.

And their plot was known to Mor-de-ca-i, who
was a watch-man at the king's gate. And he told it
to Es-ther, and she told it to the king, and both of
the men were hung. And what Mor-de-ca-i had
done to save the king's life was put down in a book.

And in this same book was set down all that took
place in the king's reign.

Now there was in the king's house a man whose
name was Ha-man. And the king gave him a high
place, and bade those of low rank bow down to
Ha-man.

But the Jew at the gate would not bow when
Ha-man went in and out. And the rest of the men
who stood by told Ha-man of it.

Now Ha-man was a vain man, and when he saw

The Good Qzteen Esther. 221

that Mor-de-ca-i did not bow to him as the rest did
he was full of wrath. It had been made known to
him that Mor-de-ca-i was a Jew.

And so he told the king if he would make a law
that all the Jews should be put to death, he would
give him a large sum of gold and sil-ver.

The king heard what Ha-man said, and then
took his ring from his hand and gave it to Ha-
man, and told him to do with the Jews as he thought
best. The king gave him his ring that he might use
it as a seal. And Ha-man set the scribes to work,
and they wrote just what he told them, in the king's
name. And when the wax was put at the end with
the king's seal on it, it was the same as if the whole

O '

had been writ by the king's own hand.

Men were sent out in haste to make the law
known through-out the land, that all the Jews in
Per-si-a were to be slain. And when this was done
Ha-man and the king sat down to drink wine.

When Mor-de-ca-i heard of the law that Ha-man
had made, he rent his clothes and put on sack-cloth,
and went out and cried with a loud cry. And he
came and stood in front of the king's gate, though he
could not pass through, for it was the law that none
should pass who wore sack-cloth. And all through
the land the Jews were in deep grief, so full of
tears that they could eat no food ; and not a few

222 History of l/ie Old Testament.

of them put on sack-cloth to show the depth of
their woe.

Queen Es-ther had not heard of the law, but her
maids came and told her of the state Mor-de-ca-i was
in. And her grief was great, and she sent food and
clothes to him, and bade the men take the sack-cloth
from him. But Mor-de-ca-i would take nought from
their hands, nor change his clothes.

Then the queen sent one of her head men, Ha-
tach, to ask Mor-de-ca-i what was the cause of his
grief, and why he had put on sack-cloth.

And Mor-de-ca-i told Ha-tach of the law that had
been made, and what a large sum Ha-man had said
he would give to the king if he would kill off all the
Jews in the land.

And he told Ha-tach to tell the queen, and to
show her what the scribes wrote, and bid her see the
king and ask him to save the Jews.

And Ha-tach took the word to the queen.

Es-ther bade him tell her kins-man that it was
well known that those who went in to the king when
they had not been sent for, would be put to death.
But if the king held out his gold wand it was a sign
that he would spare their lives. The king has not
sent for me fora month, said she. How then can I
go to him ?

Mor-de-ca-i sent back word to the queen to think

The Good Queen Esther.

223

not that the king would spare her life if the Jews were
put to death. And it might be that God had put her
in the place she held
that she might keep
the Jews at this time.

Then Es-ther sent
word to him that he
and all the Jews in the
king's court should fast
and pray for her, and
not eat or drink for
three days and three
nights.

I and my maids
will do the same, said
the queen, and I will
go in to the king in
spite of the law; and

die

in a

if I die, I
good cause.

So on the third day
after the queen put
on her rich robes, and
went in and stood
ve-ry near to the throne on which the king sat.

And when the king saw her, God put it in-to his
heart to be kind, and he held out to her the gold

ES-THER AT SHUS-HAN.

224 History of the Old Testament.

wand that was in his hand. And the queen drew
near, and touched the tip of the wand.

Then the king said, What wilt thou, Queen Es-
ther? and what wouldst thou ask of me? Were it
half of my realm I would give it to thee.

The queen said, If it please the king, I would
like him and Ha-man to come this day to a feast I
have made for them.

And the king bade Ha-man make haste, and
they both went to the feast. And while they drank
the wine the king told the queen to make known her
wish.

But she put him off and said she would tell him
the next day, if he and Ha-man would come to the
feast that she would spread for them.

And Ha-man's heart was full of pride, since the
queen chose him and no one else to feast with her
and the king. And when he went out he felt that
all men ought to bow down to him. But Mor-de-
ca-i would not. And Ha-man told all his friends
how kind the king and queen were to him, and
what high rank he held, and said that his life would
be full of joy if it were not for the Jew at the king's
gate.

Ha-man's wife told him to fix a rope to a tall
tree, and speak to the king the next day and have
him hang the Jew. And Ha-man made a slip-noose

The Good Queen Esther. 225

at the end of a rope, and had the rope made fast to
a tall tree.

Now that night the king could not sleep. And
he sent for the book in. which was put down all that
took place in the realm, and had it read to him.
And when he who read came to the part which told
what Mor-de-ca-i had done to save the king's life, the
king said, How has Mor-de-cari been paid for this
deed ?

And the man said he had had nought, and still
kept watch at the king's gate.

Then the king heard a step and sent one' of
his men to see who it was.

Now Ha-man had come to the king's house to
ask him to hang Mor-de-ca-i. And the man came
back and said that Ha-man stood in the court. And
the king said, Let him come in.

So Ha-man came in. And the king said to him,
What shall be done to the man who has won the
praise of the king?

And Ha-man thought, That means me, of course,
and no one else.

And he said to the king, Let the robes be brought
that the king wears, and the horse he rides, and the
crown which is set on his head. And let the robes
and the crown be put on the man whom the king has
in mind, and bring him on horse-back through the

226 History of the Old Testament.

street of the town, and have men cry out, Thus shall
it be done to the man who has won the praise of the
king.

And the king said to Ha-man, Make haste and
take the robes and the horse as thou hast said, and
do thus and no less to the Jew at the king's gate.

But Ha-man went home, and was full of shame.
And he told his wife and his friends of his hard fate.
And while they yet spake the king's men came for
him to go to the queen's feast. And while they ate
and drank, the king bade the queen make known her
wish. Ask what thou wilt ; were it half my realm, I
would give it to thee.

Then the queen said, If it please thee, O king,
take my life and spare the lives of all the Jews. For
we have been sold and the truth has not been told ot
us, and we are to be put to death. The king said,
Who is he, and where is he who has dared to do
this thing?

And the queen told him it was Ha-man. And
Ha-man was in great fear as he stood face to face
with the king and queen.

The king rose in great wrath and went out of
doors, and when he came in he saw Ha-man at the
feet of the queen, where he went to beg her to save
his life.

And when the king was shown the rope and the

The Good Queen EstJier. 227

tree on which Ha-man meant to hang Mor-de-ca-i
he said, Hang him on it. And they hung Ha-man,
and the king's wrath left him.

And on the same day the king gave Ha-man's
house to Es-ther, and Mor-de-ca-i was brought in to
the king, who had been told that he was a kins-man
of the queen. And the king gave him the ring which
Ha-man had worn, and the queen put him at the
head of the house in which Ha-man had dwelt.

But Es-ther was still sad at heart be-cause of the
law that had been made, that all the Jews in the land
should be put to death. And she went in once
more to the king — though he had not sent for her
—and fell down at his feet in tears. Then the king
held out the wand of gold, and the queen rose, and
stood be-fore the king and asked him to change the
law and save the lives ot the Jews.

The king could not change the law, but he told
Es-ther and Mor-de-ca-i to make a law that would
please them and sign it with the king's seal. So they
made a law that the Jews should kill all those who
came to do them harm. And when Mor-de-ca-i
came out from his talk with the king he had on a
robe of blue and white, such as the king wore, and
a gold crown on his head.

And all the Jews were glad; and when the day
came that Ha-man had set for the Jews to be slain,

228 History of the Old Testament.

the Jews went out and fought for their lives and put
their foes to rout. And grief gave place to joy, and
a feast was held for two days. This feast was called
the Feast of Pu-rim, which the Jews keep to this
day.

The Jews who had gone to Je-ru-sa-lem to build
up its walls were still at work there. But there were
foes to watch, and the poor Jews found fault with
the rich ones, and there was strife in their midst
from year to year. But when Ne-he-mi-ah went to
,their aid the Lord gave him strength to set things
straight, and in a year the new wall was built and
the gate put up. Then there was a great feast, and
all the Jews gave praise and thanks to God.

But they went back to their sins, and did not
serve God as they ought. And kings fought for Je-
ru-sa-lem and took it from their hands and made the
Jews their slaves.

And at last the Ro-mans came and took Je-ru-sa-
lem and broke down its walls, and made the Jews
serve them. And He-rod, .who had led the Ro-mans
to war, was made their king. He was a fierce, bad
man, who would let no one rule but him-self. He
put his own wife and two of his sons to death, and
did all that he could to make folks hate and fear him.

He tried to make the Jews think that he was one of
their race, but he was not. He thought it would

The Good Queen Esther. 229

please them if he built up their House of God, So he
set men to work to tear down the old and to put up
the new, and they made use of much gold and sil-ver
and fine white stones.

There was no ark to put in it, for that had been
lost, but a large stone was put in the place where the
ark should have been.

And it took He-rod more than nine years to build
this House of God on the top of Mount Mo-ri-ah.
And the way up to it was by a long flight of steps.

This ends the Old Tes-ta-ment, which was made
up of all the books that were kept by all the scribes
from the time the world was made.

The New Testament

CHRIST IN THE TEM-PLE.

232

TH©

OF=

History of the New Testament

CHAPTER I.

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

THE time was near for Je-sus to come on the
earth. God had told Ad-am and Eve of one who
would save them from their sins. Mo-ses, and all the
seers and wise men, spoke of him who was to give
men new hearts, and help them to lead new lives.

In the days of He-rod, king of Ju-dah, there was
a priest named Zach-a-ri-as. His wife's name was
E-liz-a-beth. They were both old, and had led pure
lives, and sought to keep God's laws. But they had
no child.

One day when the priest was in the house of
God by one of the al-tars, an an-gel came and stood
near him. And when the priest saw him he shook
with fear.

But the an-gel said : Fear not, Zach-a-ri-as, for
God will give thee and thy uwife a son, and thou
shalt call his name John.

He shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and
shall not drink wine nor strong drink, and shall turn
the hearts of men to the Lord their God,

235

236 History of the New Testament.

Then Zach-a-ri-as said to the an-gel, But how
shall I know that these things will be?

And the an-gel said to him, I am the an-gel
Ga-bri-el, who stands near to God, and he has sent
me to tell thee this good news. And for thy lack of
faith thou shalt be dumb, and speak not a word till
the day that these things come to pass.

Now those who were in the courts of God's house
thought it strange that Zach-a-ri-as should stay so
long at the al-tar where he burnt the in-cense.

And when he came out he could not speak to
them, but made them know by signs that he had
seen a strange sight.

Six months from this time God sent the an-gel
Ga-bri-el to the town of Naz-a-reth, to a young wo-
man there whose name was Ma-ry. She was one of
the heirs of King Da-vid.

When Ma-ry saw the an-gel she was in great
fear, for she knew not why he had come. And the
an-gel said: Fear not, Ma-ry, for God has blessed
thee. Thou shalt have a son, and shalt call his
name JE-SUS. He shall be great, and shall be called
the Son of God. A^d God will make him a king,
and to his reign there shall be no end.

Ma-ry said: How can this be?

The an-gel told her that what might seem hard
for her was not hard for God, who could do all

THE AN-NUN-CIA-TION.

238 History of the New Testament,

things. He had told E-liz-a-beth that she should
have a son, and he had now sent word to Ma-ry
that she should have a son; and what he had said
he would do.

Then Ma-ry said, Let the Lord's will be done.
And the an-gel left her.

Ma-ry made haste and went to the land of Ju-
dah, and to the house of E-liz-a-beth and Zach-a-
ri-as, where she spent three months. Then she came
back to her own home. Jo-seph was the name of
Ma-ry's hus-band ; and he was a Jew, of King Da-
vid's line. They were both poor, and Jo-seph had
to work hard at his trade. He was a car-pen-ter.

God gave Zach-a-ri-as and E-liz-a-beth the son
that he said they should have. And when the child
was eight days old, the friends and kins-folk came
to see it and to give it a name. Most of them said,
Call him Zach-a-ri-as.

But the child's mo-ther said, Not so. He shall
be called John.

And they said, There is none of thy kin-dred
that is called by this name.

And they made signs to the fa-ther that he
should let them know by what name the child should
be called.

And the fa-ther sat down and wrote: His name
is John. And they all thought this strange, as he

The Birth of Christ. 239

had not told them of the an-gel who spoke to him in
the house of God.

As soon as Zach-a-ri-as wrote these words his
speech came back to him, and he gave praise and
thanks to God. And all the folks in that part of the
land heard of these things, and they said, What
sort of a child shall this be? And the boy grew
tall and strong, and the Lord blest him, and he went
out and dwelt in the woods and waste lands till he
was a man, and it was time for him to preach to the
Jews and to tell them of Je-sus.

Now the king of Rome was called a Ce-sar,
in the speech of that land, and the Jews had to do
just as he said, for they were his slaves. And he
made a law that the names of all the Jews should
be put down in a book, that it might be known what
tribe they came from, and what they were worth.
Then, too, it would not be a hard task to count them
when the Ce-sar wished to know how large a force
of them was in this land he had fought for and won.

And each Jew was to go to that part of the land
where his fore-fa-thers dwelt, and have his name put
down in the book at that place.

So, as Jo-seph and his wife were of the house of
Da-vid, they both set out for the town of Beth-le-
hem, where Da-vid used to feed his sheep. The
way was long, and when they came to the town they

240 History of the New Testament.

found a great crowd of folks there. There was no
room for Jo-seph and Ma-ry at the inn, and they
knew no one at whose house they could stay.

As they went from place to place in search of a
room, they came to a shed in which was a great
trough or man-ger full of hay, where the poor folks
who came to town fed the beasts on which they rode.

So Jo-seph and Ma-ry made their home in this
shed while they had to wait to have their names put
down. And while they were there God gave to
Ma-ry the son that he said she should have. .

And as she had no fine soft clothes to wrap the
babe in, she took bands of cloth and put round him,
and laid him on the straw in the man-ger.

In those days rich men kept large flocks of sheep
and goats, and had men watch them at night for
fear that wild beasts would seize and kill them. The
men who fed and took care of the sheep were called
shep-herds.

One night, as some shep-herds were on the hills
where they kept watch of their flocks, the an-gel
of the Lord came down to them. And a bright
light shone round them so that they were in great fear.

And the an-gel said to them, Fear not, for I
bring you good news which shall give joy to all the
land. For Christ, the Lord, is born for you this
day, in the town of Beth-le-hem, and he will save

THE NA-TIV-I-TY.

241

242 History of the New Testament.

you from your sins. And this is the way ye shall
know him : Ye shall find the babe wrapped in bands
of cloth and laid in a man-ger.

When the an-gel had said this, there came, like
a flash of light, a great host of an-gels who gave
praise to God, and sang, Glo-ry be to God on high,
and on earth, peace and good-will to men.

When the an-gels had left them the shep-herds
said, Let us go at once to Beth-le-hem and see
these things of which the an-gel has told us.

And they came with haste, and found Ma-ry and
Jo-seph, and the babe that lay in the man-ger where
the ox and ass used to feed. And when they had
seen the child, they went out and told what the an-
gel had said to them. And those who heard were
filled with awe, for it was the first time that such a
thing had been done in the world. And the strange
news spread fast.

Ma-ry told no one of the talk she had had with
the an-gel, but thought much of these things, and
took the best of care of the new-born babe. It did
not seem as if it could be her own child.

When the babe was eight days old, its fa-ther and
mo-ther gave it the name of JE-SUS, as the an-gel had
bid them. And they gave him to the Lord; that is,
they vowed to the priest that they would bring up
the child to serve God and to lead a good life. For

The Birth of Christ.

243

though he was the son of God he was sent on earth
to teach men what they ought to do.

Now there was a
man in Je-ru-sa-lem
whose name was Sim-
e-on. He was a good
man, and did what
was right, and for
years he had been on
the watch for one of
whom the seers had
told, and who was to
save men from their
sins.

And it was made
known to Sim-e-on
in a dream that he
should not die till
he had seen this
King of kings and
Lord of lords.

Sim-e-on was a
priest in the house of
God, and when Jo-
seph and Ma-ry brought in the child Je-sus, he took
it up in his arms and blest God, and said : Now,
Lord, thy words have come true, and I can die in

SIM-E-ON IN THE TEM-PLE.

244 History of the New Testament.

peace, for I have seen him who is to be the light of
the world, and to save men from their sins!

Jo-seph and Ma-ry knew not what to make of
this strange speech. And the priest blest them, and
gave the child back to his mo-ther, and told her of
some of the great things he would do when he grew
up to be a man.

And there was one An-na, who kept all the fasts,
and served God night and day. She was four-score
and four years old, and could fore-tell what was to
take place, and her fame was great. And she came
in-to the house of God while Sim-e-on yet spoke, and
gave thanks to the Lord, and told of him who was
to come to save the Jews, and to give them back
their rights.

Then Ma-ry and Jo-seph went back to their own
home in Naz-a-reth. And the child grew, and was
strong, and wise, and God blest him from day to day.

CHAPTER II.

THE STAR IN THE EAST.

IN these days God spoke to men by strange
signs, and wise ones were all the time on the watch
for them. They had read in their old books of a

The Star in the East. 245

star that was to shine with a bright light, and each

night they would raise their eyes to the sky, in hopes

that they might see this sign that would bring hope

and joy to the whole race of Jews. But years and

years had gone by, and

the Jews had no land of

their own, and were as

slaves to the Ce-sar of

Rome. And He-rod,

their king, was most

harsh to them, for he

had skill in the use of

a sword, but not in the

use of kind words, or

good deeds.

One night as a wise
man lay on the roof of
his house, with hisgaze
fixed on the great broad
sky, he gave a start and
cry of joy, for there
shone a new star of such
size that all the rest of
the stars grew dim and small. And it was as if the
sun had burst through a dark cloud, and brought
the dawn some hours too soon, for the whole East
was full of light from the long rays of this new star.

THE GUID-ING STAR.

246 History of Ike New Testament.

And the star seemed to move, and its rays to
point all one way. And the wise men who saw it
knew that the light had come for which they had
looked and prayed so long, and they set out at once
with the star to guide them, and they took rich gifts
with them. Each night it shone in the sky, and led
them on and on till they came to Je-ru-sa-lem. And
they said to those they met there, Where is he that
is born to be King of the Jews? for we have seen
his star in the east, and have come to kneel down at
his feet.

When He-rod heard of these things, and that
they spoke of Je-sus as King, he was in great fear
lest he should lose his throne. So he sent for his
chief priests and scribes that they might tell him
where Christ should be born. And they read from
their old books that it had been fore-told that he
should be born in Beth-le-hem.

Then He-rod sent for the wise men, and told
them to go to Beth-le-hem, and search for the young
child. And when ye find him, said he, bring me
back word that I too may fall down at his feet and
give him praise.

But this he did not mean to do, for his plan was
to put the child to death just as soon as he could
find out where it was.

When the king had ceased to speak, the wise

THE SHKP-HKUDS OF BETH-LE-HEM.

248 History of the New Testament.

men from the east left Je-ru-sa-lem, and went on
their way to Beth-le-hem. And the star led them
on and on, and was like the face of a friend. And
a small, still voice seemed to say to them: — Come!
-Come! — Come! And it drew them so that they
would have gone to the ends of the earth. When
troops are on the march, and through their ranks
goes the cry of Halt! then each foot must stand
still, and not a man moves from his place.

And when the wise men came to Beth-le-hem,
lo, the star that had led them stood still in the sky,
right o'er the place where the young child was.
And when they went in-to the house they saw the
young child, with Ma-ry, his mo-ther, and they fell
on their knees and bowed down to him as if he had
been a king. And they brought him gifts of great
worth, and gold and myrrh and rich gums and
spice that can be found only in those lands in the
far East.

And God spoke to them in a dream, and told
them not to go back to He-rod, so they went home
not by the same road they had come.

When He-rod found that the wise men had not
done as he bade them, he was in a great rage, and
sent men to Beth-le-hem, and slew all the chil-dren
there who were two years old or less, for then he
was sure that Je-sus would be slain.

240

25°

History of the New Testament,

But ere He-rod's men came, God spoke to Jo-
seph in a dream, and said, Rise, and take thy wife
and thy son, and flee into E-gypt, and stay there till

I bring thee word ;
for He-rod will seek
the youqg child to
kill him.

So Jo-seph did as
the Lord told him,
and took his wife and
child out of Beth-le-
hem by night, and
went to dwell in the
Land of E-gypt.

But when He-rod
was dead, God spoke
to Jo-seph in a dream,
and told him to take
his wife and son and
go back to the land
of Is-ra-el, for the
man was dead who
sought to kill the young child. And Jo-seph did
as the an-gel told him, and he and his wife and
child came and dwelt in Naz-a-reth.

THE FLIGHT IN-TO E-GYPT.

CHAPTER III.

THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS.

IT was in the first month of the year that God
brought the Jews out of E-gypt and led them through
the Red Sea.

And he made it a law that in the first month of
each year they should all meet at one place, and
bring the young lambs and calves and the first fruits
of the field and give thanks to God in the way they
had been taught. And this they were to do all the
days of their life. And this feast, which was to last
not quite two months, was known as the Feast of the
Weeks. There were days they were to fast, and
days they were to feast, and they were to call to
mind that they were once slaves, and that God had
set them free, and with glad hearts praise and bless
his great name.

The place where the Jews now met was at Je-ru-
sa-lem, and Je-sus was twelve years old when he
went up for the first time, with Jo-seph and Ma-ry,
to keep the Feast of the Weeks.

There was a great crowd there, and friends to
meet and talk with, and it must have been a hard

252 History of the New Testament.

task to keep track of the young folks, who found so
much to see and to hear that was new and strange.

When the days of the feast were at an end, Jo-
seph and Ma-ry set out for their home in Naz-a-reth.

They had gone out with a band of friends and

NAZ-A-RETH.

folks from the same town, and were to come backsin
the same way. It was not safe for them to go by
them-selves, for there were waste lands to cross where
bands of thieves lay in wait for a chance to rob and
to kill those who came their way.

Some rode on mules, some on horse-back, and

The Boyhood of Jesus.

253

some had to walk all the way. Je-sus was not with
Jo-seph and Ma-ry, but they thought he must be
with some of the friends or kins-folk. But when at
the end of a day's ride he came not near them, they

JE-SUS WITH THE DOC-TORS IN THE TEM-PLE.

sought for him in the groups of friends and kins-
folk, where there were lads of his own age.

And when they found him not, they went back
to Je-ru-sa-lem, and sought for him with hearts full
of grief, for they knew not what harm might have
come to him.

254 History of the New Testament.

For three days they went from house to house,
and through the lanes and streets, but could see no
signs of the boy they had lost.

At the end of that time they went in-to the
house of God, it may have been to pray that their
child might be found, and there a strange sight met
their gaze.

Je-sus sat in the midst of the wise men, whose
place it was to teach and to preach to those who
came up to the feasts, and the old men bent their
heads to hear what the young lad had to say. For
it was the first time they had met with one so young
in years who was so wise in speech, and they felt
in their hearts that he must have been taught
of God.

When Jo-seph and Ma-ry saw Je-sus they were
struck dumb, and could do naught but stare, as if it
was a scene in a dream. Then Ma-ry said, My
son, why didst thou vex us thus? we have sought for
thee with sad hearts.

Je-sus said, Why did ye look for me? Do ye
not know that I must do the work that my fa-ther
has set me to do?

Jo-seph and Ma-ry did not know what he meant
by these words, or that God had sent Je-sus on earth
to teach men how to read the word of God a-right,
and how to save their souls from death.

The Boyhood of Jesus. 255

Je-sus went back to Naz-a-reth with Jo-seph and
Ma-ry, and was a good son to them. And he grew
wise and tall, and was blest of God, and won the
hearts of all who were near him, for they saw in
him much to love.

It was not known that he was the Son of God,
and he made friends by his own sweet ways, for he
was a poor boy.

Naught was heard or known of Je-sus for some
years, and we are led to think that he was taught
how to use the axe, and saw, and plane, and to work
at the same trade his fa-ther did. This gave him a
chance to see how folks lived, and to use his eyes
and ears as he went from house to house, so that
when he went forth to teach he could tell them of
their sins, and show them how vile they were.

And this part of the life of Je-sus — of which not a
word is told in the New Test-a-ment — is to teach us
to stay in the place where God has put us, and to do
our work there in the best way we know how.

Je-sus was at school then, just as boys and girls
in these days go to school, and strive to grow wise
and to fit them-selves for the work they are to do in
the world. And though he was to be a king he did
not put on airs, or sit and fold his hands and bid
those that were near wait on him and be at his beck
and call. No! he was born and brought up with

256 History of the New Testament.

poor folks, to teach us that Je-sus is more at home
with the poor than he is with the rich ; and to be
Christ-like we must seek to please God, to do his
will, to put down pride, and keep sin out of our
hearts.

CHAPTER IV.

JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST.

You have been told that John went out in-to the
woods and waste lands when quite a young man.
He fed on lo-custs and wild hon-ey, and his clothes
were made of the skin of the cam-el, with the long
rough hair on the out-side.

The time had now come for him to go out in the
world to tell of Je-sus, and to bid men give up their
sins and walk in the right path.

And he went to a place near the Jor-dan and
crowds came there to hear him. And he told them
that he had been sent to warn them to flee from the
wrath to come. He said they must not think they
would be saved be-cause they were sons or heirs of
good men who had served God and died in the faith.
He told them that each one was to be like a tree,
and to stand in his place and bring forth fruit, and
serve God in the best way that he could. And

JOHN THE BAP-TIS1:.

258 History of the New Testament.

each tree, said John, which brings not forth good
fruit is cut down and cast in-to the fire. He told
them they must be good and kind to each oth-er, and
must give food and clothes to those who were in need
of such things. They must not tell lies, nor steal, nor
be vain and proud, but they must show by the way
they lived that they loved God and were glad to do
his will.

And when those who heard him felt a great hate
for sin, and a strong wish to lead good lives, and
to be saved from the wrath of God, they spoke to
John and he led them down to the Jor-dan and they
were bap-tiz-ed in the stream.

Now wa-ter will wash the stains from our clothes,
and cleanse our skin, but it will not wash our sins
away. To do this we must have Christ in our hearts.
Some of those who heard John talk thought that he
might be the Christ who was to come, and of whom
the proph-ets had fore-told since the days of Mos-es.
Some were quite sure of it ; but oth-ers shook their
heads, for they had made up their minds that he who
was to come and rule over them would be dressed like
a king, and not in such plain clothes as John wore.

John heard their words, or guessed their thoughts,
and he said to these Jews, I indeed bap-tize you with
wa-ter, but he who is to come af-ter me, and who is
great-er than I, will bap-tize you with fire.

Jesus and John tke Baptist. 259

That meant that Je-sus would be in their hearts
like a fire, to burn up all that was bad, as they burnt
the chaff that was blown loose from the wheat.

Then Je-sus came from his home in Naz-a-reth
to have John bap-tize him in Jor-dan's stream. But
John would not. He said there was more need that
Je-sus should bap-tize him. He felt that there was
need to have his own sins washed a- way, but Je-sus
had no sins. So why dost thou come to me? said John.

Je-sus had come on the earth as a man to do
God's will, and to teach man-kind how to walk in
the right path and keep their hearts free' from sin.
And he told John, that all these things would be
made plain to him some day, and it was right that
he should bap-tize him.

So John went with Je-sus in-to the wa-ter, and
he bap-tized Jesus in the wa-ter. And Je-sus was
pray-ing to his Fa-ther in heav-en.

And as Je-sus went up out of the wa-ter, lo,
there came a great light in the sky, that took the
form of a dove, and it came down and seemed to
rest on him. And God's voice spoke out of the sky,
and said: This is my dear Son, with whom I am
well pleased.

Then Je-sus went out in-to the waste lands, and
was there with no one near him for more than a
month. In all that time he ate no food, but spent

260 History of the New Testament.

the hours in talks with God. At last he felt weak
and faint, and left the waste lands to go in search of
some-thing to eat.

Now there is a fiend in this world, as we all
know, who has a black heart, and can take on all
sorts of shapes. He came to Eve in the form of a
snake, and to Sam-son with a fair face. He tempts
those to do wrong who have set out to do right, and
we have to be on our guard all the time, and to
watch and pray that we may be kept safe from him.

When this fiend saw Je-sus on his way to give
new hearts to men, and to make them good and
pure, he thought he would try and put a stop to
such work. So he went out to tempt Je-sus, with
the same smooth voice in which he spoke to Eve.

And he came to him and said, If thou be the
Son of God change those stones in-to bread, so that
thou canst eat now that thou hast need of food.

Je-sus knew why Sa-tan had come, and he told
him that men should take more pains to do God's
will than to get bread to eat. Next Sa-tan took Je-sus
to Je-ru-sa-lem, and up to a high place where the
house of God was built. And he said to him, If
thou be the Son of God, throw thy-self down ; for it
is said, he shall give his an-gels charge to keep thee
in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their
hands lest thou dash a-gainst a stone.

I III', TI..MI'T-A-T1ON.

262 History of the New Testament

Je-sus told him that it was not right to go where
it was not safe, just to try if God would keep us from
harm.

Then Sa-tan took Je-sus up on a high mount,
from whence could be seen all the large towns in the
land, and all their great wealth. And he said to
him, All these will I give thee for thine own if thou
wilt kneel down and wor-ship me.

Je-sus said to him, Go from me, Sa-tan, for it is
set down in God's book, Thou shalt wor-ship the
Lord thy God, and him a-lone shalt thou serve.

When Sa-tan found that Je-sus paid no heed to
his words, he left him, and an-gels came to wait on
the Son of God.

In a short time Je-sus went back to the Jor-dan
where John was, and when John saw him, he said,
Be-hold the Lamb of God !

He spoke of Je-sus as the Lamb of God, for he
was to be laid on the cross for the sins of men, as
the lamb was in those days laid on the al-tar.

Then Je-sus set out to preach and to turn men
from their sins. And he went to Gal-i-lee. And
one day as he walked by the sea. shore he saw two
men cast their net in-to the sea. Their names were
An-drew and Pe-ter. Je-sus said to them, Come
with me. And they left their nets at once, that
they might be near him and learn of him.

Jesus and John the Baptist.

263

The next day he saw two men whose names
were James and John in a boat with their fa-ther.
Their nets had
broke, and they
were in haste to
mend them so
that they could
take in a large
haul of fish. But
Je-sus spoke to
James and John,
and they left the
boat at once, and
went with him
that he might
teach them.

The next day
Je-sus spoke to
Phil-ip and Na-
than-i-el, and
they left their
homes and went
with him.

THE MAR-RIAGE IN CA-NA.

When Je-sus

came to the town of Ca-na he found quite a crowd
there, for a wed-ding was to take place, and he and
his mother had been bid to the feast. There was

264 History of the New Testament.

food to eat and wine to drink, but ere the feast was
at an end the wine was all gone. And when Ma-ry
knew of it she said to Je-sus, They have no wine.
And she bade those who were there to serve the
guests to do just as Je-sus told them.

Now there were in the house six large stone jars
such as the Jews kept to hold wa-ter. Je-sus said
to the men, Fill the jars with wa-ter. And they
filled them to the brim. And he said to them, Take
some out now and bear it to the chief guest of the
feast. And they did so ; and the wa-ter was changed
in-to wine.

The chief guest did not know what Je-sus had
done ; but when he had drunk some of the wine he
sent for the bride-groom and said to him, As a rule,
those who give a feast set out the good wine first,
and when the guests have had all they care for they
bring out that which is worse. But thou hast kept
the good wine till now.

This was the first great sign Je-sus gave of the
power he had from on high. And it was proof to
those whose hearts were with him that he was the
true Son of God.

The time of the Feast of Weeks was at hand,
and Je-sus went up to Je-ru-sa-lem to keep it. And in
one of the courts were men who had brought their
wares to the house of God to sell them to the Jews

Jesus and John the Baptist.

265

when they came up to the feast. When Je-sus came
to the place where these men were, the sight did
not please him.
And Je-sus
made a scourge,
or whip of small
cords, and drove
them all out,
with their flocks
and their herds.
And he poured
their gold and
silver on the
ground, and
said to those
who sold doves,
Take them a-
way; make not
the house of
God a place to
buy and sell in.
And while
he was at the
feast crowds
were drawn to him, and had faith in him when they
saw what won-ders he could do. Nic-o-de-mus, one
of the chief men of the Jews, came to Je-sus in the

DRIV-ING THE SELL-ERS FROM THE TEMPLE.

266 History of the New Testament.

night, and said to him, We know that God has sent
thee to teach us what is right, for no man could do
these won-ders if God were not with him.

Je-sus told him that he must have a new heart
or he could not be a child of God.

He-rod, who slew the babes of Beth-le-hem, was
dead, but his son He-rod ruled in that part of Gal-i-
lee, and he was a bad man. He took his broth-er's
wife from him and made her his own wife. Her
name was He-ro-di-as. When John the Bap-tist
told He-rod this was not right, he would have put
him to death if he had dared. But he had heard
him preach, and knew that he was a good man. Yet
to please He-ro-di-as He-rod had seized John, and
bound him, and shut him up in jail.

While John was in jail, He-rod, on his birth-day,
made a great feast for the lords and chief men of
Gal-i-lee. And a young girl, whose name was Sa-
lo-me, came and danced in their midst. He-rod was
so much pleased with her that he said, Ask of me
what thou wilt, and thou shalt have it, though it
were half of my realm.

And Sa-lo-me went to He-ro-di-as — who was
her mo-ther — and said, What shall 'I ask?

And He-ro-di-as said to her, Ask the king to
cut off the head of John the Bap-tist, and bring it
to thee here in a large dish.

The Woman at the Well — -Jesus by the Sect. 267

Sa-lo-me came back in haste to the king, and said,
Give me, in a large dish, the head of John the Baptist.

He-rod was grieved, but as he had sworn to give
her what she asked for, and those who sat near had
heard him, he felt bound to keep his word. So he
sent one of his train-band, who cut off John's head
in the jail, and brought it in a large dish to Sa-
lo-me, and she gave it to her mo-ther.

When the friends of John heard of it they came
up and took his dead form and laid it in a tomb, and
went and told Je-sus.

CHAPTER V.

THE WOMAN AT THE WELL JESUS BY THE SEA.

ONE day Je-sus and his friends came to the town
of Sy-char, near which was a well to which all the
folks came to draw wa-ter. It was known as Ja-
cob's Well. The sun was hot, and Je-sus, tired with
his long walk, sat down by this well to rest, while
his friends went to the town to buy food.

A wo-man came from the town to draw wa-ter.
She led a life of sin, and had no love for God in her
heart. And Je-sus knew this, for he sees all our

268

History of the New Testament.

hearts, and knows all our thoughts, and all that we

have done.

. And he spoke to the wo-man, and told her of the

things she had
done that did
not please God.
And she thought
he was a seer,
to whom God
told things that
were not known
to most folks.
And she said
to Je-sus, I know
that Christ is to
come in-to the
world, and when
he comes he
will tell us all
things. Je-sus
said to her, I
that speak to
thee am he.
Then the woman left her jar, and made haste

back to the town, and said to her friends there, Come

and see a man who told me all the things that ever

I did. Is not this the Christ?

THE W0-«AN AT IRE WEtL.

The Woman at the Well — -Jesus by the Sea. ^q

And they went out and saw Je-sus, and bade him
come in-to the town. And he went with them, and
was there for three days. And they gave ear to the
things he taught them. And they said to the wo-
man, Now we have faith in him, not be-cause of
the things thou didst tell us, but be-cause we have
heard him our-selves, and know that he is the
Christ whom God has sent down to us.

From there he went once more to the town of
Ca-na. And a rich man came from the town where
he dwelt to ask Je-sus to come and heal his son, who
was sick. And the rich man said to him, Come
as quick as you can, lest my child should die.

Je-sus said to him, Go thy way, thy son is made
well.

The rich man knew that Te-sus would not sav

j j

what was not true, and with a glad heart went back
to his home. And as he drew near the house his
slaves ran out to meet him, and said to him, Thy
son is well.

The rich man bade them tell him what time the
change took place, and they told the hour that the
fe-ver left the lad. And it was the same hour that
Je-sus had said to the rich man, Thy son is well.
And he and all those in his house felt in their hearts
tnat Je-sus was the son of God.

The Jews did not yet know how to print, and

270

History of the New Testament.

they had no books such as we have. They wrote
with pen and ink on rolls of parch-ment, made from
the skin of sheep and goats.

These rolls were kept in
the house of God, in a box or
chest called an ark, and were
brought out and read to those
who came to the church on the
Lord's day. The chief rolls,
all the books of the Old Tes-
ta-ment, were kept at Je-ru-sa-
lem, but as all the Jews could
not get there more than once a
year, they had made rolls for
their own use in each house
of God.

Je-sus came to Naz-a-reth
where he had been brought
up, and went in-to the church
on the Lord's day and stood
up to read. And he read
from one of the old books
where it was fore-told that one

CYL-IN-DER HOLD-ING THE PENT-A-TEUCH

news to the poor, to cheer the sad, to give sight to
the blind, and to heal the sick. Then he closed the
roll and sat down. And the eyes of all in the church

The Woman at the Well— Jesus by the Sea. 271

were on him. He said to them that all these words
had come true, and that he was the Son of God, of
whom the proph-et wrote. And they said, Is not
this Jo-seph's son? How then can he claim to be
the Son of God ? And they were wroth with him,

TWO FA-GES of THE SAM-AR-I-TAN PENT-A-TEUCH.

and led him out to a steep hill on which their town
was built, that they might cast him down and kill
him. But Je-sus got a- way from them, and they
could do him no harm.

He went on to Ca-per-na-um, and great crowds

272 History of the New Testament.

came there to hear him, and pushed so that there
was scarce room for him to stand on the sea-shore.
And he saw two boats close at hand, out of which
the men had gone to mend their nets. And he
went in one of the boats, which was Pe-ter' s and told
him to push it out from the land. And he sat
down, and taught the crowd out of the boat.

When he left off, he said to Pe-ter and An-drew,
Sail out where the sea is deep, and let down your
nets to catch fish.

Pe-ter said, Mas-ter, we have been hard at work
all the night, and not a fish have we caught; but,
since thou dost bid me, I will let down the net.

When they had done this, they caught such a large
haul of fish that the net broke. Then they called to
their friends in the boat by the shore, and bade them
come to their aid. And they came, and there was
more fish than the two boats could hold.

When Pe-ter saw this he fell down at the feet of
Je-sus, and said, I fear thee, for I am full of sin, O
Lord. And those with him were spell-bound at sight
of the fish they had caught.

Je-sus did this great won-der so that these men
might see it and know that he was the Son of God;
for they were to aid him in his work, and to go
with him from place to place.

Je-sus said to Pe-ter, Fear not; from this time,

274 History of tke New Testament.

forth thou shalt catch men and not fish. He meant
by this that Pe-ter was to preach, and to save men
from sin, and from the nets that Sa-tan spreads. And
he said to them all, Come with me. And they left
their boats and their nets, and all that they had, and
were with Je-sus till the end of his life on earth.

On the Day of Rest, Je-sus went in-to the church
and taught the folks there. And in their midst was
a man who was not in his right mind, and it was as
if he were torn by fiends, and he cried out to Je-sus,
Let us a-lone. What have we to do with thee, thou
Je-sus of Naz-a-reth? Art thou come to kill us? I
know thee, that thou art the Son of God. Je-sus
said to the fiends that were in the man, Be still, and
come out of him. Then the fiends threw the man
down, and cried with a loud voice, and came out of
him. And all those in the church were struck with
awe, and they said a-mong them-selves, What does
this mean? for he speaks to the fiends so that they
are forced to do his will !

When they came out of the church Je-sus went
to the house where Pe-ter and An-drew dwelt. And
James and John were there. And Pe-ter' s wife's
mo-ther was sick of a fe-ver, and they told Je-sus of
it and begged that he would heal her.

Je-sus took her by the hand, and bade the fe-ver
come out of her. ' And she was made well at once,
and rose from her bed, and took charge of her house.

The Woman at the Well — -Jesus by the Sea.

275

set,
was,

At the close of the day, when the sun had
great crowds came to the house where Je-sus
and brought
those who were
sick, and those
who were not
in their right
minds, that he
might cure
them. And
he made the
sick well, and
drove out the
fiends, and
would not let
them speak.

The next
day Je-sus rose
ere it was light
and went out
to a lone place
to pray to God.

For though
he was the
Son of God, he had come to the earth in the form
of a man, and had all the wants that man has. He
had need of food and drink, and felt pain and grief

PE-TER'S WIFE'S MO-THER.

276 History of the New Testament.

just as we do. He had need of man's help in his
work ; and had need of God's help all the time.
And he knelt to God, just as he wants us to do,
and asked God to be near him and to give him
more strength, and to help him to do his will.

When Je-sus had gone, crowds came up to the
house to seek him. And Pe-ter, and the three that
were with him, went out to look for Je-sus. And
when they found him they told him of the great
crowd that sought him.

Je-sus said, Let us go to the next towns, that I
may tell the good news there ; for I was not sent to
stay in one place.

And he taught all through Gal-i-lee, and his
fame spread, and great crowds went to hear him.

CHAPTER VI.

JESUS HEALS THE SICK, AND DOES GOOD WORKS ON

THE DAY OF REST.

A MAN came to Je-sus and knelt down at his feet
and said, Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me
clean. This man was a lep-er. He had white sores
on his skin, and had to live by him-self or with those
as bad off as him-self, and there was no cure for him

Jesus Heals the Sick,

277

but death. It was not safe to breathe the air near a
lep-er, and so he was sent at once out of the town, as
soon as his case was known.

This lep-er must
have heard of Je-sus
and the great works
he had done, and
the hope that had
died out must have
sprung up in his
heart once more. If
he could heal the
sick, and make the
lame walk, why could
he not cure him, so
that he would be fit
to live with those he
loved ? At least he
could ask ; and oh !
how great must have
been his faith when
he fell down at the
feet of Je-sus and
cried out, Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.

Je-sus put out his hand and touched the man,
and said, I will : be thou clean.

And at once the sores left the man and his skin

CUR-ING THE MAN LAME WITH PAL-ST.

278 History of the New Testament.

was white and smooth. Then Je-sus sent him off,
and bade him tell no man who had made him well,
but to go to the priest and do as Mo-ses bid all those
do who had been lep-ers and were cured.

But the man was so full of joy that he could not
keep it to him-self, and he went out and told what
Jesus had done for him.

Now there were some Jews who were known as
Scribes and Phar-i-sees. They made out that no
one else was quite as good as they were. They knew
all the laws of Mo-ses by heart, and they were strict
to see that no Jews broke those laws. A Scribe is
one who writes.

These Scribes and Phar-i-sees were thought to be
wise and good men, for they would fast and pray for
a long while at a time, and look as though they
thought them-selves too pure for earth.

But their hearts were bad and full of sin, and
wnen Je-sus told them they must give up their sins
and lead the right kind of lives, they were wroth with
him, and tried to make all the rest of the Jews hate
him as much as they did.

Je-sus went down to Ca-per-na-um, and when it
was known that he was in the town great crowds
came to the house where he was to hear him preach.

Now there was a man who had been in bed for a
long time, and could not move hand or foot. He

Jesus Heals the Sick. 279

had heard of the fame of Je-sus, and it was the wish
of his heart to get near him that he might heal him
with a touch. But Je-sus was a long way off, and the
poor sick man could not walk one step. But he had
kind friends, and they thought of a plan by which he
could be brought near to Je-sus, that he might at
least hear him preach.

So they took him on his bed and bore him to the
town ; but when they came to the house where Je-sus
was, the crowd was so great that there was no chance
to get near him. What were they to do ?

Now the house was low and had a flat roof, with
a wall round it, so that those who dwelt there could
walk or sleep on it and have no fear that they would
fall off. All the rooms down stairs led out in-to a
court, which had a roof that could be slid off when it
did not rain, or there was need of fresh air.

So the friends of the lame man drew the bed up on
the house-top with him in it, and brought him to the
space in the roof, through which they could see Je-sus
and the crowds round him. And they let the man
down on his bed in the midst of the crowd, which
had to make way for him.

When Je-sus saw what great faith they had, he
spoke to the sick man, and said, Thy sins are for-
giv-en thee. Some of the Scribes and Phar-i-sees
who sat near said, but not out loud, Who is this that

280 History of the New Testament.

dares speak in this way ? None but God can for-
give sins.

Je-sus knew their thoughts, and he said to them,
Why think ye these things ? Which could be said
with the most ease, Thy sins be for-giv-en thee, or
Rise up and walk ?

But to show you that I have pow-er to for-give
sins, I will make him well.

So he said to the sick man, Rise, take up thy
bed, and go to thy house.

And the man rose and stood on his feet, and took
up the bed on which he had lain and went out and
gave praise and thanks to God.

And those who saw him were in a maze and said,
We have seen strange things to-day.

Now the Jews, as you know, were slaves of the
Ce-sar of Rome, and to keep their peace with him they
had to pay a tax. And the men to whom they paid
the tax were known as pub-li-cans. Some of them
were harsh and stern, and the Jews could not but
hate them. But all were not so. And as Je-sus
went by he saw one of these pub-li-cans with his gold
and sil-ver close at hand. His name was Matth-ew.
Je-sus spoke to him, and said, Come with me.

And Matth-ew left all, and went with Je-sus, and
from that time did all that he could to spread the
good news, and to serve the Lord Christ.

Jesus Heals the Sick.

281

Af-ter this there was a feast of the Jews, and Je-
sus went up to Je-ru-sa-lem. Now there was at Je-
ru-sa-lem a pool, which was known as the Pool of Be-
thes-da. And there
were five courts, or
door-ways, that led
down to the pool.
And in these courts
lay a great crowd of
folks who were sick,
or blind, or lame.

For this was the
timeof the year when
an an-gel came to
stir the pool. And
it was thought that
the one who went in-
to the pool the first,
when the an-gel had
made it fresh and
sweet, would be
cured of all the ails
that he might have.

And a man was there who had been sick for
most two score years. Je-sus saw him, and knew
that he had been sick for a long time, and it made
him sad to think of it. So he said to the man,
Wilt thou be made well ?

THE POOL OF BE-THES-DA.

282 History of the New Testament,

The man said, I have no one to help me in-to the
pool, for when I try to get down to it, some one steps
in a-head of me and I am too late.

Je-sus said to him, Rise, take up thy bed and
walk.

And at once the man was made well, and took
up his bed, and walked.

Now it was the Day of Rest. And the Jews,
who were quick to find fault with those who broke
the laws, said to the man when he came their way,
It is not right for thee to move thy bed on this day.

He said to them, he that made me well told me
to take up my bed and walk.

They said to him, Who was it told thee that ?

And the man did not know, and could not point
Je-sus out to them, the crowd was so great.

But ere the feast was at an end Je-sus met the
man He had cured and said to him, Now thou art
well, sin no more lest a worse thing come to thee.

Then the man went out and told the Jews that
it was Je-sus who had cured him on the Day of Rest.
And for this the Jews sought to kill Je-sus. But he
told them that the works he did were proof that
God had sent him, and that he was the one of
whom the seers had told in the days that were past,
and of whom Mo-ses wrote.

He said that the time was near at hand when the

Jesus Heals the Sick.

283

dead should hear the voice of the Son of God, and

those who were in their graves should come forth.

Then he would judge them. Those who had done

good would be

blest, for God

would give

them a home

with him in the

sky; but those

who had done

ill, and died in

their sins, would

not meet the

smile of God,

nor have a place

near his throne.

Je-sussaidif
the love of God
was in their
hearts they
would trust
him whom God
had sent, and
feel that he
had come to do them good, and to save their souls
from death.

Je-sus and his five friends, An-drew, Pe-ter,

IN THE CORN-FIELDS.

284

History of the New Testament.

James, John, and Matth-ew, went out on the next
Day of Rest, and their walk led them through a field
of corn. And as the men had need of food, Je-sus

told them to pluck
and eat the ears of
corn. And they
did so.

In the East they
gave the name of
corn to all kinds of
grain.

When the Phar-
i-sees saw it they
found fault, and Je-
sus told them that
he was the best
judge of what was
right to do on that
day; for he was
Lord of the Day of
Rest.

In the course of
a few weeks he went
in-to a church and

taught on the Lord's day. And a man was there
whose hand was so drawn up that he could not stretch
it out or do aught with it. And the Phar-i-sees

THE WITH-ER-ED HAND.

Jesus Heals the Sick.

285

kept a close watch on Je-sus to see if he would heal
the man on that day, so that they might find fault
with them.

Je-sus knew their thoughts, and he said to the
man with the lame hand, Rise up, and stand where
all can see you. And the man rose, and stood forth.

JER-U-SA-LEM.

Je-sus said to them, I will ask you one thing:
Is it right to do good or to do ill on the Day of Rest ?
to take life or to save it ? And he stood and looked
at all those that were in the place. Then he said to
the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he did so, and
it was well and strong.

286 History of the New Testament.

This made the Phar-i-sees hate Je-sus, so that
they went out of the church and sought for some way
to put him to death. When he knew of it he left
the place, and came down to the sea of Gal-i-lee.
And crowds came to him from the land of Ju-dah
and from large towns that were far off, to see the
great works that he did. And the sick crept near
so that they could touch him, and he made them
all well.

CHAPTER VII.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

JE-SUS left the crowd, and went to a lone place to
pray to God. And he spent the night there. The
next morn he chose twelve men, that he might send
them out to preach, and to heal those that were sick,
and to cast out dev-ils. Their names were Pe-ter,
An-drew, James and John, the sons of Zeb-e-dee,
Phil-ip, Bar-thol-o-mew, Thom-as and Matth-ew,
James and Leb-be-us, Simon and Judas Is-ca-ri-ot.

And the crowd was so great that Je-sus went up
on a hill, and the twelve went with him and he
taught them there. He told them that those who
were in a high state of joy, with not a care to vex

THE SER-MON OX THE MOUNT

288 History oj the New Testament.

them, were called blest. And he said, not in these
words, but in words that meant the same :

Blest are the poor in spirit, for God is with them.

By poor in spirit he meant those who did not
think too much of them-selves, who were not vain
nor proud, but rich in love to God. And he would
be with them, and bless them all their lives.

Blest are those that mourn, for their tears shall
be dried.

To mourn is to weep, and to grieve. Je-sus
meant that those who wept for their sins should shed
no more tears, for Christ had come to save them, and
the good news should make them glad.

Blest are the meek, for the whole earth shall be
theirs.

• Je-sus meant by this that those who were fond of
peace, and did not love strife, might dwell where
they chose, and would be blest in this world and the
world to come.

Blest are those who hun-ger and thirst for that
which is good, for they shall be filled.

This meant that those who sought to do right
and to grow in grace had but to pray to God, and he
would give them all the strength they might need
from day to day.

Blest are those who are kind and good, for the
Lord will be kind to them in their hour of need.

The Sermon on the Mount. 289

Blest are those who are pure in heart, for they
shall see God

Those who are pure in heart will be fond of good
works, and will lead good lives, and God will not
turn his face from them.

Blest are the peace-ma-kers-- those who try to
keep the peace and to put an end to strife — for they
shall be call-ed the chil-dren of God.

Blest are those who are ill-used for my sake, for
the more the world hates them the more will God
love them.

Je-sus told them that when men said hard things
of them for his sake, and call-ed them vile, and
were harsh with them and full of spite, they were
not to grieve but to be glad. For so did bad men
treat the seers of old who told them of their faults
and their sins and tried to lead them to Christ.

Salt is good, and gives a taste to our food.

Je-sus told them they were to salt the earth.
This meant that they were to tell the good news in
such a way that men should want it and need it just
as they did salt.

He told them, too, that they must let their light
shine; he meant that they should let it be seen and
known that they loved God, and tried to do his
wilL They were not to hide it from men, but to do
such good works, in Christ's name, that those who

2, 90 History of the New Testament.

did not love or care for him might be drawn to Je-
sus— the light of the world.

Je-sus said that if we do as we ought to do our-
selves, and teach men to keep all God's laws, we
shall be called great in the place where God dwells.
But if, like the Scribes and Phar-i-sees, we teach
what is right and do what is wrong, we shall not see
God's face, or live with him on high.

He said, you have been taught not to kill; and
that he who puts one to death will be brought to the
judge, and made to suf-fer for the crime. But I say
to you that it is a sin to hate those who have done
you no harm, and God will pun-ish you for it.

Then he said that when they went to church to
wor-ship God they must try and think if they had
done wrong, had been harsh, or had said what was
not true. And they were to go at once and do right
to those whom they hurt in this way, for God did not
care to have them bow down to him if their hearts
were full of sins they were not sor-ry for.

We must be good and pure, Je-sus says, in all
that we say and do: we must do no harm to those
who harm us, but must be kind and good to them,
and pray for them, and love them.

Bless those that curse you, and do good to those
that hate you. This is a hard task, and none but
those who have the love of Christ in their hearts can

The Sermon on the Mount. 291

do it. But if we pray for strength, the strength is
sure to come, and love takes the place of hate.

Some folks when they do good deeds like to
make a great show and noise, that they may be seen
of men, and have much praise from them.

Je-sus told the Twelve that they were to do right,
not to please men but to please God. When they
gave to the poor they were not to tell of it; and
when they prayed they were not to choose a place
where they could be seen of men — just to show how
good they were — but were to go to their room and
shut the door, that no one but God could hear them.
Then God would give them what they asked for.

Je-sus taught them how to pray, and what words
to use ; and these words each child ought to learn by
heart and use at least twice a day:

"Our Fa-ther which art in heav-en, Hal-low-ed
be thy name. Thy King-dom come. Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heav-en. Give us this day
our daily bread. And for-give us our debts, as we
for-give our debt-ors. And lead us not in-to tempt
a-tion, but del-iv-er us from e-vil : For thine is the
King-dom, and the pow-er, and the glo-ry, for ever.
'A-men. "

When they should fast they were not to look sad
as those did whose wish it was that men should see
them fast, but they were to hold up their heads and

292 History of the New Testament.

wear a look of cheer that no one but God should
know it. And God would bless them for it.

Je-sus said we must not want to be rich or to lay
up wealth in this world, for when we die we can not
take it with us. But we should give our hearts
to thoughts of God, and try to live so that we can
share his home, where we shall have more things to
please us than all the gold in the world can buy.

Je-sus said that no man could serve God and
serve Sa-tan too. We serve God when we do right;
and we serve Sa-tan when we do wrong.

So we can-not do the will of both, and must
choose which one we will serve.

He told the Twelve not to judge folks; he meant
that they must take care how they found fault, and
blamed them. For they may not have done wrong,
or if they did they may have meant no harm. We
can-not see men's hearts, or know how they felt at
the time they did the deed. But God knows all, and
may not blame them as much as we do. Je-sus said
that we should strive to do right our-selves, and then
we should see with clear eyes who did wrong, and
have a right to tell them of their faults.

He said, that what we want men to do to us we
must do to them. If we want them to be kind and
good and to treat us well, we must do the same by
them.

The Sermon on the Mount.

293

He said, Strive to go in at the strait, or nar-row
gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that
leads to death.
He meant that
the good and
the bad ways are
like two gates
in our path, for
us to choose
which one we
will go through.

The good
way is small and
hard to fi n d ,
and we have
to search for it
with great care.
But the path is
one that leads
to life and joy.

The bad
way is like a
broad gate that
stands o-pen
and in plain sight. This wide gate leads down to
hell, and crowds and crowds go that way, while but
few are found in the good way that leads to bliss.

THE UN-FRUIT-FUL TREE.

294 History of the New Testament.

Je-sus said that at the last day some would call
him Lord, Lord, and say they had served him and
taught as he did. But he would say that he did not
know them, for they had bad hearts, and had led
lives of sin, and were not fit to dwell with the good
and pure in the home on high, where all is love.

He said that men were like trees. Good trees
brought forth good fruit; but a bad tree could not
bring forth good fruit. And men were to be known
by their works, just as a tree was known by its fruits.

Then he spoke of two men, each of whom built
a house. One chose to build on a rock. And the
rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew
and beat on that house, but it stood firm and the
storm did it no harm.

But one of the men built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the
winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell with a
great crash, and was swept out of sight.

Je-sus said that those who heard his words and
did as he told them were like the wise man who
built his house on a rock. Christ is our Rock. He
stands firm. No storms can move him. If we
cling to him he will save us.

Je-sus said that those who heard his words and
did not do as he taught them, were like the man who
built his house on the sand. When the storm came

Good Words and Good Works. 29^

on the last day, when God would judge the world,
they would be swept out of sight. And oh ! what a
sad, sad day that will be for all those who have led
bad lives, and done not the least thing to please God,
who took care of them and gave them all they had.

We must strive to be good all the time, and to
love Je-sus, so that he will be near us, and will take
us home to live with him when we die.

CHAPTER VIII.

GOOD WORDS AND GOOD WORKS.

THERE was at Ca-per-na-um a chief who had
charge of five score Ro-man troops. And one of his
men, who was dear to him, was so sick that he was
like to die. When the chief heard that Je-sus was
there he sent some of his friends down to ask him to
make the sick man well. Those who brought the
word to Je-sus were Jews, and they spoke a good
word for the chief, who had been kind to them.

Then Je-sus went with them. But as they drew
near the chief's house he sent some more friends out
to tell Je-sus that he had not gone down to him him-
self, for he was not good e-nough. And now he sent
word that he was not good e-nough for Je-sus to

296

History of the New Testament.

come in-to his house. But if Je-sus would speak the

word, he was sure that the sick man would get well.

For I stand at the head of my troops, said the

chief, and say to this
one, Go, and he goes;
and to that one, Come,
and he comes; and to
a third, Do this, and he
does it.

And he knew that
if he could do this Je-
sus could do more, and
bid all the ills leave the
sick man at the sound
of his voice.

When Je-sus heard
these words he was a-
mazed, and said to
those who were with
him, I have found no
one who has such faith
in me as this Ro-man.
And I tell you that at
the last day those who have had faith in me shall
come from all lands, and have a place near God's
throne; while the Jews, who will not put their trust
in me, will be shut out.

CHRIST AND THE CEN-TU-RION.

Good Words and Good Works.

297

And when the friends of the chief went back
found the sick man made well.

The next day
Je-sus went
the town

to
of

Nain. And a
great crowd went
with him. And
as they came near
the gate of the
town they saw
a dead man
brought out to
be borne to his
grave. He was
all the son his
mo-ther had, and
her friends stood
near her and
wept with her.

When Je-sus
saw her grief his
heart was sad , and
he said, Weep not.

And he came up to the bier on which the
lay, and those who bore it stood still. Then J
said, Young man, I say to thee a-rise.

they

THE WID-OW S SON BROUGHT TO LIKE.

dead
e-sus

298 History of the New Testament.

And he that was dead sat up and spoke. And
Je-sus gave him to his mo-ther. And a great fear
came on all who saw it, and they gave praise to God,
and said that a great proph-et had been raised up in
their midst.

In old times those who lived in the East did
not wear shoes such as we do. They wore light
soles, or san-dals, which were bound on their feet
with straps, and thrown off as soon as they came in-
to the house. Then wa-ter was brought for them to
wash their feet.

Much oil was used in those lands, and is to this
day. It was put on the hair to keep it moist, and
on the skin to make it soft and smooth. This oil,
when some-what hard, was called oint-ment, and was
kept in a box, and had a nice smell.

Now a Phar-i-see, whose name was Si-mon,
asked Je-sus to his house. And Je-sus went there,
and they sat down to eat. And a wo-man of the
town, who had led a life of sin, when she heard that
Je-sus was there, came in with a box of oint-ment and
bowed down at his feet.

She was full of shame, for her sins had been great,
and she had come to Je-sus to ask him to for-give her
and help her to lead a new life.

She wept, and washed the feet of Je-sus with her
tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

Good Words and Good Works.

299

And she kissed his feet, and rubbed them with the
oint-ment she had brought, and which had cost her
a high price.

When the Phar-i-see saw it he said to him-self,
If this man had come from God he would know
what kind of a
wo-man this is,
and would send
her out of his
sight.

Je-sus, who
knew his every
thought, said to
him, Si-mon, I
have some-
thing to say to
thee.

And he said,
My lord, say on.

Then Je-sus said, Two men were in debt to a
rich man. One owed him a great deal, while the
oth-er owed him but a small sum. But they were
both so poor that they could not pay him, and he
told them to think no more of the debt, for it would
be the same as if they had paid all they owed. Tell
me now which one of these would love him the
most.

WASH-ING HANDS IN THE EAST.

300 History of the New Testament.

The Phar-i-see said, I should think that he to
whom he for-gave the most.

Je-sus said to him, That is true.

And he turned to the wo-man and said to Si-
mon, See'st thou this wo-man ? I came to thy house,
and thou didst bring me no wa-ter to wash my feet,
but she hath washed my feet with her tears and
wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou didst
give me no kiss, but this wo-man, since the time I
came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head
with oil thou didst not an-oint, but she has poured
her oint-ment on my feet. So I say to thee that her
sins, though so great, will be all wiped out, for she
has loved me much.

And he said to the wo-man, Thy faith has saved
thee; go back to thy home in peace. .

From this place Je-sus went on through all
the large and small towns, and told the good news
that God had sent his Son in-to the world to
save men from their sins. And the twelve were
with him.

Je-sus might have been rich, for all the world was
his ; but he chose to be poor, and to bear all the ills
of life for our sakes, that we might be drawn to him,
and be saved from our sins. Good wo-men, whom
he had cured, gave him such things as he had need
of, and he did not lack for food or friends.

Good Words and Good Works. 30)

Je-sus spoke at times in a strange way. He
would take scenes from real life and paint them,
as it were, with words, so that they were plain
to all. These talks were meant to teach great
truths that would lodge in the mind, and stand out
like scenes of real life. They were to take them
home with them, and keep them in their thoughts
from day to day.

One of these talks was of a rich man who had
large fields and vine-yards. And when-it was time
for the crops to come in, the rich man found that his
barns would not hold them.

And he said, What shall I do? for I have no
room where I can put my fruits. This will I do : I
will pull down my small barns and build large ones,
and there will I store all my goods. And I will say
to my-self, Thou hast much goods laid up that will
last thee for years and years; take thine ease, eat,
drink, and be of good cheer.

But God said to him> Thou fool, this night thou
shalt die. Then who shall have those things which
thou hast laid up for years to come ?

This was to teach us that i* is of no use for
men to lay up great wealth in tnis world, for they
will have to leave it all when they die. And it
is a sin for a rich man to spend all that he owns
on him-self, to live at his ease, and to eat and drink,

302 History of the New Testament.

as if there were no poor in the world, and no God
to serve.

Je-sus told the twelve not to fret be-cause they
were poor, or to have the least fear that they might
want for food, or for clothes to wear. Think of the
birds, he said. They do not sow seed in the fields,
nor reap grain and lay it up for use in time of need.
They have no store-house or barn, yet they have all
the food they want, for God feeds them and takes
care of them. And if he does so much for the birds,
how much more will he do for you ?

Look at the flow-ers, See how they grow. They
do not work, or spin the thread to weave in-to cloth
as men must do, and yet I say to you that King
Sol-o-mon did not wear such rich robes as theirs. If
then God gives such fine clothes to that which grows
in the field like grass, and which in a day or two is
burnt up, how much more will he clothe you, though
ye are so loth to trust him. So do not fret lest you
shall want for things to eat, and to drink, and to
wear ; for God knows that ye have need of these
things, and if ye seek first to do his will, he will give
all these things to you.

CHAPTER IX.

JESUS AT THE SEA-SHORE.

WHILE Je-sus was down by the sea, the crowd
grew so great that he went in-to a boat and sat down
to teach them as they
stood on the shore.

He said, A man
went out in the field
to sow his seed. And
as he threw the seed
from his hand, some
of it fell on the hard
path by the road side,
and the birds flew
down and ate it. Some
fell on the rocks and
stones where there was
not much earth, and
it soon grew up on top
of the ground. But
the sun's warm rays
made it droop, and as it had no root, in a few days
it was all dried up,

303

THE SOW-ER.

3°4 History of the New Testament.

Some of the seed fell where thorns and weeds
were, and these took up all the room, so that there
was no space for the seed to grow. The air and the
sun could not get at it, and soon it was choked to
death.

But some of the seed fell in good ground, that
the plough had made soft. The rain fell on it,
the sun shone on it, and it sprang up and bore a
large crop of grain.

When the crowd had left Je-sus, the twelve
came near to ask him what he had meant to teach
by this talk of seeds that were sown here and there.

Je-sus told them the seed was the good news
that he came to preach. Those who preach, or
teach, sow good or bad seed, which takes root in the
mind or heart.

Some who heard his words would not care for
them, but would go on in their sins and feel no
change of heart. New thoughts and fresh scenes
would come and eat up the seed-thoughts that Je-
sus had sown, as quick as the birds ate up the seed
sown by the road-side.

Some who heard him thought of his words for
a-while, and tried for a short time to do right. But
it did not last long. This was the seed that fell in
the midst of stones, and sprang up at first, but in a
few days was all dried up.

Jesus at the Sea-Shore.

305

Some would hear Je-sus preach, and were glad
of the words that he spoke ; but the cares of this
world, their wealth, and the gay things of life, were
so much in their thoughts that they could not do the
things he had taught
them.

This was the seed
that fell in the midst of
thorns, and the thorns
grew up and choked it.

But there were some
who heard J e-sus preach,
and who tried each day
to do as he taught them.
This was the seed that
fell in good ground,
which took root and grew
and brought forth ten
times as much as had
been sown.

One of the talks of Je-
sus was of a man who sowed good seed in his field.
And while he slept a foe came and sowed tares, or
weeds, in the midst of the wheat, and then went on
his way. And when it was time for the wheat to
grow up, the weeds grew up with it.

And when the work-men on the farm saw this,

THE EN-E-MY SOW-ING TARES.

306 History of the New Testament.

they went at once to the man of the house, and said
to him, Didst thou not sow good seed in thy field?
Where then have these tares come from?

He said to them, A foe has done this.

The work-men said, Shall we go out, then, and
pull them up by the roots?

And he said, No, lest while you pull up the tares
you pull up the wheat with them. Let both grow
till it is time to reap the grain; and then I will say
to the reap-ers, Pull up the tares first and bind them
in stacks to burn. But put the wheat in my barn.

Je-sus told the twelve what he meant by this
talk of the tares of the field.

The field is the world. H e who owns the field and
sows the seed, is Je-sus him-self. The wheat that
grows up means those who hear his words, and do
as he has taught them.

The tares are bad men, who have no love for
Je-sus.

The foe that sows them is Sa-tan.

The time to reap the grain is on the last great
day. The reap-ers are the an-gels.

Je-sus will let the good and the bad live in the
world till the last great day. Then he will send
his an-gels to take the good to their home on high,
but the bad will be cast out in-to the fire that is to
burn up the world.

Jesus at the Sea-Shore.

307

Then Je-sus spoke of a man who went out to buy
pearls. He went from place to place, and those who
had pearls to sell brought them out for him to look
at, but he was hard to suit, and bought but few. At
last he found one that was worth more than all the
rest that he had seen.
But its price was so great
that he could not buy it.
What did he do? Why,
he went and sold all that
he had, and came back
and bought this pearl of
great price.

So will it be with
those who wish to be rid
of their sins, and to be as
pure as a pearl with-in.
Je-sus in us is the pearl
of great price. Gold can-
not buy it. But when
we learn its cost we should
make haste to get rid of
all that keeps Christ out of our hearts, and make
room for this one pearl, which is worth more than
all else in the world.

Then Je-sus spoke of those who took their net,
and went out in a boat to catch fish. They cast the

SEEK-ING GREAT PEARLS.

3o8

History of the New Testament.

net out of the boat and threw it in-to the sea, and
when it was full drew it back to shore. Then they
sat down to sort the fish; the good ones were put in
their boats, and the bad ones were thrown a-way.

So it would be at
the last day. The an-
gels would come forth
and sort the good from
the bad. And the good
would be borne to their
home on high, but the
bad would be thrown
in-to a fire that would
make them cry out with
pain.

Je-sus said, Have
I made these things
plain to thee? And
they said, Yes, Lord.

One of the Scribes
came to Je-sus, and
said, I will not leave
thee; but where thou

dost go I will go. Je-sus said to him, The fox-es
have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but
I have not where to lay my head. He meant by
this that he was poor, and had no place where

PAR-A-BLE OF THE NETS.

Jesus at the Sea-Shore.

309

•B

he could go and lie down when he had need of
rest.

Night drew near, and the crowd was so great
that Je-sus and the twelve went in a boat to cross
the Sea of Gal-i-lee. And
there came up a great
storm, and the winds blew
fierce, and the waves rose
high and came with a great
dash in-to the boat.

And Je-sus slept, for
he was quite worn out.
The twelve were full of
fear ; and at last they woke
Je-sus, and said, Lord,
save us, or we shall sink.

Then he rose and
spoke to the winds and
the waves, and said to
them, Peace, be still.
And the wind ceased to
blow, and soon all was still
and calm.

And Je-sus said to the twelve, Why are ye in
such fear? How is it that ye have no faith?

As Je-sus left the boat a mad-man came out of
the tombs to meet him. He was so fierce that no man

STILL-ING THE TEM-PEST.

3IQ History of the New Testament.

could bind him, or tame him. He broke loose from
all the ropes and chains, and no house could hold
him. So night and day he would roam on the hills
and in the caves or tombs, where graves had been
dug, and cry out and cut him-self with bits of stones.

And while Je-sus was still far off, the mad-man
saw him and ran and fell down at his feet. And he
cried out, What have I to do with thee, Je-sus, thou
Son of God? Harm me not, I pray thee.

Now there was there, close by the hills, a great
herd of swine. And the fiends that were in the man
begged Je-sus to send them in-to the swine. And
Je-sus said, Go. And when they came out of the
man they went in the swine, and the herd ran down
a steep place and were drowned in the sea.

And they that fed the swine went and told what
had been done, and great crowds came to the place
where Je-sus was.

And when they saw that the mad-man sat with
his clothes on and in his right mind, they were in
great fear. And they prayed Je-sus to leave the
place at once.

When Je-sus was come in-to the boat, he that had
been out of his mind begged that he might go with
him. But Je-sus would not let him, and said to
him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them what
great things the Lord hath done for thee.

Jesus Brings the Dead to Life. 311

And the man went and told how he had been
made well, and those who heard him felt that Je-sus
must have been sent from God, for no mere man
could do such strange things.

CHAPTER X.

JESUS BRINGS THE DEAD TO LIFE. FEEDS FIVE

THOUSAND.

JE-SUS went back to Ca-per-na-um. And as he
stood by the sea-shore, one of the chief men of the
church came to him, whose name was Ja-i-rus.

He was in deep grief, for he had but one child,
a girl twelve years oi age, and she lay sick at his
home and there was no help for her. And he said
to Je-sus, My child lies at the point of death. I
pray thee come and lay thy hands on her that she
may live.

And Je-sus went with him, and so did the
twelve, and all the crowd that had come up to hear
Je-sus preach. And in the throng was a wo-man
who had been sick for twelve years. She had spent
all she had to try to be made well ; but all the drug?
she took did her no good, and no one could seem to
help her case. So she went on from bad* to worse.

312 History of the New Testament.

When she heard of Je-sus she came up with the
crowd at his back, and put out her hand and touched
the hem of his robe. For, she said, if I may touch
but his clothes I shall be made well. And as soon
as she had done this she felt that she was cured.

All this was known to Je-sus, and yet he faced
the crowd and said, Who touched me?

Pe-ter said that some one in the throng had been
pushed up close to him, and thought it strange that
Je-sus did not know it.

Je-sus said, Some one touched me, and he looked
round to see who had done it.

When the wo-man saw that Je-sus knew all, and
that she could not hide from him, she shook with fear,
and fell down at his feet, and told him why she had
touched him, and how that touch had made her well.

Je-sus said to her, Be of good cheer. Thy faith
in me hath made thee well.

While he yet spoke to her, there came one from
the house of Ja-i-rus, who said to him, Thy child is
dead.

When Je-sus heard it he said, Fear not. Trust
in me and she shall be made well. And when he
came to the house, he found a great crowd there, who
wept and mourned the loss of the young child.

Je-sus said to them, Why do you weep? She
sleeps; she is not dead.

Jesus Brings the Dead to Life.

He meant that she would soon rise from the dead,
as one who wakes out of his sleep.

But they saw that she was dead, and as they had
no faith in his words
they laughed him to
scorn.

Then he put them
all out of the room save
three of the twelve —
Pe-ter, James, and
John — and the fa-ther
and mo-ther of the
young girl. Then he
took the child by the
hand and said, I say
to thee a-rise. And
she rose from her bed,
and had strength to
walk, and Je-sus bade
them bring her some
food that she might eat.

And her fa-ther and
mo-ther knew not what
to think of these

strange things. Je-sus bade them tell no one of what
he had done, and there was no need for them to
speak. For there was their child, well and strong,

CUK-KU BY TOUCH-ING HIS GAR-MENT.

History of the New Testament.

once more the light and joy of their house, and
their hearts must have been full of thanks and
praise to God !

When Je-suswent from the house of Ja-i-rus two

blind men came near
him and cried out,
Thou Son of Da-vid
have mer-cy on us.
They said this be-cause
they knew that he was
of King Da-vid's race.
Je-sus said to them,
Do you think that I can
make you well ? They
said to him, Yes, Lord.
Then he touched
their eyes, and at once
their sight came back
to them. And he said
to them, Tell no man
what I have done to
you. But when they
left him they went from
place to place and told all whom they met how Je-
sus had brought back their sight.

And they brought to him a dumb man who could
not speak be-cause of the fiend that was in him. And

THE DAUGHTER OF JA-I-RUS

Jesus Brings the Dead to Life.

as soon as Je-sus cast put the fiend the man spoke.
And all those who saw it were in a maze, and said,
Such things as these have not been done be-fore
in the land of Is-
ra-el.

But the Phar-i-
sees felt such hate
for Je-sus that they
said that he could
cast out fiends be-
cause he had the
help of Sa-tan, the
prince of all fiends.

Je-sus said to
the twelve, Come,
let us go to some
lone place and rest
a while. For the
crowds were so great
that they had no
time to eat. And
they went in a boat
quiet-ly to cross the
Sea of Gal-i-lee, where they might rest and take the
food they were so much in need of. But as soon as the
folks heard of it they set out on foot and went round by
the shore till they came to the place where Je-sus was.

THE TWO BLIND MEN.

316 History of the New Testament.

And when Je-sus went out and saw them, his
heart was moved, and he taught them, and made the
sick ones well.

When night came on, the twelve said to Je-sus,
Send these off that they may go to the towns and
buy food for them-selves, for they have nought
to eat.

Je-sus said, They need not go. Give you them
some-thing to eat.

They said, Shall we go out and buy bread and
give it to them?

Je-sus said, How much have you? Go and see.

When they knew they said, We have five loaves
and two small fish-es.

Je-sus bade the twelve have the crowd seat
them-selves in rows on the green grass. . Then he
took the five loaves and the two fish-esr and gave
thanks to God for them. And he broke the loaves,
and the fish-es, and the twelve gave them piece by
piece to the crowd, till all had had their fill.

When the feast was at an end there was e-nough
bread and fish left to fill twelve bas-kets.

Then Je-sus bade the twelve dis-ci-ples get in-to
the boat and go back to Ca-per-na-um.

And when the crowd had left him he went up
on a high hill to pray. And when night came on he
was there with none but God near him.

Jesus Brings the Dead to Life.

3*7

The twelve were in the boat, out in the midst of
the sea.

Their oars were of no use, for the wind blew hard
the wrong way, and drove

their
the

them back
course, and

from
made

waves toss the boat here
and there.

Je-sus could see it all
from his high place on the
hill, and in the night he
went down to the shore
and walked out on the
sea.

When the twelve saw
him they were in a great
fright, for they thought it
was a ghost, and they cried
out in their fear.

Je-sus said, Be of good
cheer. It is I.

Pe-ter spoke from the
boat, and said, Lord, if it
be thou, bid me come to
thee on the sea. Je-sus said to him, Come, and Pe-
ter came out of the boat and walked on the waves
to go to Je-sus. But when he heard the noise of

FEED-ING THE MUL-T1-TUDE.

318

History of the New Testament.

the wind, and saw the waves dash all round him, he
was in great fear; and as he felt him-self sink he

cried out, Lord,

save me.

Je-sus put
forth his hand
and caught him,
and said to him,
O thou of lit-tle
faith, why didst
thou doubt me?
When Je-sus
and Pe-ter came
in-to the boat the
wind was still,
and the twelve
were soon on the
shore they had
set out to reach.
Then they fell
at his feet, and
said, It is true
that thou art the
Son of God.

As soon as it was known where Je-sus was,
crowds came from all the towns that were near, and
brought their sick in their beds that he might make

PE-TER WALK-ING ON THE WA-TER.

CHRIST WALK-ING ON THE SEA.

319

320 History of the New Testament.

them well. And when he went through the large
and small towns they laid the sick in the streets, and
begged that they might touch but the hem of his
robe. And at a touch they were all made well.

CHAPTER XL

JESUS HEALS THE SICK. --HIS FORM CHANGED ON THE

MOUNT.

JE-SUS went to Ca-per-na-um and taught the Jews
there. But all that he said made them hate him the
more, and their chief priests did all they could to
prove that he was not the Christ who was to save
them. They thought that he who was to be the
King of the Jews would come in rich robes, and
with all the signs of high rank. So they would have
naught to do with a poor man like Je-sus.

It made Je-sus sad to have the Jews turn from
him, and he left them, and went out to the towns of
Tyre and Si-don, which were on the sea-coast. And
no Jews dwelt there.

Yet a wo-man, as soon as she heard he was there,
came out and cried to him, O Lord, thou Son of
Da-vid, come and heal my child, for she has gone
mad.

J/^

Jesus Heals the Sick.

323

Je-sus said he was sent to none but the Jews.

This he did to try her faith, for she was not a Jew.

But she fell at his feet, and cried out, Lord help

me!

Je-sus said to her, Great is thy faith; thy child is
made well.

And when she went back to her house she found
her child had been made well at the same hour that
she spoke to Je-sus.

Then Je-sus and the twelve went down near the

324 History of the New Testament.

Sea of Gal-i-lee once more. And they brought to
Je-sus a man that was deaf, and who could not speak
plain, that he might lay his hands on him and heal
him.

Je-sus took him out of the crowd, and touched
his ears and tongue, and at once the man was made
well, so that he could both hear and speak.

And crowds came to him, and brought those that
were lame, blind, and dumb, and laid them down at
the feet of Je-sus, that he might heal them. And
Je-sus healed them all, so that the crowds were in a
maze when they saw the dumb speak, the lame walk,
and the blind see ; and they gave praise and thanks
to God for what he had done.

At the end of six days Je-sus took Pe-ter, James,
and John, and went up on a high mount to pray.
And while he was there a great change took place in
him. His face shone as the sun, and his clothes were
as white as snow, and the light shone through them,

And Mo-ses and E-li-jah came to him, and
spoke with him.

Pe-ter said, Lord, it is good for us to be here.
Let us make three tents, one for thee, and one for
Mo-ses, and one for E-li-jah.

While he yet spoke there came a bright cloud,
out of which a voice spoke and said, This is my dear
Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him.

Jesus Heals the Sick.

325

When Pe-ter, James, and John heard it, they
bowed down to the ground, and were in great fear.

Je-sus came and touched them, and said, Rise.
Fearnot. Andwhen
they raised their eyes
they saw no one but
Je-sus.

As they came
down from the
mount, Je-sus bade
them tell no one what
they had seen till he
rose from the dead.

The next day,
when they had come
down from the
mount, there was a
great crowd to see
Je-sus. And one
man knelt at his feet
and said, Lord,
help my son, for he
has fits, and the
fiends in him vex him so that he falls in the nre and
in the wa-ter. I took him to those whom thou hast
taught to heal, to see if they could cure him; and
they could not.

PE-TER AND THE TRIB-UTE MON-EY.

326 History of tke New Testament.

Je-sus said, Bring him to me. And they brought
him ; and he fell on the ground and foamed at the
mouth.

Je-sus said to the fiend that was in the young
man, Come out of him and vex him no more.

And the fiend cried with a loud voice, and shook
the young man, and came out of him, but left him
weak, like one dead. And those who stood near
thought he was dead. But Je-sus took him by the
hand and raised him, and he stood on his feet and
was well from that hour.

Then Je-sus and the twelve went to Ca-per-na-um.
And when they were in the house Je-sus said, Why
were ye at such strife in your talk on the way?

And for shame they held their peace, for their
talk had been as to which should have the high-est
place in the realm where Je-sus was to reign as King
of the Jews.

When they had sat down Je-sus said to the
twelve, He who seeks to be first shall be last of all.

And he took a child and set it in the midst of
them, and told them that they must put pride
out of their hearts and be as meek as a child. For
he who thought not of him-self, but did God's will
as a child does the will of its fa-ther, the same should
be great in the realm which Je-sus was to set up.

Je-sus taught there for some time, and then set

The Good Samaritan. 327

out for Je-ru-sa-lem. And the twelve went with
him.

When they were come to Ca-per-na-um, those that
took in the tnb-ute mon-ey came to Pe-ter and said,
Doth not your mas-ter pay trib-ute.

This was the tax the Jews had to pay to Ce-sar
as the price of peace.

Pe-ter said, Yes. And when he came in-to the
house Je-sus met him and said.

Of whom do the kings of the earth take cus-tom
or trib-ute? of their own chil-dren or of stran-gers?

Pe-ter said, Of stran-gers.

Je-sus said, Then are the chil-dren free. But
lest we should give cause for blame, go thou to the
sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first
comes up. In its mouth thou shalt find a piece of
mon-ey. Take that and give it to them for me and
thee.

CHAPTER XII.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN. MARTHA AND MARY. THE

MAN BORN BLIND.

JE-SUS went to the great church in Je-ru-sa-lem,
and the Jews came there in crowds to hear him
preach, and to find fault with him.

328 History of the New Testament.

And a man of law stood up and said, What must
I do to be saved? Je-sus said to him, What does
the law say? How dost thou read it ? The man of
law said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
strength, and thy neigh-bor as thy-self.

Je-sus said to him, That is right. Do this, and
thou shalt be saved.

The man of law said, Who is my neigh-bor?
Then Je-sus spoke in this way, and said, A man
went down from Je-ru-sa-lem to Je-ri-cho. And the
thieves fell on him, tore off his clothes and beat him,
then went on their way and left him half dead on the
ground.

By chance there came a priest that way, and
when he saw the poor man he went by him on the
oth-er side of the road.

Then one of the tribe of Le-vi came to the place,
and took a look at the poor man, and went by on
the oth-er side of the road.

By and by a Sa-mar-i-tan — that is, a man from
Sa-ma-ri-a — came that way, and as soon as he saw
the poor man on the ground his heart was moved,
and he made haste to help him.

Now the Jews did not like the Sa-mar-i-tans, and
would have nought to do with them. And those to
whom Je-sus spoke would not have thought it strange

The Good Samaritan.

329

if this man from Sa-ma-ri-a had left the Jew to die
by the road-side.

But this he could not do, for he had a kind
heart. He went to the
poor man and bound
up his wounds, and set
him on his own beast,
and brought him to an
inn, and took care of
him.

And the next day
when he left he took
out two pence and gave
them to the host, and
said to him, Take care
of him; and if thou hast
need to spend more
than that, when I come
back I will pay thee.

Which now of
these three dost thou
think was neigh-bor to
him who fell a-mong
thieves?

And the man of law said, He that was kind to
him.

Then said Je-sus, Go, and do thou like-wise; that

THE GOOD SAM-AR-I-TAN.

330 History of the New Testament.

is, to those who need help go and do as the Sa-mar-
i-tan did.

Je-suscame to Beth-a-ny — a small place near Je-
ru-sa-lem — and a wo-man, whose name was Mar-tha,
asked him to come to her house. She had a sis-ter,
whose name was Ma-ry, and while Mar-tha went to
get things and to cook, and sweep, and dust, Ma-ry
sat down at the feet of Je-sus to hear him talk.

This did not please Mar-tha, who felt that she
had too much work to do; so she came to Je-sus and
said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sis-ter hath
left me to do the work a-lone? Bid her there-fore
come and help me.

Je-sus said to her, Mar-tha, Mar-tha, thou art
full of care and vexed a-bout more things than there
is need of. There is need of but one thing, and
Ma-ry hath made choice of that which is good, and
no one shall take it from her.

He meant that Ma-ry chose to care for her soul,
and to be taught how to live in this world, so that
she might fit her-self for the next one. And the one
thing we all need is a new heart, full of love to Je-
sus and glad to do his work.

One of the twelve said to Je-sus, Teach us how
to pray, as John taught those who were with him.
Je-sus taught them to pray thus:

Our Fa-ther, who art in heav-en, Hal-low-ed be

The Good Samaritan.

thy name, Thy king-dom come, Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heav-en, Give us this day our dai-ly
bread, and for-
give us our
debts as we
for-give our
debt-ors. Lead
us not in-to
temp-ta-tion
but de-liv-er us
from e-vil, for
thine is the
king-dom, the
pow-er, and
the glo-ry, both
now and for-
ev-er. A-men.
Then he
said, Which
of you shall
have a friend
and shall go to
him at mid-
night and say
to him, Friend,
lend me three loaves : for a friend of mine has come
a long way to see me, and I have no food for him.

MA-RY AND MAR-THA.

332 History of the New Testament.

And he who is in-side shall say, The door is now
shut, and my chil-dren are with me in bed; I can-not
rise and give thee.

I say to you, though he will not rise and give him
be-cause he is his friend, yet if he keeps on and begs
hard he will rise and give him as much as he needs.
And I say to you, Ask God for what you need and
he will give it to you. Seek and ye shall find.
Knock, and the door that is shut will o-pen for you.

For, he said, if a child of yours should ask for
bread, would you give him a stone? or should he ask
for a fish, would you give him a snake? If ye then,
who are full of sin, know how to give good gifts to
your chil-dren, how much more sure is it that God
will give good things to those who ask him.

Je-sus chose three-score and ten more men and
sent them out, two and two, in-to all the towns where
he meant to come, that they might heal the sick and
preach the good news. And they did as he told
them, and came back full of joy at the great things
they had done through the strength that he gave
them. Je-sus told them that they should feel more
joy that their names were set down in the Book of
Life — God's book — where he keeps the names of all
those who love him, and do his will on earth.

The Feast of Tents was near at hand, and Je-
sus said to the twelve, Go ye up to this feast, but I

THE BEND-ING OUT OF THE SEV-EN-TY.

333

334 History of the New Testament.

will not go now, for my time has not yet come. So
he staid in Gal-i-lee for a-while. Then he went up
to Je-ru-sa-lem, but did not make him-self known
lest the Jews should kill him.

The Jews sought for him at the feast, and
said, Where is he? And there was much talk of
him. Some said, He is a good man; and some
said, No, he is a fraud. But no one dared to speak
well of him out loud for fear of the Jews.

In the midst of the feast Je-sus went up in-to the
church and taught there. And he said, Ye both
know me, and ye know from whence I came. I am
not come to please my-self, but to do the will of him
that sent me, whom ye know not. But I know him,
for I have come from him, and he hath sent me.

Then they made a rush for him, but no man laid
hands on him, for his hour had not yet come. God
had set the time for him to die, and no one could
harm him till that day and hour.

As he came from the church he saw a man who
had been blind from his birth. Je-sus spat on the
ground and made clay of the moist earth, and spread
the clay on the eyes of the blind man.

Then he told him to go and wash in a pool that
was near. And he went, and did as he was told,
and his sight came back to him.

And his friends, and those who had seen him

The Good Samaritan.

335

when he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and
begged ?

Some said, This is he; and some said, He is like
him; but the man
said, I am he.

Then they said
to him, How were
thine eyes cured?

And he said, A
man, by the name of
Je-sus, made clay and
spread it on my eyes,
and said to me, Go to
the pool of Si-lo-am
and wash ; and I went
and did so, and my
back to

sight

came

me.

Then they said to
him, Where is he?
He said, I know not.

It was on the day
of rest that Je-sus
made the clay, and
the Phar-i-sees, when they heard of it, said, This
man is not of God, for he does not keep the day of
rest. And they went to the fa-ther and the mo-ther

' ONCE I WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE.1

336 History of the New Testament.

of the man who had been blind, and said to them,
Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? How
then doth he now see?

His pa- rents said, We know that this is our son,
and that he was born blind; but by what means he
now sees, or who hath cured his eyes, we know not.
He is of age, ask him; he shall speak for him-self.

They spoke thus for fear of the Jews; for the
Jews had made it known that all those who-said that
Je-sus was the Christ should be put out of the
church. So they said, He is of age; ask him.

Then the Phar-i-sees went to the man that was
blind, and said to him, Give God the praise, for we
know that this man is a man of sin.

He said to them, What he is I know not; but
this I do know, that once I was blind, but now I see.

Then they said to him, What did he do to thee?
How did he cure thine eyes?

The man said, I have told you be-fore, and ye
did not hear. Why would ye hear me say it once
more? Would ye be of his band?

Then they spoke harsh words to him, and said,
Thou dost take sides with him, but we stand by Mo-
ses. We know that God spoke to Mo-ses ; but as
for this fel-low, we know not who sent him.

The man said, It is strange that ye know not
who sent him, when he has brought sight to my blind

Jesus, the Good Shepkerd.

eyes. Since the world was made we have not heard
of a man who could give sight to one that was born
blind. If this man were not of God he could not
have done this thing.

The Phar-i-sees were full of wrath, and said to the
man, Thou hast dwelt in sin from thy birth, and
wilt thou try to teach us? And they drove him out
of the church.

Je-sus heard of it, and when he found the man
he said to him, Have you faith in the son of God?

He said, Who is he, Lord, that I may put my
trust in him ?

Je-sus said, It is he that talks with thee.

The man said, Lord, I know that it must be so;
and he fell at the feet of Je-sus, and gave praise to him.

CHAPTER XIII.

JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD. LAZARUS BROUGHT TO LIFE.

-THE FEAST, AND THOSE WHO WERE BID TO IT.

JE-SUS said to those whom he taught, I am the
good shep-herd. The good shep-herd will give his
life for the sheep. But he that is hired, and who
does not own the sheep, when he sees the wolf
will leave the sheep and run to save his own life.

3 ^ 3 History of the New Testament.

Then the wolf lays hold of the sheep, and puts the
flock to flight. He who is hired flees from the sheep,
be-cause he does not care for them.

I am the good shep-herd and know my sheep,
and my sheep know me. And I will lay down my
life for the sheep.

Some sheep I have which are not of this fold;
they too must I bring in, and they shall hear my
voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shep-herd.

The Jews found fault with his words, and some
said, He talks like a mad-man.

As Je-sus went out on the porch at one side of
the great church that He-rod built, the Jews came
round him and said, How long wilt thou keep us in
doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us so in plain
words.

Je-sus said, I told you, and ye had no faith in
me. The works that I do, in God's name, are proof
that I am sent from him. But ye do not trust me
be-cause ye are not my sheep. My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they go the way I lead.
They shall not be lost, and no one shall take them
from me. For God gave them to me, and no one
can take them out of his hand. I and my Fa-ther
are one.

Then the Jews took up stones to stone him, be-
cause he said that he was God.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

339

But he fled from them, and went out of Je-ru-sa-
lem to a place near the Jor-dan, where crowds came
to hear him, and to be taught of him. And not a
few gave their hearts to Je-sus, and sought to lead
new lives ; to do right
and to be good.

Ma-ry and Mar-
tha, who lived at
Beth-a-ny, had a bro-
ther whose name was
Laz-a-rus, and he was
sick. So his sis-ters
sent word to Je-sus,
but though he was
fond of these friends
at Beth-a-ny he made
no haste to go to
them, but staid two
days in the place
where he was.

Then he said to
the twelve, Let us go
back to Beth-a-ny, for
my friend Laz-a-rus sleeps, and I must go and
wake him.

He meant that Laz-a-rus was dead, and that he
must go and bring him back to life.

THE LOST SHEEP.

340 History of the New Testament.

But the twelve thought that he meant that Laz-
a-rus slept, as we do when we take our rest.

Now Beth-a-ny was near Je-ru-sa-lem, and a
crowd of Jews had gone there to weep with Ma-ry
and Mar-tha. As soon as Mar-tha heard that Je-
sus was near she ran out to meet him; but Ma-ry
sat still in the house. And Mar-tha said to Je-sus,
If thou hadst been here my bro-ther would not have
died. But I know that e-ven now what thou wilt
ask of God he will give it thee.

Je-sus said to her, Thy bro-ther shall rise a-gain.

Mar-tha said, I know that he shall rise at the
last day.

Then Mar-tha went back to the house and said
to Ma-ry, The mas-ter has come and asks for thee.

Ma-ry rose at once and went out to meet him;
and those who saw her leave the house, said, She
goes to the grave to weep there.

As soon as Ma-ry came to the place where Je-
sus was, she fell at his feet and said, Lord, if thou
hadst been here my bro-ther had not died.

When Je-sus saw her tears, and the tears of those
who wept with her, he was full of grief, and said,
Where have ye laid him ?

They said, Lord, come and see.

Je-sus wept. And when the Jews saw it they
said, See how he loved him. And some of them

Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

said, Could not this man, who gave the blind their

sight, have saved Laz-a-rus from death ?

*
Je-sus came to the grave. It was a cave, and a

stone lay at the mouth p
of it.

Je-sus said, Take a-
way the stone. Mar-tha
said to him, By this
time he must be in a
bad state, for he has
been dead four days.

Je-sus said to her,
Did I not tell thee that
if thou hadst faith thou
should see what great
things God could do?

Then they took the
stone from the place
where the dead was laid.
And Je-sus cried out
with a loud voice, Laz-
a-rus, come forth.

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand
and foot in his grave clothes, and with his head tied
up in a cloth. Je-sus said, Loose him and let
him go.

And some of the Jews who came to be with Ma-

LAZ-A-RUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD.

342 History of the New Testament.

ry and Mar-tha, and saw this great thing which Je-
sus did, had faith in him that he was the son of God.
But some of them went to the Phar-i-sees and told
what he had done.

And the Phar-i-sees and chief priests met to talk
of Je-sus and his deeds. They said it would not do
to let him go on in this way, for he would raise up
a host of friends who would make him their king.
That would not please the Ce-sar of Rome, who
would come and take Je-ru-sa-lem from them, and
drive the Jews out of the land.

So from that time they sought out some way in
which they could put Je-sus to death.

As Je-sus went out of the church where he had
taught on the Lord's day, he saw a wo-man all bent
up in a heap. She had been so for near a score of
years, and could not lift her-self up.

Je-sus said to her, Wo-man, thou art made well.
And he laid his hands on her, and she rose at once,
and stood up straight, and gave thanks to God

And the chief man of the church was wroth with
Je-sus, because he had done this deed on the day of
rest He said .to those in the church, There are six
days in which men ought to work ; if you want to be
cured come then, and not on the day of rest.

Je-sus spoke, and said, Doth not each one of you
loose his ox or his ass from the stall and lead him

THE GREAT SUP-PER.

344 History of the New Testament.

off to drink ? And if it is right to do for the ox and
the ass what they need, is it not right that this
wom-an should be made well on the day of rest?

And when he said this his foes hung their heads
with shame, and all his friends were glad for the
great deeds that were done by him.

One Lord's day he went to the house of one of
the chief Phar-i-sees, and while there he spoke of a
man who made a great feast.

And when it was all spread out, he sent his ser-
vant out to bid those come in whom he had asked
to the feast.

And they all cried out that they could not come.
The first one said, I have bought a piece of ground,
and must go and see it; so pray do not look for me.

The next one said, I have bought five yoke of
ox-en, and must go and try them ; so pray do not
look for me.

The next one said, I have just ta-ken a wife, and
so can-not come.

So the ser-vant came back to the house and told
his mas-ter these things. Then the rich man was
in a rage, and he said to his ser-vant, Make haste
and go out through the streets and lanes of the town,
and bring in the poor, the lame, and the halt and
the blind.

And the ser-van4- did as he was told. Then he

Jesus, tke Good Skepkerd. 345

came and said, Lord, I have done as thou didst bid
me, and yet there is room for more.

The lord of the house then said, Go out through
the high-ways, and down by the hedge-rows, and
make the folks come in, that my house may be full;
for none of those who were first called shall taste of
my feast.

The man who spreads the feast is God. The
feast is the good news — that Christ will save us from
our sins. The ser-vant means those who preach, and
urge men to come to Christ. Those who were first
bid to the feast and would not come mean the Jews.
And to bid the poor, the lame, and the blind come
in-to the feast, means that the poor and the sick are
to be saved as well as the rich and the great.

Great crowds drew near to Je-sus, and he told
them that though they might come and hear him
preach, if they did not care for him in their hearts
they were not true friends, and could not be of his
band. They must care more for him than for all
else in the whole world; and must bear his cross —
that is, they must do what is right, as Je-sus did.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE PRODIGAL SON. THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLI-
CAN. BABES BROUGHT TO JESUS. ZACCHEUS

CLIMBS A TREE,

JE-SUS said, There was a rich man who had two
sons. One of them was wild, and fond of feasts and
of gay times, and did not care for his home, or the
life that he led there. So he went to his fa-ther and
said, Give me, I pray thee, my share of the wealth
thou hast laid up for thine heirs, that I may spend
it as I choose. And he took his share, and went far
from home, and led a gay life.

And when he had spent all he had, there came
a dearth in that land, and he was in great want.

That he might not starve, he went out in search
of work, and a man hired him, and sent him in the
fields to feed swine. And so great was his need of
some-thing to eat that he would have been glad to
have had some of the coarse food with which the
swine were fed, but none of the men gave it to him.

Then he said to him-self, The men my fa-ther
hires have more food than they can eat, while I
starve for want of what they can well spare. I will

346

The Prodigal Son.

347

rise and go to my fa-ther, and will say to him, Fa-
ther, I have done wrong in thy sight, and in the
sight of God, and have no more right to be called
thy son. Let me come
back to thy house, and
be as a ser-vant.

So he rose and went
to his fa-ther. And
while he was yet a long
way off his fa-ther saw
him, and ran and fell on
his neck and kissed him.

And the son said to
him, Fa-ther I have
done wrong in thy sight,
and in the sight of God,
and have no more right
to be called thy son.

But the fa-ther said
to his hired men, Bring
forth the best robe and
put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes
on his feet. And bring in the fat-ted calf, and kill it,
and let us eat and be glad. For this my son was dead,
and now lives ; he was lost and is found. And tears
and sighs gave place to smiles and songs of joy.

Now the son who had staid at home and kept

THE PROD-I-GAL'S RE-TURN.

348 History of t/ie New Testament.

his share of wealth that his fa-ther gave him, was at
work in the field. And as he came near the house
he heard the gay sounds, and called one of the hired
men to him and asked what it all meant.

The man said, Thy broth-er is here, and thy fa-
ther has made a feast, so great is his joy to have him
back safe and sound. And the young man was in
a rage, and would not go in the house ; so his fa-ther
came out and coaxed him.

And he said to his fa-ther, For years and years
have I been true to thee and broke none of thy laws.
But thou didst not kill a kid for me that I might
make a feast for my friends. But as soon as this thy
son was come, who spent thy wealth in ways of sin,
thou didst kill the fat-ted calf for him.

And the fa-ther said, My son, I have loved thee
all thy life, and all that I own is the same as if it was
thine; yet it was right that we should be glad and
sing songs of joy, for this thy broth-er was dead and
now lives; he was lost and is found.

In this way Je-sus taught those who found fault
with him, that God was glad to have men turn from
their sins and come back to him. He loved them
in spite of their sins, and when they made up their
minds to leave them, and to do what was right, God
met them more than half way, and g^ve peace and
joy to their hearts.

The Prodigal Son.

349

A prod-i-gal is one who wastes all that he has.

Then Je-sus spoke to those who were proud, and
felt as if no one
else was quite as
good as they
were. And he
said, Two men
went up in-to
the church to
pray. One of
them — a Phar-
i-see — chose a
place where all
could see him ;
and he stood up
and said, God
I thank thee
that I am not
like oth-er men.
I fast twice a
week, and I give
to the aid of the
church a tenth
part of all I own.

But the other man stood far off, and bowed his
head, and beat on his breast as he said, God help
me, and for-give my sins. And God for-gave this

THE PHAR-I-SEE.

350 History of the New Testament.

man more than he did the oth-er, for those that are
proud shall be brought low, and those who are meek
shall be set in a high place.

Then babes were brought to Je-sus that he might
lay his hands on them and bless them. And when
the twelve saw it, they tried to keep them back, and
would have sent them a-way.

This did not please Je-sus, and he said to them,
Let the chil-dren come to me, and do not hold them
back, for of such is the king-dom of God.

He meant that no one could have a home with
God who was not as good, and sweet, and pure as a
young child, who hates sin, and loves God with his
whole heart. Then Je-sus took the babes up in
his arms, and laid his hands on them, and blest
them.

And as he and the twelve went on their way,
Je-sus told them that they were to go to Je-ru-sa-lem
that those things might be done to him of which the
seers and proph-ets spoke. He said that the Jews
would beat him and put him to death, but that he
should rise from the dead on the third day.

None of the twelve knew what he meant by
these things, but thought he would set up his throne
on earth, and reign as kings do in this world, and
that each one of them would have a place of high
rank near his throne.

"SUV-FER LIT-TLE CH1L-DREN TO COMB UN-TO ME, 3 - I

History of the New Testament.

When it was known that ' they were to pass
through Jer-i-cho a great crowd came out to meet
them. And there was a rich man there who had a
great wish to see Je-sus. And his name was Zac-
che-us. He was so small that he was quite hid by
the crowd, and he was in great fear that Je-sus
would pass and he not see him. So he ran on a-
head of the crowd ; and got up in-to a tree, from
whence he could look down at this great man of
whom he had heard.

And when Je-sus came to the place he raised
his eyes and saw him, and said to him, Zac-che-us,
make haste and come down, for to-day I must stay
at thy house.

And Zac-che-us came down and went with Je-
sus, and was glad to have him as a guest. And
there was quite a stir in the crowd, and the Jews
found fault with Je-sus, and said that he had gone to
be a guest with a man that was full of sin.

But Zac-che-us told Je-sus that if he had done
wrong he would do so no more, but would try to be
just to all men and to lead a good and pure life.

And when Je-sus saw that he meant what he
said, he told Zac-che-us that God would blot out the
sins of the past, and help him to lead a new life.
For he said that he had come to the world to seek
those who had gone wrong, and were like lost sheep,

The Feast uj the Passover. 353

and to save them and bring them to his home in
the sky, where there was no such thing as sin or
death.

CHAPTER XV.

THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER.- -THE SUPPER AT BETHANY.

Now the great least of tne Pass-o-ver was near,
and a great crowd of Jews went up to Je-ru-sa-lem
to keep it. It had been kept since the days of Mo-
ses, when God smote the first-born of E-gypt, and
passed o-ver the homes of the Jews.

And those who were on the watch for Je-sus to
do him harm, said, as they stood in the church, What
think ye? will he not come to the feast? For the
chief priests and Phar-i-sees had sent out word that
those who knew where Je-sus was should make it
known, that they might take him.

Now six days be-fore the great feast, Je-sus came
to Beth-a-ny, where Laz-a-rus was whom he had
raised from the dead. Some of the Jews knew that
he was there, and they came not so much to see Je-
sus as to see Laz-a-rus.

And the chief priests sought for a way to put
Laz-a-rus to death, as some of the Jews, when they

354 History of the New Testament.

saw him had faith in Je-sus, and gave their hearts to
him.

Je-sus left Beth-a-ny to go to Je-ru-sa-lem, and
on the way the mo-ther of Zeb-e-dee's chil-dren
came to Je-sus and begged that he would do one
thing for her.

J e-sus said to her, What wilt thou ? She said to
him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one
on thy right hand, and the oth-er on thy left, in thy
king-dom.

Je-sus said, Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye
drink of the cup that I drink of, and bear all that I
shall have to bear? They said, We can. Je-sus
said, Ye shall drink of the cup, and bear the cross,
but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not
mine to give; but God gives it to those who are fit
for it.

When the ten heard this thev were wroth with

James and John. But Je-sus told them that those
who sought to rule would be made to serve, and
that he him-self came not to be served by men but
to lay down his life for them.

And when they came to the Mount of Ol-ives,
Je-sus sent two of the twelve, and said to them, Go
to the small town which is near you, and you shall
find there a colt tied, on which no man has rode.
Loose him, and bring him to me, and if you should

CHRIST AND THE MOTH-ER OF ZICB-K-I>F.t's CHIL-DREN.

356

History of Ike New Testament.

be asked, Why do ye this ? Say that the Lord hath
need of him, and he will be sent at once.

The men did
as J e -s u s told
them, and brought
the young ass and
put their robes on
his back, and Je-
sus sat on him.

And as he
went out on the
road the crowds
on their way to
the feast spread
their robes be-fore
him, and strewed
the way with
green boughs
from the palm
trees. And they
waved palms in
their hands, and
made the air ring
with shouts of,
Ho-san-na to the
son of Da-vid ! Blest is he that comes in the name
of the Lord! Ho-san-na in the high-est!

CHIL-DREN IN THE TEM-PLE CRY-ING,
OF DA-VID."

HO-SAN-NA TO THE SON

THE EN-TRY INTO JER-U-SA-LEM.

358 History of the New Testament.

This was the way in which they used to meet
and greet their kings, and they thought to please
Je-sus so that he would pay them back when he set
up his throne on earth. For the most of them did
not love him in their hearts.

As Je-sus came near to Je-ru-sa-lem he looked
at it, and wept when he thought of the grief that the
Jews were to know.

And he taught each day in the church at
Je-ru-sa-lem, but at night he went to Beth-a-ny to
sleep.

One morn as he was on his way back to Je-ru-
sa-lem he saw a fig-tree by the road side, and went to
it to pluck some of the fruit. But he found on it
naught but leaves. Then he said to it, Let no more
figs grow on this tree.

The next day when the twelve went by they saw
that the fig-tree was dried up from its roots.

And they thought of the words that Je-sus spoke,
and said, How soon has the fig-tree dried up !

Je-sus told them that they might do as much and
more than he had done to the fig-tree, if they had
faith in God, and sought strength from him.

Then he spoke to them in this way : There was
a rich man who laid out a vine-yard, and dug a ditch
round it to keep wild beasts and thieves a-way, and
made a wine press, and let the place out to men who

CHRIST WEEP-ING OVER JER-U-SA-LF.M.

360 History of bke New Testament.

were to give him part of the fruit. Then he went
off to a far land.

When the time had come for the fruit to be ripe he
sent one of his ser-vants to the men who had charge
of the vine-yard, that he might bring back his share
of the grapes.

But the men took the ser-vant and beat him, and
sent him off with no fruit in his hands.

Then the one who owned the place sent once
more, and the bad men threw stones at this ser-vant,
and hurt him so in the head that he was like to die.
The next one they killed, and so things went on.

Now the rich man, who owned the place, had
but one son, who was most dear to him. And he
said, If I send my son to them they will be kind to
him, and treat him well.

But as soon as the bad men saw him they said,
This is the heir; let us kill him, and all that is his
shall be ours. And they took him and put him to
death, and cast him out of the vine-yard.

The vine-yard is the world. The one who owns
it is Goa. The bad men are the Jews; he had
taught them his laws, and they had vowed to keep
them. When they did not do it, God sent priests
and wise men to try and make them do what was
right. These were stoned, and not a few were slam.

At last he sent his own dear son, Je-sus. Now

The Feast of the Passover.

361

they meant to kill him, as the bad men had killed
the heir of the vine-yard.

When the Jews heard this talk they knew that
Je-sus spoke of them, and
they were wroth with him,
and in haste to kill him.

One day, on his way
out of the tem-ple, Je-sus
sat down near the box in
which mon-ey was put for
the use of the church.
And he saw that the rich
put in large sums. And
there came a poor wid-ow
who threw in two mites,
which make a far-thing,
or the fourth of a pen-ny.

Je-sus said to the
twelve, This poor wid-ow has cast in more than all
the rest. For they had so much they did not miss
what they gave ; while she, who was poor and in
want, did cast in all that she had.

THE WID-OW'S MITE.

CHAPTER XVJ.

PARABLES.

A PAR-A-BLE is a sto-ry of some-thing in real life
that will fix in our minds and hearts the truth it is
meant to teach.

Je-sus said the king-dom of heav-en was like the
mas-ter of a house who went out at morn to hire
men to work in his vine-yard.

The price was fixed at a pen-ny a day, and those
who would work for that were sent out to the vine-
yard.

At nine o'clock in the day he went out and saw
men in the mar-ket place who were out of work,
and he said to them, Go ye to the vine-yard, and I
will pay you what is right. And they went their
way.

He went out at noon, and at three o'clock, and
found more men whom he sent to work in his vine-
yard. Later in the day, when it was near six
o'clock, he went out and saw more men, to whom he
said, Why stand ye here all the day i-dle?

They said to him, Be-cause no man has hired us.

362

Parables.

363

He said, Go ye in-to the vine-yard, and what is
right I will give thee.

So when night came, the lord of the vine-yard
had the work-men
called in, and each onej
was paid a pen-ny.

When the first!
came they thought
they should have!
more, and when they
were paid but a pen-
ny they found fault,
and said, These last
have wrought but one!
hour, and thou hast
paid them the same
as us who have born
the toil and heat of
the day.

The mas-ter said,
Friend, I do thee no
wrong. Didst thou
not say thou wouldst
work for me for a
pen-ny a day? Take what is thine, and go thy way;
for I have a right to do as I will with mine own.
And the last shall be first and the first last.

LA-BOR-ERS IN THE VINE-YARD.

364 History of the New Testament.

Je-sus told them a par-a-ble of ten maids who
went out to meet the bride-groom. For in those
days the man who was wed brought his bride home
at night, and some of his friends used to go out to
meet him.

These ten maids had lit their lamps, and gone
out to meet the bride-groom. But he did not come
as soon as they thought he would, and as the hours
went on they all fell a-sleep.

Now five of these maids were wise, and five were
not. The wise ones had brought oil with them, so
that if their lamps should go out they could fill them.
Those who were not wise had no oil but that which
was in their lamps.

At mid-night those who were on the watch cried
outr Lo, the bride-groom comes! Go ye out to meet
him.

And the five wise maids rose at once, and went
to work to trim their lamps.

The five who were not wise, stood by and said.
Give us of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.

But the wise ones said, Not so; for we have no
more than we need. Go ye and buy of those who
have oil to sell.

And while they went out to buy, the bride-groom
came, and those who were in trim went in with him,
and the door was shut.

Parables.

Then the five maids who had been out to buy
oil came to the door, and cried out, Lord, Lord, let
us in. But he said. I do not know you; and
would not let them
in.

The bride-groom
means Je-sus, who is
to come at the last
day. The ten maids
are those who claim
to love him, and who
set out to meet him
on that day. The
oil is the love in our
hearts, which burns
and keeps our faith
bright. We are to
watch and wait for
him, for we know
not the day nor the
hour when he will

THE FOOL-ISH VIR-GINS.

come.

Je-sus came to
the town of Beth-a-ny, and they made a sup-per for
him there. In those days they did not sit at their
meals on chairs as we do, but lay down on a couch,
or lounge, as high as the ta-ble, so that they could

366 History of the New Testament.

rest on the left arm, and have the right hand and
arm free to use.

Mar-tha, Ma-ry, and Laz-a-rus were there, and
while Je-sus sat at meat Ma-ry came with a flask of
rich oil, that was worth a great price. And she broke
the flask and poured the oil on the head of Je-sus.

And there were some there who found fault with
this great waste, and Ju-das — one of the twelve — said
that the oil might have been sold for a large sum
that would have done the poor much good.

Je-sus said, Blame her not. She has done a good
work on me. For the poor you have with you
all the time, and you may do them good when you
choose. But you will not have me al-ways.

Then Ju-das went to the chief priests and said,
What will you give me if I bring you to the place
where Je-sus is, so that you may take him? They
said they would pay him well. And from that time
he was on the watch to catch Je-sus a-lone.

Je-sus said, There was a rich man, who wore fine
clothes, and had great feasts spread for him each
day. And a beg-gar named Laz-a-rus lay at his
gate, full of sores; but the rich man gave him not so
much as a crumb. And the dogs came and licked
his sores.

The beg-gar died, and was borne by the an-gels
to A-bra-ham's bo-som. The rich man died and was

Parables.

367

laid in the ground. And while in the pains of hell
he raised his eyes and saw A-bra-ham with Laz-a-rus
on his bo-som, and he cried and said, Fa-thef A-bra-
ham, have mer-
cy on me, and
send Laz-a-rus
that he may dip
the tip of his fin-
ger in wa-ter
and cool my
tongue, for this
flame tor-ments
me.

But A-bra-
ham said, Son,
thou in thy life-
time had thy
good things,
while Laz-a-rus
was poor and
had a hard lot.
Now he has
ease from all his
pains and thou
art in tor-ments. And be-tween us and you there
is a great gulf; none can go from here to you, nor
come from you to us.

THE RICH MAN AND THE BEG-GAR.

368 History of the New Testament,

Then the rich man said, I pray thee then send
him to my fa-ther's house, for I have five breth-ren,
that he may speak to them, so that they come not to
this place of tor-ment.

A-bra-ham said, They have Mo-ses and the
proph-ets, let them hear them.

And the rich man said, Nay, fa-ther A-bra-ham;
but if one went to them from the dead they will turn
from their sins.

And he said to him, If they hear not Mo-ses and
the proph-ets they will not turn from their sins
though one rose from the dead.

A stew-ard is one who takes charge of a house or
lands, pays bills, hires work-men, and is the mas-
ter's right-hand man.

Je-sus said, There was a rich man who had a
stew-ard. And word was brought to him that this
stew-ard made a bad use of his mas-ter's wealth. So
the rich man said to him, What is this that I hear
of thee? Let me know how thou hast done thy
work, if thou wouldst keep thy place.

The stew-ard said to him-self, What shall I do
if my lord takes my place from me ? I can-not dig,
and am too proud to beg. I have made up my
mind to do some-thing that will put me on good
terms with the rich, so that they will not close their
doors to me should I lose my place here as stew-ard.

Parables.

So he sent for all those who were in debt to his
lord. And he said to the first, How much dost thou
owe? And he said, A hun-dred mea-sures of oil.
The stew-ard said,
Take thy bill, and sit
down and write fif-ty.

Then said he to
the next one, How
much dost thou owe?
The man said, A
hun-dred mea-sures of
wheat. The stew-ard
said to him, Take thy
bill, and write four-
score.

And the lord
praised the un-just
stew-ard, for he
thought he had done
a wise thing.

Je-sus said we were
to use our wealth so
as to make friends who will take us in their homes
should we be-come poor.

He that is faith-ful in small things is faith-ful al-
so in large ones. And he that is un-just in the
least, is un-just in much more.

THE UN-JUST STEW-ARD.

370 History of the New Testament^

No man can serve two mas-ters.

As Je-sus drew near to Je-ru-sa-lem those who
were with him thought that the king-dom he spoke
of was close at hand.

He said to them, A rich man had to go to a far
land, so he called his ten ser-vants that he might
leave his goods in their charge. To the first one he
gave five tal-ents. A tal-ent is a large sum in sil-ver.
To the next he gave two tal-ents ; and to the third
one. And he said to them, Make a good use of
these gifts till I come back; and then went on his
way.

Then he that had five tal-ents went out and
bought and sold and made five tal-ents more. And
the one that had two did the same. But he that
had one dug a hole in the earth and hid his lord's
mon-ey.

When the rich man came back he sent for his
ser-vants that they might tell him what they had done
while he was gone. So he that had had five tal-ents
came and said, Lord, thou didst give me five tal-
ents, and see — I have gained five more.

His lord said to him, Well done, good and faith-
ful ser-vant, thou hast been faith-ful o-ver a few
things, I will make thee ru-ler o-ver ma-ny things;
en-ter thou in-to the joy of thy lord.

Then he that had two tal-ents came and said,

Parables.

Lord, thou didst give me two tal-ents and I have
gained two more.

His lord said to him, Well done, good and faith-
ful ser-vant,
thou hast been
faith-ful o-ver
a few things,
I will make
theeru-ler o-ver
many things;
en-terthouin-to
the joy of thy
lord.

Then he
who had but
the one tal-ent
came and said,
Lord, I knew
that thou wert
a hard man,
and didst reap
where thou
hast not sown,
and gleaned
where thou
hast not strewn ; and, for fear I should lose it. I hid
thy tal-ent in the earth, and here it is.

THE TAL-ENTS.

372 History of the New Testament.

His lord said, Thou wick-ed and la-zy ser-vant,
if thou didst know me to be such a harsh man thou
shouldst have lent my mo-ney to those who would pay
for its use, so that when I came back I should have
my own and more with it. Take there-fore the one
tal-ent from him and give it to him that hath ten tal-
ents. For to him that hath much shall more be giv-
en ; but from him that hath not, shall be ta-ken
a-way all that he hath. And cast ye the use-less
ser-vant in-to out-er dark-ness, where shall be weep-
ing and gnash-ing of teeth.

Christ meant to teach by this that we were to
make use of the gifts or tal-ents that God gave
us, and add to them as much as we could. Then
when we die God will say to us, Well done, and
bid us share in the joy that our lord has in store
for us.

If we have but one gift we must use that and
serve God with it, or at the last day he will take that
from us, and we shall have no part in the joy of our
lord.

Je-sus said, The good news is like a king who
made a wed-ding feast for his son. And he sent his
ser-vants to call in those who were bid to the feast.
But they would not come. Then he sent out more
ser-vants to urge them to come to the wed-ding.
But they made light of it, and went their ways, to

Parables.

373

their farms or shops; and some fell on the king's ser-
vants and slew them.

When the king heard of this he was wroth, and
he said to his
ser-vants, Go
ye out to the
high-ways and
bring in to the
wed-ding those
ye find there.

And the
ser-vants did
so, and brought
in both bad and
good, so there
was no lack of
guests at the
wed-ding.

When the
king came in to
see the guests,
he saw there a
man who had
not on a wed-

WED-DING GAR-MENT.

ding gar-ment.
And he said to him, Friend, why art thou here with-
out a wed-ding gar-ment. And the man spoke not.

374

History of the New Testament.

Then said the king to the ser-vants, Bind him
hand and foot and take him off, and cast him in-to

out-er dark-ness. For
ma-ny are called but
few are cho-sen.

God is the king
who made the feast
for Je-sus Christ, his
son, to which all are
bid. The wed-ding
gar-ment we need is
a true heart, full of
love to Je-sus. The
good news is for all,
yet those who think
more of this world
than they do of heav-
en, Christ does not
choose for his own,
and they are lost.

Je-sus said the
good news is like un-to leav-en or yeast, which a
wo-man took and hid in some meal till the whole of
it was light.

LEAV-EN.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE LORD'S SUPPER. JESUS IN GETHSEMANE. THE

JUDAS KISS. PETER DENIES JESUS.

Now the day was come when the Jews were to
keep the feast of the pass-o-ver. To do this each
man took a lamb to the church, and killed it on the
al-tar. The priest would burn the fat, but the rest of
the lamb the man took home, and it was cooked, and
he and his folks atexDf it in the night.

The twelve came to Je-sus to ask him at what
place they should set out their feast. For they had
no house or home of their own.

Je-sus sent forth two of them and said, Go ye to
Je-ru-sa-lem, and there shall meet you a man with a
jug of wa-ter. Go to the house where he goes, and
sav to the man who lives there, The mas-ter bids
thee show us the room where he shall come to eat
the feast with his friends.

And he will show you a large room, up-stairs;
there spread the feast.

The men did as Je-sus told them, and the man
showed them the room, and there they spread the
feast.

And at night Je-sus came with his twelve

375

376 History of the New Testament.

friends. And as they did eat, Je-sus said, There is
one here who will give me up to the Jews.

These words made them all feel sad.

Now there was one of the twelve of whom Je-sus
was most fond. His name was John. And as he
lay with his head on Je-sus' breast he said to him,
Lord, who is it ?

Je-sus said, It is he to whom I shall give the
piece of bread I dip in the dish.

And when he had dipped the bread he gave it
to Ju-das. And he said to him, What is in thy
heart to do, do at once.

Now none of the rest knew why Je-sus spoke
thus. But as Ju-das had charge of the bag in which
the mon-ey was kept, some of them thought 'hat he
bade him buy things they were in need of, or give
some-thing to the poor. Then Ju-das went out of
the house where Je-sus and his friends were; and it
was night.

And when he had gone, Je-sus said to them, I
shall be with you but a short time. But ere I go a
new law I give to you — the law of love. As I have
loved you so shall ye love each oth-er. By this shall
all men know that ye loye me.

Pe-ter said, Lord, where dost thou go?

Je-sus said, Where I go thou canst not come now,
but thou shalt be with me by-and-by.

The Lord's Supper.

377

Pe-ter said, Lord, why can-not I go with thee
now? I will lay down my life for thy sake?

Je-sus said,
I tell thee, Pe-
ter, the cock
shall not crow
thrice till thou
hast sworn
thrice that thou
dost not know

me.

And as they
did eat Je-sus
took the bread
and gave
thanks and
broke it, and
gave to them,
and said, Take
and eat.

Then he
took some wine
in a cup, and
when he had
thanked God,
he gave it to them and they all drank of it.

And he told them that when he was dead they

PRAY-ING IN THE GAR-DEN.

378 History of the New Testament.

must meet from time to time, and eat the bread and
drink the wine in the same way that he had shown
them; and as often as they did it they were to think
of him, and the death that he died to save men from
their sins.

Je-sus spoke with them for some time. Then a
hymn was sung and they all went from the house,
and came to the Mount of Ol-ives. And they went
to a gar-den there, known as Geth-sem-a-ne. And
Je-sus took with him Pe-ter, James, and John, and
said to them, Sit ye here and watch with me while
I go and pray. And he went from them a short
way, and knelt down and prayed. And when he
thought how soon he was to be put to death for our
sins, he was in such grief and pain that the sweat
seemed like great drops of blood as it fell to the
ground. And God sent an an-gel to calm him and
give him strength.

And when he rose from his knees and went back
to where his friends were, he found that they slept.
And he said to Pe-ter, What, couldst thou not watch
with me one hour?

And he went off to pray once more. And when
he came back, his friends still slept ! And he left
them and came back a third time. Then he said,
Rise up and let us go, for the worst of my foes is
close at hand.

379

380 History of the New Testament.

Now Ju-das had been on the watch, and knew
when Je-sus went to the gar-den. And as it was
dark he thought it would be the best time to give
him up to the Jews. So he went to the chief priests
and told them, and they sent a band of men out with
him to take Je-sus.

Je-sus, who knew all things, knew that Ju-das
was near, yet he did not flee.

Ju-das had told the band that he would give them
a sign by which they might know which was Je-sus.
He said, The one I shall kiss, is he; take him, and
hold him fast. Then he came to Je-sus and gave
him a kiss.

And the men laid their hands on Je-sus and took
him. His friends who were near him said to him,
Lord, shall we fight them with the sword ?

Pe-ter who had a sword struck one of the band
and cut off his ear.

Je-sus said to him, Put thy sword back in its
sheath. Could I not pray to God to send me a host
of an-gels to fight for me and save me from death ?
But how then could the words of wise men come
true? Then Je-sus touched the man's ear and made
it well. And he said to those who took him, Have
ye come out with swords and staves as if I were a
thief, to take me? I sat from day to day and taught
you in the church, and you did not harm me.

Tke Lords Supper. ^3r

Then Pe-ter, James and John, and the rest, were
in great fear, and fled from him.

The men that took Je-sus led him off to the
house of the high priest, where the scribes and
those who had charge of the church had all met.

Pe-ter kept up with the crowd and went in a side
door of the house to sit by the fire. And one of the
maids of the high priest came to him, and said, Thou
wast with Je-sus. But he said, I know not what you
mean.

Then he went out on the porch and the cock
crew. While there a maid said to those who stood
near, This one was with Je-sus.

And Pe-ter said once more that he did not know
him. And the cock crew once more.

Now it chanced that one of the high priest's men
was a kins-man of the one whose ear Pe-ter had cut
off. And he said to him, Did I not see thee in the
gar-den with him?

Pe-ter swore that he was not there, and did not
know the man. And Je-sus gave him a look as he
went by, that was like a stab in Pe-ter's heart. For
then the cock crew for the third time, and it came to
Pe-ter's mind what Je-sus had said, — Ere the cock
crow thrice, thou shalt de-ny me thrice. And he
went out and wept as if his heart would break, so
great was his grief and shame.

CHAPTER XVIII.

CHRIST BEFORE PILATE. ON THE CROSS.

THE chief court of the Jews met in a room near
the church, and was made up of three-score and ten
men. The high priest and chief priests were there,
and the scribes, and head men of the church, and
it was for them to say what should be done to those
who broke the laws of Mo-ses; some of whom had
to pay fines, or to be shut up in jail. But if a man
was to be put to death tkey had to ask the chief
whom the Ce-sar of Rome had set to rule in that part
of the land if he would let the deed be done.

It was night when the Jews took Je-sus, and as
soon as it was day they brought him in-to court to
have him tried. The high priest said to him, Art
thou the Christ? tell us.

Je-sus said, If I tell you, ye will not think I
speak the truth.

Then they all said, Art thou the son of God?

And he said, I am.

Then the high priest rent his clothes, and said,
By his own words we can judge him. What do you
say shall be done to him ? And they all cried out,

Let him be put to death !

382

Christ Before Pilate. 383

Then they spit in his face, and struck Je-sus with
the palms of their hands. And they bound him and
led him blind-fold to Pi-late's house, and told Pi-late
some of the things he had said and done.

Pi-late said to Je-sus, Art thou a king? Je-sus

" BE-HOLD THE MAN."

said, I am. But my realm is not of this world, else
would my men have fought to set me free.

Pi-late said, I find no fault with this man. And
the Jews were more fierce, and cried that his words
had made a great stir in all the land from Gal-i-lee

384 History of the New Testament.

to that place. Pi-late said, if he came from Gal-i-
lee they must take him to He-rod, who ruled that
part of the land. And He-rod was in Je-ru-sa-lem
at that time.

When He-rod saw Je-sus he was glad, for he
had heard much of him, and was in hopes to see
some great things done by him. But when He-rod
spoke to Je-sus, Je-sus said not one word. And the
chief priests and scribes stood by, and cried out that
he claimed to be king of the Jews, and the son of
God, and had taught men that they need not keep
the laws of Mo-ses or of Rome. These were crimes
for which he ought to be put to death.

So He-rod and his men of war made sport of
Je-sus, and put on him a robe such as kings wear;
for he had said he was a king. And then He-rod
sent him back to Pi-late.

Pi-late said, I find no fault in this man ; nor does
He-rod, for I sent you to him; he has done naught
for which he should be put to death.

Now it was the rule when this great feast was
held, that one of those who were shut up in jail
should be set free. And at this time there was a
Jew there, whose name was Ba-rab-bas ; and he had
killed some one.

Pi-late said, Which one shall I set free — Ba-rab-
bas, or Je-sus, who is called Christ?

PI-I.ATK WASH-INT. HIS HANDS.

386 Historv of the New Testament.

While Pi-late spoke, his wife sent word to him
to do no harm to that just man, for she had had a
strange dream a-bout him. But the chief priests
urged the mob to ask that Ba-rab-bas be set free.

Pi-late said, What then shall I do with Je-sus,
who is called Christ?

They cried out, Hang him! Hang him!

When Pi-late saw that he could not get them to
ask for Je-sus, he took some wa-ter and washed his
hands in full view of the mob, and said, I am not to
blame for the death of this just man ; see ye to it.

Then the Jews said, Let his blood be on us and
on our chil-dren.

But Pi-late was to blame for Je-sus' death; for he
gave him up to the Jews that he might please them,
and keep the place that he had.

Now it was the law of the land that a man should
be scourged ere he was hung. So Je-sus was stripped
to the waist, and his hands were bound to a low
post in front of him so as to make him stoop, and
while he stood in this way he was struck with rods,
or a whip of cords, till the blood burst through the
skin.

Then Pilate's men of war led him to a room, and
took off his own robe, and put on him one of a red
and blue tint. Then they made a crown of thorns
and put it on his head; and they put a reed in his

Christ Before Pilate.

right hand.
Then they
bowed down
to him, as if he
were a king,
and mocked at
him and said,
Hail, King of
the J ews !
And they spat
on him, and
took the reed
andstruckhim
on the head,
and smote him
with their
hands.

When Ju-
das saw that
Je-sus was to
be put to death,
he was in great
grief to think
he had brought
such a fate on
one who had
done no wrong. And he took back to the chief priests

BE-HOLD THE MAN.

388 History of the New Testament.

the sum they had paid him, and he said to them, I have
done a great sm to give up to you one who had done no

wrong. They said to him, What is that to us? See

j .• . -.
thou to that. Then Ju-das threw down the sil-ver,

and went out and hung him-self.

Then the men of war took off the gay robe from
Je-sus, and put his own clothes on him and led him
out to put him to death.

They met a man named Si-mon, and made him
bear the cross. And a great crowd of men and wo-
men went with them who wept and mourned for
Je-sus. Je-sus told them not to weep for him, but
for them-selves and their chil-dren, be-cause of the
woes that were to come on the Jews.

They brought him to a place called Cal-va-ry,
not far from the gates of Je-ru-sa-lem. And they
nailed his feet and hands to the cross, which was
then set up in the ground. And all the while Je-sus
prayed, Fa-ther for-give them, for they know not what
they do. He meant that they did not know how
great was their sin; nor that they had in truth put to
death the son of God. With him they hung two
thieves, one on his right hand, and one on his left.

Then they sat down to watch Je-sus, who hung for
hours on the cross in great pain, ere his death came
to him. And they took his robes and gave each
one a share; but for his coat they cast lots. And

CHRIST CAK-KY-1NU HIS CROSS.

39°

History of the New Testament.

at the top of the cross Pi-late had put up these words :

JE-SUS OF NAZ-A-RETH, KING OF THE JEWS.

And the Jews as they went by shook their heads

at him, and said, If thou be the son of God come down

fpom the cross, and the chief priests and the scribes

mocked him
and said, His
trust was in
God ; let God
save him now if
he will have
him.

One of the
thieves spoke to
Je-sus and said,
If thou art the
Christ save thy-
self and us.

But the oth-
er said, Dost
thou not fear
God when thou
art so soon to die? It is right that we should die
for our sins, but this man has done no wrong. And
he said to Je-sus, Think of me when thou art on thy
throne. Je-sus said to him, This day shalt thou be
with me where God is.

CHRIST ON CAL-VA-RY.

THE CRU-CI-FIX-ION.

391

392 History of the New Testament.

Now there stood near the cross of Je-sus his mo-
ther, and John — the one of the twelve most dear to
him. And he bade John take care of his mo-ther,
and told her to look on John as her son. And John
took her to his own home to take care of her and
give her all that she had need of.

From the sixth to the ninth hour — that is, from
twelve to three o'clock — the sky was dark in all the
land. And Je-sus thought that God had turned his
face from him. And he cried out with aloud voice
O God ! O God ! why hast thou left me ?

One of the men near thought he was in pain, and
he took a sponge and dipped it in the gall, and put
it up on a reed to his mouth, so that Je-sus might
drink. Je-sus wet his lips with the drink that was
to ease his pain, then spoke once more, bowed his
head and died.

Then the veil which hung in the church, in front
of the ark, was torn in two; the earth shook; the
rocks were split ; the graves gave up their dead, and
those who, while they lived, had served the Lord,
rose and came out of their graves and went in-to Je-
ru-sa-lem and were seen there.

When those who had kept watch of Je-sus as he
hung on the cross, saw these things that were done,
they were in great fear, and said, There is no doubt
that this man was the son of God.

LAY-ING IN TUB IUMB.

393

394

History of the New Testament.

As night came on the Jews went to Pi-late and
begged him to kill Je-sus and the two thieves so that

they could be put
in their graves.
For it would not
do for them to
hang on the cross
on the day of rest.
The men on
guard broke the
legs of the thieves
to kill them, and
thrust a spear in-
to Je-sus' side to
make sure that he
was dead.

Now there was
near Cal-va-ry a
gar-den, in which
was a tomb in
which no one had
been laid. It was
cut in a rock, and

DEATH OF SAP PHI- RA.

was owned by
rich man — Jo-seph of Ar-i-ma-the-a. He came to Pi-
late and begged that he might lay Je-sus in this grave,
and Pi-late told him to do so. And Jo-seph took

Jesus Leaves the Grave. 395

Je-sus down from the cross, and wrapped him in the
fine lin-en he had brought, and laid him in the tomb,
and put a great stone at the door, and left him there.

The chief priests went to Pi-late and said, It has
come to our minds that Je-sus said that he would
rise on the third day, so we pray thee to have men
watch the tomb lest some of his friends come and steal
him, and then go and say that he rose from the dead.

Pi-late said, Ye have your own watch-men. Go
and make it as sure as you can.

So they went and put a seal of wax on the great
tomb, and set men to watch by the tomb.

But that night God sent down an an-gel, and he
came and rolled back the stone from the door, and
sat on it. His face shone like fire, and his robes
were white as snow. And the watch-men shook for
fear of him, and had no more strength than dead men.

CHAPTER XIX.

JESUS LEAVES THE GRAVE. APPEARS TO MARY.

STEPHEN STONED. PAUL/S LIFE, AND DEATH.

ON the first day of the week, as soon as it was light,
three wo-men, friends of Je-sus, came to the tomb with
the gums and spice they used to lay out their dead.

39^ History of the New Testament.

And they said as they went, Who shall roll the
stone a-way from the door of the tomb?

And lo, when they came near they found that
the great stone had been rolled a-way. And when
they went in the tomb, they saw an an-gel clothed in
a long white robe, and they shook with fear.

He said to them, Have no fear. Ye seek Je-sus,
who was put to death on the cross. He is not here,
though this is the place where they laid him. Go
tell his friends that he has ris-en from the dead, and
bid them go to Gal-i-lee where they shall see him.

Two of the wo-men from the tomb, with fear and
yet with joy, ran to tell the good news.

But Ma-ry Mag-da-le-ne stood out-side the tomb
and wept. And as she stooped down and looked in
the tomb, she saw two an-gels in white, the one at
the head, the oth-er at the foot of the place where
Je-sus had lain.

And they said to her, Why dost thou weep? She
said, Be-cause they have taken my Lord a-way, and
I know not where they have laid him. And when
she had thus said, she drew back and saw that Je-
sus stood near, yet knew not that it was he.

Je-sus said to her, Ma-ry! She turned and said
to him, Mas-ter!

Je-sus said, Touch me not, for I have not yet gone
up to my Fa-ther; but go tell the breth-ren what
thou hast seen and heard.

Jesus Leaves the Grave.

397

And Ma-ry told them that she had seen the
Lord, and all that he had said to her.

And Je-sus was seen two or three times on the
earth af-ter his
death, and he came
and spoke to those
who were to teach
and preach as he
had taught them.
But Thom-as was
not with the rest
when the Lord
came. And when
they told him that
they had seen the
Lord, he said, I
doubt it. But if I
shall see in his hands
the marks of the
nails, and thrust my
hand in the wound
the spear made in
his side, then shall
I know that it is he.

In eight days these friends met in a room to talk
and pray. Thom-as was with them and the door
was shut. Then came Je-sus and stood in their

HE IS RIS-EN.

398 History of the New Testament.

midst and said, Peace be un-to you. Then said he
to Thom-as, Reach here and touch my hands, and
put thy hand in my side, and doubt no more that I
have ris-en irom the dead.

When Thom-as heard his voice and knew that it
was Je-sus, he said, My Lord and my God. Je-sus
said to him, Thom-as, be-cause thou hast seen me,
thou hast faith in me; blest are they that have not
seen me, and yet put their trust in me.

At the end of five weeks he met with these friends
at Je-ru-sa-lem. And when he had had a talk with
them he led them out as far as Beth-a-ny. And he
raised his hands and blest them, and as he stood
thus he went up in a cloud out of their sight.

When the day of Pen-te-cost, or har-vest feast,
had come, Pe-ter, and the rest of those whom Je-sus
had taught, were all in one place.

And all at once there came the great rush of a
strong wind that filled the room where they were.
And tongues of fire came down on each one of them,
and their hearts were filled with a strange pow-er,
and they spoke all known tongues.

And there were men there from all parts of the
East, and when they heard these men of Gal-i-lee
speak in their own tongues of the works of God, they
were in a maze. And some said, These men are
full of new wine.

CHRIST AP-PF.AR-ING TO MARY.

399

4°° History of the New Testament.

But Pe-ter stood up and said the men were not
drunk, but that this strange gift of speech was one of
the signs that God had told the Jews that he would
send on the earth. And Pe-ter preached so well to
the crowd that not a few left the ranks of sin and
gave their hearts to Christ, and to good works.

From that time those who had been in the school
in which Je-sus taught while on earth went out to
teach and preach the good news. They gave alms
to the poor, healed the sick, and did all the good
that they could.

.One of them, named Ste-phen, stood up to preach
and to tell the Jews what God had done for them,
and to try to make them give up their sins. He
spoke in plain words, and said, The Jews of old put
to death those who were sent to tell them that Je-
sus was to come; and now you have slain the Just
One him-self.

When the Jews heard this they were full of rage,
and gnashed their teeth at him like wild beasts. But
he raised his eyes to the sky, and saw a great light
there. And he said, I see Je-sus on the right hand
of God.

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and
stopped their ears so that they could not hear his
words ; and they brought him out of the town, and
stoned him.

THE AS-CEN-SION TO HEAV^EN.

4OI

402 History of the New Testament.

And Ste-phen knelt down, and asked God to
for-give them for this sin. And then he died.

The men who threw the stones at Ste-phen took
off their cloaks, that they might have the free use of
their arms, and laid them at the feet of a young
man named Saul.

HOU-SES ON THE WALLS OF DA-MAS-CUS.

Now Saul had done much harm to the good
cause, and was in a great rage with those who were
friends of Je-sus and taught his truths. So he went
to the high priest at Je-ru-sa-lem and asked to be sent
to Da-mas-cus, that if he found friends of Je-sus there
he might bind them with cords and bring them back

THE COM-ING OF THE HO-LY GHOST.

4°4 History of the New Testament.

to Je-ru-sa-lem. And the high priest gave him notes
to those who had charge of the church-es in Da-mas-
cus, and he set out for that place. But when he
came near the towrn there shone round him a great
light, and he was in such fear that he fell to the
ground. And a voice said to him, Saul, Saul, wrhy
dost thou hate me and hunt me down ?

Saul said, Who art thou, Lord ? The voice said,
I am Je-sus, whom thou dost use so ill.

Then Saul shook with fear and said, Lord, what
wilt thou have me to do? The Lord said, Rise, and
go in-to the town, and it shall be shown thee what
thou must do. And the men who were with him
stood dazed and dumb, for they heard the voice, but
could see no man.

When Saul rose from the earth he could not see,
for the light had made him blind ; and those who
were with him led him by the hand in-to Da-mas-
cus. And for three days he had no sight; and he
could not eat nor drink.

But God sent An-a-ni-as, a good man, to touch
his eyes, and his sight and his strength came back.
And his heart was changed, and there was no man
who could preach as Paul did, by which name he
was now known.

For a while he went with Bar-na-bas. Then he
took Si-las with him, and they made both friends and

Jesus Leaves the Grave.

4°5

foes. The Jews at Phil-ip-pi found fault with them,
beat them and put them in jail, and. bade the jail-er
keep them safe. So he made their feet fast in the
stocks — which were
great blocks of wood-p
with holes in them.

At mid-night Paul
and Si-las prayed, and
those in the jail heard
them. Then all at once
there came a great
earth-quake which
shook the jail, and the
doors flew o-pen, and
the chains fell from
those who were bound.
The jail-er woke from
his sleep, and when he
saw that not a door was
shut, he feared he
would be put to death
if those in the jail had
fled. So he drew his
sword to kill him-self. But Paul cried to him with
a loud voice, Do thy-self no harm, for we are all here.

Then the jail-er brought a light, and came to the
cell where Paul and Si-las were, and he knelt there,

THE CON-VER-SION OF ST. PAUL.

406 History of the New Testament.

and cried out, Sirs, what must I do to be saved ?
And they said, Have faith in the Lord Je-sus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved.

That same hour of the night the jail-er took Paul
and Si-las and washed their wounds, and brought
them food, and his heart was full of joy, for he and
all in his house were made Chris-tians, and God
would for-give their past sins.

The next morn the chief men at Phil-ip-pi sent
word to the jail-er to let those men go, for the Jews
found they had no right to beat Paul. And they
feared the law, and begged him to leave the town.

Paul went to A-thens, the chief town of Greece,
which was full of false gods, to whom al-tars had been
built. But there was one al-tar on which were the
words, To THE UN-KNOWN GOD.

Those who built it felt that there was one God of
whom they had not been taught, and this al-tar was
for him.

Paul taught in A-thens, both in-doors and out-
doors. And when the wise men heard that he told
of Je-sus, and that we were all to rise from the dead,
they brought him to Mars' Hill, where the chief
court was held. And they said to him, Tell us now
what the good news is. For thou dost speak strange
words, and we would like to know what they mean.

Paul told them there was but one true God, and

Jesus Leaves the Grave.

407

they must serve him and give up their sins, and
put their trust in Je-sus, and they would all be
saved at the last
day.

Then Paul
went to Corinth,
where he spent
some time. At
the end of some
years he came
back to Je-ru-sa-
lem. And the
Lord's friends
met him, and
were glad to see
his face once
more. And he
told them where
he had been,
and * how God
had helped him.

And Paul
went up to the
church. And
while he was there some Jews from Asia saw him and
took hold of him, and cried out, Men of Is-ra-el, help
us. This is the man who has taught that we were

ST. PAUL LEAV-ING TYRE.

408 History of the New Testament.

not to do as Mo-ses told us, nor to come here to
pay our vows. And he has brought with him Gen-
tiles whom it is a crime to let come in-to our church.

Soon all the town was in an up-roar, and Paul
was brought in-to the church, ancl the gates that led
to the courts were all shut. As they were about to
kill him, some one went and told the chief who had
charge of a band of Ro-man troops, and dwelt near
the great church to guard it. And he and some of
his men ran down in the midst of the crowd, who, as
soon as they saw them, ceased to beat Paul.

The chief took Paul from them, and had him
bound with chains, and asked who he was and what
he. had done. Some cried this, and some that, and
no one could tell just what they said.

And the chief led him off to his own house, to
save Paul's life, and the mob brought up the rear,
and cried out, A-way with him ! Kill him ! The
next day the chief let Paul go, and sent him to Fe-
lix, who ruled in Ju-de-a. And here he was shut
up in jail, and was there for two years or more. He
told them who he was, and why he had gone to Je-
ru-sa-lem, and said he had done no wrong that he
knew of; though some might say it was wrong for
him to preach that the dead should rise from their
graves at the last day.

Fe-lix sent the Jews off, and bade the jail-er let

4°9

410

History of the New Testament.

Paul walk in and out as he chose, and see all the
friends who might call. He was there for two years,

and at the end of
that time Fes-tus
took Fe-lix's
place.

At last he
wassentto Rome
to be tried be-
fore the Ce-sar.
While on the
sea a fierce wind
sprang up, and
beat the ship so
that the men
could not steer.
And they were
in great fear lest
they should
drown. But
Paul told them
not to fear, for

ST. PAUL'S SHIP-WRECK. thpUgh tllC ship

might be awreck

there would be no loss of life. At the end of two
weeks the ship struck the isle of Mal-ta, and the men
swam to the shore on bits of boards.

412 History of the New Testament.

Paul staid here for three months, and then went
to Rome, where he dwelt for two years or more, and
taught men to trust in the Lord and to do right.

We are not told when or how he died.

CHAPTER XX.

WHAT JOHN SAW WHILE ON THE ISLE OF PATHOS. THE

GREAT WHITE THRONE. THE LAND OF LIGHT.

JOHN wrote the last book in the New Tes-ta-
ment. It is called Rev-e-la-tion ; and that means
that it tells what no one else but John knew.

John was sent to the lone isle of Pat-mos by one
of the bad Em-pe-rors of Rome, who would not let him
preach or teach the truths that Christ taught.

While he was at Pat-mos Je-sus came to him in
a dream, and showed him all the things that he wrote
of in this book.

John says : I heard a great voice like a trum-pet,
and as I turned to see who it was that spoke to me,
I saw Je-sus clothed in a robe that fell to his feet,
and was held at the waist by a belt of gold. And
when I saw him I fell at his feet like one dead. And
he laid his right hand on me, and said, Fear not ; I

What John Saw while on the Isle of Patmos. 413

am he who died on the cross, but who now lives to
die no more.

PAT-MOS.

Je-sus told John to write down all that he saw,
and to send it to the church-es for which it was meant.

4r4 History of the New Testament.

Then John saw a door open in the sky, and a
voice said to him, Come up here, and I will show
thee what will take place in the time to come. And
he heard the an-gels sing songs of praise to Je-sus,
whom they called the Lamb that was slain. And
John was shown strange things that were to teach
him what the friends of Christ would have to put up
with till the end of the world. And he was shown,
too, how the Lord would save them from their foes,
so that at last no one could hurt or harm them.

Then John saw a great white throne in heav-en,
and Je-sus sat on it. And the dead rose from their
graves, and came and stood near the throne to be
judged, All the things that they had done while on
the earth we-re put down in the books out of which
they were judged. And if their names were not in
the Book of Life they were cast in-to the lake of fire.

When this great day was past, John saw new
skies and a new earth, for the old earth and skies had
been burnt up, And he saw the New Je-ru-sa-lem
come down from the skies, and heard a voice say
that God would come and live with men.

Round the New Je-ru-sa-lem, which was built of
gold, was a high wall with twelve gates, three on each
side. At each gate was an an-gel to guard it. In
the walls were all kinds of rich and rare gems, and
its twelve gates were made of pearls.

What John Saw while on the Isle of Patmos

4*5

There was no need of the sun or the moon, for
God was there and Je-sus, and they made it light.
And those whom
Je-sus had saved
-Jews and Gen-
tiles, rich and poor
— were to come
and live in it.
And the gates
should not be
shut, for there
will be no night
there. And none
but those whose
names are in the
Book of Life shall

go in-to it.

And John saw
a pure riv-er called
the wa-ter of life.
On each side of
it grew the tree
of life that bore
twelve kinds of
fruit, which were ripe each month. And those
who dwell in that land of light, and eat the fruits
of the tree of life, and drink of the wa-ter of life,

ST. JOHN'S VIS-ION.

416 History of the New Testament.

shall see the Lord's face and be with him and
serve him.

He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there
shall be no more death, nor grief, nor pain.

Je-sus said to John, Blest are they who keep
God's laws and do his will, that they may pass
through the gates to his bright home on high.

THE END.

P outledge's Historical Course.

^^ IN WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE. Each book containing about 225
pages. With numerous illustrations, portraits and maps. Boards, lithographed
double covers. Price per volume, $1.00.

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, . BY MRS. HELEN W. PIERSON

HISTORY OF ENGLAND, By MRS. HELEN W. PIERSON.

HISTORY OF FRANCE, BY MRS. HELEN W. PIERSON.

HISTORY OF GERMANY, . . BY MRS. HELEN W. PIERSON.

HISTORY OF IRELAND, ... BY Miss AGNES SADLIER.

HISTORY OF RUSSIA BY Miss HELEN AINSLIE SMITH.

HISTORY OF JAPAN, .... . BY Miss HELEN AINSLIE SMITH.

HISTORY OF THE BATTLES OF AMERICA, . BY Miss JOSEPHINE POLLARD.

LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES,

BY MRS HELEN W. PIERSON.

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