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diff --git a/39431.txt b/39431.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8e173a3 --- /dev/null +++ b/39431.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8815 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Young Folks' Bible in Words of Easy Reading, by +Josephine Pollard + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Young Folks' Bible in Words of Easy Reading + The Sweet Stories of God's Word in the Language of Childhood + +Author: Josephine Pollard + +Release Date: April 12, 2012 [EBook #39431] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG FOLKS' BIBLE *** + + + + +Produced by Heather Clark, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: CHRIST the good Sheperd + +"HE WILL CARRY THE LAMBS 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 Beautiful 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. + +By + +JOSEPHINE POLLARD, Author of "History of the Old Testament," "History of +the New Testament," etc., etc. + + + WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY + REV. W. H. MILBURN, D. D., + 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 + + MAGNIFICENT COLORED PLATES. + + + + CHICAGO AND NEW YORK: + R. S. Peale & Company. + 1890. + + + + + Copyright + By JOSEPH L. BLAMIRE. + 1888. + + Copyright + By R. S. PEALE & CO. + 1889. + + + + +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 +Testament 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. + +[Illustration] + + + + +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 +sparkling 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 infidelity," 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 weapons 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 admonish, 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 Randolph 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 +dissipations of the Grove of Daphne, the Hippodrome and Theatre, and +resolved 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 volume 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 writhing in +agony under a fig 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 libertine, +reached forth to grasp the crown of heathen eloquence and learning, 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 wantonness, +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 +sayings 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 +foolish 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 superiority of the western nations over the eastern are +the presence, authority 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 for the healing of the nations." + +In 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 under +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 +passage, modified to suit my purpose. "Who will say that the uncommon +beauty and marvelous English of the household Bible is not the +stronghold 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 controversy 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 religiousness 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 +young 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 wisdom, 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 forward 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 springtime 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 the first Christian century, 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 +willingness 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; eternal 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 for +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 dispensations, 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 +foolish 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 children." +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 speaking 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 trying 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 reaching 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 picture +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 +speak 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 +to 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 not +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 +tabernacle 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 of _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 children 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 trembled 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 +wonders, 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 because 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-_B_-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-_L_-E. Beautiful, Interesting, +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 may 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, +converting the soul." + +We come now to the fifth letter, B-I-B-L-_E_--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 languages. 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 infidel 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 Captain +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 +opposition 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, 33 + + 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 + + CHAPTER X. + RUTH, 128 + + CHAPTER XI. + JOB, 132 + + CHAPTER XII. + SAM-U-EL, THE CHILD OF GOD, 139 + + CHAPTER XIII. + SAM-U-EL, THE MAN OF GOD, 147 + + CHAPTER XIV. + DA-VID AND SAUL, 157 + + CHAPTER XV. + SOL-O-MON, THE WISE MAN, 177 + + CHAPTER XVI. + E-LI-JAH, 183 + + CHAPTER XVII. + E-LI-SHA, 192 + + CHAPTER XVIII. + JO-NAH, THE MAN WHO TRIED TO HIDE FROM GOD, 200 + + CHAPTER XIX. + DAN-I-EL, 204 + + CHAPTER XX. + THE GOOD QUEEN ES-THER, 217 + + + NEW TESTAMENT. + + CHAPTER I. + 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 + + CHAPTER XI. + JE-SUS HEALS THE SICK.--HIS FORM CHANGED ON THE + MOUNT, 320 + + CHAPTER XII. + THE GOOD SA-MAR-I-TAN.--MAR-THA AND MA-RY.--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-CHE-US CLIMBS A TREE, 346 + + CHAPTER XV. + THE FEAST OF THE PASS-O-VER.--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 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. + +[Illustration: AD-AM AND EVE DRIV-EN FROM PAR-A-DISE.] + +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 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 A-dam, 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. + +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 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 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. + +[Illustration: CAIN AND A-BEL OF-FER-ING SAC-RI-FI-CES TO GOD.] + +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. + +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? + +Cain said, I know not. He is not in my care. Then God, who had seen the +crime, and knew just 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. + +[Illustration: THE DEATH OF A-BEL.] + +And Cain said if God drove him here and there 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 that +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 went 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. + +[Illustration: THE ARK.] + +And God loved No-ah and told him what he meant to do. And God bade No-ah +build an ark. 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. + +[Illustration: THE ARK] + +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 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 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. + +[Illustration: THE RE-TURN OF THE DOVE.] + +As soon as No-ah saw the leaf he knew that the waves had gone down or +the dove could not have 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. 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. + +[Illustration: NO-AH'S SAC-RI-FICE.] + +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. + +[Illustration: HE-BREWS, AND THEIR MODE OF TRAV-EL-ING.] + +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 great men were here, and what +great deeds they could do. + +[Illustration: BUILD-ING THE TOW-ER OF BA-BEL.] + +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 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 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 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: THE AN-GELS' VIS-IT.] + +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 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 to 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, 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 ve-ry much and did not +want to see him die. + +[Illustration: DE-STRUC-TION OF THE CIT-IES OF THE PLAIN.] + +And a voice spoke to Ha-gar out of the sky, and said, What ails thee, +Ha-gar? Fear not, for God 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-ri-ah, +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. + +[Illustration: HA-GAR AND ISH-MA-EL.] + +And as they drew near the place he took the 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-bra-ham 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: RE-BEK-AH AT THE WELL.] + +And he raised his heart to God and said, O 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. + +[Illustration: RE-BEK-AH JOUR-NEY-ING TO I-SAAC.] + +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. + +[Illustration: THE MEET-ING OF I-SAAC AND RE-BEK-AH.] + +And to this day no one has had such faith or trust in God as did +A-bra-ham. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +JACOB AND ESAU. + + +I-SAAC and Re-bek-ah had two sons. Their names were Ja-cob and E-sau. +E-sau was the first-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 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-saac said, Who art thou, my son? + +[Illustration: I-SAAC SPEAK-ING TO E-SAU.] + +And Ja-cob said, I am E-sau, thy first-born. 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: 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. + +And Ja-cob went out from Beer-she-ba. + +And as he went on his way he came to a place where he thought he would +lie 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? + +[Illustration: RA-CHEL AND JA-COB AT THE WELL.] + +And they said, We know him. + +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 se-ven 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, 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 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 E-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 ca-mels 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-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. + +[Illustration: THE MEET-ING OF JA-COB AND E-SAU.] + +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 deeds filled them with a fierce hate. + +And it was not long ere he told them of a fresh dream he had had, in +which he saw the sun and moon and e-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. + +[Illustration: JO-SEPH'S DREAM.] + +Now Ja-cob had large flocks of sheep and goats at Shech-em, and all of +his sons but Jo-seph had gone there to feed them. And Ja-cob said to +Jo-seph, Go and see if it be well with thy breth-ren, and with the +flocks, and bring me back word. + +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-ers had gone on to Do-than. +And Jo-seph went to Do-than and found them. And as soon as he came in +sight they thought of a way in which they might get rid of him. + +[Illustration: SHECH-EM, THE FIRST CAP-I-TAL OF THE KING-DOM OF +IS-RAEL.] + +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 in-to this pit, and lay +no hand 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. + +[Illustration: JO-SEPH SOLD BY HIS BROTH-ERS.] + +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 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 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. + +[Illustration: JO-SEPH'S COAT.] + +Then the chief cook told 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. + +And Jo-seph 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 a-sleep 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 +sev-en 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 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. + +[Illustration: PHA-RA-OH'S DREAM.] + +And the king said to Jo-seph, Since God hath showed thee all this there +is none so wise as thou art. So he put him in charge of all the land 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. + +[Illustration: JO-SEPH AND HIS BROTH-ERS.] + +When Ja-cob's ten sons came to the place where Jo-seph was, they bowed +down to the ground. And 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 said 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 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 said and +done to them, and that the lord of the land bade them bring Ben-ja-min +down to E-gypt or he would think they were spies, and their lives would +not be safe. + +Ja-cob said, 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. + +[Illustration: THE MEET-ING OF JO-SEPH AND BEN-JA-MIN.] + +When the corn they had brought from E-gypt was all gone, Ja-cob told his +sons to go down and 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. + +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 what Jo-seph +told him to say. And they were all in a rage, and said: Why does my lord +say such things of us? If the cup is found on one of us, kill him; and +make the rest of us slaves. + +And each one of them cast his sack on the ground, and 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. + +[Illustration: JA-COB BLESS-ES JO-SEPH'S CHIL-DREN.] + +And Ju-dah said, God has found out our sins. 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 E-gypt, 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. + +Jo-seph'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, 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. + +[Illustration: THE FIND-ING OF MO-SES.] + +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 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. + +[Illustration: MO-SES BROUGHT BE-FORE PHA-RA-OH'S DAUGH-TER.] + +And the Lord said, What is that in thine hand? And Mo-ses 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 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 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 chil-dren +of Is-ra-el go if Mo-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 Pha-ra-oh's heart was +hard. + +[Illustration: MOS-ES AT THE BURN-ING BUSH.] + +Then the Lord sent flies in such swarms that 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: MIR-I-AM, THE SIS-TER OF MO-SES, AND THE WO-MEN OF +IS-RAEL SING-ING PRAISES.] + +As they came to the Red Sea, Mo-ses raised his rod and the sea rose like +a wall on each side, and 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. + +[Illustration: THE CROSS-ING OF THE RED SEA.] + +But Mo-ses said it was food that God had sent 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. + +[Illustration: MO-SES AND THE TA-BLES OF THE LAW.] + +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, 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. + +[Illustration: WELL AND PALM-TREES IN THE DES-ERT.] + +[Illustration: THE RIV-ER NILE IN E-GYPT.] + +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 them +throw all the gold they had in-to 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. + +Then he 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. 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. + +[Illustration: MOS-ES ON MOUNT SINAI.] + +And Mo-ses did so. And this sign was meant to show forth Christ, who +was to heal men of their sins, and to be raised up on a cross. + +[Illustration: BA-LAAM AND THE ASS.] + +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. +He told Ba-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 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 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 I 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 ass 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: MO-SES ON MOUNT NE-BO.] + +And Ba-lak bade him make haste and go back 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 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 to 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. + +[Illustration: PASS-ING THROUGH THE JOR-DAN.] + +The Lord told Josh-u-a to have no fear of the 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 end--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 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 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 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. + +[Illustration: JOSH-U-A AND THE STONE OF WIT-NESS.] + +And the men said, The Lord hath done great 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 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-ra-el were set free from them. + +[Illustration: JEPH-THAH AND HIS DAUGH-TER.] + +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 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 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 in-to +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, and with it he fought the +Phil-is-tines and slew a host of them. + +[Illustration: SAM-SON SLAY-ING THE PHIL-IS-TINES.] + +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 in-to 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. + +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 sev-en 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 sev-en +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 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. + +[Illustration: SAM-SON CAR-RY-ING THE GATES OF GA-ZA.] + +Sam-son told her if he were bound with new 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 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 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 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. + +[Illustration: SAM-SON AND DE-LI-LAH.] + +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 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. + +[Illustration: SAM-SON DE-STROYS THE TEM-PLE.] + + + + +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, 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. + +[Illustration: RUTH AND NA-O-MI.] + +So they went to the town of Beth-le-hem where Na-o-mi used to live. + +It was the days when the grain was ripe in the fields, and the 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: RUTH.] + +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 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. + +[Illustration: BO-AZ AND RUTH.] + +Na-o-mi 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 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 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 XI. + +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 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, 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 +up-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 up-on 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. + +[Illustration: JOB, AND HIS FRIENDS.] + +Now Job knew that he had done no wrong, 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 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 +up-on 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 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 be-fore 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 be-fore, 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. + +[Illustration: SAM-U-EL.] + +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. + +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. + +And 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 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. + +[Illustration: HAN-NAH PRE-SENTS SAM-U-EL TO E-LI.] + +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. + +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 true; for the chil-dren of +Is-ra-el went out to fight the Phil-is-tines, 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. + +[Illustration: 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. + +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 that came out of the +fight, and I fled from there to-day. + +And E-li said, What word hast thou, my son? + +[Illustration: 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 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 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. + +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. + +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. + +[Illustration: 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 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 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. + +[Illustration: SAUL IN HIS HID-ING PLACE.] + +And the Lord chose Saul. But when 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, 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. 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 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: DA-VID A-NOINT-ED BY SAM-U-EL.] + +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 be-fore Sam-u-el. And Sam-u-el +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 not +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. + +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 on 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 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. + +And while he stood there, Go-li-ath came out from the ranks of the +Phil-is-tines, 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. + +[Illustration: DA-VID BE-FORE SAUL.] + +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 +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 stone sank in through the bone and he fell on his face +to the earth. + +[Illustration: DA-VID WITH GO-LI-ATH'S HEAD.] + +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. 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. + +[Illustration: JON-A-THAN AND DA-VID.] + +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 him, Thou shalt not die. 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 pled so hard for 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? + +[Illustration: JON-A-THAN SHOOT-ING THE AR-ROWS.] + +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. + +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 gone, 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. + +[Illustration: DA-VID AND SAUL.] + +When Saul went 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 and his men dwelt there in the town of Gath +for the space of a year and four months. + +[Illustration: DA-VID TAKES GO-LI-ATH'S SWORD.] + +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. + +Sam-u-el 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 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 of 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 made 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 Saul! + +And the king said, Have no fear. What did'st thou see? + +And the witch said, 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 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 thee just 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 have 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 sword and put me +to death. But the man 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: DA-VID FOR-GIV-ING AB-SA-LOM.] + +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 +with the king's son, 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 Dav-id 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 wo-man 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 in 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-sha-i had sent. And at dawn Da-vid and all +his men crossed 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. + +[Illustration: THE DEATH OF AB-SA-LOM.] + +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 through 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. + +[Illustration: DA-VID HEAR-ING OF AB-SA-LOM'S DEATH.] + +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 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 +So-lo-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 So-lo-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. + +There came two wo-men to the king. And one of them said, My lord, I and +this wo-man 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, it was dead. And I knew it was not my son. + +It is your son. + +It is not; the child that lives is mine. + +The dead child is yours. + +[Illustration: THE JUDG-MENT OF SOL-O-MON.] + +In this way they spoke, and the king heard them, and said, Bring me a +sword! + +And a sword was brought to him. + +And the king said, Cut the live child in two, and give half to one and +half to the oth-er. + +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 not be hers or 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. + +[Illustration: SHIPS OF SOL-O-MON.] + +When Sol-o-mon had been king for four years, 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 So-lo-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. + +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. + +[Illustration: QUEEN OF SHE-BA.] + +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 had a talk with Sol-o-mon 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 to 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 to 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 E-li-jah 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. + +[Illustration: E-LI-JAH FED BY RA-VENS.] + +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. + +[Illustration: E-LI-JAH AND THE WID-OW's CHILD.] + +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 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. + +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 +show 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 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 a-sleep, +or lost in thought. + +[Illustration: THE LIT-TLE CLOUD.] + +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. + +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 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. + +[Illustration: E-LI-JAH AND KING A-HAB.] + +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 with-out 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 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. + +[Illustration: E-LI-JAH IN THE WIL-DER-NESS.] + +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-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 El-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. + +[Illustration: E-LI-JAH GOES TO HEAV-EN.] + +Now the time drew near when E-li-jah was to leave the earth. And he and +E-li-sha stood near 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 I 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 by a whirl-wind, and E-li-sha cried out as he saw him 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 from the earth he let his cloak fall on E-li-sha. And +E-li-sha went down to the Jor-dan, and took the cloak and struck the +waves, 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 he gave proof that 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 o-ver two-score of them. + +[Illustration: THE CHIL-DREN OF BETH-EL.] + +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 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 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-li-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 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. When the king of Is-ra-el read the note he was +ve-ry 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. + +[Illustration: E-LI-SHA AND THE CHILD.] + +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. + +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-li-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-li-sha told him that he should set Is-ra-el free from +its foes. + +Then he said to the king, Take the darts. And 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. + +[Illustration: THE AR-ROW OF DE-LIV-ER-ANCE.] + +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 of +the folks 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-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 Jop-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 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. + +[Illustration: JO-NAH IN THE STORM.] + +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 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 said, Rise, and go to +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 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 right 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 name 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, and made them wise, and +strong in mind, and fair of face. + +[Illustration: KING NEB-U-CHAD-NEZ-ZAR.] + +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. + +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 be-fore 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: NEB-U-CHAD-NEZ-ZAR'S DREAM.] + +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, 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 in-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. + +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. + +[Illustration: DWELL-ING WITH THE BEASTS.] + +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 would save 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. + +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. And 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 bring down those who were full of pride. + +When Neb-u-chad-nez-zar died, a new king was 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. + +[Illustration: THE WRIT-ING ON THE WALL.] + +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 his neck, and make it known that he was to be third in rank +from the king. + +[Illustration: DAN-I-EL IN THE LIONS' DEN.] + +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 +li-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 +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 of the den. + +[Illustration: ROCK GRAVE OF DA-RI-US.] + +Then the 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? + +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. + +[Illustration: CY-RUS, KING OF PER-SI-A.] + +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. + + + + +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 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 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. + +[Illustration: ES-THER AND THE KING.] + +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 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 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 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 for a month, said +she. How then can I go to him? + +Mor-de-ca-i sent back word to the queen to think 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 if I die, I die in a good cause. + +So on the third day af-ter the queen put on her rich robes, and went in +and stood ve-ry near to the throne on which the king sat. + +[Illustration: ES-THER AT SHUS-HAN.] + +And when the king saw her, God put it in-to his heart to be kind, and he +held out to her the gold 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 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-ca-i +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 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 of 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 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 of 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, 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 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. + +[Illustration] + + + + +The New Testament + +[Illustration: CHRIST IN THE TEM-PLE.] + +[Illustration: THE BABE OF BETH-LE-HEM.] + + + + +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 wife 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. + +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. And God will make him a king, +and to his reign there shall be no end. + +Ma-ry said: How can this be? + +[Illustration: THE AN-NUN-CIA-TION.] + +The an-gel told her that what might seem hard for her was not hard for +God, who could do all 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 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 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. + +[Illustration: THE NA-TIV-I-TY.] + +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 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 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. + +[Illustration: SIM-E-ON IN THE TEM-PLE.] + +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 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 +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. + +[Illustration: THE GUID-ING STAR.] + +One night as a wise man lay on the roof of his house, with his gaze +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. + +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. + +[Illustration: THE SHEP-HERDS OF BETH-LE-HEM.] + +When the king had ceased to speak, the wise 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 on-ly 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. + +[Illustration: THE WISE MEN BRING-ING PRES-ENTS TO JE-SUS.] + +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 in-to E-gypt, and stay +there till I bring thee word; for He-rod will seek the young 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. + +[Illustration: THE FLIGHT IN-TO 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. + + + + +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 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 folks from the same town, +and were to come back in 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. + +[Illustration: NAZ-A-RETH.] + +Some rode on mules, some on horse-back, and 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 sought for him in the groups of friends +and kins-folk, where there were lads of his own age. + +[Illustration: JE-SUS WITH THE DOC-TORS IN THE TEM-PLE.] + +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. + +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. + +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 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 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. + +[Illustration: JOHN THE BAP-TIST.] + +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 o-ver 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 in-deed bap-tize you with wa-ter, but he who is to come af-fer +me, and who is great-er than I, will bap-tize you with fire. + +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 Je-sus 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 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. + +[Illustration: THE TEMPT-A-TION.] + +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. + +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. + +[Illustration: 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 mo-ther had been bid to the +feast. There was 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 pow-er 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 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 sil-ver 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. + +[Illustration: DRIV-ING THE SELL-ERS FROM THE TEM-PLE.] + +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 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. + +Sa-lo-me came back in haste to the king, and said, Give me, in a large +dish, the head of John the Bap-tist. + +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 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. + +[Illustration: THE WO-MAN AT THE WELL.] + +Then the wo-man 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? + +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 Je-sus would not say 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 that Je-sus was the son of +God. + +The Jews did not yet know how to print, and 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. + +[Illustration: CYL-IN-DER HOLD-ING THE PENT-A-TEUCH.] + +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 should come to bring +good 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 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, 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. + +[Illustration: TWO PA-GES of THE SAM-AR-I-TAN PENT-A-TEUCH.] + + +He went on to Ca-per-na-um, and great crowds 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 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. + +[Illustration: THE WON-DER-FUL DRAUGHT OF FISH-ES.] + +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. + +At the close of the day, when the sun had set, great crowds came to the +house where Je-sus was, 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. + +[Illustration: PE-TER'S WIFE'S MO-THER.] + +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 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 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. + +[Illustration: CUR-ING THE MAN LAME WITH PAL-SY.] + +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 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 Je-sus 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 when 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 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 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. + +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 time of 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. + +[Illustration: THE POOL OF BE-THES-DA.] + +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 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 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-sus said if 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. + +[Illustration: IN THE CORN-FIELDS.] + +Je-sus and his five friends, An-drew, Pe-ter, 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. + +[Illustration: THE WITH-ER-ED HAND.] + +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 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. + +[Illustration: 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. + +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, Si-mon and Ju-das Is-ca-ri-ot. + +[Illustration: THE SER-MON ON THE MOUNT.] + +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 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. + +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 called 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 called 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 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 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 dai-ly 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 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. + +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 find, and we have to search for it +with great care. But the path is one that leads to life and joy. + +[Illustration: THE UN-FRUIT-FUL TREE.] + +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. + +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 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 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. + +[Illustration: CHRIST AND THE CEN-TU-RI-ON.] + +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. + +And when the friends of the chief went back they found the sick man made +well. + +The next day Je-sus went to the town 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. + +[Illustration: THE WID-OW'S SON BROUGHT TO LIFE.] + +And he came up to the bier on which the dead lay, and those who bore it +stood still. Then Je-sus said, Young man, I say to thee a-rise. + +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. 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. + +[Illustration: WASH-ING HANDS IN THE EAST.] + +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. + +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. + +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 it is of no use for men to lay up great wealth +in this 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, 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. + +[Illustration: THE SOW-ER.] + +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. + +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. + +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 Je-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. + +[Illustration: THE EN-E-MY SOW-ING TARES.] + +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, 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. He 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: SEEK-ING GREAT PEARLS.] + +Then Je-sus spoke of those who took their net, and went out in a boat to +catch fish. They cast the 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. + +[Illustration: PAR-A-BLE OF THE NETS.] + +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 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. + +[Illustration: STILL-ING THE TEM-PEST.] + +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 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. + +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 of +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 drugs she took did her no good, and no one could +seem to help her case. So she went on from bad to worse. + +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, Someone 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: CUR-ED BY TOUCH-ING HIS GAR-MENT.] + +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, +once more the light and joy of their house, and their hearts must have +been full of thanks and praise to God! + +[Illustration: THE DAU-GHTER OF JA-I-RUS.] + +When Je-sus went 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 as soon as Je-sus cast out 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. + +[Illustration: THE TWO BLIND MEN.] + +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. + +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-es, 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. + +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 them back from their course, and made the 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. + +[Illustration: FEED-ING THE MUL-TI-TUDE.] + +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 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. + +[Illustration: PE-TER WALK-ING ON THE WA-TER.] + + +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. + +[Illustration: CHRIST WALK-ING ON THE SEA.] + +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 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 XI. + +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. + +[Illustration: THE AS-CEN-SION.] + +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! + +[Illustration: SI-DON.] + +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 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. + +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. Fear not. And when 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. + +[Illustration: PE-TER AND THE TRIB-UTE MON-EY.] + +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 fire 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. + +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 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 trib-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. + +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 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? + +[Illustration: THE GOOD SAM-AR-I-TAN.] + +And the man of law said, He that was kind to him. + +Then said Je-sus, Go, and do thou like-wise; that is, to those who need +help go and do as the Sa-mar-i-tan did. + +Je-sus came 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 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. + +[Illustration: MA-RY AND MAR-THA.] + +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. + +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. + +[Illustration: THE SEND-ING OUT OF THE SEV-EN-TY.] + +The Feast of Tents was near at hand, and Je-sus said to the twelve, Go +ye up to this feast, but I 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 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 sight came back to me. + +Then they said to him, Where is he? He said, I know not. + +[Illustration: "ONCE I WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE."] + +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 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 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. 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. + +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. + + +[Illustration: THE LOST SHEEP.] + +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. + +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 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 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. + +[Illustration: LAZ-A-RUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD.] + +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-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, be-cause 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 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? + +[Illustration: THE GREAT SUP-PER.] + +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-vant did as he was told. Then he 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 PUBLICAN.--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 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. + +[Illustration: THE PROD-I-GAL'S RE-TURN.] + +Now the son who had staid at home and kept 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 +gave peace and joy to their hearts. + +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. + +[Illustration: THE PHAR-I-SEE.] + +But the oth-er 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 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. + +[Illustration: "SUF-FER LIT-TLE CHIL-DREN TO COME UN-TO ME."] + +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, 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 feast of the 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 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. + +Je-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 they 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. + +[Illustration: CHRIST AND THE MOTH-ER OF ZEB-E-DEE's CHIL-DREN.] + +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 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 Je-sus 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! + +[Illustration: CHIL-DREN IN THE TEM-PLE CRY-ING, "HO-SAN-NA TO THE SON +OF DA-VID."] + +[Illustration: THE EN-TRY IN-TO JER-U-SA-LEM.] + +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. + +[Illustration: CHRIST WEEP-ING O-VER JER-U-SA-LEM.] + +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 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 God. 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 slain. + +At last he sent his own dear son, Je-sus. Now 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. + +[Illustration: THE WID-OW'S MITE.] + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +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. + +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 one 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. + + +[Illustration: LA-BOR-ERS IN THE VINE-YARD.] + +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. + +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 out, 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. + +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 come. + +[Illustration: THE FOOL-ISH VIR-GINS.] + +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 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 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-ther 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. + +[Illustration: THE RICH MAN AND THE BEG-GAR.] + +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. + +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. + +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. + +[Illustration: THE UN-JUST STEW-ARD.] + +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. + +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, 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 thee ru-ler o-ver ma-ny +things; en-ter thou in-to the joy of thy lord. + +[Illustration: THE TAL-ENTS.] + +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. + +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 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. + +[Illustration: WED-DING GAR-MENT.] + +When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not +on a wed-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. + +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. + +[Illustration: 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 ate of 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 say 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 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 +that 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 love 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: PRAY-ING IN THE GAR-DEN.] + +And he told them that when he was dead they 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 of-ten 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. + +[Illustration: JU-DAS BE-TRAY-ING CHRIST.] + +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. + +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 they 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! + +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 said, I am. But my realm +is not of this world, else would my men have fought to set me free. + +[Illustration: "BE-HOLD THE MAN."] + +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 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 had 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? + +[Illustration: PI-LATE WASH-ING HIS HANDS.] + +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 Pi-late'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 right hand. +Then they bowed down to him, as if he were a king, and mocked at him and +said, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spat on him, and took the reed +and struck him on the head, and smote him with their hands. + +[Illustration: BE-HOLD THE MAN.] + +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 the sum they had paid him, and he +said to them, I have done a great sin to give up to you one who had done +no wrong. They said to him, What is that to us? See 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. + +[Illustration: CHRIST CAR-RY-ING HIS CROSS.] + +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 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 from 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. + +[Illustration: CHRIST ON CAL-VA-RY.] + +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. + +[Illustration: THE CRU-CI-FIX-ION.] + +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 a loud 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. + +[Illustration: LAY-ING IN THE TOMB.] + +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. + +[Illustration: DEATH OF SAP-PHI-RA.] + +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 was owned by a 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 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. + +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 +ta-ken 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: HE IS RIS-EN.] + +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 +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 from 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. + +[Illustration: CHRIST AP-PEAR-ING TO MA-RY.] + +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. + +[Illustration: THE AS-CEN-SION TO HEAV-EN.] + +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. + +[Illustration: 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 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 town 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, why dost thou hate me and hunt me down? + +[Illustration: THE COM-ING OF THE HO-LY GHOST.] + +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 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 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. + +[Illustration: THE CON-VER-SION OF ST. PAUL.] + +Then the jail-er brought a light, and came to the cell where Paul and +Si-las were, and he knelt there, 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 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 Co-rinth, 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. + +[Illustration: ST. PAUL LEAV-ING TYRE.] + +And Paul went up to the church. And while he was there some Jews from +A-si-a 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 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, and the gates that led to the courts were all shut. As they were +a-bout 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. + +[Illustration: ST. PAUL PREACH-ING AT A-THENS.] + +Fe-lix sent the Jews off, and bade the jail-er let 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 was sent to 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 though the ship might be a wreck 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. + +[Illustration: ST. PAUL'S SHIP-WRECK.] + +[Illustration: MEET-ING PLACE IN A-THENS.] + +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 PATMOS.--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 am he who died on the cross, but who now lives to +die no more. + +[Illustration: 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. + +Then John saw a door o-pen 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 were 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. + +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. + +[Illustration: ST. JOHN'S VIS-ION.] + +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, 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. + + + + +Routledge'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. + + "Simple, bright, intelligent, interesting, instructive + histories are here brought to the younger readers, and + abundance of illustration serves to increase the + pleasure of reading and the chances of + remembering."--_New York School Journal._ + + "The words used are simple, and considerable + information is given about the countries in a pleasant + way. Excellent maps line the covers, and the histories + are brightly and accurately + illustrated."--_Springfield Republican._ + + "We know of no other books which treat the same + subjects in such a way as to interest a juvenile + audience."--_Philadelphia Telegraph._ + + "The broad pages, printed in very large, open type, + the beautiful and appropriate illustrations, make + these books the best, on _historical subjects_, in the + language."--_New England Journal of Education._ + + "They are profusely and well illustrated, with + brilliantly illuminated covers, and are strongly + bound, as books which are certain to be as largely + read as these should be."-_New York Mail and Express._ + + + GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, + 9 LAFAYETTE PLACE, NEW YORK. + + * * * * * + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +As the reader will have noted, words that are more than one syllable are +hyphenated. Frequently the printer made an mistake and forgot to +hyphenate all or part of a word. This has been corrected where found. + +Obvious punctuation errors have been repaired. Some times high priest +was hyphenated and sometimes it was two words. This was retained. + +Page 78, "Ja-cob" changed to "Jo-seph" (And Jo-seph went to Do-than) + +Page 100, "se" changed to "sent" (food that God had sent) + +Page 109, "the the" changed to "the" (do the king's will) + +Page 164, "plead" changed to "pled" (Da-vid pled so hard) + +Page 178, "wo-men" changed to "wo-man" (I and this wo-man live in) + +Page 342, "Ce-ser" changed to "Ce-sar" (please the Ce-sar of Rome) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Young Folks' Bible in Words of Easy +Reading, by Josephine Pollard + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK YOUNG FOLKS' BIBLE *** + +***** This file should be named 39431.txt or 39431.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/9/4/3/39431/ + +Produced by Heather Clark, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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