,,stories ,,of ,,the ,,bible            
,,the ,,people                  ,,of    
,,the                ,,chosen ,,land    
,,by               ,,myles ,,endicott   
,,illustrations ,,from ,,dor ,,and      
,,other ,,eminent ,,artists             
,,volume ,i4        ,,educational       
,,publishing ,,company        ,,boston  
,,new ,,york  ,,chicago  ,,san          
,,francisco                             
,,copyrighted        ,by ,,educational  
,,publishing ,,company                  
#ahig          ,illustration3 ,,creation
 ,,of ,,light    ,illustration3         
,,creation ,,of ,,the ,,sun ,,and       
,,moon4                 ,,stories ,,of  
,,the ,,bible4              ,,the       
,,creation4      ,many1 many years ago  
there was no earth4 ,there were no      
plants1 nor  animals2 no sun2 no moon2  
neither were there any people4    ,all  
was darkness4    ,then ,god looked into 
the darkness and said1 ,let there be    
light4 ,and  light came4 ,and out of the
 new light ,god created the blue sky1   

the deep  sea1 the beautiful            
grass-covered earth1 the plants1 the    
trees1 and the  many-colored flowers4   
,illustration3 ,,the ,,creation ,,of    
,,animals4 7,raphael47    ,and in the   
blue sky he placed the golden sun1 the  
silver moon1 and the  stars that shine  
like jewels in the sky4    ,then1 in the
 water he placed the fishes2 on the     
earth1 the animals2 and  in the tree    
tops the birds sang their praises4      
,this shall be for a home for man1 the  
,creator said2 and so1 one  morning1    
there woke to life in the ,garden of    
,eden a man and  woman--beautiful and   
good and pure4    ,to the animals ,god  
had given strength and speed1 and fur   
for protection  from the wind and rain4 
,to the birds he had given plumage1     
brilliant and  warm4 ,to the fishes1    
fins and scales4    ,then man came2 and 
to him was given intelligence1 and      
reason1 and power  to grow in wisdom2   
for by these was he to protect himself  
from the  elements and gain dominion    

over all the earth1--the fishes1 the    
birds1  and the animals thereof4        
,then ,god blessed everything he had    
made2 for he loved what he had made1    
and surrounded it with all that was     
beautiful and good4    ,of every tree in
 the garden ye may eat1 ,he had said to 
,adam and ,eve1  except the tree of     
,knowledge-of-,good-and-of-,evil4 ,of   
that eat not lest  ye die4      ,,the   
,,creation4          ,the spacious      
firmament on high1      ,with all the   
blue ethereal sky1      ,and spangled   
,heavens1 a shining frame1      ,their  
great ,original proclaim4      ,the     
unwearied sun1 from day to day1         
,does his ,creator's power display1     
,and publishes to every land      ,the  
work of an almighty hand4        ,soon  
as the evening shades prevail1      ,the
 moon takes up the wondrous tale1       
,and nightly to the listening earth     
,repeats the story of her birth2        
,whist all the stars around her burn1   
,and all the planets1 in their turn1    

,confirm the tidings as they roll1      
,and spread the truth from pole to pole4
        ,what though in solemn silence  
all      ,move round this dark          
terrestrial ball6      ,what though no  
real voice or sound      ,amidst their  
radiant orbs be found6--      ,in       
reason's ear they all rejoice1      ,and
 utter forth a glorious voice2          
,forever singing as they shine1         
,the hand that made us is ,divine4      
--,joseph ,addison4      ,illustration3 
,,creation ,,of ,,terra ,,firma4        
7,raphael47          ,,the ,,garden ,,of
 ,,eden4      ,when ,adam and ,eve      
looked out upon the world round about   
them2 when they  saw the flowers and the
 grasses2 when they heard the splashing 
of the  sun-lit waters1 and the rustling
 of the soft branches1--then their      
hearts were filled with love for each   
other1 for their home1 and for the      
,father who had made all this joy for   
them4    ,for a long time they wandered 
up and down the ,garden of ,eden1       

singing  songs1 and ready always to hear
 the voice of ,god when he spoke to them
  in the soft winds that played among   
the tree tops4    ,now1 there was a     
wicked angel1 named ,satan4 ,he had been
 cast out from  heaven1 down1 down from 
the blue sky4 ,and in his own unhappy   
home he  dwelt now1 alone1 wretched and 
revengeful4 ,and when he saw this happy 
man and woman1 so good and pure1 their  
hearts bounding with love to ,god  and  
joy in right doing1 his cruel face grew 
black4    ,such happiness shall not     
last1 he said4 ,so he crept into the    
,garden1  took on the form of a serpent 
and spoke to ,eve4    ,eat of the fruit 
of this tree1 he said1 and give it to   
,adam that he  may eat too4    ,but we  
are forbidden1 ,eve said4    ,the fruit 
is like no other4 ,eat6 ,ye shall not   
die1 the serpent  answered4             
,illustration3 ,,the ,,expulsion ,,of   
,,adam ,,and ,,eve ,,from ,,the ,,garden
 ,,of ,,eden4  7,dore47    ,then ,eve   
gathered the fruit and ate of it4 ,it   

was sweet1 even as the  serpent had     
said4 ,then she gathered more1 and      
,adam1 too1 ate of it4    ,then darkness
 fell upon the earth4 ,a great wind     
arose1 the thunder  rolled1 and ,god    
drove ,adam and ,eve out from the       
,garden of ,eden2 and at  the entrance  
,he placed cherubims and a flaming sword
 for no one who had  sinned could dwell 
in a land so beautiful and free from    
sorrow4    ,but ,god pitied these       
children of his2 and1 although they had 
sinned  against him1 he saw that1 after 
long years of suffering1 ,one should be 
born1 who would bring back to earth the 
joy and peace and happiness that  had   
once been theirs1 and which would have  
been to all their children in  all the  
time to come1 had not these parents     
sinned4    ,and so ,adam and ,eve went  
out into the world to work and struggle 
and  build homes for themselves4        
,illustration3 ,,adam ,,and ,,eve4      
7,raphael47    ,by and by two baby boys 
were born to them1--,cain and ,abel4    

,pure and kind  and good these children 
should have been4 ,but now they were    
born into a  world of sin1 and of the   
nature of sin they too partook4    ,when
 these children were grown men1 ,cain   
hated his brother4 ,he grew  sullen and 
revengeful towards him4 ,the serpent    
that had tempted ,adam and  ,eve now    
tempted him4 ,he listened2 and one day1 
when they were at work  together in the 
field1 ,cain slew ,abel and hid him in  
the earth4    ,then a great storm       
gathered across the sky2 and a voice    
said1 ,cain1  where is thy brother8     
,cain trembled with fear2 for he knew it
 was the voice of ,god4 ,but he  raised 
his wicked face towards the heavens and 
cried1 ,why should ,i  know8 ,am ,i my  
brother's keeper8    ,and the voice     
said1 ,thou art thy brother's keeper4   
,then ,god put a brand upon the brow of 
,cain1 and drove him forth into the     
wilderness1 to be a fugitive and a      
vagabond4    ,illustration3 ,,statue    
,,of ,,cain4 7,giovanni ,dupre47        

,,the ,,curse ,,of ,,cain4          ,o1 
the wrath of the ,lord is a terrible    
thing6--      ,like the tempest that    
withers the blossoms of spring1         
,like the thunder that bursts on the    
summer's domain1      ,it fell on the   
head of the homicide ,cain4        ,and1
 lo6 like a deer in the fright of the   
chase1      ,with a fire in his heart1  
and a brand on his face1      ,he speeds
 him afar to the desert of ,nod1--      
,a vagabond1 smote by the vengeance of  
,god6        ,all nature1 to him1 has   
been blasted and banned1      ,and the  
blood of a brother yet reeks on his     
hand2      ,and no vintage has grown1   
and no fountain has sprung1      ,for   
cheering his heart1 or for cooling his  
tongue4        ,the groans of a father  
his slumber shall start1      ,and the  
tears of a mother shall pierce to his   
heart1      ,and the kiss of his        
children shall scorch him like flame1   
,when he thinks of the curse that hangs 
over his name4        --,knox4          

,illustration3 ,,the ,,dove ,,sent      
,,forth ,,from ,,the ,,ark4             
,,the ,,flood4          ,earth shall be 
ocean6 and no breath1      ,save of the 
winds be on the unbounded wave6         
,angels shall tire their wings1 but find
 no spot3      ,not even a rock from out
 the liquid grave          ,shall lift  
its point to save1      ,or show the    
place where strong despair hath died1   
,after long looking o'er the ocean wide 
,for the expected ebb which cometh not2 
,all shall be void1 destroyed4          
--,byron4    ,it was many1 many years   
after ,adam and ,eve were driven out    
from the  ,garden of ,eden that the     
flood came4    ,there were thousands of 
people in the world now1 and they were  
scattered  here and there through the   
fertile valleys and along the rivers of 
the  country far and wide4    ,there    
were rich farms everywhere1 and         
shepherds watched their flocks on  the  
hillsides4 ,there were towns and cities2
 many of them where people  dwelt       

together and made their laws and        
appointed their law-givers4    ,but in  
all these years the people had been     
growing more and more away  from the    
simple1 honest life that ,god had first 
shown ,adam and ,eve4    ,they had grown
 selfish and greedy2 they were cruel to 
each other2 they  cared nothing for the 
rights and comforts of the community2   
and more  than all this1 they had       
forsaken the simple faith of their      
fathers and  become worshippers of      
idols4    ,there was one good man       
dwelling among these people1 many1 many 
years  before1 whose name was ,enoch4   
,now1 it was not the will of ,god that  
,enoch  should suffer for the sins of   
the people2 and so1 when the flood was  
about to come upon the earth to destroy 
them1 ,god came and stood by  ,enoch and
 said1 ,come with me4    ,now there was 
another good man upon the earth1 a great
 grandson of  ,enoch's1 and a man who   
had never forgotten ,god1 and who had   
reared his  children always in the      

simple faith which had been his own4    
,although ,god meant to send a flood    
that should destroy the cities1 and     
separate the people so that the         
wickedness of the earth might be        
destroyed1 still it was not his wish    
that the race should perish wholly4     
,and so again ,god went down to the     
earth1 and said to this good man1       
,noah1 ,build thou an ark1 and into it  
bring all thy family1 and also two  of  
every kind of bird and beast and animal4
 ,for a great flood shall come  upon the
 earth1 and those in the ark only shall 
be saved4    ,noah was a simple hearted 
man4 ,it was a strange thing for him to 
be told  to build an ark and place      
within its shelter his family and two of
  every living thing upon the face of   
the earth4    ,illustration3 ,,noah     
,,building ,,the ,,ark4 7,raphael47     
,he told the people what ,god had said  
to him2 and he urged them to do         
likewise4 ,but the people only laughed  
at him1 and called him a fool4    ,but  

,noah doubted not the word of ,god and  
set to work at once1--his three  sons1  
,ham1 ,shem1 and ,japheth helping him to
 build an ark1 and to gather  together  
the birds and beasts and animals of the 
earth4    ,every morning the four men   
set out as soon as the sun had risen1   
and  kept at their work until darkness  
fell at night4    ,at last the ark was  
finished1 and ,noah1 with his wife1 his 
three sons  and their wives1 journeyed  
to the mountain side4 ,the people in the
  valley laughed at them and threw      
stones at them1 but the trustful little 
band kept on their way and entered the  
ark1 taking with them1 as they  had been
 told1 two of every kind of bird and    
beast4    ,then the clouds began to     
gather in the south1--great black rolls 
of  cloud4 ,the wind rose1 the clouds   
scattered over the whole sky2 and so    
black and thick were they that the light
 of the sun was shut out4 ,it was  like 
night4    ,illustration3 ,,the ,,deluge4
    ,then the rain fell4 ,in great      

sheets1 like rivers1 it poured upon the 
valleys4 ,the thunders rolled1 the      
lightnings flashed1 the rivers          
overflowed their banks4 ,the winds      
howled1 and great trees were torn up  by
 the roots4    ,for forty days this     
storm continued--forty days and forty   
nights4 ,every  living thing left upon  
the face of the earth was drowned4 ,but 
the ark1  with its inmates1 was borne up
 by the waters in safety4 ,at last1 one 
morning when ,noah and his people awoke1
 they could see that the storm  had     
ceased2 the clouds were separating1 and 
the sun was sending its rays  down      
through the mist upon the flooded earth 
below4    ,then came the beautiful      
rainbow1 spanning the heavens  in the   
west1 and reflecting its wonderful      
colors in the great sea below4          
,illustration      ,,the ,,rainbow4     
,triumphal arch1 that fill'st the sky   
,when storms prepare to part1      ,i   
ask not proud philosophy        ,to     
teach me what thou art4        ,still   

seem as to my childhood's sight1        
,a midway station given1      ,for happy
 spirits to alight        ,betwixt the  
earth and heaven4        ,how glorious  
is thy girdle cast        ,o'er         
mountain1 tower1 and town1      ,or     
mirror'd in the ocean vast1        ,a   
thousand fathoms down4        ,as fresh 
in yon horizon dark1        ,as young   
thy beauties seem1      ,as when the    
eagle from the ark        ,first sported
 in thy beam4        ,for faithful to   
its sacred page1        ,heaven still   
rebuilds thy span1      ,nor lets the   
type grow pale with age1        ,that   
first spoke peace to man4        --,t4  
,campbell4    ,never was rainbow so     
beautiful6 ,then the voice of ,god spoke
 from out the  skies to ,noah1 ,this    
shall be to you a bow of promise4 ,never
 again shall  the earth and the people  
be destroyed by water4    ,illustration3
 ,,noah ,,and ,,the ,,dove 7,schopin47  
,but nowhere1 as far as eye could reach1
 was there any sign of land2  there was 

only the peak of ,ararat with the ark   
upon it1 standing out  above the water4 
,noah sent out first a raven1 and it    
returned not4 ,then he sent out from    
the ark a dove2 and the dove came back  
after a long1 long flight across  the   
waters and fell fluttering at ,noah's   
feet4    ,seven days went by4 ,then     
again ,noah sent out a dove2 and this   
time it  returned with an olive leaf4   
,noah knew now that the flood was       
subsiding1  and that he might lift the  
cover of the ark and step out upon the  
mountain top4    ,then ,noah and his    
family went forth1 together with all the
 creatures  that had gone into the ,ark 
with them4    ,and so thankful was ,noah
 that he built a great altar1 and he and
 his  family offered sacrifices to ,god 
in gratitude for his loving care of     
them4    ,illustration3 ,,coming ,,forth
 ,,from ,,the ,,ark4 7,raphael47        
,illustration          ,,the ,,tower    
,,of ,,babel4      ,children were born  
to ,ham1 ,shem1 and ,japheth2 and when  

these children  became men and women1   
children were born to them1 until1 after
 many1  many years1 the valley was again
 filled with people1--all descendants   
from ,noah and his three sons4    ,now1 
there came a time1 long after ,noah had 
died1 and so could guide his  people no 
longer into the paths of right1 that the
 people again grew  wicked and selfish  
to one another4    ,they boasted of     
their power1 and said among themselves1 
,we will build a  tower that shall reach
 into heaven itself4 ,then who in heaven
 or earth  shall be greater than we8    
,illustration3 ,,confusion ,,of         
,,tongues4    ,now1 ,god was angry that 
these people should have forgotten the  
,god of  their fathers1 and that the    
trustful1 humble soul of ,noah should so
 have  departed from them4    ,so1 while
 all the people were at work upon the   
tower1 now risen above  the trees and   
hill-tops1 ,god touched them2 and       
behold1 from that instant  each spoke a 
language of his own2 nor could one of   

them understand any  other4             
,confusion followed1 the building of the
 tower was forsaken1 the people         
scattered up and down the valley2 and so
 the tower of ,babel was left to        
crumble into ruins4    ,illustration    
,,abraham4      ,in the pleasant valley 
of ,mesopotamia there lived a good man1 
whom the  people loved1 and who was     
called ,abram4    ,now1 the people of   
this valley were idolaters1 and though  
,abram often  pleaded with them to      
return to the faith in one ,god1 they   
would not  listen to him4 ,go thou your 
way1 and we will go ours1 they would    
say4    ,but ,god would not permit it to
 be that ,abram's life should be spent  
upon  a people who cared not for the    
good spirit that ,abram shed everywhere 
about him4 ,so ,he called to him and    
said1 ,leave this valley4 ,go thou  with
 thy people to the land of ,canaan4     
,there a son shall be born to  you1 and 
your descendants shall govern the land  
of ,canaan4    ,abram1 simple hearted   

and trustful like ,noah1 gathered his   
possessions  together1 and with his     
wife1 ,sarah1 and his nephew1 ,lot1 set 
forth  across the country towards the   
land of ,canaan4    ,now1 ,abram was a  
man of great wealth4 ,he had silver and 
gold1 and  camels1 and sheep and cattle1
 and armies of servants4    ,lot too had
 great wealth2 and when the two families
 came into ,canaan1  ,lot declared there
 was not land enough for them all4 ,so  
,lot went on  towards ,jordan1 where    
there were fertile valleys and broad    
rivers4    ,here1 said ,lot1 shall ,i   
find pasturage for my flocks and food   
for my  servants4    ,but ,god bade us  
dwell here1 said ,abram2 and he was     
grieved that so  great greed should have
 fallen upon ,lot4    ,lot went to live 
in the city of ,sodom1 a city so wicked 
that ,god finally  visited it with fire 
and destroyed it4    ,lot was not happy 
in ,sodom4 ,the people were idolaters1  
and laughed  bitterly at ,lot for his   
religion4 ,for1 though ,lot had         

disobeyed ,god1 he  still kept the      
worship of ,abram4    ,by and by a great
 king besieged the city of ,sodom1 and  
stole away its  riches4 ,lot himself was
 made prisoner1 and his wealth was      
divided among  the soldiers of the      
conquering king4    ,abram1 living      
happily in the land of ,canaan1 heard of
 the downfall of  ,sodom1 and of ,lot's 
imprisonment4 ,so he gathered together  
his own great  army and marched against 
the king4 ,he recaptured the wealth of  
,sodom1  returning it to its rightful   
owners1 and freed all the people from   
prison4    ,wilt thou come now to dwell 
in ,canaan8 ,abram asked of ,lot4 ,but  
,lot was  stubborn and would not4       
,then ,melchizedek1 the ruler of ,salem1
 came out to meet ,abram1 bringing      
bread and wine4 ,for ,melchizedek was a 
priest as well as a ruler2 and1 as  he  
poured the wine1 he said1 ,blessed be   
,abram of the most high ,god1  possessor
 of heaven and earth4 ,and blessed be   
the most high ,god1 who  hath delivered 

thine enemies into thy hands4    ,then  
,abram gave to ,melchizedek one tenth of
 all his wealth1 in token of  his love  
for him2 and after that he rode back    
into his own ,land of  ,canaan4         
,illustration3 ,,abraham ,,and ,,the    
,,three ,,angels4          ,,abraham',s 
,,visions4          ,angels of life and 
death are ,his2        ,without his     
leave they pass no threshold o'er2      
,who1 then1 would wish or dare1         
believing this1        ,against his     
messengers to shut the door4            
--,longfellow4      ,one night ,abram   
went out beneath the sky and looked up  
at the stars4  ,then ,god's voice spoke 
and said1 ,thy descendants shall be in  
number  like the stars4    ,now1 ,abram 
had no children1 and had his faith been 
less firm he might  have doubted the    
words he heard4 ,but he had never       
forgotten the promise  that in the ,land
 of ,canaan a child should be born to   
him1 and that from  him should descend a
 nation4    ,and that same night ,god   

spoke again to ,abram in a vision4 ,he  
showed him  an altar with a burning     
lamp4 ,and he said to ,abram1 ,for four 
hundred  years your descendants shall   
journey in a strange land and suffer    
affliction2 but1 at the end of that     
time1 they shall again come into        
,canaan and possess the land4    ,then  
the ,lord changed the name of ,abram to 
,abraham1 which means ,father  of a     
,people4 ,and his wife's name he changed
 to ,sarah1 which means a  ,princess4   
,and again ,god said unto ,abraham and  
,sarah1 ,a child shall be  born to you2 
and he shall be great among the nations 
of the earth4    ,a third time ,god came
 to ,abraham2 and he told him that the  
destruction  of ,sodom was near at hand1
 because of its wickedness4    ,then    
,abraham thought of ,lot1 and prayed to 
,god to save the city for  ,lot's sake4 
,and ,god answered1 ,if ten righteous   
people only be found in the city1 ,i    
will not destroy it for ,lot's sake4    
,but ten righteous people were not to be

 found in the city1 and so the  angels  
of destruction were sent down upon it4  
,lot sat in the gateway of the city and 
looked out upon the country4 ,and  when 
he saw the angels of destruction1 he    
rose and led them to his house  and gave
 them food4    ,then the angels said1   
,whatsoever thou hast in this city bring
 out2 for  we are come to destroy this  
place4    ,then ,lot went and told his  
people2 but none of them would listen to
 him4  ,in the morning the angels came  
and woke ,lot and his wife and said to  
them1 ,arise1 and hasten from the city4 
,escape for thy life1 and look  not     
behind thee4    ,so ,lot and his wife   
and their two daughters fled from the   
city2 and the  shower of fire came down 
to purify it4 ,but when they were far   
out on  the plain1 ,lot's wife1 still   
loving her old home1 turned back to look
  upon it4 ,too late the angels' words  
came back to her1 ,look not behind      
thee4    ,illustration3 ,,the ,,flight  
,,of ,,lot4    ,her feet were rooted to 

the spot2 her voice refused to come2    
sight left  her2 sound was shut out2 and
 in one instant she was changed to a    
pillar  of salt4    ,then ,lot and his  
two daughters hurried on4 ,they reached 
a great cave1  and ran and hid          
themselves in it4 ,the city was now a   
blackened ruin4  ,lot's wealth was      
destroyed4 ,he had no silver1 no gold1  
no cattle1 no  home--only the cave1 and 
grateful was he that he had even that4  
,illustration3 ,,departure ,,of ,,hagar 
,,and ,,ishmael4          ,,hagar4      
,who can speak a mother's anguish1      
,painted in that tearless eye1          
,which beholds her darling languish1    
,languish1 unrelieved1 to die6      ,it 
was not very long after the destruction 
of ,sodom that there was born  into the 
home of ,abraham and ,sarah a beautiful 
little baby boy--even as  ,god had      
promised4    ,there was great rejoicing 
among the people of ,abraham's          
household4  ,feasts were held1          
sacrifices were offered up1 and ,abraham

 gave the child  the name of ,isaac4    
,one of ,sarah's maids1 whose name was  
,hagar1 had a son1 too1 called          
,ishmael4 ,one day this boy mocked at   
,isaac1 and ,sarah said he and his      
mother must be sent away4    ,so        
,abraham called ,hagar and told her she 
must go1 and he gave her some  bread and
 a bottle of water1 and sent her forth  
into the wilderness4    ,illustration3  
,,hagar ,,and ,,ishmael ,,in ,,the      
,,desert4    ,poor ,hagar and her child 
sorrowfully set forth in the burning    
heat2 but  when all their water was     
gone1 her little one began to droop2 he 
grew  weaker and weaker1 and she thought
 he would die4 ,she laid him in the     
shade and went away to weep4 ,the mother
 could not bear to see her poor  boy    
die4        ,she looked above--the      
heavens shone still        ,unclouded1  
bright and clear2      ,she listened but
 not fount nor rill        ,poured music
 on her ear4      ,thence once again her
 child she eyed--        ,his cheek wore

 death's pale hue2      ,alas6 and is it
 thus1 she cried2        ,doth ,god     
forsake me too1      ,and with my       
earthly foes combine      ,to work such 
ill for me and mine8    ,the ,angel of  
,god heard her and told her not to fear1
 but to take up  ,ishmael and hold him  
in her arms4 ,then she saw1 all at once1
 a well near  her2 she gave the child a 
drink1 and soon he grew strong and well4
    ,illustration3 ,,the ,,trial ,,of   
,,abraham',s ,,faith4    ,illustration  
,,isaac4      ,isaac grew up a fine1    
healthy1 noble boy loved by all his     
father's  people2 and to his1 father and
 mother1 now old people1 he was their   
joy  and life4 ,never a day passed that 
,abraham and ,sarah did not offer thanks
  to ,god for their beautiful child4    
,most carefully they taught him the     
religion of his people1 and bade him    
follow it all the days of his life4     
,when ,god speaks1 obey1 ,o my son6 the 
old father would say4 ,and one day      
there came to ,abraham1 and ,isaac too1 

a trial of their faith4    ,a vision    
came again to ,abraham4 ,and in the     
vision the ,lord spoke1  saying1 ,arise1
 ,abraham1 and go and prepare an altar  
upon the mountain4  ,and when the altar 
is ready1 place thy son ,isaac upon the 
altar2 for ,i  would that he be         
sacrificed--a burnt offering--to me4    
,poor old ,abraham6 ,there was nothing  
in all the world so dear to him as  this
 child1 ,isaac2 but although his heart  
was sore and heavy1 the old  man rose   
and did as he was bid4 ,and when the    
altar was ready1 he called  ,isaac and  
told him what the vision had said4      
,for a minute the brave boy's cheek grew
 pale2 his heart beat fast4 ,then  he   
permitted his father to bind him hand   
and foot and lay him upon the  altar4   
,abraham lifted the knife to slay the   
boy2 when1 lo6 his hand was  held1 and a
 voice said1 ,harm not the lad2 for now 
,i do know that thou  lovest ,god more  
than all else beside4    ,with trembling
 hands ,abraham unbound the cords that  

held ,isaac1 and the  boy leaped down   
from the altar4 ,then1 with tears of    
gratitude1 they  knelt and thanked ,god 
for his mercy4 ,then the voice spake    
again3  ,because you have done this     
thing ,i will bless thee2 and all       
nations  shall be blessed through thy   
children4    ,one day ,abraham's wife1  
,sarah1 lay down and died1 and ,abraham 
bought the  field of ,machpelah and made
 for her a burial place4    ,now1 said  
,abraham to ,isaac1 it is right that you
 should find a wife  and bring her to   
dwell in our tent4 ,but take not a wife 
from the people  of ,canaan1 for they   
are idolaters4 ,go rather to            
,mesopotamia1 and there  take the wife  
that ,god may allot thee4    ,so a      
trusty old servant was sent into        
,mesopotamia to find a wife for         
,isaac1--a woman who should be beautiful
 and good1 and whose faith was  like    
that of ,abraham4    ,illustration3     
,,rebekah ,,at ,,the ,,well4 7,goodall47
          ,,rebekah4          ,his house

 she enters1 there to be a light1       
,shining within1 when all without is    
right4      ,it was just upon the edge  
of the village1 and just as the sun was 
sinking1 that the servant came to the   
well from which the village folk  drew  
water4 ,and there1 with a pitcher in her
 hand1 stood a maiden1 as  beautiful as 
ever maiden could be4    ,whose daughter
 art thou8 the servant asked4    ,and   
the maiden answered1 ,i am ,rebekah1 the
 daughter of ,bethuel1 of the  house of 
,abraham4    ,then the servant was glad2
 for he knew now that the maiden was as 
good1  and her religion as pure1 as she 
was beautiful4 ,so he went to the home  
of ,bethuel1 and told his errand into   
,mesopotamia4 ,he told ,bethuel of the  
godly life ,abraham had led1 and of the 
noble youth1 ,isaac4 ,and he asked  that
 he might choose ,rebekah for ,isaac's  
wife and carry her back with  him to    
,canaan4    ,the heart of ,bethuel was  
glad2 and ,rebekah1 too1 was glad to go2
 for  already she loved the brave lad1  

,isaac1 so proudly had the old servant  
told the story of his brave deeds and   
godly life4    ,so ,rebekah1 arrayed in 
a fine raiment1 was placed on a camel1  
and beside  her walked her nurse and    
maids4    ,the old servant then hurried 
on1 and reached the home of ,isaac while
 yet  the maiden and her companions were
 not beyond the limits of their own     
land4    ,he told ,isaac all that had   
happened1 and how beautiful and good the
  maiden was1 and that she was of the   
noble house of ,bethuel4    ,then ,isaac
 loved the maiden2 and1 as she came near
 to ,canaan1 he hurried  forth to meet  
her1 and to bring her to his home and to
 his people4 ,old  ,abraham was glad    
when he saw the maiden1 for he knew     
,god's blessing  would rest upon the    
union4    ,abraham was now one hundred  
and seventy-five years of age2 and when 
he  came to die1 ,rebekah and ,isaac    
laid him beside ,sarah in the field of  
,machpelar1 and ,isaac took his father's
 place in the household4    ,isaac and  

,rebekah lived to an old age4 ,they were
 good people1 and the  ,lord blessed    
them2 and when they came to die1 their  
two sons1 ,esau and  ,jacob1 wept over  
them1 and laid them1 also1 beside       
,abraham in the field  of ,machpelar4   
,,jacob ,,and ,,esau4          ,we      
barter life for pottage2 sell true bliss
        ,for wealth or power1 for       
pleasure or renown2      ,thus1 ,esau   
like1 our ,father's blessing miss1      
,then wash with fruitless tears our     
faded crown4        --,keble4      ,esau
 was the older son1 and to him belonged 
the honors of the family4 ,it  was his  
duty1 too1 to offer sacrifices and serve
 as the high priest in  the home2 for   
such was the custom of the times4       
,but ,esau cared little either for honor
 or religious services4 ,and so1  one   
day when he came home from the hunt1    
hungry and thirsty1 he sold his         
birthright to his brother ,jacob for a  
bowl of pottage that ,jacob sat  eating 
before the door of his home4    ,now1   

,isaac loved this son better than he    
loved ,jacob1 and was grieved  and      
disappointed that he should have sold   
his birthright so foolishly2  for now to
 ,jacob rather than to ,esau would fall 
the blessings of ,god4    ,but it could 
not now be helped1 and ,jacob took up   
the office of high  priest in the house 
of ,isaac4    ,as ,isaac grew old1 to   
him was given the gift of prophecy2 and 
whomsoever  he blessed1 honor and       
prosperity was sure to follow4 ,when    
,rebekah knew  this1 her heart was      
filled with but one desire1--that       
,isaac's blessing  should fall upon     
,jacob rather than upon ,esau2 for she  
knew how unworthy  ,esau was in spirit1 
and how little he would strive to honor 
,god when the  household became his own4
    ,so1 one day when ,esau was away    
upon the hunt1 she called ,jacob to her 
and bade him go kneel beside his old    
father and ask his blessing4    ,but    
,jacob said1 ,behold1 ,esau1 my brother1
 is a hairy man and ,i a  smooth man4   

,my father1 perhaps1 will feel me1 and  
,i shall seem to him as  a deceiver4    
,illustration3 ,,isaac ,,blessing       
,,jacob4    ,rebekah said1 ,obey my     
voice1 my son4 ,and ,jacob yielded4     
,then ,rebekah took some clothes        
belonging to ,esau and put them upon    
,jacob2 and she put the skin of the kids
 that he had brought her upon his  hands
 and upon the smooth of his neck4       
,then ,jacob knelt before his father1   
whose eyes were dimmed with old age1    
and said1 ,bless me1 my father4    ,and 
,isaac said1 ,who art thou1 my son8     
,and ,jacob said1 ,i am ,esau1 thy first
 born4    ,then ,isaac said to ,jacob1  
,come near1 that ,i may feel whether    
thou be my  very son ,esau or not4      
,so ,jacob went near to his father1 and 
the father felt of him2 and he  said1   
,the voice is ,jacob's voice1 but the   
hands are the hands of ,esau4    ,then  
,isaac1 thinking it was ,esau who knelt1
 blessed him as his  first-born1 and    
said1 ,the ,lord bless thee1 and give   

thee plenty of corn  and wine4 ,let the 
people serve thee2 and be thou lord over
 all thy  brethren4    ,and all this    
came to pass2 for ,jacob's children came
 into possession of  the rich land of   
,canaan4    ,by and by1 ,esau entered   
the tent and knelt beside his father4   
,thy  blessing1 ,o father ,isaac1 he    
said4    ,the old man stretched out his 
hands4 ,who art thou8 he cried4    ,i am
 ,esau1 your first-born4 ,know you not  
that ,i am ,esau8    ,who was it then   
that came just now and received my      
blessing8 ,isaac  asked4    ,then ,esau 
knew that to him was lost the blessing  
as an eldest son4    ,the old man       
wailed4 ,alas6 alas6 my son1 he said1   
much wealth can ,i  yet bestow upon     
thee2 still the greater honors are now  
with ,jacob4    ,now ,esau's heart was  
filled with rage4 ,he would have slain  
his brother2  but ,rebekah1 knowing     
this1 sent ,jacob away4    ,when night  
came on ,jacob lay down upon the cold   
ground and placed a  stone beneath his  

head4 ,and as he slept ,god sent a      
beautiful vision to  bless him4    ,he  
saw a ladder set upon the earth1 whose  
top reached to ,heaven4 ,holy  angels   
were going up and down the ladder1 and1 
above them all1 stood  ,god4            
,illustration3 ,,jacob',s ,,dream4      
,and a voice said1 ,i am the ,god of    
,abraham and of ,jacob4 ,i will give the
  land where thou liest to be a         
possession to thy children4 ,i am with  
thee  and will keep thee in all thy     
places1 and bring thee again into thy   
land4    ,then ,jacob awoke4 ,this is   
,god's place1 he said1 and ,i knew it   
not4  ,this is the ,house of ,god and   
the ,gate of ,heaven4    ,then he took a
 stone and poured oil upon it and       
blessed it4 ,this place  shall be called
 ,bethel1 he said2 ,bethel1 which means 
the ,house of ,god1  for here ,god      
appeared unto me4    ,from ,bethel      
,jacob went on to the land of his uncle 
,laban2 and there he  dwelt for many    
years1 keeping the sheep4    ,but the   

time came when ,laban looked with       
jealousy upon ,jacob4 ,the ,lord  came  
again to ,jacob and bade him take his   
wife1 ,rachael1 and his  children and go
 back to ,canaan4 ,jacob obeyed1 and1   
driving his great  flocks before him1 he
 set out again for his old home4        
,illustration3 ,,jacob ,,wrestling      
,,with ,,the ,,angel4    ,as he neared  
the village of ,seir1 where ,esau dwelt1
 he sent messengers  ahead to tell ,esau
 that he was returning1 and to beg him  
to forgive the  past that they might    
meet each other in brotherly love4      
,the servants came back and told him    
that ,esau was coming to meet him  with 
four hundred men4 ,then ,jacob was in   
great fear1 for he thought ,esau  meant 
to kill him4    ,he prayed to ,god to   
keep him safe4 ,at night an angel came  
and wrestled  with him till break of    
day1 but could not overcome him4 ,and   
when morn  came1 the angel said1 ,let me
 go1 for it is break of day4 ,jacob     
said1  ,i will not let thee go till thou

 bless me4 ,then the angel blessed him1 
and he saw him no more4 ,this was a sign
 from ,god to ,jacob that1 as he  was a 
match for an angel1 he need not fear    
men4    ,he took some of his cattle and 
sent them as a gift to ,esau4 ,he set   
them  in droves1 so that when ,esau met 
them1 and asked whose they were1 the    
men should say1 ,they are ,jacob's4 ,it 
is a gift he has sent to my lord  ,esau4
 ,each man who drove the cattle was to  
answer in this way1 so that  ,esau might
 feel that ,jacob had come as a friend4 
,all at once ,jacob looked up and saw   
,esau coming4 ,then he called his       
eleven sons and ,rachel and ,leah to go 
with him and meet ,esau4    ,when he met
 ,esau he bowed down to the ground seven
 times4 ,then ,esau ran  to him and put 
his arms round his neck and kissed him1 
and they both  wept4    ,esau led ,jacob
 to his home and there feasted him for  
seven days4 ,and  when he was rested    
,jacob set forth again1 driving his     
herds before him1  to make a home for   

his people in the land of ,canaan2 for  
he was an old  man now1 and wished only 
to rest in the land of his fathers1 and 
to see  his twelve sons comfortably     
placed in homes of their own1 with their
  wives1 their children1 and their      
flocks about them4 ,,joseph4        ,now
 let us thank the ,eternal ,power2      
convinced      ,that ,heaven but tries  
our virtue by affliction1      ,that oft
 the cloud which wraps the present hour 
,serves but to brighten all our future  
days4      ,jacob had twelve sons2 but  
the one dearest to the old father's     
heart was  ,joseph1 a lad of only       
seventeen years when ,jacob came back   
into the land  of ,canaan4    ,the older
 of these sons were selfish1 cruel men2 
and more than that1  they had forsaken  
the ,god of ,abraham1 and were          
worshipping graven  images4 ,poor old   
,jacob's heart was heavy6    ,go now to 
,bethel1 said a voice to him one night  
in a dream4 ,make an  altar there to thy
 ,god4    ,jacob obeyed2 and when the   

altar was built1 he called his sons     
together  and told them the visions he  
had had4 ,he told them the stronghold   
,god  had always been to him in his     
life1 and begged them to forsake their  
idols and turn again to the true ,god4  
,then ,jacob went on to ,hebron1 where  
,abraham had lived1 and where ,isaac    
still lived1 an old1 old man1 nearly two
 hundred years old4    ,it was a joyous 
meeting--this meeting between ,isaac and
 ,jacob4 ,esau1  too1 came1 and ,isaac  
blessed them both and bade them love    
each other4  ,isaac died very soon      
after1 and ,jacob1 an old man now       
himself1 sat in  the door of the tent of
 his fathers4    ,to ,joseph1 ,jacob had
 given a coat of many colors1 as a token
 of his  great love for him4 ,and       
because of this ,joseph's brothers hated
 him only  the more4 ,jealousy burned in
 their hearts1 and they plotted together
 to  slay the boy4    ,one night ,joseph
 had a vision4 ,in the dream eleven     
stars came and stood  before him and    

bowed themselves to the ground4 ,and a  
voice said1 ,so  shall your brothers one
 day bow before you4    ,joseph told his
 vision to ,jacob and to his brothers4  
,the father observed  the sayings1 but  
the brothers were made only the more    
angry4    ,now1 his brothers spent their
 days upon the hillside tending their   
flocks4 ,and one day ,jacob said to     
,joseph1 ,go1 my son1 and see if any    
evil has befallen your brothers4    ,so 
,joseph set out4 ,it was a long way to  
the pasture lands1 and the boy  was     
tired and footsore4 ,and when he reached
 the place no sign could he  find of his
 brothers4    ,tell me1 asked ,joseph of
 the men upon the plains1 where are my  
brothers that watch their sheep here    
upon these hillsides8    ,the men       
answered1 saying1 ,your brothers have   
gone to the place called  ,dothan1 which
 is many miles from here4    ,then      
,joseph1 after resting1 started on      
towards ,dothan4 ,there his  brothers   
saw him1 and recognized him afar off by 

the bright colors of  his coat4    ,here
 comes our dreamer1 sneered one brother4
    ,he who shall reign over us1 sneered
 another4    ,then the face of the      
oldest brother grew black and bitter4   
,let us kill  him1 he said1 and cast him
 into some pit4    ,no1 said ,rueben1 we
 need not stain our hands with his      
blood4 ,let us  only cast him into the  
pit1 and then tell our father ,jacob    
that a wild  beast has slain him4       
,this plan seemed most pleasing to them2
 and when ,joseph came near1  they fell 
upon him1 tore his coat from him1 and   
made ready to throw him  into a pit4    
,illustration3 ,,joseph ,,sold ,,by     
,,his ,,brethren4    ,but just then     
there came along the highway a company  
of merchants1 bound  for ,egypt4 ,they  
had a long train of camels1 and these   
were loaded with  fruits and spices4    
,let us sell ,joseph to these merchants1
 said one of the brothers4 ,and  when   
the merchants came up1 they pushed      
,joseph towards them and sold him  for  

twenty pieces of silver4    ,then they  
killed a kid1 and dipped the coat in the
 kid's blood1 and went  back with it to 
,jacob4    ,o father ,jacob6 ,this coat 
have we found by the wayside1 and we    
know not  whether it be the coat of     
,joseph or not6    ,the old father      
looked at the coat4 ,he saw the blood   
upon it2 then he  bowed his head and    
groaned4 ,too well did he know it to be 
the coat of  his dear son1 ,joseph4     
,illustration3 ,,despair ,,of ,,jacob4  
7,schopin47    ,all day long the old man
 wept1 refusing to be comforted4 ,i will
 go down  into my grave unto my son     
mourning1 he said4 ,but the sons cared  
not for  his grief4 ,it was enough that 
they were rid of the brother whom they  
hated4    ,illustration                 
,,pharaoh',s ,,dream4      ,poor ,joseph
 was carried into ,egypt1 and there sold
 again to a rich man1  whose name was   
,potiphar4 ,potiphar was very proud of  
his new slave1 so  tall and strong and  
beautiful was he2 and for a time ,joseph

 dwelt most  happily in his new home4   
,but ,potiphar's wife was a bad woman4  
,and  because he refused1 at her desire1
 to do evil1 she had him thrown into    
prison2 and to ,potiphar she told such  
stories about the boy that for a  time  
,potiphar himself was deceived1 and so  
permitted ,joseph to be in  prison1     
giving him no opportunity to prove to   
his master how untrue  these stories    
were4    ,now1 in prison with ,joseph   
were servants of ,king ,pharaoh4 ,one   
morning1  when ,joseph went to them1    
they were downcast and sad4    ,why look
 ye so sad8 said ,joseph4    ,we have   
dreamed dreams1 and we have no one to   
interpret them1 they  said4    ,it is   
,god who sends dreams1 said ,joseph4    
,tell them to me4 ,it may be ,i  can    
interpret them for you4    ,then one of 
the servants told his dream4 ,i saw in  
my dream a vine2 and  in the vine were  
three branches4 ,they budded1 the       
flowers came1 the  fruit ripened4 ,then 
,i took ,pharaoh's cup1 gathered the    

grapes and  pressed them in the cup1 and
 gave it to ,pharaoh4    ,take courage1 
my brother1 said ,joseph1 for it is a   
good dream4 ,the  three branches are    
three days4 ,the dream means that in    
three days  ,pharaoh will liberate thee1
 and thou shalt give the cup into his   
hands4    ,and do not forget me when    
thou art again free4 ,for ,i have been  
sold  into bondage and stolen away from 
,canaan4 ,neither have ,i deserved to be
  thrown into this dungeon4 ,speak then 
to ,pharaoh for me1 and beg him to  free
 me from this prison4    ,then the other
 servant told his dream3 ,i had three   
baskets of meat upon  my head4 ,they    
were baked meats for ,pharaoh4 ,the     
birds came and ate the  meat from the   
baskets4    ,alas6 said ,joseph1 the    
meaning of thy dream is this3 ,in three 
days  ,pharaoh shall hang thee upon a   
tree2 and the birds shall come and eat  
thee4    ,now1 as it proved1 ,joseph had
 interpreted the dreams aright2 for the 
power of vision had been with ,abraham1 

,isaac and ,jacob before him4           
,illustration3 ,,joseph ,,interpreting  
,,pharaoh',s ,,dream4    ,but the       
servant who went back into ,pharaoh's   
home forgot ,joseph when  once he was   
free himself2 and so for two long years 
,joseph lay in  prison4    ,then        
,pharaoh himself had two strange dreams1
 and no one in the land  could interpret
 them4 ,then the old servant1           
remembering how ,joseph  interpreted his
 dream for him so long before1 told     
,pharaoh of him2 and  ,pharaoh at once  
freed him from prison and bade him come 
before him to  interpret his dreams4    
,i dreamed1 said ,pharaoh1 that ,i stood
 beside a river4 ,seven fat kine  came  
out from it and fed in the meadow4 ,soon
 seven more came out1 thin  and bad4    
,then the seven lean kine ate up the    
seven fat kine4    ,then ,i awoke4 ,but 
when ,i slept again1 ,i dreamed that    
seven good ears of  corn came out upon  
one stem4 ,and soon after1 seven more1  
thin and bad4  ,and the seven bad ears  

ate up the seven good ears4    ,the     
dreams1 great king1 said ,joseph1 mean  
this3 ,there shall be seven  years of   
great fruitfulness in the land4 ,then   
shall come seven years of  famine4 ,and 
the seven years of famine shall eat up  
all the fruitfulness  of the first seven
 years4    ,now let ,pharaoh take       
warning4 ,let him hoard up all the corn 
that can be  spared in these first seven
 years4 ,then1 when the years of famine 
come1  there will be corn for all who   
dwell in the land4    ,pharaoh was      
pleased with the wisdom of ,joseph4 ,he 
appointed him at once  to have charge   
over the corn1 and commanded the people 
to obey him in  all that he bade them   
do4 ,then the king gave him a ring and a
 chain of  gold to wear upon his neck4  
,he dressed him in fine linen and made  
him a  golden chariot4 ,and the people  
loved ,joseph and obeyed him4    ,then  
followed seven years of fruitfulness1   
such as even the fertile  valley of     
,egypt had never known before2 and the  

people hoarded their  corn until their  
store houses were full to bursting4     
,and when every house was full1 then    
began the drought and famine2 and no    
food grew for the people in all the     
seven years that followed4 ,great       
indeed might have been the suffering2   
for no rain came1 no corn grew1  and    
everywhere the people were crying to    
,joseph for food4    ,and the famine    
spread even into the country of ,canaan2
 and ,joseph's own  people were         
starving4    ,illustration3 ,,joseph    
,,makes ,,himself ,,known ,,to ,,his    
,,brethren4    ,illustration            
,,joseph',s ,,brothers4      ,the       
brothers of ,joseph heard that in ,egypt
 there was corn stored away in  plenty2 
so they went down into ,egypt to beg for
 it4    ,they came before ,joseph1 and  
bowed low before him1 even as in the    
vision  so long ago it had been foretold
 that they would bow before him4    ,who
 are you8 said ,joseph2 for he wished to
 try his brothers and see if  they would

 speak the truth4    ,we are the sons of
 ,jacob1 said they2 and we are come from
 the land of  ,canaan4    ,have you any 
other brothers8 asked ,joseph4    ,we   
have one younger brother at home1 they  
said4    ,how do ,i know if you speak   
truly8 ,go to your homes--,i will give  
you  corn--and bring to me your youngest
 brother4 ,meanwhile ,i will hold one   
of you here as prisoner until you       
return4 ,then shall ,i know if you are  
honest men4    ,so the nine brothers    
went back to ,canaan and told ,jacob    
what had  happened2 but they did not    
know it was ,joseph they had seen4      
,and when they told ,jacob what the man 
in ,egypt had said1 and that ,simeon    
had been left a prisoner1 the old father
 lifted up his voice and wept4  ,never1 
said he1 shall ye carry ,benjamin into  
,egypt4 ,joseph ye have  lost to me1 and
 now ,simeon6 ,and if mischief befall   
,benjamin by the way  in which ye go1   
then shall ye bring down my gray hairs  
in sorrow to the  grave4    ,but when   

all the corn was eaten and there was no 
more food1 ,jacob was  obliged to send  
,benjamin into ,egypt with his brothers2
 for they dared  not go without him4    
,joseph saw them coming1 and his heart  
was glad when he saw his brother        
,benjamin with them4    ,so he spoke to 
his servants and bade them make ready a 
feast for the ten  men who had come from
 ,canaan4 ,simeon he freed from prison1 
and all were  received into his own     
home4    ,they came into the banquet    
hall1 and again they all bowed low      
before  ,joseph1 as in the dream it had 
been prophesied they should do4    ,is  
thy father well8 ,joseph asked of his   
brothers4    ,and the brothers answered1
 ,jacob is well4    ,then the tears came
 into the eyes of ,joseph1 and he looked
 with  tenderness upon them all4 ,but   
they knew him not4 ,and in the morning  
of  the next day they set out again for 
,canaan1 their bags filled with corn4   
,but when they were departing1 ,joseph  
said to his steward1 ,put my silver  cup

 into the sack of the youngest2 and when
 they are well out upon the  road1      
overtake them1 make a pretence of       
searching them for it1 and bring  back  
him in whose sack you find the cup4     
,the servant did as he was bid2 and     
,benjamin1 in whose sack1 of course1    
the cup was found1 was brought back to  
,joseph4 ,ashamed1 the other  brothers  
too came back and fell at ,joseph's     
feet4    ,weep not1 said ,joseph4 ,do   
you not know me8 ,i am your brother     
,joseph1  whom1 so many years ago1 you  
did sell into bondage4    ,then the     
oldest brother fell upon his face before
 ,joseph2 and ,benjamin  fell upon his  
neck and wept tears of joy4    ,go back 
now to ,canaan4 ,take with you wagons   
and horses4 ,tell my father  that ,i am 
rich and happy2 that ,i am governor over
 the province2 and that  ,i send these  
wagons to bear him to me1 that ,i may   
look once more upon  his face4    ,great
 was the rejoicing in ,canaan when the  
sons brought the good tidings  from     

,joseph4 ,and straightway ,jacob and all
 his family set forth for the  land of  
,egypt4    ,eagerly the old father      
pressed forward to meet his son4 ,and   
when ,joseph  saw him afar off1 he rode 
out in his own chariot to meet him4     
,they fell  upon each other's necks and 
kissed each other2 and ,jacob lifted his
 face  in prayer to ,god1 who had       
permitted him to see again the son he   
loved4    ,illustration3 ,,jacob ,,goeth
 ,,into ,,egypt4    ,then ,joseph led   
them to his own palace1 and a great     
feast was held4    ,for seventeen years 
,jacob dwelt in ,egypt with his         
children1 and most  happy were they1 now
 all together once more4    ,but ,jacob 
was now one hundred and forty-seven     
years old2 and when he  knew his end was
 near1 he called his twelve sons to him 
and blessed them  all4 ,he told them    
many wonderful things which sometime    
would come to  them2 and when he had    
finished prophesying1 he kissed them    
all1 then lay  back upon his bed and    

died4 ,for seven days they mourned for  
him2 and  then they carried him to      
,canaan and buried him in the field of  
,macphelar4    ,joseph returned to      
,egypt1 where he lived a long and happy 
life2 and when  he died1 he too1 we     
trust1 was carried back and laid in the 
burial-place  of ,abraham and ,isaac and
 ,jacob4    ,illustration3 ,,the        
,,finding ,,of ,,moses4 7,paul          
,delaroche47          ,,the ,,story ,,of
 ,,moses4          ,gently slumber'd on 
the wave        ,the new-born seer of   
old1      ,ordained the chosen tribes to
 save2        ,nor deem'd how darkly    
roll'd      ,the waters by his rushy    
bark1        ,perchance e'en now defiled
      ,with infant's blood for ,israel's
 sake1        ,blood of some priestly   
child4        ,what recks he of his     
mother's tears1        ,his sister's    
boding sigh8      ,the whispering reeds 
are all he hears1        ,and ,nile1    
soft weltering nigh1      ,sings him to 
sleep1 but he will wake1        ,and    

o'er the haughty flood      ,wave his   
stern rod2 and lo6 a lake1        ,a    
restless sea of blood6      ,joseph had 
been dead now many1 many years4 ,pharaoh
 too had died1 and a  new ,pharaoh was  
on the throne4    ,and all these years  
the children of the twelve brothers had 
grown up and  passed away4 ,many        
children had been born to them2 and     
these too had  grown up and passed away1
 leaving their children now in the land 
of  ,egypt4    ,the children of the     
twelve brothers had been called         
,israelites1 because  to ,jacob had been
 given the name ,israel4 ,from out the  
clouds had ,god  spoken to him and said1
 ,thou shalt henceforth be called       
,israel4    ,now1 the ,israelites had   
always been a people apart from the     
,egyptians4  ,they had kept the faith of
 their fathers in the midst of the      
idolatry of  the land in which they     
lived4    ,the new ,pharaoh hated these 
,israelites and made slaves of them4 ,he
 gave  them all manner of hard work to  

do2 and at one time ordered them1 on    
penalty of their lives1 to make for him 
bricks without straw4    ,at another    
time he sent out his soldiers1 and bade 
them slay every  little ,israelitish boy
 in the land1 that thus the race might  
be  exterminated4    ,but this was not  
to be4 ,for1 you remember1 it was       
prophesied away back  in the days of    
,abraham1 that1 though the ,israelites  
should go out from  their land and live 
for #djj years1 yet again the time would
 come when  they should return to       
,canaan1 the land the ,lord had blessed 
to them4    ,now1 at the time ,pharaoh  
sent out the cruel command1 there was   
among the  ,israelites one mother1 of   
the family of ,levi1 who had a beautiful
 little  baby boy4    ,my baby shall not
 be slain1 she said4 ,so she took him   
down to the  river1 made a little       
basket1 placed him in it1 and hid him in
 the  bulrushes4    ,every day1 and many
 times a day1 she went down to see that 
he was  comfortable and to carry him    

food4    ,but one day the daughter of   
the king came down to the water to      
bathe4  ,straight towards the place     
where the baby was she came1 while      
,miriam1  the baby's sister1 hid among  
the bulrushes1 trembling with fear4     
,see this poor little baby6 said the    
princess2 and the tears came in  her    
eyes4 ,it is one of the children of the 
,israelites1 she said1  hidden here from
 the cruel soldiers4    ,then the kind  
woman lifted it from its little basket  
and held it close  to her heart4        
,now1 ,miriam was a wise little girl2   
and when she saw that the princess  was 
kind1 she came out from the bulrushes   
and said1 ,shall ,i not bring  you a    
good woman to nurse the little baby for 
you8    ,then the princess bade her go  
with speed1 for already the baby was    
beginning to cry4    ,miriam ran and    
brought the baby's mother4    ,take this
 child1 good woman1 said the princess1  
and bring it up as  your own4 ,it shall 
be my child1 and ,i will name it ,moses1

 because ,i drew  him out of the water4 
,and so the little baby was taken back  
to its old home1 and every day the      
princess sent to know if it were well2  
and often she came herself1  bringing   
gold for its nurse and fine linen for   
the child4    ,when the baby grew to be 
a boy the princess sent him to the      
wisest  teachers in the land1 that he   
might himself grow wise and great4      
,but the true mother of ,moses had      
taught him the religion of his fathers1 
and had told him the story of ,abraham  
and ,isaac and ,jacob and ,joseph4  ,she
 had told him1 too1 of the promise of   
,god1 that sometime the  ,israelites    
should again possess the land of        
,canaan4    ,to ,moses this was a       
wonderful story2 and he wished often    
that he might  be the prophet that was  
to deliver his people4    ,one day      
,moses saw an ,egyptian cruelly beating 
an ,israelite4 ,his heart  burned with  
indignation1 and he fell upon the       
,egyptian and slew him4    ,then ,moses 

fled out into the wilderness2 for he    
knew he had offended  against the law4  
,on through the wilderness he pressed1  
till he came into the field where  a    
priest named ,jethro lived4 ,jethro gave
 him food and shelter2 and it  came     
about that ,moses became one of         
,jethro's family4 ,for a long time he   
dwelt among these people1 tending their 
flocks1 and thinking about his  poor    
people1 suffering in their bondage to   
the ,egyptians4          ,,moses'       
,,vision4          ,far out across the  
sandy wild1      ,where1 like a solitary
 child      ,he thoughtless roamed and  
free1      ,one towering thorn was      
wrapped in flame--      ,bright without 
blaze it went and came1      ,who would 
not turn and see8        --,keble4      
,one day1 as ,moses tended the sheep on 
,mt4 ,horeb1 there appeared beside  him 
a bright light4 ,and in another instant 
a bush near by leaped with  red flames4 
,the branches crackled2 the tongues of  
flame streamed up against the sky2  but 

still the bush was not consumed1 nor did
 it wither4    ,this is strange1 ,moses 
thought2 and he went up to the bush4    
,moses6 ,moses6 called a voice from out 
the flames4    ,illustration3 ,,moses   
,,coming ,,down ,,from ,,mount ,,sinai4 
,then ,moses knew it was the voice of   
the ,lord2 and he fell upon his knees   
before the bush4 ,he was afraid4    ,the
 place where thou standest it is        
holy-ground6 said the voice again4  ,i  
am ,god1 the ,god of ,abraham and of    
,isaac and of ,jacob4    ,i have seen my
 people's sorrow4 ,i have heard their   
cry4 ,i am come to  send thee to        
,pharaoh4 ,and thou shalt bring my      
people out of ,egypt4    ,who am ,i1 ,o 
,lord1 ,moses cried1 that ,i should be  
chosen to go to  ,pharaoh8    ,fear not1
 said the voice of ,god again4 ,i will  
be with thee4 ,go1 and  tell thy people 
that ,i sent thee4 ,if ,pharaoh disobey 
my command1 then  will ,i send          
punishment upon him4 ,plagues will ,i   
send upon ,egypt1 and ,i  will bring out

 my people safely4 ,still ,moses was    
afraid4 ,it was a  great duty that had  
been laid upon him4 ,he dared not       
believe he could do  all that the ,lord 
bade him to do4 ,what if the people     
refused to believe  him8    ,throw thy  
rod upon the ground1 ,god said to       
,moses4 ,for he knew the fear  that was 
in the heart of the man1 and he meant to
 give him courage4    ,moses threw the  
rod upon the ground1 and behold1 it was 
changed into a  serpent4    ,take the   
serpent in thy hand1 commanded the voice
 from the burning  bush4    ,for a      
moment ,moses hesitated2 for it was a   
terrible serpent1 with fangs  having    
deadly poison2 and even the heart of the
 bravest man might well  quail at such a
 command4    ,but ,moses knew the ,lord 
would not allow it to harm him4 ,so he  
seized it  by the tail--when lo6 it     
changed again to a rod4    ,now1 said   
the voice from the bush1 go to the      
people of ,israel4 ,tell  them these    
signs ,i have given to you that they may

 believe that ,i have  sent you4        
,still ,moses feared4 ,o ,lord1 he      
cried1 ,i cannot speak well4 ,my tongue 
is slow2 ,i have no words4    ,but the  
,lord said1 ,who hath made thy tongue   
dumb8 ,have not ,i1 the ,lord8  ,go2    
obey my command and ,i will instruct    
thee what thou shalt say4 ,take1  too1  
thy brother ,aaron with thee2 and ,i    
will teach both ,aaron and thee  what to
 say4    ,then ,moses obeyed4 ,timid was
 he still2 but the ,lord gave him       
strength1  and he set out from the house
 of ,jethro to deliver the people of    
,israel4  ,and as he journeyed towards  
the city1 the ,lord spoke1 too1 to      
,aaron1  and bade him to go out to meet 
,moses4    ,then ,aaron and ,moses met2 
and when they met1 they fell upon each  
other's  necks and wept4    ,then they  
told each other what the ,lord had said 
to them1 and together  they went into   
the presence of ,pharaoh and said1      
,behold the ,lord hath  told us to come 
to thee1 and bid thee set free the      

people of ,israel4    ,but ,pharaoh     
sneered and said1 ,i know not the ,lord 
of the ,israelites1  nor shall ,i set   
the people free4    ,instead1 ,pharaoh  
called together his governors and bade  
them oppress the  ,israelites more      
heavily still2 to give them more work   
and less pay2 to  punish them2 and in   
every way to do those things to them    
that would make  their yoke still harder
 to bear4    ,the governor obeyed4 ,then
 the poor ,israelites blamed ,moses and 
,aaron4    ,moses went to ,god with the 
great burden of care now upon him4 ,he  
was now  eighty years of age1 and the   
care weighed upon him most heavily4     
,all this ,i do know1 the ,lord said4   
,but have trust in me4 ,i have heard    
the groanings of my people4 ,i remember 
the covenant that ,i made with          
,abraham1 and ,i will bring the people  
out from ,egypt into the land of        
,canaan4    ,illustration3 ,,moses ,,and
 ,,aaron ,,before ,,pharaoh4            
,,the ,,plagues ,,of ,,egypt4           

,yet think not thou1 amidst thy warlike 
bands1      ,they lie beyond redemption 
in thine hands4      ,the ,god in whom  
they trust may help them still1         
,they know ,he can deliver1 and ,he     
will3      ,whether by life or death    
afflicts them not2      ,on ,his decree1
 not thine1 they rest their lot4        
--,montgomery4      ,god gave to ,moses 
and ,aaron power to do wonderful things1
 miraculous  things1 that through them  
,pharaoh might know that the power of   
,god was  with them4    ,aaron went     
before ,pharaoh1 and1 throwing down his 
rod before him1 it  turned to a serpent4
    ,but ,pharaoh only laughed4 ,my wise
 men can do as much1 he said4 ,so he    
called them4 ,they also did in like     
manner1 but the rod of ,aaron  swallowed
 up the rods of ,pharaoh's wise men4    
,now1 it is the river ,nile that makes  
,egypt the fertile1 fruitful country    
that it is4 ,without it ,egypt would be 
a burning desert4 ,the ,egyptians  well 
knew this4 ,one day ,moses went down to 

the waters1 and1 stretching  his rod out
 over them1 turned them to blood4 ,the  
people were frightened4    ,the fish    
died2 and no man could drink of the     
water4    ,then ,moses stretched out his
 rod again across the water2 and behold 
thousands upon thousands of frogs came  
up out of the water4 ,they  infested the
 land4 ,the houses were full of them4   
,they sprang upon the  banquet table of 
the king2 and when he went to bed they  
were there also4    ,then ,pharaoh sent 
for ,moses and said1 ,take away these   
horrible frogs1  and ,i will set thy    
people free4    ,moses raised his rod   
again1 and the frogs disappeared4 ,there
 was rest in  the land again4    ,but   
when they were gone1 ,pharaoh hardened  
his heart again4 ,he would not  let the 
,israelites go4    ,stretch forth thy   
rod again1 came the word of ,god to     
,moses4 ,he  stretched forth his rod1   
and another plague fell upon the        
country4 ,the  ground was covered with  
lice1 and the lice swarmed upon the     

animals and  upon the people4    ,then  
,moses went to ,pharaoh and said1 ,let  
my people go2 but if thou wilt  not1 ,i 
will send flies upon thee and upon thy  
people2 but ,i will send no  flies upon 
the ,israelites4    ,but ,pharaoh would 
not listen4 ,and the flies came--wasps  
and biting  insects4 ,but none of these 
came near the ,israelites1 though about 
the  homes of the ,egyptians they       
swarmed until ,pharaoh1 beside himself  
with  torment1 called upon ,moses to    
deliver him from the plague1 promising  
again to free the people of ,israel4    
,again this plague was lifted2 and again
 ,pharaoh perjured his soul4 ,for  no   
sooner was he free1 than again he       
refused to let the people go4    ,then  
the ,lord sent ,moses again into the    
presence of the king4 ,if thou  wilt not
 let the people go1 said ,moses to      
,pharaoh1 then a plague shall  fall upon
 the cattle2 and not one shall be left  
alive to all the  ,egyptians2 but those 
of the ,israelites shall be free from   

harm4    ,pharaoh made no answer2 and on
 the morrow the plague fell1 and not    
only  the cattle but the magicians were 
covered with boils4 ,besides this1 a    
terrible storm came4 ,the trees were    
broken down1 and the crops in the       
fields were destroyed4    ,pharaoh was  
terrified4 ,famine he knew now would    
follow2 for they had  neither meat nor  
corn for food4 ,and again he promised   
freedom to the  ,israelites4    ,but    
when the storm had ceased1 and the crops
 were again growing1 he  forgot his     
terror1 and freed not the people4       
,then the locusts came1 millions upon   
millions of them4 ,they swarmed upon    
every bit of green in all the land and  
devoured it1--the leaves1 the  grass1   
and the newly-growing crops4 ,not a leaf
 nor a blade was left4 ,and  again      
famine sent terror into the soul of     
,pharaoh4 ,and again he promised        
freedom to the ,israelites2 and again he
 refused1 when the plague was  lifted1  
to keep his promise4    ,illustration3  

,,the ,,plague ,,of ,,darkness4    ,then
 came a terrible darkness upon the      
country1--a darkness that no  light     
could penetrate4    ,go1 ,moses1 said   
,pharaoh again4 ,go out from the land to
 the land thou  lovest4 ,go2 but leave  
behind thee thy cattle and thy          
possessions4 ,those  belong to ,egypt4  
,now1 to have set out with the great    
company of the ,israelites without      
cattle and corn for food would have been
 worse than useless for  starvation     
would have come upon them4    ,therefore
 ,moses answered1 ,no1 ,pharaoh1 the    
,israelites go not forth from  ,egypt   
without their cattle and corn and all   
that belongs to them4    ,then ,pharaoh 
was angry1 and he drove ,moses forth    
from him1 saying1  ,never more let me   
look upon thy face6    ,illustration3   
,,the ,,first ,,born ,,slain4    ,moses 
went out from the palace and told all   
that had happened to the  ,lord4    ,the
 darkness ended in three days4 ,then    
,god said1 ,now will ,i send  another   

and a greater plague upon ,pharaoh2 and 
after this1 he will let  the people go4 
,so ,god sent an angel to smite the     
first-born of all the ,egyptians4 ,this 
,moses told to his people1 and bade them
 put a mark upon their own  doorsteps1  
that the angel might pass by the homes  
of the ,israelites1 and  leave their    
children unharmed4    ,this the         
,israelites did2 and in the night-time  
the angel came4 ,not one  house of the  
,israelites did he enter2 but in every  
house of the  ,egyptians1 when the sun  
rose1 there lay the dead body of the    
oldest  child4    ,then a groan went up 
from the people4 ,there was wailing in  
the streets4  ,pharaoh himself could    
bear no more4 ,he sent for ,moses and   
,aaron in the  night time and said to   
them1 ,rise up1 you and the ,israelites 
and all  their children4 ,take all that 
you have and be gone4    ,then ,moses   
and ,aaron told the people1 and bade    
them make haste lest  again ,pharaoh    
repent4 ,but ,pharaoh's heart was too   

heavy4 ,at last his  proud spirit was   
subdued1 and ,moses and ,aaron1 with    
#fjj1jjj ,israelites1  set out for the  
land of ,canaan4          ,,the         
,,destroying ,,angel4                   
,he stopped at last1      ,and a mild   
look of sacred pity cast      ,down on  
the sinful land where he was sent       
,to inflict the tardy punishment4       
,ah6 yet1 said he1 yet1 stubborn king1  
repent1      ,whilst thus unarm'd ,i    
stand1      ,ere the keen sword of ,god 
fill my commanded hand2        ,suffer  
but yet thyself and thine to live3      
,who would1 alas6 believe          ,that
 it for man1 said he1        ,so hard to
 be forgiven should be1        ,and yet 
for ,god so easy to forgive6            
,through ,egypt's wicked land his march 
he took1      ,and as he march'd the    
sacred first born strook      ,of every 
womb3 none did he spare1      ,none1    
from the meanest beast to ,pharaoh's    
purple heir4        ,whilst health and  
strength and gladness doth possess      

,the festal ,hebrew cottages2      ,the 
blest destroyer comes not there      ,to
 interrupt the sacred cheer3      ,upon 
their doors he read1 and understood     
,god's protection writ in blood2        
,well was he skill'd i' the character   
divine2        ,and though he passed by 
it in haste1        ,he bow'd and       
worshipp'd1 as he pass'd1      ,the     
mighty mystery through its humble sign4 
--,a4 ,cowley      ,illustration3 ,,the 
,,egyptians ,,drowned ,,in ,,the ,,red  
,,sea4    ,illustration          ,,the  
,,red ,,sea4      ,when the ,israelites 
were gone1 peace settled down upon      
,egypt and all  things prospered4 ,this 
was because ,pharaoh had given freedom  
to the  people of ,israel1 and so had   
caused the displeasure of ,god to be    
removed  from the land4    ,but ,pharaoh
 did not think of it in that way4 ,he   
began1 rather1 to think  that he had    
done a most foolish thing in allowing   
#fjj1jjj faithful  workmen and slaves to
 go out from the land4 ,the ,egyptians  

needed their  help in brick making1 and 
in the planting and reaping of the heavy
  crops4    ,the more he thought of it1 
the stronger grew his determination to  
bring  the ,israelites back4 ,he had    
forgotten the suffering that had come to
 his  people2 and perhaps he began to   
think this suffering might more easily  
have been kept away4    ,so what do you 
suppose the foolish1 hard-willed1       
stubborn-hearted  ,pharaoh did8 ,he     
gathered together a great army and      
started out in  pursuit of the          
,israelites4    ,if only we can overtake
 them before they reach the ,red ,sea1  
he  thought1 we shall easily drive them 
back into ,egypt4    ,now1 the ,lord    
heard the wicked plotting of ,pharaoh1  
and although he  allowed him to set     
forth1 he allowed no harm to come to his
 chosen  people4    ,a great cloud he   
had placed behind them and all around   
them as they  traveled by day1 so that  
by it they were shielded from the view  
of any  enemy that might be lurking in  

the neighborhood of their march4    ,and
 by night this cloud became a pillar of 
fire1 that by its light they  might be  
guided through the strange wilderness4  
,when ,israel1 of the ,lord beloved1    
,out from the land of bondage came1     
,her fathers' ,god before her moved1    
,an awful guide in smoke and flame4     
,by day1 along the astonished lands     
,the cloudy pillar glided slow2      ,by
 night ,arabia's crimson sands          
,returned the fiery column's glow4      
,there rose the choral hymn of praise1  
,and trump and timbrel answered keen2   
,and ,zion's daughters poured their     
lays1        ,with priest's and         
warrior's voice between4    ,but when   
,pharaoh came upon the ,israelites1 with
 his great army of horse  and men and   
war chariots1 they were resting beside  
the waters of the  ,red ,sea4    ,when  
the ,israelites saw the army1 they were 
stricken with fear4 ,they  forgot that  
,god had led them thus far1 and that he 
had promised to guide  them and bring   

them at last1 safe1 into the promised   
land of ,canaan4    ,they rose in       
terror2 and many of them began to cry   
out against ,moses1  who had allowed    
this danger to come upon them4    ,be   
not afraid6 said ,moses4 ,and just then 
the pillar of cloud moved  around so    
that it blinded the ,egyptians4 ,they   
could not see the  ,israelites4 ,they   
could hardly see each other2 for it was 
like a dense  fog fallen upon them4     
,stretch out thy rod across the sea1    
said the voice of ,god to ,moses4       
,moses obeyed4 ,the waters parted1 and  
the ,israelites passed over to the      
other side unharmed4    ,but when they  
were half across the cloud lifted1 and  
the ,egyptians saw  the ,israelites4    
,down into the water-parting they       
plunged1--men1 horses1 chariots1 all2   
and on they dashed in quick pursuit4    
,foolish ,pharaoh6 ,did he not know that
 the parting of the water was not  for  
him8 ,had not he yet learned that ,god  
was with the ,israelites8    ,the       

,israelites were now across the sea4    
,they were climbing the opposite  bank4 
,the last man had reached the top4 ,then
 ,moses raised his rod again1  and the  
waters of the sea came together with a  
great rushing sound4 ,they  foamed and  
seethed1 and the great army of the      
,egyptians sank beneath the  great      
pillars of water that closed over them  
on either side4 ,all were  drowned2 and 
the ,israelites were at last freed from 
,pharaoh1 king of  ,egypt4        ,fly1 
,misraim1 fly6--,from ,edom's coral     
strand      ,again the prophet stretched
 his dreadful wand3--      ,with one    
wild crash the thundering waters sweep1 
,and all is waves--a dark and lonely    
deep2      ,and strange and sad the     
whispering breezes bore      ,the groans
 of ,egypt to ,arabia's shore4    ,then 
the ,israelites halted in their march   
and held a festival of  thanksgiving2   
for they were now free from their old   
enemy4    ,then they went on into the   
wilderness4 ,and ,miriam1 the           

prophetess1 the  sister of ,aaron1 took 
a timbrel in her hand2 and all the women
 event out  after her with timbrels4    
,and ,miriam said1 ,let us sing to the  
,lord1 for  ,he hath triumphed          
gloriously4    ,they offered sacrifices1
 they prayed and sang1 and danced4      
,,miriam',s ,,song4          ,sound the 
loud timbrel o'er ,egypt's dark sea6    
,jehovah has triumphed--,his people are 
free6      ,sing6--for the pride of the 
tyrant is broken3        ,his chariots1 
his horsemen1 all splendid and brave1-- 
,how vain was their boasting6--the ,lord
 hath but spoken1        ,and chariots  
and horsemen are sunk in the wave4      
,sound the loud timbrel o'er ,egypt's   
dark sea6      ,jehovah has             
triumphed--,his people are free6        
,praise to the ,conqueror1 praise to the
 ,lord6      ,his word was our arrow1   
,his breath was our sword6      ,who    
shall return to tell ,egypt the story   
,of those she sent forth in the hour of 
her pride8      ,for the ,lord hath     

looked out from his pillar of glory1    
,and all her brave thousands are dashed 
in the tide4      ,sound the loud       
timbrel o'er ,egypt's dark sea3         
,jehovah has triumphed--,his people are 
free6        --,moore4                  
,illustration3 ,,moses ,,striking ,,the 
,,rock ,,in ,,horeb4          ,,in ,,the
 ,,wilderness4          ,so led ,he     
them1 in desert marches grand1          
,by toils sublime1 with test of long    
delay1      ,on1 to the borders of that 
,promised ,land1        ,wherein their  
heritage of glory lay4      ,wonderfully
 they were being led4 ,surely one would 
suppose they could  never doubt ,god    
again1 nor ,moses1 the leader ,god had  
chosen for them4  ,but alas6 there were 
many among them who seemed little better
 than the  ,egyptians1 their oppressors4
    ,they had gone only a few miles when
 they came to the waters of ,marah1     
which were bitter4 ,they were tired1 and
 longed to encamp for the night4  ,then 
they began to groan and to cry aloud1   

,o1 why have you brought us  into a land
 where there is no water8    ,but       
,moses1 never failing in trust and      
patience1 cast a tree1 which the  ,lord 
had shown him1 into the waters1 and lo6 
they became sweet4 ,the  people drank   
and were satisfied2 and there they      
encamped and rested4    ,when ,god gave 
them the sweet water to drink1 he said  
to ,moses1 ,if thou  wilt obey me ,i    
will be with thee always4 ,i will keep1 
and bless1 and  strengthen thee1 thee   
and all thy people4 ,and there shall    
come to thee  neither disease nor       
plague4    ,when the people heard these 
words1 they were comforted and meant    
never  to doubt again4 ,but a few days  
after this1 when they had come into the 
heart of the wilderness1 and there      
seemed no way of finding food1 again    
they complained to ,moses that he had   
led them into the wilderness to  starve4
    ,but ,god heard their murmurings and
 sent great flocks of quails on which   
to feed them4 ,thousands and thousands  

were there of them1 and they  covered   
the ground1 the trees1 and the tents1 so
 great were their  numbers4 ,the        
,israelites caught them and ate them1   
and their hunger was  appeased4    ,but 
what shall we do in the morning8 the    
fretful1 faithless ones said4    ,and in
 the morning the ground was covered with
 tiny round loaves of  sweet bread1 the 
manna that had been sent from heaven2   
for so were the  children of ,israel fed
 in the wilderness4 ,and when1 by and   
by1 again  there was no water to drink1 
,moses struck a great rock with his rod1
 and  the water poured forth4    ,the   
children of ,israel had now come into   
the wilderness of ,sinai1 and  had      
pitched their tents at the foot of the  
mountain4 ,moses was  commanded by the  
,lord to go into the mountain1 while the
 people rested  in the valley below4    
,and when ,moses had reached the top1   
,god spoke to  him4    ,go and tell the 
,israelites how great a thing ,god has  
done for them1 in  bringing them through

 the ,red ,sea and freeing them from the
 cruel king1  ,pharaoh4    ,tell them to
 remember that they are my chosen       
people1 and that ,i will  be their ,god 
always4    ,bid them prepare themselves 
for the third day2 for on the third day 
will ,i come down upon this mountain and
 speak with them4 ,they shall not  come 
up into the mountain4 ,whosoever touches
 the mountain top shall be  put to      
death4 ,but when the trumpet sounds1    
then will ,i speak1 and they  shall all 
come up into the mountain4 ,moses went  
down into the valley  and gave these    
words to the people4 ,so they all made  
ready for the third  day4    ,when the  
morning of the third day came1 the      
,israelites looked up towards  the      
mountain top4 ,behold1 a heavy black    
cloud hung over it1 and fire and  smoke 
poured out from it1 and the whole       
mountain shook6    ,the people were     
frightened1 and ran and hid themselves4 
,but the trumpet  sounded1 and ,god     
descended upon the mountain4    ,and a  

voice called to ,moses3 ,again say to   
the people that they shall  not come up 
into the mountain4 ,but thou1 and ,aaron
 with thee1 come thou  up into the      
mountain4    ,and ,moses and ,aaron     
obeyed4 ,and there1 upon the mountain   
top1 they  beheld the glory of ,god1    
like a great cloud of glory4    ,then   
,moses and ,aaron went down into the    
valley to tell the people what  they had
 seen4 ,and when they had told the      
people1 ,moses went back into  the      
mountain2 for ,god had told him to come 
there alone1 that he might  tell him how
 to guide the great multitude that had  
been given to his  charge4              
,illustration3 ,,moses ,,breaking ,,the 
,,tablets ,,of ,,the ,,law4    ,it was  
from ,mt4 ,sinai that ,god gave to      
,moses the tablets upon which were      
written the ,ten ,commandments2 for     
,moses was in the mountain forty days   
and forty nights1 listening to the words
 that ,god spoke to him4    ,and when so
 many days had gone by and ,moses did   

not return1 then the  people began to be
 frightened4    ,moses has gone away and
 left us1 they wailed1 and we have no   
gods to  guide us4 ,let us make a golden
 calf and set it up before us that we   
may  worship it4 ,and so they built an  
altar1 and placed the golden calf upon  
it1 and held a great feast4    ,they    
were in the midst of their feast when   
,moses came down from the  mountain1 the
 tablets in his hands4    ,what is this8
 he thundered1 as he drew near and heard
 the music and  saw the dancing and the 
feasting4    ,the people were           
frightened4 ,some of them ran to hide2  
and so angry was  ,moses that he hurled 
the tablets of stone from him and broke 
them in  pieces4    ,why didst thou     
allow this thing to be done8 asked      
,moses of ,aaron4    ,the people gave me
 their gold to melt1 and it came out    
from the fire a  golden calf1 answered  
,aaron weakly4    ,then ,moses took the 
calf and ground it to powder2 and the   
#c1jjj  idolatrous men among them he    

commanded to be slain4    ,then ,moses  
went again up into the mountain1 and    
again wrote the ten  commandments upon  
tablets of stone1 and again carried them
 to the  people4    ,and now that the   
children of ,israel might have a place  
for worship1 the  ,lord commanded that  
the people should make a tabernacle1 and
 that in it  should be kept the sacred  
tablets4    ,so the people went to work1
 and every man woman and child had a    
part in  the building of the tabernacle4
    ,illustration          ,,the        
,,tabernacle4      ,the tabernacle was  
made of boards1 with bars put across2   
and these bars  and boards were made of 
shittim wood and covered with gold4     
,within the  tabernacle1 under the upper
 end1 were four more pillars2 a         
beautiful  covering1 called the vail1   
was hung over them2 and this hid the    
inside1  which was the most holy place1 
the ,holy of ,holies1 it was called4    
,none  could go in there but the ,high  
,priest2 and he went only once a year4  

,in  the ,holy of ,holies was placed the
 ark4 ,the ark was a chest1 or box1 made
  of shittim wood1 covered with gold2   
and there were rings in the sides  for  
poles to be put in when the ark was     
moved4 ,the top of the ark was  called  
the mercy-seat2 two golden angels1      
called cherubim1 were placed  one on    
each side of the mercy-seat2 they looked
 over it1 and their wings  covered the  
top4 ,in the ark were afterwards kept   
the tables of the  commandments1        
,aaron's rod1 and afterwards a golden   
pot full of manna1  which ,god commanded
 to be put there4 ,outside the vail was 
the altar1 on  which the holy bread1    
called shew-bread1 was placed1 and the  
great gold  candlestick4 ,the tabernacle
 stood in a large open court2 pillars of
  brass surrounded it1 and curtains were
 hung upon them4 ,the brazen altar  for 
burnt offerings1 and the great laver    
where the priests washed1 stood  in this
 court4 ,there were coverings and       
curtains to the tabernacle and  court4  

,over the boards of the tabernacle was  
thrown a covering of fine linen1        
beautifully worked in scarlet1 and      
purple1 and blue2 over the linen was  a 
covering of goat's hair2 over this1 a   
covering of ram's skins dyed  red2 and  
another covering of thick skins was over
 all4 ,the people were  not allowed to  
go into the tabernacle2 but the priests 
went in every  morning to offer incense1
 and every evening to light the lamps2  
and on  the ,sabbath1 to take away the  
old shew-bread from the table1 and to   
put  on new4 ,the sacrifices were       
offered in the court1 where the people  
stood4    ,now1 when the tabernacle was 
set up1 ,moses made ,aaron the ,high    
,priest  and clothed him in the sacred  
garments of his office1--the coat1 the  
girdle1 the robe1 the ephod1 the        
breastplate1 and the mitre4 ,the coat   
was a long linen robe1 with sleeves1 and
 having a girdle worked in blue  and    
purple and scarlet4 ,the robe was a     
long1 blue linen garment1 without       

sleeves4    ,around the skirts were     
golden bells1 which sounded whenever the
 ,high  ,priest went into the ,holy     
,place4    ,the ephod was a short robe1 
worked also in blue1 purple and scarlet2
 and  around the waist was worn a girdle
 of gold4    ,the breastplate was made  
of cloth1 and was very thick4 ,it had   
four rings  to join it to the ephod1 and
 twelve beautiful stones were set in it2
 and  on these stones were cut the names
 of the twelve tribes of ,israel1 that  
is1 the twelve sons of ,jacob4    ,the  
mitre was a linen turban2 and on the    
front of it were the words1  ,holy of   
,holies6    ,when all was ready1 the    
children held a sacred feast1 and ,moses
 anointed  ,aaron with oil4    ,the     
tabernacle established1 the ,israelites 
were now ready to move on  towards      
,canaan4    ,illustration3 ,,return ,,of
 ,,the ,,spies ,,from ,,the ,,land ,,of 
,,promise4          ,,the ,,promised    
,,land4      ,twelve men were chosen1   
one from each tribe1 and sent ahead to  

see what  manner of place ,canaan was1  
if there was land enough1 and if the    
people  dwelling there were friendly4   
,the twelve men set out1 and after forty
 days came back again to the  camp1     
bringing rich fruits which they had     
gathered there4 ,the land of  ,canaan is
 a beautiful country1 they said1 and it 
is filled with fruits  and corn2 but we 
fear the people there1 for they are     
fierce and  warlike4    ,at this many of
 the ,israelites were frightened4 ,again
 they forgot ,god's  promises and began 
to upbraid ,moses for having taken them 
from their  comfortable home in the     
wilderness4    ,then ,god was angry with
 them2 and he spoke to them in tones of 
thunder1  telling them that for their   
wickedness they should never be         
permitted to  see the promised land of  
,canaan2 that they should die in the    
wilderness2  and that only the children 
and the few faithful elders should live 
to  reach the ,promised ,land4    ,this 
was a most grievous punishment to the   

people2 but in a few days  they had     
forgotten it1 and again rebellion arose 
among them4    ,three men1 ,korah1      
,dathan1 and ,abiram1 grew jealous of   
the power of ,moses  and ,aaron1 and    
asked why all glory should be theirs4   
,moses1 worn with the faithlessness of  
his people1 fell upon his face and  wept
 when these jealous men spoke thus to   
him4 ,his heart ached with the          
injustice of it1 and he despaired ever  
of teaching his people4    ,the next day
 ,korah and all his people came and     
stood before the  tabernacle1 as ,moses 
had bid them4 ,then the voice of the    
,lord spoke1  bidding the people move   
away from the tabernacle1 leaving the   
three  doubting men and their families  
standing alone4    ,then there came a   
burst of thunder2 the earth rocked and  
groaned2 then a  great gulf opened      
beneath the feet of ,korah and ,dathan  
and ,abiram1 and  they1 with all their  
children1 were swallowed up4    ,then   
,god commanded ,moses to take twelve    

rods2 and upon the rods to write  the   
names of the twelve tribes4 ,on the rod 
of the tribe of ,levi he was  to write  
the name of ,aaron1 because ,aaron was  
of that tribe4    ,place now the rods in
 the tabernacle2 and the rod bearing the
 name of  him ,i appoint ,high ,priest  
shall bud and blossom4    ,illustration3
 ,,death ,,of ,,korah1 ,,dathan1 ,,and  
,,abiram4    ,and when the morning came1
 behold the rod of ,aaron had budded and
  blossomed4 ,then the people were      
content2 and the rod was kept ever after
  in the tabernacle4    ,for a time     
peace was in the camp1 and more than    
once the ,israelites came  near unto the
 ,promised ,land4 ,but it had been said 
they should never  reach it2 and so     
many1 many times they fell back and     
turned away4    ,over and over again    
they rebelled at ,moses and ,aaron1     
until the patience  of those two was    
exhausted4 ,they forgot themselves to   
ask for guidance1  and once1 unable to  
endure greater trial1 they cried out1 ,o

 ye rebels6  ye rebels6 and there was   
anger in their hearts as they spoke4    
,by and by the time came for ,aaron to  
die4 ,so ,moses took the priestly       
garments from him and gave them to      
,eleazer4 ,then ,aaron died1 and the    
,israelites mourned for him thirty days4
    ,then the people wandered on and on4
 ,once they were bitten by serpents2    
and that they might be healed1 ,moses   
lifted a brazen serpent in the          
wilderness and bade the suffering ones  
to look upon it and live4    ,but now   
the forty years were nearly at an end2  
,canaan1 too1 was very  close2 and1     
although the elders knew that it was not
 for them to see the  ,promised ,land1  
yet their children would2 and so there  
was joy in the  camp4    ,but now the   
death of ,moses was at hand4 ,he was one
 hundred and twenty  years old1 and had 
wandered forty years1 leading the       
rebellious  ,israelites in the          
wilderness4 ,so ,god said to ,moses1    
,come thou up into  ,mt4 ,pisgah4 ,from 

there thou shalt see the fair land of   
,canaan spread out  before thee1        
although thou mayst never go thither4   
,so ,moses called his people together   
and told them that his end was at  hand4
 ,he told them of all ,god had done for 
his people1 and how  wonderfully they   
had been led forth from bondage4 ,he    
then bade them take  ,joshua for their  
leader2 for he it was who should lead   
them into the  ,promised ,land4    ,the 
people wept most bitterly1 and many     
prostrated themselves before the  good  
man who had borne so much for them4     
,then ,moses turned and went up into    
,mt4 ,pisgah4 ,there lay the fair land  
of ,canaan at his feet1 with its fertile
 valleys and rich fruits and  abundant  
harvests of corn4    ,upon this fair    
scene ,moses gazed2 then1 raising his   
face towards ,god1  thanked ,him that   
the wanderings of the children of       
,israel were now at an  end4    ,then he
 laid himself down and died4 ,the ,lord 
buried him1 but no man  knew how or     

where4    ,and when the children of     
,israel knew he would come no more to   
them1 they  wept too for him thirty days
 upon the plains of ,moab4              
,,the ,,burial ,,of ,,moses4            
,by ,nebo's lonely mountain1 on this    
side ,jordan's wave1      ,in a vale in 
the ,land of ,moab there lies a lonely  
grave4      ,and no man knows that      
sepulchre1 and no man saw it e'er1      
,for the angels of ,god upturned the    
sod1 and laid the dead man there4       
,that was the grandest funeral that ever
 passed on earth2      ,but no man heard
 the trampling1 or saw the train go     
forth--      ,noiselessly as the        
daylight comes back when night is done1 
,and the crimson streak on ocean's cheek
 grows into the great sun4              
,noiselessly as the spring-time her     
crown of verdure weaves1      ,and all  
the trees on all the hills open their   
thousand leaves2      ,so without sound 
of music1 or voice of them that wept1   
,silently down from the mountain's crown

 the great procession swept4            
,perchance the bald old eagle1 on gray  
,beth-,peor's height1      ,out of his  
lonely eyrie looked on the wondrous     
sight2      ,perchance the lion         
stalking1 still shuns that hallowed     
spot1      ,for1 beast and bird have    
seen and heard that which man knoweth   
not4        ,but when the warrior dieth1
 his comrades in the war1      ,with    
arms reversed and muffled drum1 follow  
his funeral car2      ,they show the    
banners taken1 they tell his battles    
won1      ,and after him lead his       
masterless steed1 while peals the minute
 gun4        ,amidst the noblest of the 
land we lay the sage to rest4      ,and 
give the bard an honored place1 with    
costly marble drest1      ,in the great 
minster transept where lights like      
glories fall1      ,and the organ rings1
 and the sweet choir sings along the    
emblazoned wall4        ,this was the   
truest warrior that ever buckled sword1 
,this the most gifted poet that ever    

breathed a word2      ,and never earth's
 philosopher traced1 with his golden    
pen1      ,on the deathless page1 truths
 half so sage as he wrote down for men4 
,and hath he not high honor1--the       
hillside for a pall1      ,to lie in    
state while angels wait with stars for  
tapers tall1      ,and the dark         
rock-pines like tossing plumes1 over his
 bier to wave1      ,and ,god's own     
hand1 in that lonely land1 to lay him in
 the grave8        --,alexander4        
,illustration3 ,,the ,,children ,,of    
,,israel ,,crossing ,,jordan4           
,,the ,,story ,,of ,,joshua4      ,then 
,joshua led the ,israelites forth2 but  
when they came to the ,river  ,jordan1  
again their courage failed them4        
,although they had been led through the 
,red ,sea in the times of their         
fathers1 and though all their lives they
 had been told of that wonderful        
deliverance1 still1 when now they came  
to the ,river ,jordan1 their hearts     
grew heavy1 and fear took possession of 

them4 ,but there lay the country1  fair 
and beautiful4 ,they could see it2 and1 
with ,joshua so brave and  true to lead 
them on1 they gathered up their courage1
 and the great  company marched down to 
the river banks4    ,again the miracle  
of the parting of the waters was        
repeated2 for the  waters roared and    
rushed1 and heaped themselves1 like     
great walls1 on  either side while the  
,israelites passed through4    ,meantime
 ,joshua had sent forward two men into  
the city of ,jericho to  learn what     
manner of people were there2 for        
,jericho was one of the  cities upon    
which the ,israelites must make war4    
,these people of ,canaan  were not      
likely to give the country into the     
hands of a new people  without a        
struggle4 ,that the ,israelites well    
knew4 ,then1 too1 these were  in the    
days when all nations were at war with  
each other1 and the  possession of a    
country was always a matter of force and
 strength1--one  people overcoming the  

other4    ,when the two ,israelites came
 into ,jericho1 they sought the house of
 a  woman named ,rahab2 and from her    
learned all those things about the city 
that they needed to know4    ,but the   
king of ,jericho heard that two         
,israelites were in the city1 and  at   
once he suspected them of being spies4  
,accordingly he sent messengers  to     
seize them and put them in prison4 ,the 
messengers came1 bearing with  them the 
authority of the king2 but the two men  
were hid away by ,rahab1  and the       
messenger went away4    ,i know1 ,rahab 
said1 that this land belongs to you2    
that ,god hath  promised it to you2 for 
,i have heard of the wonderful things   
that ,god  hath done for you and your   
people4 ,because of this ,i have hidden 
you  beneath the flax on the housetop2  
and now1 when your people come to take  
the city1 forget not me4 ,tell your     
people the protection given you in  this
 house2 then shall your soldiers spare  
me in the downfall of the  city4        

,then the ,israelites promised that1 in 
the ransacking of the city1 this  woman 
,rahab should be spared4    ,when we are
 gone1 they said1 fasten a red cord upon
 the window of the  house4 ,then1 when  
we enter the city1 the house in whose   
window the red  cord is1 shall be       
spared4    ,at night the woman let the  
,israelites down from the roof of the   
house by  a rope1 and they hurried away 
to join the ,israelites4    ,in a few   
days the army of the ,israelites        
appeared before the walls of  ,jericho4 
,the gates were closed1 and the king's  
armies within were ready  to resist the 
attack4    ,what were the ,israelites to
 do8 ,should they attack the city with  
battering rams and meet the people with 
spears and swords8    ,this was the way 
of besieging cities in those days2 and  
it was for this  kind of an attack that 
the people within were prepared4 ,but   
this was  not the way the ,israelites   
were to do their work2 for ,god had told
 them1  even while in the wilderness1   

that the walls of ,jericho were to be   
beaten down in a way most strange4 ,they
 were to take their ,ark up to the      
walls of the city4 ,they were to draw up
 their soldiers in line4 ,the  priests  
were to bear the ,ark1 and together all 
were to march around the  city1 the     
priests blowing their trumpets as they  
passed before the ,ark4    ,not a spear 
was to be thrown2 not a sword was to be 
drawn4 ,for seven  days they were to do 
this2 but on the seventh day they were  
to march  seven times around the city4  
,then1 amid the shouting of the people  
and  the blowing of the trumpets1 the   
walls would fall2 and so the city would 
lie open before them4 ,all this the     
,israelites did2 and on the seventh  day
 it came about even as ,joshua said it  
should1--the walls fell with a  terrible
 crash4 ,then the ,israelites marched in
 and took the city4 ,the  house of      
,rahab they did not forget4 ,they       
brought her and all her family  out from
 the burning city and placed her in     

safety among their own women  and       
children4    ,illustration3 ,,the       
,,walls ,,of ,,jericho ,,falling ,,down4
    ,great loads of gold and silver and 
brass and iron they took from the  city4
 ,all of this they saved for the        
building of a temple2 for they had  been
 warned to save no part of the city's   
wealth for their own use4    ,in all    
this the ,israelites obeyed1 save one   
man4 ,he1 ,achan1 thinking no  one saw  
him1 took some of the riches and carried
 them away and hid them4  ,now1 ,joshua 
knew nothing of all this2 but the next  
day1 when the army  went against the    
little city of ,ai1 behold the          
,israelites were driven  back defeated4 
,even ,joshua's heart was heavy4 ,he    
could not see why it  should have been2 
but when he knelt before ,god1 ,god said
 to him1 ,never  can ,i fight for my    
people while there is sin among them4   
,go find ,achan2  he hath hidden gold in
 the tent4 ,accuse him before the people
 and put  him to death4 ,then again     

shall success be with the ,israelites4  
,joshua went before his people and told 
them what ,god had said to him4  ,then  
,achan was called before the ,israelites
 and put to death4    ,now1 said        
,joshua1 let us go against the city of  
,ai again4 ,they went2  and this time   
the city was taken1 and the people bowed
 before the power  of the ,israelites1  
acknowledging them as their masters4    
,,the ,,gibeonites4        ,the sun     
stood still1 the moon it stayed         
,till ,israel's vengeance was allayed   
,upon his enemy1      ,pausing all that 
awful day                ,and glowing   
brilliantly4      ,while these cities   
were being taken1 the ,gibeonites had   
heard of the  coming of the ,israelites 
and of their great conquests4 ,now1     
these  ,gibeonites were a strong people2
 and so1 when they heard these things1  
they made preparations for the attack   
which they feared4 ,first1 they  sent   
messengers to ,joshua4    ,we wish to   
make peace with you1 the messenger said4

    ,if you are ,canaanites1 said       
,joshua1 we can make no peace with you4 
,but we are not ,canaanites1 the        
messengers said4 ,behold we come from  a
 great distance4 ,do you not see how dry
 our bread is1 and how broken  our      
bottles are8 ,our shoes1 too1 see how   
they are worn6 ,all these were  new when
 we began our journey2 but we have been 
so long on the road1  they are worn4 ,we
 have heard of your coming1 as have all 
the kings round  about our country4 ,we 
know how great is your power2 and that  
is why we  have come to beg you to be at
 peace with our people4    ,now1 this   
story was in no wise true2 but ,joshua  
believed it1 and the  ,gibeonites went  
away pleased indeed that they had       
succeeded so well4    ,but a few days   
after1 ,joshua learned that these       
,gibeonites had been  untrue to him1 and
 that they dwelt in the very midst of   
the country of  ,canaan4    ,why have   
you deceived us8 he asked of their      
leaders4    ,the leaders could make no  

reply4 ,they could only say1 ,but you   
promised  not to slay us4    ,that is   
true1 ,joshua replied4 ,and we will not 
break our promise4 ,we  will not slay   
you2 but we will take all prisoners1 and
 you shall serve  us as slaves all the  
days of your life4    ,the ,gibeonites  
were heavy hearted indeed4 ,they had    
fallen into their own  pit2 for they    
would rather have died than become      
slaves4 ,but now there  was no hope for 
them1 and they could only bow their     
proud heads beneath  the yoke4          
,hardly had the ,israelites and the     
,gibeonites made peace with each other  
in this way1 when down came the         
,amorites upon the ,gibeonites to fight 
them4    ,illustration3 ,,joshua        
,,commanding ,,the ,,sun ,,to ,,stand   
,,still4    ,the ,gibeonites1 frightened
 at the appearance of the great army1   
fled to  ,joshua for help4    ,we shall 
protect you as our servants and slaves1 
was the answer4 ,and  so1 when the      
,amorites came1 it was the ,israelites  

that marched out  against them4    ,a   
terrible battle followed4 ,for a time no
 one could have told which army  was to 
be victorious4 ,many were falling among 
the ,amorites2 still their  army was    
pressing forward4    ,if only the day   
would not come to an end6 ,if only the  
darkness would not  fall6 ,if only they 
might keep on with the battle till the  
,amorites1  exhausted1 should fall back6
 ,to give up the battle and begin again 
in  the morning would be to give the    
,amorites opportunity to regain strength
  and courage4    ,then the thought came
 to ,joshua1 ,why should night come8    
,why should  not the sun and the moon   
stand still in the heavens until this   
battle is  finished and the ,amorites   
are driven back8    ,illustration3      
,,destruction ,,of ,,the ,,army ,,of    
,,the ,,amorites4    ,and as he thought1
 lo6 the prayer was answered1 and the   
sun and the moon  did stand still4      
,hour after hour passed2 the two armies 
fought on2 the ,amorites grew  weaker   

and weaker4 ,why did not the sun go     
down8 ,why did the darkness not  come to
 give them rest8    ,at last the        
,amorites could hold out no longer4 ,the
 army turned and fled4  ,the ,israelites
 pursued4 ,the kings hid themselves in a
 great cave4 ,but  ,joshua pursued these
 still4 ,he rolled great stones up      
before the cave  and held them there    
prisoners4 ,then1 when the ,amorites had
 been  scattered1 ,joshua came back to  
the cave1 brought out the offending     
kings and slew them all4    ,so the     
contention for the possession of the    
land of ,canaan went on4 ,one  by one   
the tribes were overcome2 and at last   
,canaan was in the control  of the      
,israelites4    ,but now ,joshua had    
grown to be an old man4 ,he knew that   
the end of his  life was near at hand4  
,so he called the people together and   
told them1  even as ,moses had told     
them1 of all the wonderful things that  
had  happened to ,god's chosen people in
 all the four hundred years since they  

had come out of ,egypt4    ,then he     
appealed to them in the name of ,god1   
who had led them safely  into the land  
of ,canaan2 he begged them never to     
forget that they were  the ,children of 
,israel1 and that the religion of the   
people into whose  land they had come1  
an idolatrous religion1 was not for     
them4 ,then the  people all promised to 
be true to the religion of their        
fathers2 and  ,joshua1 taking the great 
book of the law1 wrote their promise in 
it4  ,more than that1 he rolled a great 
stone up beneath an oak tree and said1  
,look at the great stone4 ,it has heard 
your promise that you will serve  always
 the one ,god4 ,guard that stone2 and   
let it be a remembrance to you  of the  
promise you have made4    ,the people   
went away sad at heart2 for they knew   
they should never look  again upon their
 patient leader and teacher1 who had    
been so faithful  and true to them in   
all the years he had been with them4    
,illustration3 ,,deborah          ,,ehud

 ,,and ,,deborah4      ,for a few years 
the ,israelites remembered their        
promise2 but alas6 they  were very prone
 to sink back into the idolatry which   
surrounded them4  ,and it was not very  
long before they were worshipping idols1
 even as  were the heathen tribes round 
about them4    ,and again ,god sent     
cruel enemies to fight against them2    
again they cried  to ,him1 and ,he heard
 them4 ,for eighteen years they served  
,eglon1 the  cruel1 wicked king of      
,moab4 ,but at last ,god sent the       
,israelites a man to  help them1 whose  
name was ,ehud4    ,ehud told them to   
send a present to ,eglon1 and he would  
be its bearer4  ,the ,israelites did    
this1 and ,ehud1 making a dagger1 and   
hiding it under  his clothes1 went to   
,moab4 ,when he came to the king he     
said1 ,i have a  secret to tell and must
 see the king alone4 ,so ,eglon sent    
away his  servants4 ,when they were     
alone1 ,ehud took out his dagger and    
thrust it  into the king's body4 ,then  

,ehud ran out from the room1 locked the 
doors  after him1 and so escaped4    ,no
 one saw ,ehud go2 and when the servants
 found the doors locked1 they  thought  
their master had fallen asleep1 and so  
they made no attempt to  go in4 ,many   
hours passed4 ,at last the servants     
began to wonder why the  king did not   
send for them4 ,night came on4 ,still   
the king did not awake2  and so1 at     
last1 they took a key and opened the    
door4    ,what did they see8 ,there lay 
the king upon the ground1--dead6        
,ehud1 meantime1 had come back again1   
bringing many soldiers with him2  and   
the ,israelites fought against the      
,moabites and conquered them4    ,for   
some time after this the people held    
firmly to their faith1 and ,ehud  led   
them4 ,but ,ehud died2 and then the     
,israelites again rebelled against      
,god4 ,again ,god1 to punish them1 sent 
,jabin1 king of ,canaan1 to fight       
against ,israel2 and he conquered them4 
,this king was very cruel1 and  they    

suffered much under his power for twenty
 long1 terrible years4 ,now1  there was 
a very good woman living at that time1  
named ,deborah4 ,she  dwelt under a palm
 tree1 between ,ramah and ,bethel4      
,there she prayed and  sang1 and talked 
to1 and taught all the people who came  
to see her4  ,deborah was a very wise   
woman and had the gift of prophecy4 ,and
 so it  came about that1 when the       
,israelites began to cry to ,god1       
,deborah1 at  ,his command1 sent for a  
brave man named ,barak1 and said to him1
 ,go now  and call men out of the tribes
 of ,zebulon and ,naphtali1 and take    
them to  fight against ,sisera1 the     
captain of ,jabin's army4 ,god promises 
to give  us the victory4 ,barak said1   
,if thou wilt go with me1 ,i will go4   
,so  ,deborah1 with ,barak and #aj1jjj  
men1 went to fight against ,sisera4 ,do 
not kill ,sisera1 ,deborah said2 for    
,god will give the wicked captain  into 
the hands of a woman4    ,so ,barak and 
his army went and fought against        

,sisera4 ,very soon the  ,israelites won
 the victory1 for it was as ,deborah had
 prophesied4 ,then  ,sisera came down   
from his chariot and fled from ,barak4  
,there was a man named ,heber1 who was  
at peace with ,jabin2 and ,sisera ran   
to ,heber's tent for safety4 ,when the  
man's wife1 ,jael1 saw ,sisera  coming1 
she went out to meet him and said1 ,come
 in1 come in1 and fear  not4 ,so ,sisera
 came in and lay down2 and ,jael covered
 him with a  mantle4 ,he asked for      
water2 and she gave him milk1 which he  
drank2 and  then he lay down again4     
,stand by the door1 he said1 and if any 
one ask if ,i am here1 say  ',no4' ,then
 ,sisera fell asleep1 for he was weary  
with fighting and  running so far2 and  
when he was asleep1 then ,jael went very
 softly1 took  a large nail and a       
hammer1 and hammered the nail into      
,sisera's head and  down into the       
ground4    ,after this war forty years  
passed most happily and safely4 ,the    
,israelites lived in the fear of ,god1  

and he kept them in peace and gave  them
 rest from their enemies4    ,but when  
the forty years were passed1 the        
,israelites again loved evil2  and      
again1 too1 sorrows and punishments came
 upon them4    ,first1 the ,midianites  
came to be their enemies4 ,they came in 
great  numbers2 they brought their      
camels and their cattle with them1 and  
pitched their tents in the land of the  
,israelites4 ,the ,israelites left      
their pleasant houses and fields1 and   
ran to hide in dens and caves1 for  fear
 of the cruel ,midianites4    ,the      
pleasant land became barren and         
desolate4 ,then the ,israelites cried   
again to the ,lord1 for they knew that  
,he could deliver them1 and ,he  alone4 
,god sent an answer to them by a        
prophet3 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ',i     
brought you safely out of ,egypt and    
delivered you from the cruel            
,egyptians1 and drove away your enemies1
 and gave you the land of ,canaan  for a
 possession2 and ,i commanded you to    

obey and serve ,me1 and not to  worship 
the idols of the people who live near   
you2 but you have not  obeyed ,my       
command4' ,then the prophet went away4  
,,the ,,story ,,of ,,gideon4      ,now1 
there was a man 7living at ,ophrah17    
whose son was named ,gideon4  ,gideon   
was a true servant of the ,lord2 but his
 father was an idolater  and a          
worshipper of ,baal4 ,one day ,gideon   
was threshing wheat in a hidden  place1 
lest the idolaters should see him and   
come and take his corn from  him4       
,gideon's heart was full of sorrowful   
thoughts as he threshed the  wheat2 but1
 as he looked up1 he saw an angel near  
him1 sitting beneath  an oak4 ,and      
,gideon heard him say1 ,the ,lord is    
with thee4    ,when ,gideon heard the   
angel speak1 he looked up with wonder4  
,is the  ,lord with us8 he cried4 ,then 
why does ,he let the ,midianites come   
and  destroy us8 ,why does ,he not work 
miracles for us1 as ,he did for our     
fathers1 and deliver us from our        

enemies8 ,but the angel said again1 ,go 
now1 ,i send thee to save ,israel from  
the ,midianites4    ,gideon was         
frightened2 he had faith1 but his faith 
was weak and small4  ,he could not      
believe that he could save ,israel4     
,how can ,i save my brethren8 he said4  
,i am poor2 all my family are  poor1 and
 ,i am least in my father's house4 ,but 
the angel said again1 ,i  will be with  
thee2 ,i will give thee power to smite  
the ,midianites4    ,gideon wondered4   
,could it be an angel that was talking  
to him8 ,an angel  could give him power 
to conquer his enemies6    ,wilt thou   
give me a sign that ,i may know who thou
 art8 he asked4 ,stay  till ,i come     
again1 and bring my offering with me4   
,then ,gideon hurried away and made     
ready a kid and cakes of flour4 ,he put 
the flesh into a basket and the broth   
into a pot1 and brought all out to  the 
oak tree where the angel waited4        
,now1 the angel did not need food to    
strengthen him1 but he accepted         

,gideon's offering1 and told him to lay 
the flesh and cakes upon the  rock1 and 
to pour out the broth4 ,gideon hardly   
knew why1 but he obeyed2  and then the  
angel of the ,lord touched with his     
staff the flesh and the  cakes1 and fire
 came out of the rocks and consumed     
them4    ,the angel went away4 ,gideon  
knew not how or where2 but he knew who  
the  angel was4 ,then ,gideon cried with
 fear1 ,o1 ,lord ,god6 for ,i have seen 
an  angel of the ,lord face to face4    
,and a voice answered1 ,peace be unto   
thee2 fear not1 thou shalt not  die2 and
 ,gideon named the place1               
,jehovah-shalom1 or ,the ,lord send     
peace2 and he built an altar there to   
the ,lord4    ,again the angel of the   
,lord ,god spoke to him4 ,take thy      
father's bullock  and throw down the    
altar of ,baal which thy father has4    
,build there an  altar unto the ,lord   
and offer the bullock in sacrifice upon 
it4    ,now1 ,gideon's family all       
worshipped this ,baal1 and they would be

 very  angry if the idol altar was      
thrown down2 it might be they would kill
  ,gideon4 ,but ,gideon rose and went at
 once to destroy ,baal's altar1 lest    
the men of the city should try to       
prevent him if he waited until morning  
came4    ,when the people rose next day1
 they wondered to see ,baal's altar     
thrown  down1 the new altar to ,god     
ready built1 and a bullock offered upon 
it4  ,who did all this8 they asked4     
,gideon was not afraid to confess the   
truth4 ,he was bold1 because he knew    
,god was with him4 ,but the people  were
 angry with ,gideon4 ,bring out thy son1
 they said to ,joash1 that  we may slay 
him6    ,before ,gideon began to fight1 
he prayed2 ,give me now a sign1 that ,i 
may  know that ,thou wilt be merciful to
 the ,israelites4 ,i will put a fleece  
of wool upon the ground to-night2 in the
 morning ,i will look at it1 and  if ,i 
see the fleece wet with dew1 and all the
 ground dry1 then ,i shall  know that   
,thou dost promise to save us from our  

enemies4    ,gideon put the fleece of   
wool upon the ground1 for ,god had heard
 his  prayer4 ,in the morning1 when     
,gideon looked at it1 it was so wet that
 he  wrung from the fleece a bowlful of 
water1 though there was no dew upon  the
 ground4    ,illustration3 ,,gideon     
,,choosing ,,his ,,soldiers4    ,the    
next night ,gideon again tried the      
fleece4 ,to-night let the fleece  alone 
be dry1 and all the ground wet1 and then
 ,i shall know that ,thou  wilt save    
,israel1 he prayed4 ,the next morning   
all the ground was wet  with dew1 and   
the wool alone was dry4 ,and now ,gideon
 was convinced4 ,he  asked no further   
proof4    ,gideon had many thousand men 
to fight with him4 ,but ,god wished to  
teach  the ,israelites that ,he alone   
could save them4 ,so he told ,gideon to 
say  to the soldiers1 ,those who are    
afraid may return home and not come into
  the battle4 ,gideon did as he was     
told2 and #bb1jjj of the soldiers1      
struck with fear1 went away1 leaving    

only #aj1jjj to meet the foe4 ,but  ,god
 said1 ,i do not want even so many2 if  
all these soldiers go the  ,israelites  
will say that their own power and       
courage gained the victory4  ,bring the 
#aj1jjj men down to the water and let   
them drink4 ,notice the  men who lap the
 water like a dog and put them on one   
side2 and the men  who kneel down to    
drink water1 put on the other side2 and 
,i will tell  thee whom ,i will choose  
to fight against the ,midianites4       
,gideon obeyed4 ,he brought the soldiers
 to the water and told them to  drink4  
,three hundred of them lapped1 putting  
their hands to their  mouths2 but most  
of them stooped down on their knees to  
drink4 ,then ,god  said1 ,by the #cjj   
men who lapped the water will ,i save   
you2 let all the  others return home4   
,gideon had a very1 very small army now4
 ,the ,midianites were in great         
numbers1 the ,israelites only #cjj4 ,it 
was the night before the battle4        
,to-morrow ,gideon and his army must    

fight against their cruel enemies1  the 
,midianites4    ,when ,gideon was lying 
down to rest1 and his #cjj soldiers by  
him1 he  heard a voice calling to him4  
,was it an enemy come to kill him and   
his  little army8 ,no1 it was the voice 
of ,god4 ,arise1 go down to the army of 
the ,midianites1 the voice said4 ,if    
thou fear to go alone1 take ,phurah1    
thy servant1 with thee4 ,go1 and hear   
what the ,midianites are saying2 for    
afterwards thou shalt feel strengthened 
to go down to the army4    ,so ,gideon  
and his servant1 ,phurah1 went as ,god  
had commanded4 ,the tents  of the       
,midianites and the ,amalekites covered 
the whole valley4 ,the  soldiers were   
sleeping in the tents1 and their camels 
lay by them4 ,so  many were they that   
,gideon could not count them4 ,but the  
,midianites were  not all asleep2 some  
were making ready for the morrow1 some  
were  talking2 but none of them saw     
,gideon and his servant4    ,there were 
two men1 ,midianites1 talking together1 

and ,gideon and ,phurah  went near to   
them4 ,i dreamed1 said one1 that ,i saw 
a cake of bread  tumble into the hosts  
of the ,midianites2 ,i saw it fall upon 
a tent1 and  the tent was overturned and
 thrown down4 ,that cake1 his friend    
answered1 is ,gideon1 the commander of  
the ,israelites2 he will fall upon  us  
and destroy our army1 because ,god is   
with him4    ,when ,gideon heard this   
tale1 he rejoiced4 ,he now felt sure of 
the  victory4 ,then he and ,phurah went 
back to the ,israelites1 and ,gideon    
said1 ,arise1 for ,god gives the        
,midianites into our hands4    ,then    
,gideon divided his army into three     
companies1 and gave to every man  a     
trumpet and a pitcher1 with a lamp in   
every pitcher4 ,they had no  swords1 nor
 spears1 nor bows1 nor arrows4 ,then    
,gideon said1 ,come with  me and do as  
,i do4 ,when ,i blow the trumpet1 you   
must blow too1 and cry1  ',the sword of 
the ,lord and of ,gideon4' ,it was still
 night when ,gideon  went again with his

 soldiers to the camp of the            
,midianites4 ,the soldiers  stood around
 the camp1 and when ,gideon commanded1  
they blew with the  trumpets1 and broke 
the pitchers1 and cried aloud1 ,the     
sword of the  ,lord and of ,gideon4 ,the
 ,midianites heard the noise and the    
shout1 and  were struck with fear4 ,they
 knew not what to do4 ,they ran like mad
 men4  ,they fell one upon another1     
killing their own friends1 and fathers1 
and  brothers2 and those who were not   
killed fled away2 and the ,israelites   
followed after these and killed them4   
,the ,israelites were grateful for what 
,gideon had done for them4 ,come  and   
rule over us1 they said1 and be our     
king1 and we will serve and  obey thee4 
,but ,gideon was not an ambitious man2  
he wanted neither  power1 riches1 nor   
possessions4 ,so1 when the ,israelites  
asked ,gideon to  be their king1 he     
said1 ,no1 ,i do not wish to rule over  
you2 the ,lord  only is your king2 obey 
,him4 ,but give me if ye will the       

earrings and  gold chains that were     
taken from the enemies4                 
,illustration3 ,,the ,,midianites ,,put 
,,to ,,flight4    ,yes1 we will         
willingly give them1 the people said4   
,and they spread out  a large garment   
and threw into it all the earrings and  
chains they had1  and with them purple  
garments and many more beautiful things4
 ,gideon  made them into an ephod like  
,aaron's ephod2 and this he took into   
his  own city ,ophrah4 ,the ephod       
,gideon made in remembrance of his      
victory4  ,after ,gideon was dead1 the  
,israelites again forgot ,god1 and      
worshipped  idols4    ,illustration3    
,,death ,,of ,,abimelech4 ,,abimelech4  
,gideon had many sons1 but they were not
 like him4 ,the name of one was         
,abimelech4 ,he was a most ambitious    
man1 and aspired to be king4 ,he went   
to ,shechem and asked to be made king   
over that city4 ,the men of ,shechem    
were pleased with ,abimelech1 and they  
attended to what he said1 and gave  him 

much gold1 promising to make him king4  
,then he went home to ,ophrah1 and1     
cruel1 ambitious man that he was1 he    
called his brothers together and killed 
them1--all but the youngest1  named     
,jotham1 who hid himself and escaped4   
,now1 why did ,abimelech kill  his      
brothers8 ,it was because they might    
wish to reign too1 and he was           
determined to reign alone4    ,the men  
of ,shechem made ,abimelech king4 ,but  
the people in that city soon  grew tired
 of their king4 ,he was cruel and greedy
 and unjust4 ,they  rebelled1 and       
refused to obey ,abimelech4 ,so         
,abimelech came and fought  against them
 and conquered them4 ,some of the       
,shechemites escaped to an  idol temple1
 and hid there4 ,but ,abimelech and his 
soldiers cut down the  boughs from the  
tree and put the boughs under the place 
where the people  were hid1 and set it  
on fire2 so that the people were all    
burned to  death4    ,then ,abimelech   
went to a city named ,thebez1 and tried 

to take it4 ,the  people in ,thebez had 
gone up to a high1 strong tower4        
,abimelech was  under the tower fighting
 against it1 when a woman on the top of 
the  tower took a large mill-stone and  
threw it down upon ,abimelech's head4   
,abimelech was severely crushed by the  
stone4 ,when he knew he must soon  die1 
he cried to a soldier near him1 ,thrust 
thy sword into me and slay  me2 for ,i  
will not let the people say that a woman
 killed me4 ,so the  soldier thrust his 
sword into him1 and ,abimelech fell down
 dead4    ,at this time there was a man 
in ,gilead named ,jephthah4 ,he was most
 brave  and warlike2 but his brothers   
hated him4 ,they would not let him live 
with them1 but sent him away4 ,some     
years after1 when the ,ammonites came   
and fought against ,israel1 the men of  
,gilead were frightened1 and they  sent 
for ,jephthah to help them conquer their
 enemies4 ,when ,jephthah  heard what   
the messengers said1 he answered1 ,why  
do you come to me now  when you are in  

trouble8 ,but the ,gileadites promised  
to make ,jephthah  their captain if he  
would come2 so ,jephthah forgave their  
past  unkindness and went to their aid4 
,the ,ammonites were very wicked people4
 ,they had always been enemies to       
,israel4 ,jephthah told the ,ammonites  
that ,god had commanded that they be    
destroyed1 and had promised to give     
their possessions to the ,israelites2   
but they would not listen4 ,then        
,jephthah made ready to fight against   
them4 ,but before he went to the battle1
 he asked ,god's help1 and made  this   
promise3 ,if ,thou wilt give me the     
victory1 then the first thing ,i  meet  
at the door of my house1 when ,i return 
in peace1 shall be the  ,lord's2 and ,i 
will offer it up for a burnt-offering4  
,then ,jephthah went into battle2 the   
,ammonites were conquered1 and very     
many of them killed4 ,but when the      
battle was ended1 ,jephthah went home   
again to ,mizpah4 ,jephthah had one     
child1 a daughter1 who was very dear  to

 him4 ,this little daughter loved her   
father1 and when she heard of the       
victory1 she knew she should soon see   
her dear father4 ,so she waited and     
watched for him1 and when she saw him   
coming1 she ran out to meet him1        
dancing and singing for joy4 ,alas6     
alas6 ,jephthah rent his clothes and    
cried1 ,o my daughter1 my daughter6 ,i  
have made a promise to the ,lord1  and  
,i cannot break my vow6 ,but the        
daughter said1 ,my father1 do not  weep2
 if thou hast made a vow to the ,lord1  
do as thou hast promised4 ,god  has been
 very merciful to us1 and ,i am ready   
and willing to help bear  all thou hast 
vowed to do4    ,jephthah thought now of
 his foolish vow1 and ,o how sorry he   
was that he  had made it6 ,he must give 
up his dear daughter and never see her  
again6  ,but when he told her what he   
had vowed1 she asked to be allowed to go
  upon the mountains to mourn there with
 her friends4 ,after two months she     
came home again1 and ,jephthah did with 

her as he had vowed4           99       
99       99       99       99           
,though the virgins of ,salem lament1   
,be the judge and the hero unbent2      
,i have won the great battle for thee1  
,and my father and country are free4    
,when this blood of thy giving has      
gushed1      ,when the voice that thou  
lovest is hushed1      ,let my memory   
still be thy pride1      ,and forget not
 ,i smiled as ,i died4          ,,the   
,,story ,,of ,,samson4          ,would  
any strive with ,samson for renown1     
,whose brawny arm can strike most       
pillars down8      ,preserve he then    
unstained in his breast      ,a         
milk-white conscience2 let his soul be  
blest      ,with simple innocence2 this 
sevenfold shield      ,no dart shall    
pierce2 no sword shall make it yield2-- 
,well guarded with himself he walks     
along1      ,when most alone1 he stands 
a thousand strong4      ,after this     
,jephthah judged ,israel six years and  
then died4 ,and now again  the people   

began to sin against the ,lord2 and ,he1
 to recall them again1  gave them up to 
their enemies1 the ,philistines1 for    
forty years4 ,this  was a long time to  
be in sorrow and trouble2 but did not   
the ,israelites  deserve their          
punishment8    ,there was a good man in 
the tribe of ,dan1 named ,manoah4 ,one  
day an angel  of the ,lord appeared to  
,manoah's wife and said1 ,soon ,god will
 give  thee a son1 who shall deliver    
,israel from the ,philistines4 ,no razor
 must  come upon him1 for he shall be a 
,nazarite unto ,god4 ,now1 the          
,nazarites  were people who had made a  
vow to give themselves to ,god4 ,they   
did not  drink wine1 nor any strong     
liquor2 and they never cut their hair or
  shaved their beards4    ,manoah's wife
 wondered very much to hear what the    
angel said1 and she  went and told her  
husband4 ,it seemed very strange2 still 
,manoah knew  that nothing was too      
wonderful for ,god to do2 and he was    
thankful for  ,god's promise to deliver 

,israel4 ,but ,manoah1 fearful lest he  
and his  wife might forget what the     
angel had said and not bring up their   
child  rightly1 prayed ,god to send the 
angel to them again4    ,a few days     
after1 the woman was sitting alone in   
the field1 and she  looked up and saw   
the angel again standing by her4 ,she   
ran and called  her husband2 and        
,manoah1 following his wife1 came to the
 angel and  asked1 ,what shall we do to 
the child when he is born8 ,the angel   
repeated what he had told the woman     
before4 ,then ,manoah said1 ,stay here  
till we have made ready a kid for thee4 
,the angel answered1 ,i will not  eat of
 thy bread2 and if thou wilt offer a    
sacrifice1 offer it to ,god4    ,manoah 
wondered who the angel was2 so he asked 
again1 ,what is thy  name8 ,but the     
angel answered1 ,why dost thou ask my   
name8 ,it is a very  secret and a very  
wonderful name4 ,then ,manoah offered a 
kid in  sacrifice to the ,lord upon the 
rock1 and ,god sent fire upon the       

sacrifice to consume it4    ,manoah and 
his wife looked at the angel1 and they  
saw him going up to  ,heaven in the     
flame of fire4 ,then they both fell upon
 their faces in  holy fear and wonder2  
and ,manoah said1 ,now we shall die1    
because we  have seen ,god4 ,the woman  
said to her husband1 ,do not be afraid4 
,god  has shown us wonderful things2 he 
has accepted our sacrifice1 and surely  
he cannot wish to hurt or frighten us4  
,manoah and his wife never again saw the
 angel of the ,lord2 but ,god           
remembered ,his promise1 and very soon  
there came to them a little son1  whom  
they called ,samson4 ,samson's parents  
were very careful to attend to  ,god's  
commands regarding him4 ,they remembered
 that he was to be given to  ,god2 that 
he was to be a ,nazarite2 that he must  
drink no wine2 that he  must not shave  
his head1 nor cut his hair4    ,samson  
grew to be wonderfully strong4 ,great   
strength had been given him  because he 
had much to do2 for he was to deliver   

,israel from the  ,philistines4 ,when   
,samson was grown up1 he went to        
,timnath with his  father and mother1 to
 marry a young woman who was a          
,philistine4 ,as he  passed the         
vineyards at ,timnath1 a lion rushed out
 of the woods and  roared at him4 ,but  
,samson was a very bold man4 ,he ran at 
the lion and  tore it in pieces1 without
 stick1 or sword1 or spear--by his own  
great  strength alone4 ,samson said     
nothing of this to his father or mother1
 but  went on and came to ,timnath4     
,after a time ,samson passed again along
 the place where he had killed the      
lion1 and it came to him to go and look 
at the dead body of the animal4  ,he saw
 a strange sight4 ,some wild bees had   
made their home in the  lion1 and       
,samson found much honey there4 ,he took
 it and ate it1 and  gave some to his   
father and mother2 but he did not tell  
them where he  had found it4            
,illustration3 ,,samson ,,slaying ,a    
,,lion4    ,once ,samson made a feast at

 ,timnath2 and when the company were all
  talking merrily together1 he said1 ,i 
will give you a riddle to guess2  if you
 guess right1 ,i will give you thirty   
sheets and thirty garments2  but if you 
cannot guess1 you shall give me thirty  
sheets and thirty  garments4 ,then the  
people said1 ,tell us the riddle1 and we
 will try to  guess it4 ,so ,samson     
said1 ,out of the eater came forth meat2
 and out of  the strong came forth      
sweetness4 ,now1 the eater was the      
strong lion2  and the meat was the sweet
 honey ,samson found in it2 but no one  
knew the  story of the lion1 and they   
could not guess the riddle4 ,they tried 
six  days1 and then they called in their
 friend1 ,samson's wife1 and said1  ,ask
 ,samson to explain the riddle to thee1 
else we will burn thee and  thy father's
 house with fire4    ,the woman then    
begged so hard and long for her husband 
to tell her that1  at last1 he explained
 the riddle to her2 and she forthwith   
went and told  the ,philistines4 ,then  

they came to ,samson and said1 ,what is 
so strong  as a lion1 and what is so    
sweet as honey8 ,but ,samson quietly    
said1 ,my  wife told you1 else you could
 never have guessed my riddle4          
,samson was obliged1 however1 to give   
what he had promised to the men who     
found out the riddle4 ,but he got the   
garments in a strange way4 ,he went     
down to ,askelon and killed thirty men  
of the ,philistines and took from  them 
the things he wanted to give to the men 
who told the riddle4 ,soon  after1      
,samson's wife went away from him1 and  
it was then that ,samson  began his war 
upon the ,philistines4 ,he caught #cjj  
foxes and tied  firebrands to their     
tails1 and drove them into the corn     
fields belonging  to the ,philistines4  
,all the corn and vineyards and olives  
were burned of  course4    ,then the    
,philistines asked1 ,who did this8 ,the 
people said1 ,samson did  it1 because   
his wife has been taken away4 ,then the 
,philistines went and  burned ,samson's 

wife and her father with fire4 ,samson  
was now still more  angry4 ,he killed a 
great number of the ,philistines1 and   
then went to the  top of a rock and     
lived there alone4    ,the ,philistines 
now went to fight against ,judah4 ,we   
must have ,samson1  and bind him1 and   
take him prisoner1 they said4 ,the      
people of ,judah  were frightened2 they 
ran to ,samson and said1 ,we are come   
to bind thee2 we will not kill thee2 but
 we will give thee into the  hands of   
the ,philistines4 ,then they bound him  
with two new ropes and  led him away4   
,but ,samson had strength to break the  
ropes1 and he soon  escaped2 then1      
picking up the jawbone of an ass1 which 
he found on the  way as he ran1 he      
killed #a1jjj men of the ,philistines   
with it4    ,illustration3 ,,samson     
,,destroying ,,the ,,philistines  ,,with
 ,,the ,,jawbone ,,of ,,an ,,ass4       
,after this slaughter1 ,samson was most 
thirsty4 ,he cried to ,god and asked    
for water1 that he might not die of     

thirst4 ,then water sprang up like a    
well1 and ,samson drank and became      
strong again4    ,samson had been raised
 up to deliver his country from the     
,philistines1  and so to him was given  
great strength1 and boldness and courage
 to do  it4    ,soon after1 ,samson went
 to ,gaza4 ,the people heard he was     
there1 and  they waited quietly for him 
all night4 ,in the morning we shall kill
  him1 they said4 ,but ,samson arose in 
the night and went to the gate of  the  
city1 and took it up1 and the posts1 and
 the bar1 and carried them  upon his    
shoulders to the top of the hill near   
,hebron4    ,samson had now another     
wife4 ,her name was ,deliah4 ,the       
,philistines needed  very much to know  
wherein ,samson's great strength lay4   
,so they went to  ,deliah and said1 ,ask
 ,samson what makes him so strong4      
,learn how we can  bind him2 and we will
 each give thee #aajj pieces of silver4 
,deliah did  not love her husband as she
 loved money2 so she went to ,samson and

  begged him to tell her what made him  
so strong4 ,samson did not mean to  tell
 her2 so he deceived her1 and said1 ,let
 them bind me with seven  fresh green   
withes4 ,deliah told the ,philistines1  
and they brought the  withes1 and she   
bound ,samson with them1 while the      
,philistines were  hiding in the room4  
,then ,deliah cried1 ,the ,philistines  
are upon thee1 ,samson6 ,samson  bounded
 up1 broke the withes1 and the defeated 
,philistines ran away4  ,again ,deliah  
asked ,samson to tell her what made him 
so strong2 and he  said1 ,let them bind 
me with new ropes4 ,deliah bound him    
with the ropes  and cried again1 ,the   
,philistines are upon thee1 ,samson6    
,then ,samson  sprang up1 broke the     
ropes like little threads1 and escaped  
again4    ,then ,deliah said1 ,now do   
not deceive me2 but tell me the truth4  
,how can  ,i bind thee8 ,he said1 ,weave
 the hair of my head with the web4 when 
,samson was asleep1 ,deliah wove his    
hair and fastened it most strongly4     

,then she said1 ,the ,philistines are   
upon thee6 ,and he awoke1 bounded  up1  
and went away with the pin1 and the     
beam1 and the web4    ,illustration3    
,,samson ,,and ,,deliah4    ,then       
,deliah said1 ,why hast thou deceived me
 these three times8 ,tell me  now where 
thy great strength lies4 ,samson was    
tired of his wife's  asking him so      
often2 so he said1 ,i am a ,nazarite to 
,god6 ,i have never  shaven my head2    
but1 if my hair is cut off1 then ,i     
shall become weak  like other men4      
,then ,deliah sent to the ,philistines  
and said1 ,come once again2 ,samson  has
 told me the truth2 ,i know now what it 
is makes him so strong4 ,the  lords of  
the ,philistines were glad enough to    
think that soon they might  have their  
enemy in their power4 ,they came at     
once1 and brought money  with them to   
give to ,deliah4 ,then the cruel wife1  
when ,samson was  asleep1 called a man  
and told him to shave off ,samson's     
hair4 ,when he  had finished1 ,deliah   

cried1 ,the ,philistines are upon thee1 
,samson6    ,samson arose1 but alas1 his
 strength was gone6 ,he could not defend
  himself now6 ,his enemies came and    
took him1 and put out his eyes1 and     
bound him in chains1 and carried him to 
,gaza1 and made him work hard in  the   
prison there4    ,samson was now in     
prison at ,gaza1 alone and blind1       
without any friend to  comfort him4     
,when he first went to prison1 his      
strength was all gone2  but1 after a    
time1 his hair began to grow1 and his   
strength came again4  ,now1 the         
,philistines worshipped an ugly idol1   
shaped like a fish1 and  named ,dagon4  
,they made a great sacrifice to ,dagon  
and praised him1  because they thought  
he had given ,samson into their hands4  
,they were  very merry1 playing1 and    
laughing1 and feasting1 and praising    
their  idol2 and they said1 ,let us call
 ,samson1 and we will play with him1 and
  laugh at him1 and make merry4    ,then
 poor ,samson was led in4 ,he could not 

see his cruel enemies1 and  they all    
laughed at him1 because he was blind and
 weak and in their  power2 and they made
 him stand between two pillars4 ,the    
house in which  they were feasting was  
very large and full of people4 ,three   
thousand of  them were upon the roof1   
looking and wondering at ,samson4       
,samson asked  the boy who led him in to
 let him rest against the pillars on    
which the  house stood4 ,then he seized 
one with his right hand and the other   
with  his left hand4 ,lord1 give me now 
strength to conquer my enemies2 ,let    
them die1 and let me die with them1     
,samson said4 ,then he bowed  himself   
down with all his might and broke the   
pillars4 ,they fell1 and  the house with
 them2 and the people who were upon the 
roof were crushed2  and ,samson died    
with them4    ,illustration3 ,,death    
,,of ,,samson4    ,illustration         
,,the ,,story ,,of ,,ruth ,,and ,,naomi4
      ,there dwelt in ,bethlehem in     
these days a good man named ,elimelech1 

with  his wife ,naomi and their two     
sons1 ,mahlon and ,chilion4 ,all their  
days  these people had dwelt in the     
land1 and always faithful had they been 
to  the ,god of ,israel4    ,but there  
came into the land a great famine4 ,for 
days and weeks no rain  fell2 the trees 
were dropping their leaves2 the grasses 
were dry and  brown2 and the corn lay   
wilted in the fields4    ,everywhere    
there was suffering among the people2   
starvation was upon  them1 and the      
fathers of the little children could    
bring no food to  them4 ,my wife and    
children must have food6 ,elimelech     
cried4 ,and so it  came about that1 when
 this famine was abroad in the land1    
,elimelech and  his family went to ,moab
 to live4 ,and when they had come into  
,moab1  ,mahlon and ,chilion chose for  
their wives ,ruth and ,orpah from the   
women  of ,moab1 idolaters though they  
were4    ,it was not very long before   
,mahlon and ,chilion1 and ,elimelech1   
too1  died1 and ,naomi was left alone   

with ,ruth and ,orpah4    ,they were    
kind to ,naomi1 for they loved her well4
 ,still1 ,naomi's heart  longed for her 
own old home and for the people she had 
left there2 and  so 7the days of        
mourning over7 ,naomi said to ,ruth and 
,orpah1 ,dear  daughters1 now will ,i   
return to my own land4 ,you have been   
very kind to  me1 and gladly would ,i   
take you with me4    ,illustration3     
,,naomi ,,and ,,her                     
,,daughter-,,in-,,law4    ,then ,ruth   
,and ,orpah wept and begged her to stay 
with them4 ,but when they  saw she would
 not1 then they wanted to go with her4  
,naomi would have been so happy to take 
them with her6 ,but she feared  they    
might be sorry by and by should they go 
into a new land4 ,so she  said1 ,no1 my 
daughters go not with me4 ,live here in 
your own country  and among your own    
people4 ,here are your parents and your 
friends2 and  may ,god deal kindly with 
you as you have dealt with me4    ,then 
,naomi kissed them and bade them        

good-bye2 but they went out from  the   
village with her1 saying1 ,surely we may
 go with thee to ,bethlehem4    ,but    
when they were far out across the       
country1 then ,naomi turned again  and  
bade them return now to their people4   
,then ,orpah kissed ,naomi and turned   
back to her own city4 ,but ,ruth begged 
to be allowed to go a little farther4   
,nay1 nay1 ,naomi said2 go back1 ,ruth1 
with ,orpah4 ,see1 she is already  far  
back upon the road4    ,but ,ruth fell  
at ,naomi's feet and cried aloud4 ,o1   
send me not away from  thee6 ,let me    
follow thee6 ,where thou goest1 ,i will 
go4 ,thy people shall  be my people1 and
 thy ,god my ,god4 ,where thou diest ,i 
will die1 and there  will ,i be buried4 
,death only shall part thee and me6     
,then old ,naomi's heart grew glad2 for 
she loved ,ruth and longed to take  her 
with her4 ,then the two women walked on1
 and in time they came into  the village
 of ,bethlehem4    ,and as they neared  
,bethlehem1 the old friends of ,naomi   

came out and  said1 ,can this be ,naomi8
    ,for ,naomi had gone out from the   
city happy1 with her husband and sons   
with her4 ,but now they were all dead2  
and ,naomi was returning1 a lonely1  sad
 woman4    ,it was the harvest time when
 ,naomi and ,ruth came into ,bethlehem2 
and1  when ,ruth saw the gleaners at    
work1 she said1 ,let me not be idle2 let
  me go forth into the fields to glean4 
,now1 ,ruth knew no one among the       
gleaners2 but1 when she came into the   
field1 and the gleaners looked upon her 
sweet face1 they loved her at  once and 
gladly took her into the field with     
them4    ,this field in which ,ruth     
gleaned belonged to a rich man1 named   
,boaz2  and1 when ,boaz saw ,ruth at    
work1 he said kindly1 ,stay here with my
  maidens and glean in my field4 ,follow
 them and glean after the reapers4  ,and
 when thou art thirsty1 then go and     
drink of the water which my  servants   
have brought4    ,illustration3 ,,boaz  
,,and ,,ruth4    ,ruth wondered at the  

kindness of ,boaz and said1 ,why dost   
thou show such  kindness to me1 a       
stranger8    ,and ,boaz smiled kindly   
upon ,ruth and said1 ,because ,i have   
heard of thy  love for ,naomi2 and that 
thou hast left thy home to come with her
 and  live among her people4 ,may ,god  
bless and reward thee6    ,by and by it 
came the time when all the gleaners     
stopped their work and  ate their       
noonday meal4 ,kindly the maidens took  
,ruth with them1 and they  ate together4
 ,but when ,ruth had had her share given
 her1 she laid aside  a part and carried
 it home to ,naomi4    ,where hast thou 
gleaned to-day8 ,naomi asked4    ,and   
when ,ruth told her she had gleaned in  
the field of ,boaz1 and how  kindly he  
had welcomed her1 then ,naomi was filled
 with gladness2 for  ,boaz was of the   
family of ,elimelech2 and she knew that 
now he would be  kind to them and not   
allow suffering and hunger to come to   
them4    ,all the long beautiful autumn 
,ruth gleaned in the fields of ,boaz2   

and  each day ,boaz loved ,ruth more and
 more1 so gentle and kind was she4      
,then1 when the harvest was over1 ,boaz 
came to ,naomi and told her that in     
,canaan there was land that belonged to 
,elimelech2 and that he would buy  this 
land and take ,ruth and ,naomi to his   
home4    ,then ,ruth and ,boaz married2 
and by and by a little child was born to
  them4 ,how much ,naomi loved this     
little baby6 ,how tenderly she nursed   
it2 and how carefully she taught it as  
it grew into boyhood6    ,and so these  
people lived together until ,naomi grew 
old and died4 ,then  ,ruth and ,boaz1   
who had loved her and cared for her all 
these years1  mourned for her1 and      
buried her tenderly beside her own      
people in the  land that had been her   
father's--the land she had loved so     
well4    ,illustration    ,illustration3
 ,,samuel ,,presented ,,to ,,eli4       
7,opir47          ,,the ,,story ,,of    
,,samuel4      ,at ,mount ,ephraim there
 dwelt a man1 named ,elkanah1 with his  

good wife1  ,hannah4    ,these good     
people had one son1 ,samuel1 whom they  
loved with great  tenderness4 ,he was   
their only child2 but1 though they loved
 him so1 they  carried him when he was  
yet a tiny boy to the temple and left   
him with  the holy priests4    ,here is 
my child1 the good mother said4 ,i give 
him now to our ,god1  the ,god of       
,israel4 ,so long as he lives shall he  
be the ,lord's4    ,then the priest1    
,eli1 took the child and blessed it1 and
 blessed the  mother too2 and ,samuel   
grew up a true1 honest boy1 and came in 
time to  be himself a holy priest4      
,one night1 when ,samuel lay upon his   
bed1 he heard a voice calling1  ,samuel1
 ,samuel6    ,here am ,i1 ,eli1 ,samuel 
answered2 for he thought it was the     
voice of  the priest4    ,but ,eli said1
 ,no1 my son1 ,i did not call thee4     
,and ,samuel went and lay down upon his 
bed again4    ,again the voice called1  
,samuel1 ,samuel6    ,and again ,samuel 
ran to ,eli's bedside1 saying1 ,here am 

,i1 ,eli4    ,a third time1 even1 the   
voice called4 ,a third time ,samuel ran 
to ,eli's  bedside4    ,samuel1 ,eli    
said1 when the lad came a third time1 it
 may be it is the  voice of the ,lord4  
,go back to thy bed2 and if it speaks   
again1 say1  ',speak1 ,lord1 for thy    
servant heareth4'    ,samuel obeyed2 and
 a fourth time the voice called4        
,then ,samuel answered as ,eli bade him4
 ,and the voice then said1 ,lo1 ,i am   
about to punish ,eli and his sons2 for  
the sons are wicked and ,eli  punishes  
them not4    ,now1 these sons were      
priests in the temple with their father1
 and ,eli  knew full well that they were
 wicked men4 ,still1 because they were  
his  own sons1 and he loved them1 he had
 not driven them forth from the  temple4
    ,poor old ,eli was sad when ,samuel 
told him what the voice had said to     
him2 but he bowed his head and said1 ,it
 is the voice of ,god that hath  spoken4
 ,let him do with me what seemeth to him
 wise and good4    ,then came a great   

battle between the ,philistines and the 
,israelites2 and  in this battle the    
,israelites were beaten1 and the two    
sons of ,eli  slain4    ,eli was too old
 to go himself into the battle1 and so  
he sat at the gate  of the city and     
waited with the people for news of the  
battle4    ,at last a man came running4 
,his clothes were rent1 and there was   
dust  upon his head1 and from this the  
people knew that he brought sad news    
only4    ,then they set up a weeping and
 wailing2 and old ,eli1 whose eyes were 
dim  with age1 said1 ,what is this noise
 ,i hear8 ,why do the people cry8       
,then the messenger said1 ,i have just  
come from the battle-field4    ,eli's   
heart beat fast4 ,tell me1 he cried with
 trembling voice1 what  has happened    
there8    ,the messenger dreaded to tell
 the old priest the sad news2 but he    
said1  ,alas6 alas6 the ,israelites are 
conquered6 ,your own sons have fallen2  
and even the ,ark which the ,israelites 
carried into battle has been  taken6    

,poor old ,eli6 ,this was more than he  
could bear4 ,the ,ark taken6 ,and the   
old man threw up his hands and fell     
back1 dead4    ,now1 the ,ark was taken 
by the ,philistines to one of their own 
heathen  temples1 and one of their idols
 was set upon it4    ,the ,philistines  
thought the ,ark was one of the gods of 
the ,israelites1  just as their idols   
were their gods2 so they set it up on   
their altar1  and it was their chief    
god1 ,dagon they called it1 that they   
set beside  it4    ,but when the        
,philistines went into their temple the 
morning after the  battle1 there lay    
,dagon upon the floor4    ,this is      
strange6 they said2 and they put the    
idol back upon the ,ark  again4    ,the 
next morning1 again was the idol found  
upon the floor1 its hands and  its head 
broken4    ,then a dreadful plague      
settled upon the people4 ,it is the idol
 of the  ,israelites that has done all  
this6 the people cried4 ,let us send it 
away6    ,so the ,ark was sent to ,gath2

 but there a plague fell upon the       
people4    ,we will not have it among   
us6 the people of ,gath cried2 so they  
sent  it on to ,ekron4    ,but when the 
people of ,ekron saw it coming1 they    
cried out1 ,take away  this idol of the 
,israelites6 ,we fear the plague that is
 sure to come  with it6    ,at last the 
,philistines said1 ,we will not have it 
in our land4 ,so they  placed it upon a 
cart1 and they fastened two cattle to   
the cart4 ,then  they set the cart upon 
a road leading towards ,bethshemesh and 
bade the  oxen go4    ,the oxen1        
obedient1 carried the ,ark out upon the 
road1 turning neither  to the right nor 
to the left1 and straight into the      
village of  ,bethshemesh4    ,now1 the  
people of the village were at work in   
their fields1 for it was  harvest time4 
,they heard the coming of the cart and  
looked4 ,it is the ,ark6 ,it is the     
,ark6 they cried2 and the ,levites came 
and took the ,ark and set it upon  a    
great stone4    ,then followed a day of 

great sacrifice and rejoicing4 ,and the 
,israelites  later repented of all their
 sins1 and came to ,samuel and asked him
 what  they should do4    ,illustration3
 ,,return ,,of ,,the ,,ark ,,to         
,,bethshemesh4    ,samuel called them   
all to him at ,mizpah1 and there he     
prayed for them  and taught them wisely 
and well4    ,but as he was teaching    
them and offering sacrifices1 lo6 a     
great army of  ,philistines drew near4  
,they had come again to fight the       
,israelites4    ,but ,samuel bade them  
have no fear2 for this time it was the  
,philistines  that were to be conquered 
and not the ,israelites4    ,so the     
,israelites made ready for battle2 but1 
before they were ready1 a  great black  
cloud rolled up across the sky4 ,the    
winds blew1 the hail  fell1 and the     
skies blazed with terrible lightnings4  
,never had such a storm been known      
either to ,philistines or ,israelites4  
,fear not1 ,samuel said2 this is ,god's 
hand4 ,and the ,philistines fled  in    

terror4    ,then1 when the storm was    
over1 and again the sun shone out1      
,samuel took  a great stone and set it  
up near ,mizpah2 and the stone at       
,mizpah was for  a sign to the          
,israelites that ,god shall watch ever  
over thee and me4    ,and ,samuel named 
the stone ,ebenezer--which means1 a     
stone of help4    ,for many years now   
,samuel had been judge over ,israel2 and
 so long as the  people obeyed him they 
were safe and happy4    ,but there came 
a time when ,samuel was an old1 old man4
 ,then the  ,israelites came to him and 
said1 ,thou art very old2 thy sons1 who 
now  judge over us1 are not like thee4  
,let us have a king4    ,but ,samuel    
said1 ,god only is the king of the      
,israelites4    ,the people would not   
listen to the words of ,samuel4 ,we will
 have a  king1 they said4 ,we will be   
like other nations4 ,we will have a     
king1  and he shall go into battle with 
us4    ,and so it came about that from  
out their number a king was chosen4     

,now1 there was a man of the tribe of   
,benjamin1 who had a son1 named  ,saul4 
,saul was a tall1 strong1 brave1 young  
man1 and of him the ,lord said to       
,samuel1 ,if the ,israelites have a     
king1 let this man ,saul be that king4  
,one day it chanced that the cattle     
belonging to ,kish1 ,saul's father1     
strayed away2 and ,kish said to ,saul1  
,take a servant with thee and go  and   
seek the cattle that have strayed4      
,so ,saul took a servant1 and they      
searched the country round about1 going 
great distances2 still the cattle could 
not be found4    ,at last ,saul said to 
the servant1 ,i am tired with this      
search4 ,let us  go back and tell my    
father all we have done4    ,then the   
servant said1 ,there is a prophet living
 near this place into  which we have    
come4 ,let us seek him2 for ,i am told  
he is most wise4  ,perhaps he may help  
us to find our cattle4    ,let us go to 
him1 ,saul answered readily2 and so the 
two men came into  the city where       

,samuel dwelt2 for it was he they       
sought4    ,as they drew near the city1 
they met two young women coming to a    
well to  draw water4    ,tell me1 is the
 prophet here8 ,saul asked4    ,and the 
young women said1 ,yes1 to-day he offers
 sacrifice in the city4  ,first1 he     
blesses the sacrifice1 and then the     
people feast2 and now he  is going      
towards the temple4 ,make haste and you 
will see him4    ,saul and the servant  
hurried on towards the gate of the city2
 and there  they saw an old man1 sitting
 alone4    ,tell us1 said ,saul1 where  
we may find the prophet ,samuel4    ,and
 the old man answered1 ,i am ,samuel4   
,come and feast with me2 and  to-morrow 
thou shalt go4 ,grieve not about the    
cattle2 already they are  found4 ,but   
come with me1 for ,i have much to tell  
thee4 ,the desire of all  ,israel is    
upon thee and upon thy father's house4  
,then ,saul said1 ,why dost thou speak  
so to me8 ,knowest thou not that my     
family is one of the least of the tribe 

of ,benjamin8    ,but ,samuel knew2 and 
he led ,saul to his house and feasted   
him4 ,and when  the feast was over1     
,samuel said to ,saul1 ,the people of   
,israel desire a  king2 and it is thou1 
,saul1 whom the ,lord has chosen to be  
that king4    ,illustration3 ,,samuel   
,,blessing ,,saul4    ,then1 when       
morning came1 ,saul and his servant set 
out upon their journey  home2 and       
,samuel went with them1 even unto the   
city gates4 ,then ,samuel  said to the  
servant1 ,go on before4 ,i would speak  
once more with ,saul  alone4 ,and when  
he had gone1 ,samuel poured oil upon the
 head of ,saul  and kissed him1 saying1 
,god has chosen thee to be king to rule 
over his  people in ,israel4    ,then   
,samuel went back to his home1 and ,saul
 went on his way4 ,it was to  him a     
strange journey back to his home1 for   
,god had already given him  great wisdom
 and power4 ,already the gift of        
prophecy was his2 and when  he met a    
company of prophets1 he too prophesied  

with them of things to  come4    ,and   
the people wondered to hear ,saul       
uttering prophecies4 ,what does  this   
mean8 they cried4 ,is ,saul also a      
prophet8    ,but now ,samuel called all 
the tribes of ,israel together at       
,mizpah4 ,it  is your wish1 he said1    
that a king should be chosen to rule    
over you  and lead you forth into       
battle4 ,now1 ,god is not pleased that  
you should  choose a king2 for he was   
himself your king4 ,still1 because it is
 your  wish1 a king shall be chosen by  
,god4 ,and that man chosen shall be     
,saul4    ,but where is ,saul8 the      
people asked2 for nowhere was ,saul to  
be found4    ,then the ,lord told the   
people that ,saul was hiding2 and he    
bade them go  and search for him in that
 place which ,god should name4    ,the  
people obeyed1 and ,saul was found and  
brought before the people4    ,is this  
the man8 the people asked4 ,and the     
,lord said1 ,this is the  man4    ,then 
the people shouted1 and ,saul was made  

king over the ,israelites4    ,then     
,samuel said to the people1 ,behold ,i  
am an old man4 ,my hair is  white with  
age4 ,all my life ,i have been with you1
 from the time when ,i  was a little    
child until now4 ,tell me1 have ,i ever 
oppressed you1 or  have ,i ever taken   
anything from you8    ,and all the      
people shouted1 ,no6 ,no6 ,never6 ,never
 have you oppressed us  or wronged us in
 any way6 ,for the people all loved     
,samuel1 from the  oldest to the        
youngest4    ,wait1 then1 said ,samuel1 
and hear what ,i would say to you4 ,many
 years  ago ,god brought your fathers   
out of ,israel and gave this land to    
them  for a possession4    ,often your  
fathers rebelled against ,god2 and as   
often he sent  punishment upon them that
 they might turn back to him4 ,sisera   
and the  ,philistines and the ,moabites 
,god sent to fight against the          
,israelites2  but whenever they repented
 and turned back1 then ,he forgave them4
 ,many  good captains ,he sent          

them1--,gideon1 ,jepthah and ,samson4   
,and now you have asked for a king1 and 
,god has given you one4 ,and so  long as
 the king and his people are true to the
 one ,god1 so long shall  ,his blessing 
be upon you4    ,and so ended that time 
in the history of the children of       
,israel when  they were content to be   
ruled over by ,judges chosen by ,god2   
and of these  ,judges1 ,samuel was the  
last4           99       99       99    
99       99    ,transcriber's ,notes    
,various punctuation errors corrected   
,multiple spellings of biblical and     
place names left unaltered