231 And these 'are' the last words of David:—'The affirmation of David son of Jesse—And the affirmation of the man raised up—Concerning the Anointed of the God of Jacob, And the Sweetness of the Songs of Israel: 2 The Spirit of Jehovah hath spoken by me, And His word 'is' on my tongue. 3 He said—the God of Israel—to me, He spake—the Rock of Israel: He who is ruling over man 'is' righteous, He is ruling in the fear of God. 4 And as the light of morning he riseth, A morning sun—no clouds! By the shining, by the rain, Tender grass of the earth! 5 For—not so 'is' my house with God; For—a covenant age-during He made with me, Arranged in all things, and kept; For—all my salvation, and all desire, For—He hath not caused 'it' to spring up. 6 As to the worthless—As a thorn driven away 'are' all of them, For—not by hand are they taken; 7 And the man who cometh against them Is filled with iron and the staff of a spear, And with fire they are utterly burnt In the cessation.'
8 These 'are' the names of the mighty ones whom David hath: sitting in the seat 'is' the Tachmonite, head of the captains—he 'is' Adino, who hardened himself against eight hundred—wounded at one time. 9 And after him 'is' Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, of the three mighty men with David; in their exposing themselves among the Philistines—they have been gathered there to battle, and the men of Israel go up— 10 he hath arisen, and smiteth among the Philistines till that his hand hath been weary, and his hand cleaveth unto the sword, and Jehovah worketh a great salvation on that day, and the people turn back after him only to strip off. 11 And after him 'is' Shammah son of Agee the Hararite, and the Philistines are gathered into a company, and there is there a portion of the field full of lentiles, and the people hath fled from the presence of the Philistines, 12 and he stationeth himself in the midst of the portion, and delivereth it, and smiteth the Philistines, and Jehovah worketh a great salvation. 13 And three of the thirty heads go down and come unto the harvest, unto David, unto the cave of Adullam, and the company of the Philistines are encamping in the valley of Rephaim, 14 and David 'is' then in a fortress, and the station of the Philistines 'is' then in Beth-Lehem, 15 and David longeth and saith, 'Who doth give me a drink of the water of the well of Beth-Lehem, which 'is' by the gate?' 16 And the three mighty ones cleave through the camp of the Philistines, and draw water out of the well of Beth-Lehem, which 'is' by the gate, and take 'it' up, and bring in unto David; and he was not willing to drink it, and poureth it out to Jehovah, 17 and saith, 'Far be it from me, O Jehovah, to do this; is it the blood of the men who are going with their lives?' and he was not willing to drink it; these 'things' did the three mighty ones. 18 And Abishai brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, he 'is' head of three, and he is lifting up his spear against three hundred—wounded, and he hath a name among three. 19 Of the three is he not the honoured? and he becometh their head; and unto the 'first' three he hath not come. 20 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada (son of a man of valour, great in deeds from Kabzeel), he hath smitten two lion-like men of Moab, and he hath gone down and smitten the lion in the midst of the pit in a day of snow. 21 And he hath smitten the Egyptian man, a man of appearance, and in the hand of the Egyptian 'is' a spear, and he goeth down unto him with a rod, and taketh violently away the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slayeth him with his own spear. 22 These 'things' hath Benaiah son of Jehoiada done, and hath a name among three mighty. 23 Of the thirty he is honoured, and unto the three he came not; and David setteth him over his guard. 24 Asahel brother of Joab 'is' of the thirty; Elhanan son of Dodo of Beth-Lehem. 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Annethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 'of' the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai, son of the Maachathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, bearer of the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite; in all thirty and seven.
241 And the anger of Jehovah addeth to burn against Israel, and 'an adversary' moveth David about them, saying, 'Go, number Israel and Judah.' 2 And the king saith unto Joab, head of the host that 'is' with him, 'Go to and fro, I pray thee, through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, and inspect ye the people—and I have known the number of the people.' 3 And Joab saith unto the king, 'Yea, Jehovah thy God doth add unto the people, as they are, a hundred times, and the eyes of my lord the king are seeing; and my lord the king, why is he desirous of this thing?' 4 And the word of the king is severe towards Joab, and against the heads of the force, and Joab goeth out, and the heads of the force, 'from' before the king to inspect the people, even Israel; 5 and they pass over the Jordan, and encamp in Aroer, on the right of the city that 'is' in the midst of the brook of Gad, and unto Jazer, 6 and they come in to Gilead, and unto the land of Tahtim-Hodshi, and they come in to Dan-Jaan, and round about unto Zidon, 7 and they come in to the fortress of Tyre, and all the cities of the Hivite, and of the Canaanite, and go out unto the south of Judah, to Beer-Sheba. 8 And they go to and fro through all the land, and come in at the end of nine months and twenty days to Jerusalem, 9 and Joab giveth the account of the inspection of the people unto the king, and Israel is eight hundred thousand men of valour, drawing sword, and the men of Judah five hundred thousand men.
10 And the heart of David smiteth him, after that he hath numbered the people, and David saith unto Jehovah, 'I have sinned greatly in that which I have done, and now, O Jehovah, cause to pass away, I pray Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have acted very foolishly.' 11 And David riseth in the morning, and the word of Jehovah hath been unto Gad the prophet, seer of David, saying, 12 'Go, and thou hast spoken unto David, Thus said Jehovah: Three—I am lifting up for thee, choose thee one of them, and I do 'it' to thee.' 13 And Gad cometh in unto David, and declareth to him, and saith to him, 'Do seven years of famine come in to thee in thy land? or three months art thou fleeing before thine adversary—and he pursuing thee? or are three days' pestilence in thy land? now, know and see what word I take back to Him sending me.' 14 And David saith unto Gad, 'I have great distress, let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah, for many 'are' His mercies, and into the hand of man let me not fall.' 15 And Jehovah giveth a pestilence on Israel from the morning even unto the time appointed, and there die of the people, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, seventy thousand men, 16 and the messenger putteth forth his hand to Jerusalem to destroy it, and Jehovah repenteth concerning the evil, and saith to the messenger who is destroying among the people, 'Enough, now, cease thy hand;' and the messenger of Jehovah was near the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 And David speaketh unto Jehovah, when he seeth the messenger who is smiting among the people, and saith, 'Lo, I have sinned, yea, I have done perversely; and these—the flock—what have they done? Let, I pray Thee, Thy hand be on me, and on the house of my father.'
18 And Gad cometh in unto David on that day, and saith to him, 'Go up, raise to Jehovah an altar in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite;' 19 and David goeth up, according to the word of Gad, as Jehovah commanded. 20 And Araunah looketh, and seeth the king and his servants passing over unto him, and Araunah goeth out and boweth himself to the king—his face to the earth. 21 And Araunah saith, 'Wherefore hath my lord the king come unto his servant?' and David saith, 'To buy from thee the threshing-floor, to build an altar to Jehovah, and the plague is restrained from the people.' 22 And Araunah saith unto David, 'Let my lord the king take and cause to ascend that which is good in his eyes; see, the oxen for a burnt-offering, and the threshing instruments, and the instruments of the oxen, for wood;' 23 the whole hath Araunah given, 'as' a king to a king; and Araunah saith unto the king, 'Jehovah thy God doth accept thee.' 24 And the king saith unto Araunah, 'Nay, for I do surely buy from thee for a price, and I do not cause to ascend to Jehovah my God burnt-offerings for nought;' and David buyeth the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver, 25 and David buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and causeth to ascend burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and Jehovah is entreated for the land, and the plague is restrained from Israel.
191 And having entered, he was passing through Jericho, 2 and lo, a man, by name called Zaccheus, and he was a chief tax-gatherer, and he was rich, 3 and he was seeking to see Jesus, who he is, and was not able for the multitude, because in stature he was small, 4 and having run forward before, he went up on a sycamore, that he may see him, because through that 'way' he was about to pass by. 5 And as Jesus came up to the place, having looked up, he saw him, and said unto him, 'Zaccheus, having hastened, come down, for to-day in thy house it behoveth me to remain;' 6 and he having hastened did come down, and did receive him rejoicing; 7 and having seen 'it', they were all murmuring, saying—'With a sinful man he went in to lodge!' 8 And Zaccheus having stood, said unto the Lord, 'Lo, the half of my goods, sir, I give to the poor, and if of any one anything I did take by false accusation, I give back fourfold.' 9 And Jesus said unto him—'To-day salvation did come to this house, inasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'
11 And while they are hearing these things, having added he spake a simile, because of his being nigh to Jerusalem, and of their thinking that the reign of God is about presently to be made manifest. 12 He said therefore, 'A certain man of birth went on to a far country, to take to himself a kingdom, and to return, 13 and having called ten servants of his own, he gave to them ten pounds, and said unto them, Do business—till I come; 14 and his citizens were hating him, and did send an embassy after him, saying, We do not wish this one to reign over us. 15 'And it came to pass, on his coming back, having taken the kingdom, that he commanded these servants to be called to him, to whom he gave the money, that he might know what any one had done in business. 16 'And the first came near, saying, Sir, thy pound did gain ten pounds; 17 and he said to him, Well done, good servant, because in a very little thou didst become faithful, be having authority over ten cities. 18 'And the second came, saying, Sir, thy pound made five pounds; 19 and he said also to this one, And thou, become thou over five cities. 20 'And another came, saying, Sir, lo, thy pound, that I had lying away in a napkin; 21 for I was afraid of thee, because thou art an austere man; thou takest up what thou didst not lay down, and reapest what thou didst not sow. 22 'And he saith to him, Out of thy mouth I will judge thee, evil servant: thou knewest that I am an austere man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow! 23 and wherefore didst thou not give my money to the bank, and I, having come, with interest might have received it? 24 'And to those standing by he said, Take from him the pound, and give to him having the ten pounds— 25 (and they said to him, Sir, he hath ten pounds)— 26 for I say to you, that to every one having shall be given, and from him not having, also what he hath shall be taken from him, 27 but those my enemies, who did not wish me to reign over them, bring hither and slay before me.'
(Read Luke 19:1-10)
Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like Zaccheus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see him. Christ invited himself to Zaccheus' house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart, and inclines it to receive him. He that has a mind to know Christ, shall be known of him. Those whom Christ calls, must humble themselves, and come down. We may well receive him joyfully, who brings all good with him. Zaccheus gave proofs publicly that he was become a true convert. He does not look to be justified by his works, as the Pharisee; but by his good works he will, through the grace of God, show the sincerity of his faith and repentance. Zaccheus is declared to be a happy man, now he is turned from sin to God. Now that he is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power of them, all the benefits of salvation are his. Christ is come to his house, and where Christ comes he brings salvation with him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. His design was to save, when there was no salvation in any other. He seeks those that sought him not, and asked not for him.
(Read Luke 19:11-27)
This parable is like that of the talents, 1 Peter 4:10. The account required, resembles that in the parable of the talents; and the punishment of the avowed enemies of Christ, as well as of false professors, is shown. The principal difference is, that the pound given to each seems to point out the gift of the gospel, which is the same to all who hear it; but the talents, distributed more or less, seem to mean that God gives different capacities and advantages to men, by which this one gift of the gospel may be differently improved.
