t a snow, there was a lion who slipped and fell into a certain
pit, and because the pit's mouth was narrow it was evident he would
perish, being enclosed with the snow; so when he saw no way to get out
and save himself, he roared. When Benaiah heard the wild beast, he went
towards him, and coming at the noise he made, he went down into the
mouth of the pit and smote him, as he struggled, with a stake that lay
there, and immediately slew him. The other thirty-three were like these
in valor also.

CHAPTER 13. That When David Had Numbered the People, They Were Punished;
and How the Divine Compassion Restrained That Punishment.

1. Now king David was desirous to know how many ten thousands there
were of the people, but forgot the commands of Moses, [23] who told them
beforehand, that if the multitude were numbered, they should pay half a
shekel to God for every head. Accordingly the king commanded Joab, the
captain of his host, to go and number the whole multitude; but when he
said there was no necessity for such a numeration, he was not persuaded
[to countermand it], but he enjoined him to make no delay, but to go
about the numbering of the Hebrews immediately. So Joab took with him
the heads of the tribes, and the scribes, and went over the country of
the Israelites, and took notice how numerous the multitude were, and
returned to Jerusalem to the king, after nine months and twenty days;
and he gave in to the king the number of the people, without the tribe
of Benjamin, for he had not yet numbered that tribe, no more than the
tribe of Levi, for the king repented of his having sinned against God.
Now the number of the rest of the Israelites was nine hundred thousand
men, who were able to bear arms and go to war; but the tribe of Judah,
by itself, was four hundred thousand men.

2. Now when the prophets had signified to David that God was angry at
him, he began to entreat him, and to desire he would be merciful to him,
and forgive his sin. But God sent Nathan the prophet to him, to propose
to him the election of three things, that he might choose which he
liked best: Whether he would have famine come upon the country for seven
years, or would have a war, and be subdued three months by his enemies?
or, whether God should send a pestilence and a distemper upon the
Hebrews for three days? But as he was fallen to a fatal choice of great
miseries, he was in trouble, and sorely confounded; and when the prophet
had said