, and took hold of the horns of
the altar, which were prominent. It was also told Solomon that he had so
done; and that he desired to receive assurances from him that he
would not remember the injury he had done, and not inflict any severe
punishment for it. Solomon answered very mildly and prudently, that he
forgave him this his offense; but said withal, that if he were found out
in any attempt for new innovations, that he would be the author of his
own punishment. So he sent to him, and raised him up from the place of
his supplication. And when he was come to the king, and had worshipped
him, the king bid him go away to his own house, and have no suspicion
of any harm; and desired him to show himself a worthy man, as what would
tend to his own advantage.

7. But David, being desirous of ordaining his son king of all the
people, called together their rulers to Jerusalem, with the priests and
the Levites; and having first numbered the Levites, he found them to be
thirty-eight thousand, from thirty years old to fifty; out of which
he appointed twenty-three thousand to take care of the building of the
temple, and out of the same, six thousand to be judges of the people and
scribes, four thousand for porters to the house of God, and as many for
singers, to sing to the instruments which David had prepared, as we
have said already. He divided them also into courses: and when he had
separated the priests from them, he found of these priests twenty-four
courses, sixteen of the house of Eleazar, and eight of that of Ithamar;
and he ordained that one course should minister to God eight days, from
sabbath to sabbath. And thus were the courses distributed by lot, in the
presence of David, and Zadok and Abiathar the high priests, and of all
the rulers; and that course which came up first was written down as the
first, and accordingly the second, and so on to the twenty-fourth; and
this partition hath remained to this day. He also made twenty-four parts
of the tribe of Levi; and when they cast lots, they came up in the same
manner for their courses of eight days. He also honored the posterity
of Moses, and made them the keepers of the treasures of God, and of the
donations which the kings dedicated. He also ordained that all the tribe
of Levi, as well as the priests, should serve God night and day, as
Moses had enjoined them.

8. After this he parted the entire army into twelve parts, with their
leaders [and captains of hundreds] a