Page:The Books of Chronicles (1916).djvu/229

Rh the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand darics, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and of iron a hundred thousand talents. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the, under the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to the : and David the king also rejoiced with great joy. Wherefore David blessed the before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, O, the God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O , and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou rulest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before

7. five thousand talents] i.e. of uncoined gold by weight, an immense sum, cp. ver. 3.

ten thousand darics] A daric was a Persian gold coin worth about 22 shillings. Used thus in connection with the reign of David, the word is of course a curious anachronism. The translation of A.V. drams (i.e. drachmæ) may possibly be right. The value of a gold drachma was about 9s. 5d.

8. Jehiel the Gershonite] Cp. xxiii. 8, xxvi. 21, 22.

9. with a perfect heart] i.e. with a single heart, ungrudgingly. Cp. xxviii. 9, note.

10—19.&emsp;

11. thou art exalted as head above all] Better thine it is to be exalted as head over all.

14. be able] Lit. retain strength. David praises God for the great success of the efforts of so transitory a creature as man.

of thine own] Lit. out of thine hand, cp. mg.

15. strangers before thee, and sojourners] David describes himself