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The King's Cup-Bearer
The King's Cup-Bearer

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The King's Cup-Bearer is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Secret of Strength.
Who was the strongest person who ever lived?
Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!
Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?
Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The King's Cup-Bearer

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The King's Cup-Bearer is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Secret of Strength.
/ðə ˈsiː.krət ʌv streŋkθ/
Line 2
Who was the strongest person who ever lived?
/huː wɑːz ðə ˈstrɔːŋɡəst ˈpɜːrsən huː ˈevər lɪvd/
Line 3
Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!
/ˈʃʊrli ðer ɪz noʊ ˈdɪfəkəlti ɪn ˈænsərɪŋ ðæt ˈkwestʃən ˈʃʊrli ðer hæz ˈnevər bɪn ˈeniwʌn tuː kəmˈper wɪð ˈsæmsən ɪn ˈwʌndərfəl fiːts ʌv streŋkθ/
Line 4
Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?
Line 5
Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?
/dɪd hiː nɑːt lɪft ðə ˈmæsɪv ˈaɪərn ɡeɪts ʌv ˈɡɑːzə frʌm ðer ˈhɪndʒɪz ˈkæri ðem ɑːn hɪz bæk fɔːr ˈfɔːrti maɪlz ənd klaɪm wɪð ðem tuː ðə tɑːp ʌv ə haɪ hɪl/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

compare verb US /kəmˈper/

examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading “Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!”

feats noun US /fiːts/

plural of “feat” — a notable achievement

From this reading “Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!”

Gaza noun US /ˈɡɑːzə/

a coastal region at the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean bordering Israel and Egypt

From this reading “Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?”

hinges noun US /ˈhɪndʒɪz/

plural of “hinge” — a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other

From this reading “Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?”

massive adjective US /ˈmæsɪv/

imposing in size or bulk or solidity

From this reading “Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?”

Samson noun US /ˈsæmsən/

(Old Testament) a judge of Israel who performed herculean feats of strength against the Philistines until he was betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah

From this reading “Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!”

strongest adjective US /ˈstrɔːŋɡəst/

superlative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading “Who was the strongest person who ever lived?”

unaided adjective US /əˈneɪdɪd/

carried out without aid or assistance

From this reading “Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?”

All words in this reading · 66

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

answeringadjectiveUS /ˈænsərɪŋ/

replying

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

anyonepronounUS /ˈeniwʌn/

any person at all

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

carryverbUS /ˈkæri/

move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

climbverbUS /klaɪm/

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

compareverbUS /kəmˈper/

examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Who was the strongest person who ever lived?

featsnounUS /fiːts/

plural of “feat” — a notable achievement

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

fortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/

being ten more than thirty

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

gatesnounUS /ɡeɪts/

United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

GazanounUS /ˈɡɑːzə/

a coastal region at the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean bordering Israel and Egypt

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

hillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

hingesnounUS /ˈhɪndʒɪz/

plural of “hinge” — a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

ironnounUS /ˈaɪərn/

a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

kidverbUS /kɪd/

tell false information to for fun

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

liftverbUS /lɪft/

raise from a lower to a higher position

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

lionnounUS /ˈlaɪən/

large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Who was the strongest person who ever lived?

massiveadjectiveUS /ˈmæsɪv/

imposing in size or bulk or solidity

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Secret of Strength.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading Who was the strongest person who ever lived?

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

rendverb

tear or be torn violently

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

SamsonnounUS /ˈsæmsən/

(Old Testament) a judge of Israel who performed herculean feats of strength against the Philistines until he was betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

SecretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading The Secret of Strength.

StrengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading The Secret of Strength.

strongestadjectiveUS /ˈstrɔːŋɡəst/

superlative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading Who was the strongest person who ever lived?

SurelyadverbUS /ˈʃʊrli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The Secret of Strength.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

topnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading Did he not lift the massive iron gates of Gaza from their hinges, carry them on his back for forty miles, and climb with them to the top of a high hill?

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

unaidedadjectiveUS /əˈneɪdɪd/

carried out without aid or assistance

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Who was the strongest person who ever lived?

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Who was the strongest person who ever lived?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading Surely there is no difficulty in answering that question, surely there has never been anyone to compare with Samson in wonderful feats of strength!

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Did he not alone and unaided rend a young lion in two, as easily as if it had been a kid?

Chapter 9 of The King's Cup-Bearer by O. F., Mrs. Walton holds 127 sentences, grouped into 26 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 9 of The King's Cup-Bearer contain?

Chapter 9 holds 127 sentences of The King's Cup-Bearer, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The King's Cup-Bearer by O. F., Mrs. Walton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 127 sentences, grouped into 26 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 9 of The King's Cup-Bearer?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The King's Cup-Bearer

Common questions about reading The King's Cup-Bearer by O. F., Mrs. Walton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The King's Cup-Bearer?

Yes. All 2319 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12248 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The King's Cup-Bearer is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12248, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The King's Cup-Bearer take to read?

About 193 minutes of reading across 464 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The King's Cup-Bearer section by section

How to work through The King's Cup-Bearer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of The King's Cup-Bearer to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The King's Cup-Bearer

Words and structures a reader meets early in The King's Cup-Bearer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Lilies
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The King's Cup-Bearer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The King's Cup-Bearer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rab-shakeh
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The King's Cup-Bearer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Magnificently
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The King's Cup-Bearer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.