# verses

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Then the boundary went from there to the sea; on the north was Michmethath; then on the east the boundary went out to Taanath-shiloh, and eastward to Janoah,


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Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan [River].


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The border went out from Tappuah westward to the brook Kanah and ended at the [Mediterranean] Sea. This is the inheritance of the Ephraimites by their families,


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With the towns set apart for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their villages.


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But they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, and they became slaves required to do forced labor.


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Allotment was made for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan because he was a man of war.


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Allotment was also made for the other Manassites by their families — for the sons of Abiezer, of Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida, the male offspring of Manasseh son of Joseph by their families.


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But Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters; their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.


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They came before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the leaders and said, The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance with our brethren. So according to the Lord’s command, Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father’s brethren.


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So there fell ten portions to Manasseh besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan,


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Because the [five] daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his [five] sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the other [half] of the Manassites.


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The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Michmethah east of Shechem; and the border went along southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.


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The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the Ephraimites.


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Then the boundary went down to the brook Kanah. The cities south of the brook lying among the cities of Manasseh belonged to Ephraim. But Manasseh’s boundary went on north of the brook and ended at the sea.


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The land to the south was Ephraim’s and that to the north was Manasseh’s, and the sea was the boundary; on the north Asher was reached, and on the east Issachar.


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Also Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher [these six towns], their inhabitants and their villages: Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo.


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Yet the sons of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.


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When the Israelites became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but did not utterly drive them out.


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The tribe of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, Why have you given [us] but one lot and one portion as an inheritance when [we] are a great [abundant] people, for until now the Lord has blessed [us]?


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Joshua replied, If you are a great people, get up to the forest and clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the Ephraim hill country is too narrow for you.


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The Josephites said, The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who dwell in the valley have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and in the Valley of Jezreel.


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And Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, You are a great <i>and</i> numerous people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot


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But the hill country shall be yours; though it is a forest, you shall clear and possess it to its farthest borders; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.


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And the whole congregation of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there; and the land was subdued before them.


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Joshua asked the Israelites, How long will you be slack to go in and possess the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?


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Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them to go through the land and write a description of it according to their [tribal] inheritances; then they shall return to me.


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And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall remain in its territory on the south and the house of Joseph shall remain in its territory on the north.


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You shall describe the land in seven divisions, and bring the description here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.


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But the Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance east of the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.


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So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged them saying, Go and walk through the land and describe it and come again to me, and I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.


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And the men went and passed through the land and described it by cities in seven portions in a book; and they came again to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh.


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Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there [he] divided the land to the Israelites, to each [tribe] his portion.


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And the lot of the Benjamites came up according to their families; and the territory of their lot fell between the tribes of Judah and Joseph.


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On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan; then it went up to the shoulder of Jericho on the north and up through the hill country westward and ended at the Beth-aven wilderness.


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Then the boundary passed over southward toward Luz, to the shoulder of Luz (that is, Bethel); then it went down to Ataroth-addar by the mountain that lies south of Lower Beth-horon.


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The boundary extended from there, and turning about on the western side southward from the mountain that lies to the south opposite Beth-horon, it ended at Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a city of the tribe of Judah. This formed the western side [of Benjamin’s territory].


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The southern side began at the edge of Kiriath-jearim, and the boundary went on westward to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.


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Then the boundary went down to the edge of the mountain overlooking the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom], which is at the north end of the Valley of Rephaim; and it descended to the Valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the Jebusites, and went on down to En-rogel.


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Then it bent toward the north and went on to En-shemesh and on to Geliloth, which was opposite the ascent of Adummim, and went down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.


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Then the boundary passed along to the north of the shoulder of Beth-hoglah and ended at the northern bay of the Salt [Dead] Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern border.


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And the Jordan was its boundary on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin by their boundaries round about, according to their families.


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Now the cities of the tribe of Benjamin according to [their] families were: Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz,


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Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite [city] — that is, Jerusalem — Gibeah, and Kiriath-[jearim]; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin according to their families.


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The second lot fell to Simeon, to the tribe of the Simeonites according to their families; and their inheritance lay within that of the people of Judah.


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And all the villages around these cities as far as Baalath-beer, or Ramah of the Negeb. This was the possession of the Simeonites according to their families.


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Out of the part assigned to the Judahites was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon, for the portion of the tribe of Judah was too large for them. Therefore the tribe of Simeon had its inheritance in the midst of Judah’s inheritance.


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The third lot came up for the tribe of Zebulun according to their families. The border of its inheritance extended to Sarid.


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Then its boundary went up westward and on to Maralah and reached to Dabbesheth and to the brook east of Jokneam.


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And it turned from Sarid eastward to the border of Chisloth-tabor and it went out to Daberath and on up to Japhia,


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Then passed eastward to Gath-hepher [Jonah’s birthplace] and to Eth-kazin, and went on to Rimmon bending toward Neah.


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This is the inheritance of the people of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.


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The boundary reached to Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and ended at the Jordan; sixteen cities with their villages.


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This is the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.


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Then it turned eastward to Beth-dagon, touching Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah-el northward to Beth-emek and Neiel, and continued in the north to Cabul,


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Then the boundary turned to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre; and it turned to Hosah, and ended at the sea — Mahalab, Achzib,


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This is the inheritance of the tribe of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.


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Their boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim and Adami-nekeb and Jabneel as far as Lakkum; and it ended at the Jordan.


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Then the boundary turned westward to Aznoth-tabor and went from there to Hukkok, touching Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and Judah on the east at the Jordan.


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This is the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.


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The territory of the tribe of Dan had to be extended [because of the crowding in of the Amorites and Philistines]; so the sons of Dan went up to fight against Leshem (Laish) and took it and smote it with the sword and possessed it and dwelt there, and they called Leshem (Laish) Dan after Dan their [forefather]. <f>ⓐ</f>


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This is the inheritance of the tribe of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.


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When they had finished dividing the land for inheritance by their boundaries, the Israelites gave an inheritance among them to Joshua son of Nun.


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According to the word of the Lord they gave him the city for which he asked — Timnath-serah in the hills of Ephraim. And he built the city and dwelt in it.


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These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of Israel distributed by lot in Shiloh before the Lord at the door of the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing the land.


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That the slayer who kills anyone accidentally and unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. <f>ⓐ</f>


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He who flees to one of those cities shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city; they shall receive him to [the protection of] that city and give him a place to dwell among them.


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If the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally, having had no hatred for him previously.


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And he shall dwell in that city until he has been tried before the congregation and until the death of him who is the high priest in those days. Then the slayer shall return to his own city from which he fled and to his own house.


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And they set apart <i>and</i> consecrated Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.


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Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they appointed Bezer in the wilderness tableland from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.


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These cities were for all the Israelites and the stranger sojourning among them, that whoever killed a person unintentionally might flee there and not be slain by the avenger of blood until he had been tried before the congregation.


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Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Israelite tribes.


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They said to them at Shiloh in Canaan, The Lord commanded through Moses that we should be given cities to dwell in, with their pasturelands (suburbs) for our cattle.


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So the Israelites gave to the Levites out of their own inheritance, at the command of the Lord, these cities and their suburbs.


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The [first] lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. So those <f>[1]</f>Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin thirteen cities.


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And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the families of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh ten cities.


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The Gershonites received by lot from the families of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan thirteen cities.


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The Merarites received according to their families from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun twelve cities.


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The Israelites gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their pasturelands (suburbs), as the Lord commanded through Moses.


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Which went to the families of the descendants of Aaron, of the Kohathite branch of the Levites, for the lot fell to them first.


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They gave them [the city of] Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its pasturelands round about it.


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Thus to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasturelands (suburbs), and together with their suburbs, Libnah,


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The rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Levitical families were allotted cities out of the tribe of Ephraim.


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To them were given, each with its pasturelands (suburbs), Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, as the city of refuge for the slayer, and Gezer,


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And out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach, and [another] Gath-rimmon; two cities, each with its pasturelands (suburbs).


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All the cities for the families of the remaining Kohathites were ten, with their pasturelands (suburbs).


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And to the Gershonites of the families of the Levites they gave out of the other half-tribe of Manasseh the city of Golan in Bashan, as the city of refuge for the slayer, and Be-eshterah; two cities, each with its pasturelands.


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And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, city of refuge for the slayer, and Hammoth-dor, and Kartan; three cities, each with its suburbs.


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And to the families of the Merarites, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun were given Jokneam, Kartah,


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So all the cities allotted to the Merarite families, that is, the remainder of the Levite families, were twelve cities.


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The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the Israelites were forty-eight cities in all, with their pasturelands (suburbs).


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And the Lord gave to Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and dwelt in it.


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The Lord gave them rest round about, just as He had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies withstood them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands.


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There failed no part of any good thing which the Lord had promised to the house of Israel; all came to pass.


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And said to them, You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.


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You have not deserted your brethren [the other tribes] these many days to this day but have carefully kept the charge of the Lord your God.


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But now the Lord your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; so now go, return to your homes in the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the [east] side of the Jordan.


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But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you: to love the Lord your God and to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and to cling to <i>and</i> unite with Him and to serve Him with all your heart and soul [your very life].


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Now to one-half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua gave a possession on the west side of the Jordan among their brethren. So when Joshua sent them away to their homes, he blessed them,


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And he said to them, Return with much riches to your tents and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.


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So the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the [other] Israelites at Shiloh in the land of Canaan to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had been given possession by the command of the Lord through Moses.


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And when they came to the region of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar great to behold.


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And the [other] Israelites heard it said, Behold, the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the edge of the land of Canaan in the region [west] of the Jordan in the passage [belonging to us], the Israelites.


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When the Israelites heard of it, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war on them.


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And the [other] Israelites sent to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest,


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And with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel; and each one was a head of a father’s house among the clans of Israel.


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And they came to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them,


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The whole congregation of the Lord says, What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built yourselves an altar to rebel this day against the Lord?


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Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed even now, although there came a plague [in which 24,000 died] in the congregation of the Lord, <f>ⓐ</f>


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That you must turn away this day from following the Lord? The result will be, since you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.


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But now, if your land is unclean, pass over into the Lord’s land, where the Lord’s tabernacle resides, and take for yourselves a possession among us. But do not rebel against the Lord or rebel against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God.


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Did not Achan son of Zerah commit a trespass in the matter of taking accursed things [devoted to destruction] and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone in his perversity <i>and</i> iniquity. <f>ⓑ</f>


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Then the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said to the heads of the clans of Israel,


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The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows, and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in transgression against the Lord, spare us not today.


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If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if we did so to offer on it burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord Himself take vengeance.


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No! But we did it for fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel?


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For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no part in the Lord. So your children might make our children cease from fearing the Lord.


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But to be a witness between us and you and between the generations after us, that we will perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings; lest your children say to our children in time to come, You have no portion in the Lord.


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So we thought, if that should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we can reply, Behold the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices, but to be a witness between us and you.


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Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord to build an altar for burnt offerings, for cereal offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God that is before His tabernacle.


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And when Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation and heads of the clans of Israel who were with him heard the words that the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites spoke, it pleased them.


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Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites, Today we know the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this trespass <i>and</i> treachery against the Lord; now you have saved the Israelites from the Lord’s hand.


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Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the chiefs returned from the Reubenites and Gadites in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the [other] Israelites, and brought back word to them.


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The report pleased the Israelites and they blessed God; and they spoke no more of going to war against them to destroy the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites dwelt.


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The Reubenites and Gadites called the altar Ed [witness], saying, It shall be: A Witness Between Us that the Lord is God.


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A long time after that, when the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies round about, and Joshua had grown old and advanced in years,


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Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders, heads, judges, and officers, and said to them, I am old and advanced in years.


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And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; for it is the Lord your God Who has fought for you. <f>ⓐ</f>


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Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, with all the nations I have cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea on the west.


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The Lord your God will thrust them out from before you and drive them out of your sight, and you shall possess their land, as the Lord your God <f>[1]</f>promised you.


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So be very courageous <i>and</i> steadfast to keep and do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning not aside from it to the right hand or the left,


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That you may not mix with these nations that remain among you, or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them.


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For the Lord has driven out from before you great and strong nations; and as for you, no man has been able to withstand you to this day.


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One man of you shall put to flight a thousand, for it is the Lord your God Who fights for you, as He promised you.


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For if you turn back and adhere to the remnant of these nations left among you and make marriages with them, you marrying their women and they yours,


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Know with certainty that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations from before you; but they shall be a snare and trap to you, and a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.


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And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. Know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one thing of them has failed.


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But just as all good things which the Lord promised you have come to you, so will the Lord carry out [His] every [warning of] evil upon you, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.


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If you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, if you serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land He has given you.


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Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders of Israel and their heads, their judges, and their officers; they presented themselves before God.


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Joshua said to all the people, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt in olden times beyond the Euphrates River, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, and they served other gods.


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And I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates River and led him through all the land of Canaan and multiplied his offspring. I gave him Isaac,


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And I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau. And I gave to Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.


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I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it; and afterward I brought you out.


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I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.


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When they cried to the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time [forty years]. <f>ⓐ</f>


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I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you possessed their land, and I destroyed them before you.


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Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam son of Beor to curse you.


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But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I delivered you out of Balak’s hand. <f>ⓑ</f>


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You went over the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I gave them into your hands.


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I sent the <f>[1]</f>hornet [that is, the terror of you] before you, which drove the two kings of the Amorites out before you; but it was not by your sword or by your bow. <f>ⓒ</f>


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I have given you a land for which you did not labor and cities you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat from vineyards and olive yards you did not plant.


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Now therefore, [reverently] fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the [Euphrates] River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.


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And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.


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For it is the Lord our God Who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, Who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the peoples through whom we passed.


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And the Lord drove out before us all the people, the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.


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And Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.


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If you forsake the Lord and <f>[2]</f>serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.


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Then Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve Him. And they said, We are witnesses.


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Then put away, said he, the foreign gods that are among you and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.


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So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.


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And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God; and he took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was in [the court of] the sanctuary of the Lord.


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And Joshua said to all the people, See, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the Lord spoke to us; so it shall be a witness against you, lest [afterward] you lie (pretend) <i>and</i> deny your God.


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They buried him at the edge of his inheritance in Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.


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Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the works the Lord had done for Israel.


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And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem in the portion of ground Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of money; and it became the inheritance of the Josephites.


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And Eleazar son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah [on the hill] of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.


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After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?


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And Judah [the tribe] said to [the tribe of] Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my allotted territory, so that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your territory. So Simeon went with him.


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Then Judah went up and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they smote 10,000 of them in Bezek.


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And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and fought against him, and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites.


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Adoni-bezek said, Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off had to gather their food under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.


text:
And the men of Judah fought against [Jebusite] Jerusalem and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.


text:
Afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the hill country, in the South (the Negeb), and in the lowland.


text:
And Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. The name of Hebron before was Kiriath-arba. And they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.


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From there [Judah] went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir before was Kiriath-sepher [city of books and scribes].


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And Caleb said, Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and takes it, to him will I give Achsah, my daughter, as wife.


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And Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah, his daughter, as wife.


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And when she came to [Othniel], she got his consent to ask her father for a [sloping] field. And she alighted off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, What do you want?


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And she said to him, Give me a present; since you have set me in the land of the South (the Negeb), give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.


text:
And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the Judahites from the City of Palms (Jericho) into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South (the Negeb) near Arad; and they went and dwelt with the people.


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And [the tribe of] Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and utterly destroyed it. So the city was called Hormah [destruction].


text:
The Lord was with Judah, and [Judah] drove out the inhabitants of the hill country, but he could not drive out those inhabiting the [difficult] valley basin because they had chariots of iron.


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Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses said, and he expelled from there the three sons of Anak. <f>ⓐ</f>


text:
But the Benjamites did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; the Jebusites dwell with the Benjamites in Jerusalem to this day.


text:
And the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, Show us, we pray you, the way into the city and we will show you mercy.


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When he showed them the entrance to the city, they smote the city with the sword, but they let the man and all his family go.


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And the man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.


text:
Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or of Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their villages, but the Canaanites remained in that land.


text:
When Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but did not utterly drive them out.


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Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.


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Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or of Nahalol, but the Canaanites dwelt among them and were put to forced labor.


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Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob;


text:
But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.


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Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh or of Beth-anath, but dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.


text:
The Amorites forced the Danites back into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down into the plain;


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The Amorites remained fixed in Mount Heres [mountain of the sun], in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to forced labor.


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Now the <f>[1]</f>Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And He said, I brought you up from Egypt and have brought you to the land which I swore to give to your fathers, and I said, I will never break My covenant with you; <f>ⓐ</f>


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And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; but you shall break down their altars. But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?


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So now I say, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.


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When the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voice and wept.


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And when Joshua had let the people go, the Israelites went every man to his inheritance to possess the land.


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And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He did for Israel.


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And they buried him within the boundary of his inheritance in Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.


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And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers, and there arose another generation after them who did not know (recognize, understand) the Lord, or even the work which He had done for Israel.


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And they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods of the peoples round about them and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord to anger.


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And they forsook the Lord and served Baal [the god worshiped by the Canaanites] and the Ashtaroth [female deities such as Ashtoreth and Asherah].


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So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He gave them into the power of plunderers who robbed them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer stand before their foes.


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Whenever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn to them; and they were bitterly distressed. <f>ⓑ</f>


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And yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed down to them. They turned quickly out of the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not so.


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When the Lord raised them up judges, then He was with the judge and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to relent because of their groanings by reason of those who oppressed and vexed them.


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But when the judge was dead, they turned back and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, following and serving other gods, and bowing down to them. They did not cease from their practices or their stubborn way.


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So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and He said, Because this people have transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers and have not listened to My voice,


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I from now on will also not drive out from before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,


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That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.


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So the Lord left those nations, without driving them out at once, nor had He delivered them into Joshua’s power.


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Now these are the nations which the Lord left to prove Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not previously experienced war in Canaan;


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It was only that the generations of the Israelites might know and be taught war, at least those who previously knew nothing of it.


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The remaining nations are: the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath.


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They were for the testing <i>and</i> proving of Israel to know whether Israel would listen <i>and</i> obey the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers by Moses.


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And the Israelites dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites;


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And they married their daughters and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. <f>ⓐ</f>


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And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. <f>ⓑ</f>


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So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the Israelites served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.


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But when the Israelites cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel to deliver them, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.


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The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand and his hand prevailed over Chushan-rishathaim.


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And the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord.


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And [Eglon] gathered to him the men of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and they possessed the City of Palm Trees (Jericho).


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But when the Israelites cried to the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man; and by him the Israelites sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.


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Ehud made for himself a sword, a cubit long, which had two edges, and he girded it on his right thigh under his clothing.


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He himself went [with them] as far as the sculptured [boundary] stones near Gilgal, and then turned back and came to Eglon and said, I have a secret errand to you, O king. Eglon commanded silence, and all who stood by him went out from him.


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When Ehud had come [near] to him as he was sitting alone in his cool upper apartment, Ehud said, I have a commission from God to execute to you. And the king arose from his seat.


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Then Ehud put forth his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglon’s belly.


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And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade, for [Ehud] did not draw the sword out of his belly, and the dirt came out.


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Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the upper room upon [Eglon] and locked them.


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When [Ehud] had gone out, [Eglon’s] servants came. And when they saw the doors of the upper room were locked, they thought, Surely he [is seeking privacy while he] relieves himself in the closet of the cool chamber.


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They waited a long time until they became embarrassed <i>and</i> uneasy, but when he still did not open the doors of the upper room, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their master fallen to the floor, dead!


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Ehud escaped while they delayed and passed beyond the sculptured [boundary] stones (images) and escaped to Seirah.


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When he arrived, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down from the hill country, with him at their head.


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And he said to them, Follow me, for the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and permitted not a man to pass over.


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So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had peace <i>and</i> rest for eighty years.


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After [Ehud] was Shamgar son of Anath, who slew 600 Philistine men with an oxgoad. He also delivered Israel.


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So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-hagoiim [fortress or city of the nations].


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Then the Israelites cried to the Lord, for [Jabin] had 900 chariots of iron and had severely oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.


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She sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.


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And she sent and called Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded [you], Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun?


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And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you at the river Kishon with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into your hand?


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And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.


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And she said, I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the trip you take will not be for your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. [Fulfilled in Judg. 4:22.]


text:
And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he went up with 10,000 men at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.


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Now Heber the Kenite, of the descendants of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, had separated from the Kenites and encamped as far away as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.


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Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even 900 chariots of iron, and all the men who were with him from Harosheth-hagoiim to the river Kishon.


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And Deborah said to Barak, Up! For this is the day when the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Is not the Lord gone out before you? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.


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And the Lord confused <i>and</i> terrified Sisera and all his chariot drivers and all his army before Barak with the sword. And Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled on foot.


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But Barak pursued after the chariots and the army to Harosheth-hagoiim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.


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But Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.


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And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear. So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.


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And he said to her, Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink for I am thirsty. And she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him.


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And he said to her, Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, Is there any man here? Tell him, No.


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But Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent pin and a hammer in her hand and went softly to him and drove the pin through his temple and into the ground; for he was in a deep sleep from weariness. So he died.


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And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said to him, Come, and I will show you the man you seek. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent pin was in his temples.


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And the hand of the Israelites bore more and more upon Jabin king of Canaan until they had destroyed [him].


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For the leaders who took the lead in Israel, for the people who offered themselves willingly, bless the Lord!


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Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; I will sing to the Lord. I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.


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Lord, when You went forth out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens also dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water.


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The mountains quaked at the presence of the Lord, yes, yonder Sinai at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.


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After the days of Shamgar son of Anath, after the days of Jael [meaning here Ehud] the caravans ceased, travelers walked through byways.


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The villages were unoccupied <i>and</i> rulers ceased in Israel until <f>[1]</f>you arose — you, Deborah, arose — a mother in Israel.


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[Formerly] they chose new gods; then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among 40,000 in Israel?


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My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord!


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Tell of it — you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.


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Far from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the gates.


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Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.


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Then down marched the remnant of the nobles, the people of the Lord marched down for Me against the mighty.


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Out of Ephraim they came down whose root is in Amalek, after you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen. Out of Machir came down commanders <i>and</i> lawgivers, and out of Zebulun those who <f>[2]</f>handle the pen <i>or</i> stylus of the writer.


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And the princes of Issachar came with Deborah, and Issachar was faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his heels. [But] among the clans of Reuben were great searchings of heart.


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Why [Reuben] did you linger among the sheepfolds listening to the piping for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.


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Gilead remained beyond the Jordan, and why did Dan stay with the ships? Asher sat still on the seacoast and remained by his creeks. [These came not forth to battle for God’s people.]


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But Zebulun was a people who endangered their lives to the death; Naphtali did also on the heights of the field.


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The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. Gain of booty they did not obtain.


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The torrent Kishon swept [the foe] away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. O my soul, march on with strength!


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Curse Meroz, said the messenger of the Lord. Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty!


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Blessed above women shall Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, be; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.


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She put her [left] hand to the tent pin, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer. And with the wooden hammer she smote Sisera, she smote his head, yes, she struck and pierced his temple.


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He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet. At her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell — dead!


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The <f>[3]</f>mother of Sisera looked out at a window and wailed through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?


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Have they not found and been dividing the spoil? A maiden or two for every man, a spoil of dyed garments for Sisera, a spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?


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So let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it rises in its might. And the land had peace <i>and</i> rest for forty years.


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But the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years.


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And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the Israelites made themselves the dens which are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.


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For whenever Israel had sown their seed, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east came up against them.


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They would encamp against them and destroy the crops as far as Gaza and leave no nourishment for Israel, and no ox or sheep or donkey.


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For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came like locusts for multitude; both they and their camels could not be counted. So they wasted the land as they entered it.


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And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the Israelites cried to the Lord.


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The Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites, who said to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt and brought you forth out of the house of bondage.


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And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you and gave you their land.


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And I said to you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But you have not obeyed My voice.


text:
Now the <f>[1]</f>Angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak (terebinth) at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon was beating wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.


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And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage.


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And Gideon said to him, O sir, if the Lord is with us, why is all this befallen us? And where are all His wondrous works of which our fathers told us, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.


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The Lord turned to him and said, Go in this your might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?


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Gideon said to Him, Oh Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.


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Gideon said to Him, If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You Who talks with me.


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Do not leave here, I pray You, until I return to You and bring my offering and set it before You. And He said, I will wait until you return.


text:
Then Gideon went in and prepared a kid and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them to Him under the oak and presented them.


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And the Angel of God said to him, Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock and pour the broth over them. And he did so.


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Then the Angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes, and there flared up fire from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.


text:
And when Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face!


text:
Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord is Peace. To this day it still stands in Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.


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That night the Lord said to Gideon, Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has and cut down the Asherah [symbol of the goddess Asherah] that is beside it;


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And build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this stronghold with stones laid in proper order. Then take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.


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Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him, but because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.


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And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the Asherah was cut down that was beside it, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built.


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And they said to one another, Who has done this thing? And when they searched and asked, they were told, Gideon son of Joash has done this thing.


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Then the men of the city commanded Joash, Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.


text:
But Joash said to all who stood against him, Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for Baal, let him be put to death while it is still morning. If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself because one has pulled down his altar.


text:
Therefore on that day he called Gideon Jerubbaal, meaning, Let Baal contend against him, because he had pulled down his altar.


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Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east came together and, crossing the Jordan, encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.


text:
But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself <i>and</i> took possession of him, and he blew a trumpet, and [the clan of] Abiezer was gathered to him.


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And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and the Manassites were called to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.


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Behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will deliver Israel by my hand, as You have said.


text:
And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the dew out of the fleece, he wrung from it a bowlful of water.


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And Gideon said to God, Let not your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Let me make trial only this once with the fleece, I pray you; let it now be dry only upon the fleece and upon all the ground let there be dew.


text:
Then Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was north of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.


text:
The Lord said to Gideon, The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel boast about themselves against Me, saying, My own hand has delivered me.


text:
So now proclaim in the ears of the men, saying, Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him turn back and depart from Mount Gilead. And 22,000 of the men returned, but 10,000 remained.


text:
And the Lord said to Gideon, The men are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. And he of whom I say to you, This man shall go with you, shall go with you; and he of whom I say to you, This man shall not go with you, shall not go.


text:
So he brought the men down to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon, Everyone who laps up the water with his tongue as a dog laps it, you shall set by himself, likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.


text:
And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.


text:
And the Lord said to Gideon, With the 300 men who lapped I will deliver you, and give the Midianites into your hand. Let all the others return every man to his home.


text:
So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands, and he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his home and retained those 300 men. And the host of Midian was below him in the valley.


text:
That same night the Lord said to Gideon, Arise, go down against their camp, for I have given it into your hand.


text:
And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp. Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the camp of the armed men.


text:
And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east lay along the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand on the seashore for multitude.


text:
When Gideon arrived, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of <f>[1]</f>barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.


text:
And his comrade replied, This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel. Into his hand God has given Midian and all the host.


text:
When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped and returned to the camp of Israel and said, Arise, for the Lord has given into your hand the host of Midian.


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And he divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets and empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers.


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And he said to them, Look at me, then do likewise. When I come to the edge of their camp, do as I do.


text:
When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, For the Lord and for Gideon!


text:
So Gideon and the 100 men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when the guards had just been changed, and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands.


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And the three companies blew the trumpets and shattered the pitchers, holding the torches in their left hands, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow [leaving no chance to use swords], and they cried, The sword for the Lord and Gideon!


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They stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the [Midianite] army ran — they cried out and fled.


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When [Gideon’s men] blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every [Midianite’s] sword against his comrade and against all the army, and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah by Tabbath.


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And the men of Israel were called together out of Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.


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And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites and take all the intervening fords as far as Beth-barah and also the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together and took all the fords as far as Beth-barah and also the Jordan.


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And [the men of Ephraim] took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.


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And the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, Why have you treated us like this, not calling us when you went to fight with Midian? And they quarreled with him furiously.


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And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of [your big tribe of] Ephraim better than the vintage of [my little clan of] Abiezer?


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<f>[1]</f>God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger toward him was abated when he had said that.


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And he said to the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are faint, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.


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And the princes of Succoth said, Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?


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And Gideon said, For that, when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with the thorns and briers of the wilderness!


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And he went from there up to Penuel and made the same request, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had done.


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Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army — about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the sons of the east, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword.


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And Gideon went up by the route of those who dwelt in tents east of Nobah and Jogbehah and smote their camp [unexpectedly], for the army thought itself secure.


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And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and terrified all the army.


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And he caught a young man of Succoth and inquired of him, and [the youth] wrote down for him [the names of] the officials of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.


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And he came to the men of Succoth and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you scoffed at me, saying, Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are faint?


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And he took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth [a lesson].


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Then [Gideon] said to Zebah and Zalmunna, What kind of men were they whom you slew at Tabor? And they replied, They were like you, each of them resembled the son of a king.


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And he said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not slay you.


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And [Gideon] said to Jether his firstborn [to embarrass them], Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared because he was yet a lad.


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Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise yourself and fall on us; for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna and took the [crescent-shaped] ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.


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Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us — you and your son and your son’s son also — for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.


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And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.


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And Gideon said to them, Let me make a request of you — every man of you give me the earrings of his spoil. For [the Midianites] had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites [general term for all descendants of Keturah].


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And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and every man cast on it the earrings of his spoil.


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And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescents and pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and the chains that were about their camels’ necks.


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And Gideon made an ephod [a sacred, high priest’s garment] of it, and put it in his city of Ophrah, and all Israel paid homage to it there, and <f>[2]</f>it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.


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Thus was Midian subdued before the Israelites so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had peace <i>and</i> rest for forty years in the days of Gideon.


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Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.


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As soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned again and played the harlot after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.


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And the Israelites did not remember the Lord their God, Who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;


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Neither did they show kindness to the family of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, in return for all the good which he had done for Israel.


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Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) went to Shechem to his mother’s kinsmen and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s family,


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Say, I pray you, in the hearing of all the men of Shechem, Which is better for you: that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one man rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.


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And his mother’s kinsmen spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.


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And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and foolhardy men who followed him.


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And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and slew his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, for he hid himself.


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And all the men of Shechem gathered together and all of Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak (terebinth) of the pillar at Shechem.


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When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, Hear me, men of Shechem, that God may hear you.


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One time the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us.


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But the olive tree said to them, Should I leave my fatness, by which God and man are honored, and go to wave over the trees?


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But the fig tree said to them, Should I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go to wave over the trees?


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And the vine (grapevine) replied, Should I leave my new wine, which rejoices God and man, and go to wave over the trees?


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And the bramble said to the trees, If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.


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Now therefore, if you acted sincerely and honorably when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved —


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And you have risen up against my father’s house this day and have slain his sons, seventy men, on one stone and have made Abimelech, son of his maidservant, king over the people of Shechem because he is your kinsman —


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If you then have acted sincerely and honorably with Jerubbaal and his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you;


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But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the people of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let fire come out from the people of Shechem and Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.


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And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,


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That the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers.


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And the men of Shechem set men in ambush against [Abimelech] on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told to Abimelech.


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And Gaal son of Ebed came with his kinsmen and moved into Shechem, and the men of Shechem put confidence in him.


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And they went out into the field, gathered their vineyard fruits and trod them, and held a festival; and going into the house of their god, they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.


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Gaal son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Were not the son of Jerubbaal and Zebul, his officer, servants of the men of Hamor the father <i>and</i> founder of Shechem? Then why should we serve him?


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Would that this people were under my hand! Then would I remove Abimelech and say to him, Increase your army and come out.


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And he sent messengers to Abimelech slyly, saying, Behold, Gaal son of Ebed and his kinsmen have come to Shechem; and behold, they stir up the city to rise against you.


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Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and set upon the city; and when Gaal and the men with him come out against you, do to them as opportunity permits.


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And Abimelech rose up by night, and all the men with him, and they laid in wait against Shechem in four companies.


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And Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood in the entrance of the city’s gate. Then Abimelech and the men with him rose up from ambush.


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When Gaal saw the men, he said to Zebul, Look, men are coming down from the mountaintops! Zebul said to him, The shadow of the mountains looks to you like men.


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And Gaal spoke again and said, See, men are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the oak of Meonenim [the sorcerers].


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Then said Zebul to Gaal, Where is your [big] mouth now, you who said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Are not these the men whom you have despised? Go out now and fight with them.


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And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded — even to the entrance of the gate.


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And Abimelech lodged at Arumah, and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his kinsmen so that they could not live in Shechem.


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He took his men and divided them into three companies and laid in wait in the field; and he looked and behold, the people were coming out of the city. And he rose up against them and smote them.


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And Abimelech and the company with him rushed forward and stood in the entrance of the city’s gate, while the two other companies rushed upon all who were in the field and slew them.


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And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He took the city and slew the people who were in it. He demolished the city and <f>[1]</f>sowed it with salt.


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And when all the men of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith [the god of Berith].


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And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the men with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bundle of brush, picked it up, and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men with him, What you have seen me do, make haste to do also.


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So each of the men cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold and set [the stronghold] on fire over the people in it, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.


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But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the people of the city — men and women — fled to it, shut themselves in, and went to the roof of the tower.


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And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire.


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Then he called hastily to the young man, his armor-bearer, and said to him, Draw your sword and slay me, so that men may not say of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.


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Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech which he had done to his father [Gideon] by slaying his seventy brothers;


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And all the wickedness of the men of Shechem God repaid upon their heads and caused to come upon them the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal. <f>ⓐ</f>


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After Abimelech there arose to rescue Israel, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.


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And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts, and they had thirty towns called Havvoth-jair [towns of Jair] which to this day are in the land of Gilead.


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And the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, served the Baals, the Ashtaroth [female deities], the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. They forsook the Lord and did not serve Him.


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And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites,


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And they oppressed and crushed <i>and</i> broke the Israelites that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.


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And the Ammonites passed over the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sorely distressed.


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And the Israelites cried to the Lord, saying, We have sinned against You, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.


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And the Lord said to the Israelites, Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, and the Philistines?


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Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites oppressed <i>and</i> crushed you, you cried to Me, and I delivered you out of their hands.


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And the Israelites said to the Lord, We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only deliver us, we pray You, this day.


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So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and His heart became impatient over the misery of Israel.


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Then the Ammonites were gathered together and they encamped in Gilead. And the Israelites assembled and encamped at Mizpah.


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And the leaders of Gilead [the Israelites] said one to another, Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.


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Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. Gilead was Jephthah’s father.


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And Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when his wife’s sons grew up, they thrust Jephthah out and said to him, You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.


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Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men gathered around Jephthah and went on raids with him.


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And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah out of the land of Tob;


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But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?


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And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, This is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight the Ammonites and be our head over all the citizens of Gilead.


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Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord gives them over to me, [understand that] I will be your head.


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And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, The Lord is witness between us, if we do not do as you have said.


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So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah repeated all he had promised before the Lord at Mizpah.


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And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, What have you to do with me, that you have come against me to fight in my land?


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The Ammonites’ king replied to the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land [which was not true] when they came up out of Egypt [300 years before], from the Arnon even to Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.


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And said to him, Thus says Jephthah, Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.


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But when [Israel] came up from Egypt, [they] walked through the wilderness to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh.


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Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, Let us, we pray, pass through your land, but the king of Edom would not listen. Also they sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.


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Then they went through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.


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Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, Let us pass, we pray you, through your land to our country.


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But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel.


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And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them; so Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.


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They possessed all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon even to the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even to the Jordan.


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So now the Lord God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel, and should you possess them?


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Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all the Lord our God dispossessed before us, we will possess.


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Now are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel or did he ever go to war with them?


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While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon for 300 years, why did you not recover [your lost lands] during that time?


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So I have not sinned against you, but you are doing me wrong to war against me. The Lord, the [righteous] Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.


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Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.


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Then whatever <i>or</i> whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it <i>or</i> him up as a burnt offering.


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Then Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord gave them into his hand.


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And from Aroer to Minnith he smote them, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-cheramim [the meadow of vineyards], with a very great slaughter. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.


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Then Jephthah came to Mizpah to his home, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances! And she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.


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And when he saw her, he rent his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are the cause of great trouble to me; for I have opened my mouth [in a vow] to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.


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And she said to him, My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what you have vowed, since the Lord has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, the Ammonites.


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And she said to her father, Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go and wander upon the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.


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And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months, and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.


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At the end of two months she returned to her father, who <f>[1]</f>did with her according to his vow which he had vowed. She never mated with a man. This became a custom in Israel —


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That the daughters of Israel went yearly to mourn the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.


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The men of Ephraim were summoned together and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, Why did you cross over to fight with the Ammonites and did not summon us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.


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And Jephthah said to them, I and my people were in a severe conflict with the Ammonites, and I when I called you, you did not rescue me from their hands.


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And when I saw that you would not rescue me, I put my life in my hands and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?


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Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they had said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.


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And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites; and when any of those Ephraimites who had escaped said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said to him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, No,


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They said to him, Then say Shibboleth; and he said, Sibboleth, for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites.


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Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.


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And he had thirty sons and thirty daughters whom he gave [to husbands] outside his tribe, and thirty daughters [daughters-in-law] whom he brought in from outside his tribe for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.


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And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy donkey colts; and he judged Israel eight years.


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Then Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.


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And the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.


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And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.


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And the <f>[1]</f>Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, Behold, you are barren and have no children, but you shall become pregnant and bear a son.


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For behold, you shall become pregnant and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from birth, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.


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Then the woman went and told her husband, saying, A <f>[2]</f>Man of God came to me and his face was like the face of the Angel of God, to be greatly and reverently feared. I did not ask him from where he came, and he did not tell me his name.


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But he said to me, Behold, you shall become pregnant and bear a son, and now drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from birth to the day of his death.


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Then Manoah entreated the Lord and said, O Lord, let the Man of God whom You sent come again to us and teach us what we shall do with the child that shall be born.


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And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.


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And the woman ran in haste and told her husband and said to him, Behold, the Man who came to me the other day has appeared to me.


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And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the Man and said to him, Are you the Man who spoke to this woman? And he said, I am.


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And Manoah said, Now when your words come true, how shall we manage the child, and what is he to do?


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She may not eat of anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.


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And Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, Pray, let us detain you that we may prepare a kid for you.


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And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, Though you detain me, I will not eat of your food, but if you make ready a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord. For Manoah did not know that he was the Angel of the Lord.


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And Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, What is your name, so that when your words come true, we may do you honor?


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So Manoah took the kid with the cereal offering and offered it upon a rock to the Lord, the Angel working wonders, while Manoah and his wife looked on.


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For when the flame went up toward the heavens from the altar, the Angel of the Lord ascended in the altar flame. And Manoah and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground.


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The Angel of the Lord did not appear again to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the Angel of the Lord.


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But his [sensible] wife said to him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a cereal offering from our hands, nor have shown us all these things or now have announced such things as these.


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And the woman [in due time] bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew and the Lord blessed him.


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And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in Mahaneh-dan [the camp of Dan] between Zorah and Eshtaol.


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And he came up and told his father and mother, I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.


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But his father and mother said to him, Is there not a woman among the daughters of your kinsmen or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Get her for me, for she is all right in my eyes.


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His father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, and that He sought an occasion for assailing the Philistines. At that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.


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Then Samson and his father and mother went down to Timnah and came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion roared against him.


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And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion as he would have torn a kid, and he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.


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And after a while he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the body of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion.


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And he scraped some of the honey out into his hands and went along eating. And he came to his father and mother and gave them some, and they ate it; but he did not tell them he had taken the honey from the body of the lion.


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His father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for that was the customary thing for young men to do.


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And Samson said to them, I will now put forth a riddle to you; if you can tell me what it is within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen undergarments and thirty changes of raiment.


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But if you cannot declare it to me, then shall you give me thirty linen undergarments and thirty changes of festive [costly] raiment. And they said to him, Put forth your riddle, that we may hear it.


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And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not solve the riddle in three days.


text:
And on the seventh day they said to Samson’s wife, Entice your husband to declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s household with fire. Have you invited us to make us poor? Is this not true?


text:
And Samson’s wife wept before him and said, You only hate me, you do not love me; you have put forth a riddle to my countrymen and have not told the answer to me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not told my father or my mother, and shall I tell you?


text:
And Samson’s wife wept before him the seven days their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him with entreaties. Then she told the riddle to her countrymen.


text:
And the men of the city said to [Samson] on the seventh day before sundown, What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.


text:
And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and slew thirty men of them and took their apparel [as spoil], and gave the changes of garments to those who explained the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.


text:
But some days later, in the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife, taking along a kid [as a token of reconciliation]; and he said, I will go unto my wife in the inner chamber. But her father would not allow him to go in.


text:
And her father said, I truly thought you utterly hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Is her younger sister not fairer than she? Take her, I pray you, instead.


text:
And Samson said of them, This time shall I be blameless as regards the Philistines, though I do them evil.


text:
So Samson went and caught 300 foxes <i>or</i> jackals and took torches and turning the foxes tail to tail, he put a torch between each pair of tails.


text:
And when he had set the torches ablaze, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and he burned up the shocks and the standing grain, along with the olive orchards.


text:
Then the Philistines said, Who has done this? And they were told, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he [the Timnite] has taken his [Samson’s] wife and has given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.


text:
And Samson said to them, If this is the way you act, surely I will take revenge on you, and after that I will quit.


text:
And he smote them hip and thigh [unsparingly], a great slaughter; and he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam.


text:
And the men of Judah said, Why have you come up against us? And they answered, We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he has done to us.


text:
Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock Etam and said to Samson, Have you not known that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that you have done to us? He said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.


text:
And they said to him, We have come down to bind you, that we may deliver you into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said to them, Swear to me that you will not fall upon me yourselves.


text:
And they said to him, No, we will bind you fast and give you into their hand; but surely we will not kill you. So they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.


text:
And when he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon [Samson], and the ropes on his arms became as flax that had caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.


text:
And he found a still moist jawbone of a donkey and reached out and took it and slew 1,000 men with it.


text:
And Samson said, With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey I have slain 1,000 men!


text:
And when he stopped speaking, he cast the jawbone from his hand; and that place was called Ramath-lehi [the hill of the jawbone].


text:
Samson was very thirsty, and he prayed to the Lord and said, You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?


text:
And God split open the hollow place that was at Lehi, and water came out of it. And when he drank, his spirit returned and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore [the spring of him who prayed], which is at Lehi to this day.


text:
The Gazites were told, Samson has come here. So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, In the morning, when it is light, we will kill him.


text:
But Samson lay until midnight, and [then] he arose and took hold of the doors of the city’s gate and the two posts, and pulling them up, bar and all, he put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is before Hebron.


text:
And the lords of the Philistines came to her and said to her, Entice him and see in what his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him that we may bind him to subdue him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.


text:
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray you, wherein your great strength lies, and with what you might be bound to subdue you.


text:
And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven fresh, strong gutstrings, still moist, then shall I be weak and be like any other man.


text:
Then the Philistine lords brought to her seven fresh, strong bowstrings, still moist, and she bound him with them.


text:
Now she had men lying in wait in an inner room. And she said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he broke the bowstrings as a string of tow breaks when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.


text:
And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies; now tell me, I pray you, how you might be bound.


text:
And he said to her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.


text:
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And the men lying in wait were in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like [sewing] thread.


text:
And Delilah said to Samson, Until now you have mocked me and told me lies; tell me with what you might be bound. And he said to her, If you weave the seven braids of [the hair of] my head with the web.


text:
And she did so and fastened it with the pin and said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep and went away with the pin of the [weaver’s] beam and with the web.


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And she said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me in what your great strength lies.


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Then he told her all his mind and said to her, A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my birth. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.


text:
And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his mind, she went and called for the Philistine lords, saying, Come up this once, for he has told me all he knows. Then the Philistine lords came up to her and brought the money in their hands.


text:
And she made Samson sleep upon her knees, and she called a man and caused him to shave off the seven braids of his head. Then she began to torment [Samson], and his strength went from him.


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She said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as I have time after time and shake myself free. For Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him.


text:
But the Philistines laid hold of him, bored out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with [two] bronze fetters; and he ground at the mill in the prison.


text:
Then the Philistine lords gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, for they said, Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands.


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And when the people saw Samson, they praised their god, for they said, Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, the ravager of our country, who has slain many of us.


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And when their hearts were merry, they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called [blind] Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them. They made him stand between the pillars.


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And Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, Allow me to feel the pillars upon which the house rests, that I may lean against them.


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Now the house was full of men and women; all the Philistine princes were there, and on the roof were about 3,000 men and women who looked on while Samson made sport.


text:
Then Samson called to the Lord and said, O Lord God, [earnestly] remember me, I pray You, and strengthen me, I pray You, only this once, O God, and let me have one vengeance upon the Philistines for both my eyes.


text:
And Samson laid hold of the two middle pillars by which the house was borne up, one with his right hand and the other with his left.


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And Samson cried, Let me die with the Philistines! And he bowed himself mightily, and the house fell upon the princes and upon all the people that were in it. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than they whom he slew in his life.


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Then his kinsmen and all the tribal family of his father came down, took his body, and brought it up; and they buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial place of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel [that is, had defended the Israelites] twenty years. <f>ⓐ</f>


text:
And he said to his mother, The 1,100 shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed and also spoke about in my hearing, behold, I have the silver with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be you by the Lord, my son!


text:
He restored the 1,100 shekels of silver to his mother, and she said, I had truly dedicated the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will restore it to you.


text:
So when he restored the money to his mother, she took 200 pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith, who made of it a graven image and a molten image; and they were in the house of Micah.


text:
And the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod and teraphim and dedicated one of his sons, who became his priest.


text:
And there was a young man in Bethlehem of Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there.


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And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place, and as he journeyed he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah.


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And Micah said to him, From where do you come? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.


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And Micah said to him, Dwell with me and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver each year, a suit of clothes, and your living. So the Levite went in.


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And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was to Micah as one of his sons.


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And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah.


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In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no [sufficient] inheritance had been acquired by them among the tribes of Israel.


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So the Danites sent from the whole number of their tribe five brave men from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and to explore it, and they said to them, Go, explore the land. They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.


text:
When they went by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite, and they turned aside there and said to him, Who brought you here? And what do you do in this place? And what have you here?


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And they said to him, Ask counsel, we pray you, of God that we may know whether our journey will be successful.


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And the priest said to them, Go in peace. The way in which you go is before (under the eye of) the Lord.


text:
Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they dwelt securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and feeling safe; and there was no magistrate in the land, who might put them to shame in anything <i>or</i> injure them; and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.


text:
The five men came back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, What do you say?


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They said, Arise, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very fertile. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go and enter in and possess the land.


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When you go, you will come to people [feeling] safe and secure. The land is broad [widely extended on all sides]; and God has given it into your hands — a place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth.


text:
And there went from there of the tribe of the Danites, out of Zorah and Eshtaol, 600 men armed with weapons of war.


text:
And they went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan [camp of Dan] to this day; it is west of Kiriath-jearim.


text:
Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of Laish said to their brethren, Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, teraphim, a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore, consider what you have to do.


text:
And they turned in that direction and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and saluted him.


text:
And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up and entered the house and took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.


text:
And when these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, What are you doing?


text:
And they said to him, Be still, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and family in Israel?


text:
And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.


text:
When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were Micah’s near neighbors were called out and overtook the Danites.


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They shouted to the Danites, who turned and said to Micah, What ails you, that you come with such a company?


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And he said, You take away my gods which I made and the priest, and go away; and what have I left? How can you say to me, What ails you?


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And the men of Dan said to him, Let not your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you and you lose your life with the lives of your household.


text:
And the Danites went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.


text:
And they took the things which Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and feeling secure, and they smote them with the sword and burned the city.


text:
And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no business with anyone. It was in the valley which belongs to Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and dwelt in it.


text:
They named the city Dan, after Dan their forefather who was born to Israel; however, the name of the city was Laish at first.


text:
And the Danites set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.


text:
In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was living temporarily in the most remote part of the hill district of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine [of inferior status than a wife] from Bethlehem in Judah.


text:
And his concubine was untrue to him and went away from him to her father’s house at Bethlehem of Judah and stayed there the space of four months.


text:
Then her husband arose and went after her to speak kindly to her [to her heart] and to bring her back, having with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father’s house, and when her father saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.


text:
And his father-in-law, the girl’s father, [insistently] detained him, and he remained with him three days. So they ate and drank, and he lodged there.


text:
On the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and the [Levite] prepared to leave, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread and afterward go your way.


text:
So both men sat down and ate and drank together, and the girl’s father said to the man, Consent to stay all night and let your heart be merry.


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And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, but the girl’s father said, Strengthen your heart and tarry until toward evening. So they ate, both of them.


text:
And when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to leave, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, Behold, now the day draws toward evening, I pray you stay all night. Behold, now the day grows to an end, lodge here and let your heart be merry, and tomorrow get early on your way and go home.


text:
But the man would not stay that night; so he rose up and departed and came opposite to Jebus, which is Jerusalem. With him were two saddled donkeys [and his servant] and his concubine.


text:
When they were near Jebus, it was late, and the servant said to his master, Come I pray, and let us turn into this Jebusite city and lodge in it.


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His master said to him, We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners where there are no Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah.


text:
And he said to his servant, Come and let us go to one of these places and spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.


text:
So they passed on and went their way, and the sun went down on them near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin,


text:
And they turned aside there to go in and lodge at Gibeah. And the Levite went in and sat down in the open square of the city, for no man took them into his house to spend the night.


text:
And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening. He was from the hill country of Ephraim but was living temporarily in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites.


text:
And when he looked up, he saw the wayfarer in the city square, and the old man said, Where are you going? And from where did you come?


text:
The Levite replied, We are passing from Bethlehem of Judah to the rear side of the hill country of Ephraim; I am from there. I went to Bethlehem of Judah, but I am [now] going [home] to the house of the Lord [where I serve], and there is no man who receives me into his house.


text:
Yet we have both straw and provender for our donkeys and bread and wine also for me, your handmaid, and the young man who is with your servants; there is no lack of anything.


text:
And the old man said, Peace be to you, but leave all your wants to me; only do not lodge in the street.


text:
So he brought him into his house and gave provender to the donkeys. And the guests washed their feet and ate and drank.


text:
Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, beset the house round about, beat on the door, and said to the master of the house, the old man, Bring forth the man who came to your house, that we may have intercourse with him.


text:
And the man, the master of the house, went out and said to them, No, my kinsmen, I pray you, do not act so wickedly; seeing that this man is my guest, do not do this [wicked] folly.


text:
Behold, here are my virgin daughter and this man’s concubine; them I will bring out now; debase them and do with them what seems good to you, but to this man do not so vile a thing.


text:
But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and forced her forth to them, and they had intercourse with her and abused her all the night until morning. And when the dawn began to break, they let her go.


text:
At daybreak the woman came and fell down and lay at the door of the man’s house where her master was, till it was light.


text:
And her master rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way; and behold, his concubine had fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.


text:
And he said to her, Up, and let us be going. But there was no answer [for she was dead]. Then he put her [body] upon the donkey, and the man rose up and went home.


text:
And when he came into his house, he took a knife, and took hold of his dead concubine and divided her [body] limb by limb into twelve pieces and sent her [body] throughout all the territory of Israel.


text:
And all who saw it said, There was no such deed done or seen from the day that the Israelites came up out of the land of Egypt to this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak [your minds].


text:
Then all the Israelites came out, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah, from Dan even to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead.


text:
And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot who drew the sword.


text:
(Now the Benjamites [among whom the vile tragedy occurred] heard that the [other] Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) There the Israelites asked, How did this wickedness happen?


text:
And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, replied, I came to Gibeah which belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.


text:
And the men of Gibeah rose against me and beset the house round about me by night; they meant to kill me and they raped my concubine, and she is dead.


text:
And I took my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and [wicked] folly in Israel.


text:
And all the people arose as one man, saying, Not any of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his home.


text:
And we will take ten men of 100 throughout all the tribes of Israel, and 100 of 1,000, and 1,000 out of 10,000, to bring provisions for the men, that when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin they may do to them according to all the [wicked] folly which they have committed in Israel.


text:
And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that has been done among you?


text:
Now therefore, give up the men [involved], the base fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel. But the Benjamites would not listen to the voice of their kinsmen the Israelites.


text:
But the Benjamites out of the cities assembled at Gibeah to go out to battle against the other Israelites.


text:
And the Benjamites mustered out of their cities at that time 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men.


text:
Among all these were 700 chosen left-handed men; every one could sling stones at a hair and not miss.


text:
And the men of Israel, other than Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.


text:
The Israelites arose and went up to the house of God [Bethel] and asked counsel of God and said, Which of us shall take the lead to battle against the Benjamites? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.


text:
And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin and set the battle in array against them at Gibeah.


text:
The Benjamites came forth out of Gibeah and felled to the ground that day 22,000 men of the Israelites.


text:
But the people, the men of Israel, took courage <i>and</i> strengthened themselves and again set their battle line in the same place where they formed it the first day.


text:
And the Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening and asked of the Lord, Shall we go up again to battle against our brethren the Benjamites? And the Lord said, Go up against them.


text:
And Benjamin went forth out of Gibeah against them the second day and felled to the ground the Israelites again, 18,000 men, all of whom were swordsmen.


text:
Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up and came to the house of God [Bethel] and wept; and they sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.


text:
And the Israelites inquired of the Lord — for the ark of the covenant of God was there [at Bethel] in those days,


text:
And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days — saying, Shall we yet again go out to battle against our brethren the Benjamites or shall we quit? And the Lord said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.


text:
And the Israelites went up against the Benjamites on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah as at other times.


text:
And the Benjamites went out against their army and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite and kill some of the people as at other times, in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country — about thirty men of Israel.


text:
And the Benjamites said, They are routed before us as at first. But the Israelites said, Let us flee and draw them from the city to the highways.


text:
And all the men of Israel rose out of their places and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel in ambush rushed out of their place in the meadow of Geba.


text:
And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard; but the Benjamites did not know disaster was close upon them.


text:
And the Lord overcame Benjamin before Israel, and the Israelites destroyed of the Benjamites that day 25,100 men, all of whom were swordsmen.


text:
So the Benjamites saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to the Benjamites, because they trusted in the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah.


text:
And the men in ambush quickly rushed upon Gibeah, and the liers-in-wait moved out and smote all the city with the sword.


text:
Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke arise from the city,


text:
The men of Israel should all turn back in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to smite and kill some of the men of Israel, about thirty persons. They said, Surely they are falling before us as in the first battle.


text:
But when the [signal] cloud began to rise out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to the heavens.


text:
When the men of Israel turned back again, the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster had come upon them.


text:
Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel and fled toward the wilderness, but the battle followed close behind <i>and</i> overtook them; and the inhabitants of the cities destroyed those [Benjamites] who came through them in their midst.


text:
They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and overtook <i>and</i> trod them down at their resting-place as far as opposite Gibeah toward the east.


text:
And [the Benjamites] turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel picked off on the highways 5,000 men of them; they pursued hard after them to Gidom and slew 2,000 more of them.


text:
So that all of Benjamin who fell that day were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor.


text:
But 600 men turned and fled to the wilderness to the rock Rimmon and remained at the rock Rimmon four months.


text:
And the men of Israel turned back against the Benjamites and smote them with the sword, men and beasts and all that they found. Also they set on fire all the towns to which they came.


text:
Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, None of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.


text:
And the Israelites came to the house of God [Bethel] and sat there until evening before God and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. <f>ⓐ</f>


text:
And they said, O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?


text:
And next morning the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.


text:
And the Israelites said, Which among all the tribes of Israel did not come up with the assembly to the Lord? For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, He shall surely die.


text:
And the Israelites changed their purpose [and had compassion] for the Benjamites their kinsmen and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel today.


text:
What shall we do for wives for those who are left, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them our daughters as wives?


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And they said, Which one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to Mizpah to the Lord? And behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead, to the assembly.


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And the congregation sent there 12,000 of the bravest men, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the sword, also the women and the little ones.


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And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins, who had known no man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.


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And the whole congregation sent word to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon and invited them to be friendly with them.


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And Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead; and yet there were not enough for them.


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And the people had compassion on Benjamin, because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.


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Then the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women of Benjamin are destroyed?


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And they said, There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe shall not be wiped out of Israel.


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But we cannot give them wives of our daughters, for the Israelites have sworn, Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.


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So they said, Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and south of Lebonah.


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And watch; if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and catch every man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin.


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And when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, we will say to them, Grant them graciously unto us, because we did not reserve a wife for each of them in battle, neither did you give wives to them, for that would have made you guilty [of breaking your oath].


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And the Benjamites did so and took wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off; then they went and returned to their inheritance and repaired the towns and dwelt in them.


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And the Israelites left there then, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.


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In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem of Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, his wife, and his two sons.


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The man’s name was Elimelech and his wife’s name was Naomi and his two sons were named Mahlon [invalid] and Chilion [pining]; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. They went to the country of Moab and continued there.


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And they took wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They dwelt there about ten years;


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And Mahlon and Chilion died also, both of them, so the woman was bereft of her two sons and her husband.


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Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in Moab how the Lord had visited His people in giving them food.


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So she left the place where she was, her two daughters-in-law with her, and they started on the way back to Judah.


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But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.


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The Lord grant that you may find a home <i>and</i> rest, each in the house of her husband! Then she kissed them and they wept aloud.


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But Naomi said, Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that may become your husbands?


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Turn back, my daughters, go; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband tonight and should bear sons,


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Would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; it is far more bitter for me than for you that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.


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Then they wept aloud again; and Orpah <f>[1]</f>kissed her mother-in-law [good-bye], but Ruth clung to her.


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And Naomi said, See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.


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And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. <f>[2]</f>Your people shall be my people and your God my God.


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Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you.


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So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred about them, and said, Is this Naomi?


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And she said to them, Call me not Naomi [pleasant]; call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.


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I went out full, but the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?


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So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.


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Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.


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And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. Naomi said to her, Go, my daughter.


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And [Ruth] went and gleaned in a field after the reapers; and she happened to stop at the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.


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And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, The Lord be with you! And they answered him, The Lord bless you!


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And the servant set over the reapers answered, She is the Moabitish girl who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.


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And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came and has continued from early morning until now, except when she rested a little in the house.


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Then Boaz said to Ruth, Listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but stay here close by my maidens.


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Watch which field they reap, and follow them. Have I not charged the young men not to molest you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.


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Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should notice me, when I am a foreigner?


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And Boaz said to her, I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people unknown to you before.


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The Lord recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge!


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Then she said, Let me find favor in your sight, my lord. For you have comforted me and have spoken to the heart of your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants.


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And at mealtime Boaz said to her, Come here and eat of the bread and dip your morsel in the sour wine [mixed with oil]. And she sat beside the reapers; and he passed her some parched grain, and she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left [for Naomi].


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And when she got up to glean, Boaz ordered his young men, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.


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And let fall some handfuls for her on purpose and let them lie there for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.


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So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned. It was about an ephah of barley.


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And she took it up and went into the town; she showed her mother-in-law what she had gleaned, and she also brought forth and gave her the food she had reserved after she was satisfied.


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And her mother-in-law said to her, Where have you gleaned today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who noticed you. So [Ruth] told [her], The name of him with whom I worked today is Boaz.


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And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the Lord who has not ceased his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said to her, The man is a near relative of ours, one who has the right to redeem us. <f>ⓐ</f>


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And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said to me also, Stay close to my young men until they have harvested my entire crop.


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And Naomi said to Ruth, It is good, my daughter, for you to go out with his maidens, lest in any other field you be molested.


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So she kept close to the maidens of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.


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Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to Ruth, My daughter, shall I not seek rest <i>or</i> a home for you, that you may prosper?


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And now is not Boaz, with whose maidens you were, our relative? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.


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Wash and anoint yourself therefore, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.


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But when he lies down, notice the place where he lies; then go and uncover his feet and lie down. And he will tell you what to do.


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And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then [Ruth] came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down.


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And he said, Who are you? And she answered, I am Ruth your maidservant. Spread your wing [of protection] over your maidservant, for you are a next of kin.


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And he said, Blessed be you of the Lord, my daughter. For you have made this last loving-kindness greater than the former, for you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.


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And now, my daughter, fear not. I will do for you all you require, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of strength (worth, bravery, capability).


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Remain tonight, and in the morning if he will perform for you the part of a kinsman, good; let him do it. But if he will not do the part of a kinsman for you, then, as the Lord lives, I will do the part of a kinsman for you. Lie down until the morning.


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And she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another; for he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.


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Also he said, Bring the mantle you are wearing and hold it. So [Ruth] held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and laid it on her. And she went into the town.


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And when she came home, her mother-in-law said, How have you fared, my daughter? And Ruth told her all that the man had done for her.


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And she said, He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said to me, Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.


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Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he finishes the matter today.


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Then Boaz went up to the city’s gate and sat down there, and behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz had spoken came by. He said to him, Ho! Turn aside and sit down here. So he turned aside and sat down.


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And he said to the kinsman, Naomi, who has returned from the country of Moab, has sold the parcel of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.


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And I thought to let you hear of it, saying, Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then say so, that I may know; for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I am [next of kin] after you. And he said, I will redeem it.


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Then Boaz said, The day you buy the field of Naomi, you must buy also Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the dead man, to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance.


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And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest [by marrying a Moabitess] I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it. <f>ⓐ</f>


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Now formerly in Israel this was the custom concerning redeeming and exchanging. To confirm a transaction, a man pulled off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the way of attesting in Israel.


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And Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s from the hand of Naomi.


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Also Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his birthplace. You are witnesses this day.


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And all the people at the gate and the elders said, We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the household of Israel. May you do worthily <i>and</i> get wealth (power) in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem.


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And let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman.


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So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord caused her to conceive, and she bore a son.


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And the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, Who has not left you this day without a close kinsman, and may his name be famous in Israel.


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And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher <i>and</i> supporter in your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.


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And her neighbor women gave him a name, saying, A son is born to Naomi. They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David [the ancestor of Jesus Christ].


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There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, named Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.


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He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.


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This man went from his city year by year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were the Lord’s priests.


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When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters portions [of the sacrificial meat].


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But to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had given her no children.


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[This embarrassed and grieved Hannah] and her rival provoked her greatly to vex her, because the Lord had left her childless.


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So it was year after year; whenever Hannah went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah provoked her, so she wept and did not eat.


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Then Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? Am I not more to you than ten sons?


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So Hannah rose after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside a post of the temple (tent) of the Lord.


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She vowed, saying, O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and [earnestly] remember, and not forget Your handmaid but will give me a son, I will give him to the Lord all his life; no razor shall touch his head.


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Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.


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But Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I was pouring out my soul before the Lord. <f>ⓐ</f>


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Regard not your handmaid as a wicked woman; for out of my great complaint and bitter provocation I have been speaking.


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Then Eli said, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.


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Hannah said, Let your handmaid find grace in your sight. So [she] went her way and ate, her countenance no longer sad.


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The family rose early the next morning, worshiped before the Lord, and returned to their home in Ramah. Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.


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Hannah became pregnant and in due time bore a son and named him Samuel [heard of God], Because, she said, I have asked him of the Lord.


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But Hannah did not go, for she said to her husband, I will not go until the child is weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there as long as he lives.


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Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish His word. So Hannah remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.


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When she had <f>[1]</f>weaned him, she took him with her, with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin bottle of wine [to pour over the burnt offering for a sweet odor], and brought Samuel to the Lord’s house in Shiloh. The child was growing.


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Hannah said, Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here praying to the Lord.


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Therefore I have given him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is given to the Lord. And they worshiped the Lord there.


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Hannah prayed, and said, My heart exults <i>and</i> triumphs in the Lord; my horn (my strength) is lifted up in the Lord. My mouth is no longer silent, for it is opened wide over my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.


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Talk no more so very proudly; let not arrogance go forth from your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.


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Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children languishes <i>and</i> is forlorn.


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He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with nobles and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world upon them.


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He will guard the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked shall be silenced <i>and</i> perish in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.


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The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them will He thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge [all peoples] to the ends of the earth; and He will give strength to <f>[1]</f>His king (King) and exalt the power of His anointed (Anointed <f>[2]</f>His Christ). <f>ⓐ</f>


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Elkanah and his wife Hannah returned to Ramah to his house. But the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.


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And the custom of the priests with the people was this: when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the flesh was boiling with a fleshhook of three prongs in his hand;


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And he thrust it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh with all the Israelites who came there.


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Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came and said to the man who sacrificed, Give the priest meat to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.


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And if the man said to him, Let them burn the fat first, and then you may take as much as you want, the priest’s servant would say, No! Give it to me now or I will take it by force.


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So the sin of the [two] young men was very great before the Lord, for they despised the offering of the Lord.


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Moreover, his mother made him a little robe and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.


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And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, May the Lord give you children by this woman for the gift she asked for <i>and</i> gave to the Lord. Then they would go to their own home.


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And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.


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Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel and how they lay with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting.


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And he said to them, Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.


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If one man wrongs another, God will mediate for him; but if a man wrongs the Lord, who shall intercede for him? Yet they did not listen to their father, for it was the Lord’s will to slay them.


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A man of God came to Eli and said to him, Thus has the Lord said: I plainly revealed Myself to the house of your father [forefather Aaron] when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house.


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Moreover, I selected him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer on My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me. And I gave [from then on] to the house of your father [forefather] all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire.


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Why then do you kick [trample upon, treat with contempt] My sacrifice and My offering which I commanded, and honor your sons above Me by fattening yourselves upon the choicest part of every offering of My people Israel?


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Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, I did promise that your house and that of your father [forefather Aaron] should go in and out before Me forever. But now the Lord says, Be it far from Me. For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.


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Behold, the time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your own father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.


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And you shall behold the distress of My house, even in all the prosperity which God will give Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.


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Yet I will not cut off from My altar every man of yours; some shall survive to weep and mourn [over the family’s ruin], but all the increase of your house shall die in their best years. <f>ⓑ</f>


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And what befalls your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be a sign to you — in one day they both shall die. [Fulfilled in I Sam. 4:17, 18.]


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And I will raise up for Myself a <f>[3]</f>faithful priest (Priest), who shall do according to what is in My heart and mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed (Anointed) forever. <f>ⓒ</f>


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Everyone who is left in your house shall come crouching to him for a piece of silver and a bit of bread and say, Put me, I pray you, into a priest’s office so I may have a piece of bread.


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Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. The word of the Lord was rare <i>and</i> precious in those days; there was no frequent <i>or</i> widely spread vision.


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At that time Eli, whose eyesight had dimmed so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place.


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The lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was lying down


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He ran to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me. Eli said, I did not call you; lie down again. So he went and lay down.


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And the Lord called again, Samuel! And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I; you did call me. Eli answered, I did not call, my son; lie down again.


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And the Lord called Samuel the third time. And he went to Eli and said, Here I am, for you did call me. Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy.


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So Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down. And if He calls you, you shall say, Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.


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And the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel answered, Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.


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The Lord told Samuel, Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of all who hear it shall tingle.


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On that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.


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And I [now] announce to him that I will judge <i>and</i> punish his house forever for the iniquity of which he knew, for his sons were bringing a curse upon themselves [blaspheming God], and he did not restrain them.


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Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for <i>or</i> purged with sacrifice or offering forever.


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Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. And [he] was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.


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Eli said, What is it He told you? Pray do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that He said to you.


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And Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing. And Eli said, It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him.


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And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh through the word of the Lord.


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And the word of [the Lord through] Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines and encamped beside Ebenezer; the Philistines encamped at Aphek.


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The Philistines drew up against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was smitten by the Philistines, who slew about 4,000 men on the battlefield.


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When the troops had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that He may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.


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So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, Who dwells above the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of the covenant of God.


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And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.


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And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What does this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean? When they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp,


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The Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! For such a thing has not happened before.


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Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with every kind of plague in the wilderness.


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Be strong, and acquit yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you may not become servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you; behave yourselves like men, and fight!


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And the Philistines fought; Israel was smitten and they fled every man to his own home. There was a very great slaughter; for 30,000 foot soldiers of Israel fell.


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And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. [Foretold in I Sam. 2:34.]


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Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that day, with his clothes torn and earth on his head.


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When he arrived, Eli was sitting by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man told the news in the city, all the city [people] cried out.


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When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What is this uproar? And the man came hastily and told Eli.


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The man said to Eli, I have come from the battle; I fled from the battle today. Eli said, How did it go, my son?


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The messenger replied, Israel fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is captured.


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And when he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.


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Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, about to be delivered. And when she heard that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her pains came upon her.


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And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, Fear not, for you have borne a son. But she did not answer or notice.


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And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel! — because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.


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When they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again.


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But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had again fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and [his] head and both the palms of his hands were lying cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left him.


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This is the reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.


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But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, and He caused [mice to spring up and there was] very deadly destruction and He smote the people with [very painful] tumors <i>or</i> boils, both Ashdod and its territory.


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When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.


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So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? They answered, Let [it] be carried around to Gath. So they carried the ark of the God of Israel there.


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But after they had carried it to Gath, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing an exceedingly great panic [at the deaths from the plague], for He afflicted the people of the city, both small and great, and tumors <i>or</i> boils broke out on them.


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So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as [it] came, the people of Ekron cried out, They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us to slay us and our people!


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So they sent and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel; let it return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our people. For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.


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The men who had not died were stricken with very painful tumors <i>or</i> boils, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.


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And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.


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And they said, If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but at least return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed [and healing granted you].


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Then they said, What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to Him? They answered, Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the Philistine lords, for one plague was on you all, even on your lords.


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Therefore you must make images of your tumors and of your mice that destroy the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps He will lighten His hand from off you and your gods and your land.


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Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had done wonders <i>and</i> made a mock of them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?


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Now then, make and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which no yoke has ever come; and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them.


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And take the ark of the Lord and place it upon the cart, and put in a box at its side the figures of gold which you are returning to Him as a guilt offering. Then send it away and let it be gone.


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And watch. If it goes up by the way of its own land to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance.


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And the men did so, and took two milch cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home.


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And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and along with it the box with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.


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And the cows went straight toward Beth-shemesh along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right or the left. And the Philistine lords followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.


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Now the men of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.


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The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there; and the men split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord.


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The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box beside it in which were the figures of gold and put them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices that day to the Lord.


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And these are the tumors of gold which the Philistines returned for a guilt offering to the Lord: one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron;


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Also the mice of gold was according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and country villages. The great stone, on which they set the ark of the Lord, remains as a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.


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And the Lord slew some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; He slew <f>[1]</f>seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had made a great slaughter among them.


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And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go away from us?


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And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.


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So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to have charge of the ark of the Lord.


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And the ark remained in Kiriath-jearim a very long time [nearly 100 years, through Samuel’s entire judgeship, Saul’s reign, and well into David’s, when it was brought to Jerusalem]. For it was twenty years before all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. <f>ⓐ</f>


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Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth [female deities] from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.


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So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.


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Now when the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.


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And the Israelites said to Samuel, Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.


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So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.


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As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel.


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And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and smote them as far as below Beth-car.


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Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and he called the name of it Ebenezer [stone of help], saying, Heretofore the Lord has helped us.


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So the Philistines were subdued and came no more into Israelite territory. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.


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The cities the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel rescued [the cities’] territory from the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.


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And he went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and was judge for Israel in all those places.


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Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there; there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord.


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Now the name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.


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And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint us a king to rule over us like all the other nations.


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But it displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to govern us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.


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And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be King over them.


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According to all the works which they have done since I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they also do to you.


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So listen now to their voice; only solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.


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And he said, These will be the ways of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.


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He will appoint them for himself to be commanders over thousands and over fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and equipment for his chariots.


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He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive orchards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.


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He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.


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He will take your men and women servants and the best of your cattle and your donkeys and put them to his work.


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In that day you will cry out because of your king you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not hear you then.


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Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, No! We will have a king over us,


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That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.


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And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice and appoint them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go every man to his city.


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There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of wealth <i>and</i> valor.


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Kish had a son named Saul, a choice young man and handsome; among all the Israelites there was not a man more handsome than he. He was a head taller than any of the people.


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The donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. Kish said to Saul, Take a servant with you and go, look for the donkeys.


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And they passed through the hill country of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but did not find them. Then they went through the land of Shaalim and the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.


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And when they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, Come, let us return, lest my father stop worrying about the donkeys and become concerned about us.


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The servant said to him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, a man held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there. Perhaps he can show us where we should go.


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Then Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? The bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no gift for the man of God. What have we?


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The servant replied, I have here a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God to tell us our way —


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(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, Come, let us go to the seer, for he that is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)


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Saul said to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God was.


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As they went up the hill to the city, they met young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, Is the seer here?


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They answered, He is; behold, he is just beyond you. Hurry, for he came today to the city because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place.


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As you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes to ask the blessing on the sacrifice. Afterward, those who are invited eat. So go on up, for about now you will find him.


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So they went up to the city, and as they were entering, behold, Samuel came toward them, going up to the high place.


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Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be leader over My people Israel; and he shall save them out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon the distress of My people, because their cry has come to Me.


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When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, There is the man of whom I told you. He shall have authority over My people.


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Samuel answered Saul, I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind.


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As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be thinking about them, for they are found. And for whom are all the desirable things of Israel? Are they not for you and for all your father’s house?


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And Saul said, Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is not my family the least of all the families of the clans of Benjamin? Why then do you speak this way to me?


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Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the guest room [at the high place] and had them sit in the chief place among the persons — about thirty of them — who were invited. [The other people feasted outside.]


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And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, Set it aside.


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And the cook lifted high the shoulder and what was on it [indicating that it was the priest’s honored portion] and set it before Saul. [Samuel] said, See what was reserved for you. Eat, for until the hour appointed it was kept for you, ever since I invited the people. So Saul ate that day with Samuel.


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When they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel conversed with Saul on the top of the house.


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They arose early and about dawn Samuel called Saul [who was sleeping] on the top of the house, saying, Get up, that I may send you on your way. Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out on the street.


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And as they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us — and he passed on — but you stand still, first, that I may cause you to hear the word of God.


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Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him and said, Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over His heritage Israel?


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When you have left me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, The donkeys you sought are found. And your father has quit caring about them and is anxious for you, asking, What shall I do about my son?


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Then you will go on from there and you will come to the oak of Tabor, and three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin bottle of wine.


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After that you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and when you come to the city, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying.


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Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you will show yourself to be a prophet with them; and you will be turned into another man.


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You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you shall do.


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And when [Saul] had turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all these signs came to pass that day.


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When they came to the hill [Gibeah], behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he spoke under divine inspiration among them.


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And when all who knew Saul before saw that he spoke by inspiration among the [schooled] prophets, the people said one to another, What has come over [him, who is nobody but] the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?


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One from that same place answered, But who is the father of the others? So it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?


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Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, Where did you go? And Saul said, To look for the donkeys, and when we found them nowhere, we went to Samuel.


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And Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the donkeys were found. But of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel spoke he told him nothing.


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And said to the Israelites, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: It was I Who brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.


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But you have this day rejected your God, Who Himself saves you from all your calamities and distresses; and you have said to Him, No! Set a king over us. So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.


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And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken [probably by lot].


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When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken. And Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he could not be found.


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Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, if the man would yet come back. And the Lord answered, Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage. <f>ⓐ</f>


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They ran and brought him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of them.


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And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that none like him is among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, Long live the king!


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Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom [defining the position of the king in relation to God and to the people], and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home.


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Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of valiant men whose hearts God had touched.


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But some worthless fellows said, How can this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no gift. But he held his peace <i>and</i> was as if deaf.


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And Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.


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But Nahash the Ammonite told them, On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I thrust out all your right eyes and thus lay disgrace on all Israel.


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The elders of Jabesh said to Nahash, Give us seven days’ time, that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no man to save us, we will come out to you.


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Then messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the ears of the people; and all the people wept aloud.


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Now Saul came out of the field after the oxen, and [he] said, What ails the people that they are weeping? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.


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The Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was greatly kindled.


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And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come forth after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen! And terror from the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.


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The messengers who came were told, Say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help. The messengers came and reported to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.


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So the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us all that seems good to you.


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The next day Saul put the men in three companies; and they came into the midst of the enemy’s camp in the [darkness of the] morning watch and slew the Ammonites until midday; and the survivors were scattered, so that no two of them remained together.


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The people said to Samuel, Who is he who said, Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men, that we may put them to death.


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But Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day, for today the Lord has brought deliverance to Israel.


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All the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul king before the Lord. And there they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.


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And Samuel said to all Israel, I have listened to you in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you.


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And now, behold, the king walks before you. And I am old and gray, and behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.


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Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and Saul His anointed. Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded or oppressed? Or from whose hand have I received any bribe to blind my eyes? Tell me and I will restore it to you.


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And Samuel said to them, The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.


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And Samuel said to the people, It is the Lord Who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of Egypt.


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Now present yourselves, that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did for you and for your fathers.


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When Jacob and his sons had come into Egypt [and the Egyptians oppressed them], and your fathers cried to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.


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But when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of Hazor’s army, and into the hands of the Philistines and of the king of Moab, and they fought those foes.


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And they cried to the Lord, saying, We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.


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And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel, and He delivered you out of the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt safely.


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But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, No! A king shall reign over us — when the Lord your God was your King!


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Now see the king whom you have chosen and for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you.


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If you will revere <i>and</i> fear the Lord and serve Him and hearken to His voice and not rebel against His commandment, and if both you and your king will follow the Lord your God, it will be good!


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But if you will not hearken to the Lord’s voice, but rebel against His commandment, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers.


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Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord and He will send thunder and rain; then you shall know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord in asking for a king for yourselves.


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So Samuel called to the Lord, and He sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.


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And [they] all said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil — to ask for a king.


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And Samuel said to the people, Fear not. You have indeed done all this evil; yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve Him with all your heart.


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And turn not aside after vain <i>and</i> worthless things which cannot profit or deliver you, for they are empty <i>and</i> futile.


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The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake, for it has pleased Him to make you a people for Himself.


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Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.


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Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; for consider how great are the things He has done for you.


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Saul was <f>[1]</f>[forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,


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Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel; 2,000 were with [him] in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and 1,000 with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent away, each one to his home.


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Jonathan smote the Philistine garrison at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear!


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All Israel heard that Saul had defeated the Philistine garrison and also that Israel had become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.


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And the Philistines gathered to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and troops like sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.


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When the men of Israel saw that they were in a tight situation — for their troops were hard pressed — they hid in caves, holes, rocks, tombs, and pits <i>or</i> cisterns.


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Some Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.


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Saul waited seven days, according to the set time Samuel had appointed. But Samuel had not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from Saul.


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So Saul said, Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering [which he was forbidden to do].


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And just as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came! Saul went out to meet and greet him.


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Samuel said, What have you done? Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were assembled at Michmash,


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I thought, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord. So I forced myself to offer a burnt offering.


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And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which He commanded you; for the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever;


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But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own <f>[2]</f>heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince <i>and</i> ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.


text:
And Samuel went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were left with him, [only] about 600.


text:
Saul and Jonathan his son and the people with them remained in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped at Michmash.


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And raiders came out of the Philistine camp in three companies; one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual,


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Another turned toward Beth-horon, and another toward the border overlooking the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.


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Now there was no metal worker to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.


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But each of the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines to get his plowshare, mattock, axe, or sickle sharpened.


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And the price for plowshares and mattocks was a pim, and a third of a shekel for axes and for setting goads [with resulting blunt edges on the sickles, mattocks, forks, axes, and goads.]


text:
So on the day of battle neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the men who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.


text:
One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor-bearer, Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side. But he did not tell his father.


text:
Saul was remaining in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron; and with him were about 600 men,


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And Ahijah son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing the ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.


text:
Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side; one was named Bozez, and the other Seneh.


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And Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For there is nothing to prevent the Lord from saving by many or by few.


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And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your mind; I am with you in whatever you think [best].


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If they say to us, Wait until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them.


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But if they say, Come up to us, we will go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be our sign.


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So both of them let the Philistine garrison see them. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.


text:
The garrison men said to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, Come up to us and we will show you a thing. Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into Israel’s hand.


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Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, his armor-bearer after him; and the enemy fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him.


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And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made was about twenty men within about a half acre of land [which a yoke of oxen might plow].


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And there was trembling <i>and</i> panic in the [Philistine] camp, in the field, and among all the men; the garrison, and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked, and it became a terror from God.


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Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away and went hither and thither.


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Then Saul said to the men with him, Number and see who is gone from us. When they numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were missing.


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Saul said to Ahijah, Bring here the ark of God — for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel.


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While Saul talked to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp kept increasing. Then Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hand.


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Then Saul and all the people with him rallied and went into the battle, and behold, every [Philistine’s] sword was against his fellow in wild confusion.


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Moreover, the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.


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Likewise, all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also went after them in hot pursuit in the battle.


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But the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had caused them to take an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food before evening and until I have taken vengeance on my enemies. So none of the men tasted any food.


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When the men entered the wood, behold, the honey was dripping, but no man tasted it, for the men feared the oath.


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But Jonathan had not heard when his father charged the people with the oath. So he dipped the end of the rod in his hand into a honeycomb and put it to his mouth, and his [weary] eyes brightened.


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Then one of the men told him, Your father strictly charged the men with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food today. And the people were exhausted <i>and</i> faint.


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Then Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey.


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How much better if the men had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter of the Philistines has not been great.


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[When night came and the oath expired] the men flew upon the spoil. They took sheep, oxen, and calves, slew them on the ground, and ate them [raw] with the blood.


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Then Saul was told, Behold, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood. And he said, You have transgressed; roll a great stone to me here.


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Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people and tell them, Bring me every man his ox or his sheep, and butcher them here and eat; and sin not against the Lord by eating the blood. So all the men brought each one his ox that night and butchered it there.


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Then Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night and seize and plunder them until daylight, and let us not leave a man of them. They said, Do whatever seems good to you. Then the priest said, Let us draw near here to God.


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And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel? But He did not answer him that day.


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Then Saul said, Draw near, all the chiefs of the people, and let us see how this sin [causing God’s silence] arose today.


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For as the Lord lives, Who delivers Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But not a man among all the people answered him.


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Then he said to all Israel, You be on one side; and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. The people said to Saul, Do what seems good to you.


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Therefore Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, Give a perfect lot <i>and</i> show the right. And Saul and Jonathan were taken [by lot], but the other men went free.


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Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan said, I tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. And behold, I must die.


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But the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan, who has wrought this great deliverance to Israel, die? God forbid! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head perish, for he has wrought this great deliverance with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.


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When Saul took over the kingdom of Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he made it worse for them.


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He did valiantly and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.


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Now Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua; and the names of his two daughters were, of the firstborn, Merab; and of the younger, Michal.


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The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.


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There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and whenever Saul saw any mighty or [outstandingly] courageous man, he attached him to himself.


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Samuel told Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now listen and heed the words of the Lord.


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Thus says the Lord of hosts, I have considered <i>and</i> will punish what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way when [Israel] came out of Egypt.


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Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.


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So Saul assembled the men and numbered them at Telaim — 200,000 men on foot and 10,000 men of Judah.


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Saul warned the Kenites, Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.


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And he took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, though he utterly destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword.


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Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but all that was undesirable or worthless they destroyed utterly.


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I regret making Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not performed My commands. And Samuel was grieved <i>and</i> angry [with Saul], and he cried to the Lord all night.


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When Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, he was told, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up for himself a monument or trophy [of his victory] and passed on and went down to Gilgal.


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And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, Blessed are you of the Lord. I have performed what the Lord ordered.


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And Samuel said, What then means this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?


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Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but the rest we have utterly destroyed.


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Then Samuel said to Saul, Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me tonight. Saul said to him, Say on.


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Samuel said, When you were small in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel?


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And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites; and fight against them until they are consumed.


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Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but swooped down upon the plunder and did evil in the Lord’s sight?


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Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.


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But the people took from the spoil sheep and oxen, the chief of the things to be utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.


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Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.


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For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images). Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.


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And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.


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And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.


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And Samuel said to him, The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.


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Saul said, I have sinned; yet honor me now, I pray you, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.


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Then Samuel said, Bring here to me Agag king of the Amalekites. And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.


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Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.


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And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death, though Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.


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The Lord said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided for Myself a king among his sons.


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Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.


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And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.


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And Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Have you come peaceably?


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And he said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice.


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When they had come, he looked on Eliab [the eldest son] and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.


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But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.


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Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. But Samuel said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one.


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Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these.


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Then [he] said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? [Jesse] said, There is yet the youngest; he is tending the sheep. Samuel said to Jesse, Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here.


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Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes, and was fine-looking. The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he.


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Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.


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But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented <i>and</i> troubled him.


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Let our lord now command your servants here before you to find a man who plays skillfully on the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.


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One of the young men said, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who plays skillfully, a valiant man, a man of war, prudent in speech <i>and</i> eloquent, an attractive person; and the Lord is with him.


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And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid and sent them by David his son to Saul.


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And David came to Saul and served him. Saul became very fond of him, and he became his armor-bearer.


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And when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a lyre and played it; so Saul was refreshed and became well, and the evil spirit left him.


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Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle and were assembled at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.


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Saul and the men of Israel were encamped in the Valley of Elah and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.


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And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.


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And a champion went out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [almost ten feet].


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And he had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of mail, and the coat weighed 5,000 shekels of bronze.


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And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; his spear’s head weighed 600 shekels of iron. And a shield bearer went before him.


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Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.


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If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.


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And the Philistine said, I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.


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When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.


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David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah named Jesse, who had eight sons. [Jesse] in the days of Saul was old, advanced in years.


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[His] three eldest sons had followed Saul into battle. Their names were Eliab the firstborn; next, Abinadab; and third, Shammah.


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And Jesse said to David his son, Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves and carry them quickly to your brothers at the camp.


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Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers fare and bring some token from them.


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Now Saul and the brothers and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.


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So David rose up early next morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host going forth to the battleground shouted the battle cry.


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David left his packages in the care of the baggage keeper and ran into the ranks and came and greeted his brothers.


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As they talked, behold, Goliath, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, came forth from the Philistine ranks and spoke the same words as before, and David heard him.


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And the Israelites said, Have you seen this man who has come out? Surely he has come out to defy Israel; and the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free [from taxes and service] in Israel.


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And David said to the men standing by him, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?


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Now Eliab his eldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David and he said, Why did you come here? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and evilness of heart; for you came down that you might see the battle.


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And David turned away from Eliab to another and he asked the same question, and again the men gave him the same answer.


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David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of this Philistine; your servant will go out and fight with him.


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And Saul said to David, You are not able to go to fight against this Philistine. You are only an adolescent, and he has been a warrior from his youth.


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And David said to Saul, Your servant kept his father’s sheep. And when there came a lion or again a bear and took a lamb out of the flock,


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I went out after it and smote it and delivered the lamb out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and smote it and killed it.


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Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God!


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David said, The Lord Who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord be with you!


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Then Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail.


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And David girded his sword over his armor. Then he tried to go, but could not, for he was not used to it. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I am not used to them. And David took them off.


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Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in his shepherd’s [lunch] bag [a whole kid’s skin slung from his shoulder], in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near the Philistine.


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And when the Philistine looked around and saw David, he scorned <i>and</i> despised him, for he was but an adolescent, with a healthy reddish color and a fair face.


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And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you should come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.


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The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.


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Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied.


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This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.


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And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.


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When the Philistine came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.


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David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine, sinking into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.


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So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck down the Philistine and slew him. But no sword was in David’s hand.


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So he ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their mighty champion was dead, they fled.


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And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. So the wounded Philistines fell along the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron.


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David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.


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When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.


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When David returned from killing Goliath the Philistine, Abner brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.


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And Saul said to him, Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.


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When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own life.


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And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, even his sword, his bow, and his girdle.


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And David went out wherever Saul sent him, and he prospered <i>and</i> behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was satisfactory both to the people and to Saul’s servants.


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As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the Israelite towns, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with timbrels, songs of joy, and instruments of music.


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And the women responded as they laughed <i>and</i> frolicked, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.


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And Saul was very angry, for the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed only thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?


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The next day an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved [madly] in his house, while David played [the lyre] with his hand, as at other times; and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.


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And Saul cast the javelin, for he thought, I will pin David to the wall. And David evaded him twice.


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So Saul removed David from him and made him his commander over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.


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Saul said to David, My elder daughter Merab I will give you as wife; only serve me courageously and fight the Lord’s battles. For Saul thought, Let not my hand, but the Philistines’ hand, be upon him.


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David said to Saul, Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be the king’s son-in-law?


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But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.


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Saul thought, I will give her to him that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. So Saul said to David a second time, You shall now be my son-in-law.


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And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately and say, The king delights in you, and all his servants love you; now then, become [his] son-in-law.


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Saul’s servants told those words to David. David said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?


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Saul said, Say this to David, The king wants no dowry but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the Philistines’ hands.


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When his servants told David these words, it pleased [him] well to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the days expired,


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David went, he and his men, and slew two hundred Philistine men, and brought their foreskins and gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.


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Then the Philistine princes came out to battle, and when they did so, David had more success <i>and</i> behaved himself more wisely than all Saul’s servants, so that his name was very dear <i>and</i> highly esteemed.


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But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David, and he told David, Saul my father is seeking to kill you. Now therefore, take heed to yourself in the morning, and stay in a secret place and hide yourself.


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And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are; and I will converse with my father about you and if I learn anything, I will tell you.


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And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against you, and his deeds have been of good service to you.


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For he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood and kill David without a cause?


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So Jonathan called David and told him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.


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Then there was war again, and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and made a great slaughter among them and they fled before him.


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Then an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing [the lyre] with his hand.


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Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away, so that Saul struck the spear into the wall. Then David fled and escaped that night.


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Saul sent messengers that night to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.


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And Michal took the teraph (household good luck image) and laid it in the bed, put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with a bedspread.


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Then Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.


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And when the messengers came in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair at its head.


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Saul said to Michal, Why have you deceived me so and sent away my enemy so that he has escaped? Michal answered Saul, He said to me, Let me go. Why should I kill you?


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So David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.


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And Saul sent messengers to take David; and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul and they also prophesied.


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When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.


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Then Saul himself went to Ramah and came to a great well that is in Secu; and he asked, Where are Samuel and David? And he was told, They are at Naioth in Ramah.


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So he went on to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went on he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.


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He took off his royal robes and prophesied before Samuel and lay down stripped thus all that day and night. So they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? <f>ⓐ</f>


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David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said to Jonathan, What have I done? Of what am I guilty? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?


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Jonathan said, God forbid! You shall not die. My father does nothing great or small but what he tells me. And why should [he] hide this thing from me? It is not so.


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But David replied, Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.


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David said to Jonathan, Tomorrow is the New Moon [festival], and I should not fail to sit at the table with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening.


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If your father misses me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.


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If he says, All right, then it will be well with your servant; but if he is angry, then be sure that evil is determined by him.


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Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought [me] into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?


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And Jonathan said, Far be it from you! If I knew that evil was determined for you by my father, would I not tell you?


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Jonathan said to David, The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness. When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well inclined toward David, and I do not send and let you know it,


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The Lord do so, and much more, to Jonathan. But if it please my father to do you harm, then I will disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And may the Lord be with you as He has been with my father.


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While I am still alive you shall not only show me the loving-kindness of the Lord, so that I die not,


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But also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever — no, not even when the Lord has cut off every enemy of David from the face of the earth.


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So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And the Lord will require that this covenant be kept at the hands of David’s enemies.


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And Jonathan caused David to swear again by his love for him, for Jonathan loved him as he loved his own life.


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Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the New Moon festival; and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty.


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On the third day you will go quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain by the stone Ezel.


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And I will send a lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I expressly say to the lad, Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them — then you are to come, for it is safe for you and there is no danger, as the Lord lives.


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But if I say to the youth, Look, the arrows are beyond you — then go, for the Lord has sent you away.


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And as touching the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever.


text:
So David hid himself in the field, and when the New Moon [festival] came, the king sat down to eat food.


text:
The king sat, as at other times, on his seat by the wall, and Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.


text:
Yet Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him and he is not clean — surely he is not clean.


text:
But on the morrow, the second day after the new moon, David’s place was empty; and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?


text:
He said, Let me go, I pray, for our family holds a sacrifice in the city and my brother commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers. That is why he has not come to the king’s table.


text:
Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan and he said to him, You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother who bore you?


text:
For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, you shall not be established nor shall your kingdom. So now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.


text:
But Saul cast his spear at him to smite him, by which Jonathan knew that his father had determined to kill David.


text:
So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food that second day of the month, for he grieved for David because his father had disgraced him.


text:
In the morning Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.


text:
And he said to his lad, Run, find the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.


text:
When the lad came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called to [him], Is not the arrow beyond you?


text:
And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not! The lad gathered up the arrow and came to his master.


text:
And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose from beside the heap of stones and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another until David got control of himself.


text:
And Jonathan told David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my descendants and yours forever. And Jonathan arose and departed into the city.


text:
Then David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech was afraid at meeting David, and said to him, Why are you alone and no man with you?


text:
David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has charged me with a matter and has told me, Let no man know anything of the mission on which I send you and with what I have charged you. I have appointed the young men to a certain place.


text:
And the priest answered David, There is no common bread on hand, but there is hallowed bread — if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.


text:
And David told the priest, Truly women have been kept from us in these three days since I came out, and the food bags <i>and</i> utensils of the young men are clean, and although the bread will be used in a secular way, it will be set apart in the clean bags.


text:
So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there but the showbread which was taken from before the Lord to put hot bread in its place the day when it was taken away.


text:
Now a certain man of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s herdsmen.


text:
David said to Ahimelech, Do you have at hand a sword or spear? The king’s business required haste, and I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me.


text:
The priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slew in the Valley of Elah, see, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you will take that, do so, for there is no other here. And David said, There is none like that; give it to me.


text:
The servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David, the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in their dances: Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?


text:
And he changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be insane in their [Philistine] hands, and scribbled on the gate doors, and drooled on his beard.


text:
Have I need of madmen, that you bring this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?


text:
So David departed and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.


text:
And everyone in distress or in debt or discontented gathered to him, and he became a commander over them. And there were with him about 400 men.


text:
And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, Let my father [of Moabite descent] and my mother, I pray you, come out [of Judah] and be with you till I know what God will do for me. <f>ⓐ</f>


text:
And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold [in Moab].


text:
Then the prophet Gad said to David, Do not remain in the stronghold; leave, and get into the land of Judah. So David left and went into the forest of Hareth.


text:
Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him. Saul was sitting in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height, his spear in his hand and all his servants standing about him.


text:
Saul said to his servants who stood about him, Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all commanders of thousands and hundreds,


text:
That all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a league with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as he does this day?


text:
Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood with Saul’s servants, said, I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub.


text:
And [Ahimelech] inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.


text:
Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and they all came to the king.


text:
Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so he could rise against me to lie in wait, as he does this day?


text:
Then Ahimelech answered the king, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and is taken into your council and honored in your house?


text:
Have I only today begun inquiring of God for him? No! Let not the king impute any wrong to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, little or much.


text:
And the king said to the guard that stood about him, Turn and slay the Lord’s priests, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hands against the Lord’s priests.


text:
The king said to Doeg, You turn and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests and slew that day eighty-five persons who wore the priest’s linen ephod.


text:
And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the sword; both men and women, children and sucklings, oxen and donkeys and sheep, he put to the sword.


text:
David said to Abiathar, I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all your father’s house.


text:
Stay with me, fear not; for he who seeks my life seeks your life. But with me you shall be safeguarded.


text:
Then they told David, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.


text:
So David inquired of the Lord, Shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go, smite the Philistines and save Keilah.


text:
David’s men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more, then, if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?


text:
Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.


text:
So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines with a great slaughter and brought away their cattle. So David delivered the people of Keilah.


text:
Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by going into a town that has gates and bars.


text:
David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.


text:
Then David said, O Lord, the God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul intends to come and destroy the city of Keilah on my account.


text:
Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, I beseech You, tell Your servant. And the Lord said, He will come down.


text:
Then David asked, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand? The Lord said, They will deliver you up.


text:
Then David and his men, about 600, arose and left Keilah, going wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up going there.


text:
David remained in the wilderness strongholds in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hands.


text:
David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in the wood [at Horesh].


text:
And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went into the wood to David [at Horesh] and strengthened his hand in God.


text:
He said to him, Fear not; the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father knows that too.


text:
And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David remained in the wood [at Horesh], and Jonathan went to his house.


text:
Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood [at Horesh], on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?


text:
Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hands.


text:
Go, make yet more sure; and know and see where his haunt is and who has seen him there; for I am told he deals very craftily.


text:
See and take note of all his hiding places and come back to me with the certain facts, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.


text:
So they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.


text:
Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told; so he went down to the rock in the Wilderness of Maon and stayed. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.


text:
And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding [him] and his men to capture them.


text:
But a messenger came to Saul, saying, Make haste and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.


text:
So Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. So they called that place the Rock of Escape.


text:
When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, Behold, David is in the Wilderness of En-gedi.


text:
Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men among the Rocks of the Wild Goats.


text:
He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the cave’s innermost recesses.


text:
David’s men said to him, Behold the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hands and you shall do to him as seems good to you. Then David arose [in the darkness] and stealthily cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe.


text:
He said to his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to put my hand out against him, when he is the anointed of the Lord.


text:
So David checked his men with these words and did not let them rise against Saul. But Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.


text:
David also arose afterward and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, My lord the king! And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and did obeisance.


text:
Behold, your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hands in the cave. Some told me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.


text:
See, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand! Since I cut off the skirt of your robe and did not kill you, you know and see that there is no evil or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, yet you hunt my life to take it.


text:
May the Lord judge between me and you, and may the Lord avenge me upon you, but my hand shall not be upon you.


text:
As the proverb of the ancients says, Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be against you.


text:
After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog? After a flea?


text:
May the Lord be judge and judge between me and you, and see and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hands. <f>ⓐ</f>


text:
When David had said this to Saul, Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.


text:
He said to David, You are more upright in God’s eyes than I, for you have repaid me good, but I have rewarded you evil.


text:
You have declared today how you have dealt well with me; for when the Lord gave me into your hand, you did not kill me.


text:
For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done for me this day.


text:
And now, behold, I well know that you shall surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hands.


text:
Swear now therefore to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.


text:
Now Samuel died, and all the Israelites assembled and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah. David arose and went to the Wilderness of Paran.


text:
A very rich man was in Maon, whose possessions <i>and</i> business were in Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.


text:
The man’s name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail; she was a woman of good understanding, and beautiful. But the man was rough and evil in his doings; he was a Calebite.


text:
And David sent out ten young men and said to [them], Go up to Carmel to Nabal and greet him in my name;


text:
I have heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel.


text:
Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your sight, for we come at an opportune time. I pray you, give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.


text:
And Nabal answered David’s servants and said, Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who are each breaking away from his master.


text:
Shall I then take my bread and my water, and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they belong?


text:
And David said to his men, Every man gird on his sword. And they did so, and David also girded on his sword; and there went up after David about 400 men, and 200 remained with the baggage.


text:
But one of Nabal’s young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed at them.


text:
But David’s men were very good to us, and we were not harmed, nor did we miss anything as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields.


text:
So know this and consider what you will do, for evil is determined against our master and all his house. For he is such a wicked man that one cannot speak to him.


text:
Then Abigail made haste and took 200 loaves, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five measures of parched grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys.


text:
And she said to her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal.


text:
As she rode on her donkey, she came down hidden by the mountain, and behold, David and his men came down opposite her, and she met them.


text:
Now David had said, Surely in vain have I protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has repaid me evil for good.


text:
May God do so, and more also, to David <f>[1]</f>if I leave of all who belong to him one male alive by morning.


text:
When Abigail saw David, she hastened and lighted off the donkey, and fell before David on her face and did obeisance.


text:
Kneeling at his feet she said, Upon me alone let this guilt be, my lord. And let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your presence, and hear the words of your handmaid.


text:
Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this foolish <i>and</i> wicked fellow Nabal, for as his name is, so is he — Nabal [foolish, wicked] is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your handmaid, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.


text:
So now, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, seeing that the Lord has prevented you from bloodguiltiness and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal.


text:
And now this gift, which your handmaid has brought my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.


text:
Forgive, I pray you, the trespass of your handmaid, for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the Lord’s battles, and evil has not been found in you all your days.


text:
Though man is risen up to pursue you and to seek your life, yet the life of my lord shall be bound in the living bundle with the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies — them shall He sling out as out of the center of a sling.


text:
And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that He has promised concerning you and has made you ruler over Israel,


text:
This shall be no staggering grief to you or cause for pangs of conscience to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause or that my lord has avenged himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then [<f>[2]</f>earnestly] remember your handmaid.


text:
And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me.


text:
And blessed be your discretion <i>and</i> advice, and blessed be you who have kept me today from bloodguiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand.


text:
For as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, Who has prevented me from hurting you, if you had not hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning there would not have been left so much as one male to Nabal.


text:
So David accepted what she had brought him and said to her, Go up in peace to your house. See, I have hearkened to your voice and have granted your petition.


text:
And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And [his] heart was merry, for he was very drunk; so she told him nothing at all until the morning light.


text:
But in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife told him these things, his heart died within him and he became [paralyzed, helpless as] a stone.


text:
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, Who has pleaded the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and kept His servant from evil. For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him as his wife.


text:
And when the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, David sent us to you to take you to him to be his wife.


text:
And she arose and bowed herself to the earth and said, Behold, let your handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.


text:
And Abigail hastened and arose and rode on a donkey, with five of her maids who followed her, and she went after the messengers of David and became his wife.


text:
The Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself on the hill of Hachilah, east of Jeshimon?


text:
So Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, with 3,000 chosen men of Israel, to seek David [there].


text:
Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road east of Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. And when he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness,


text:
David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped, and saw where Saul lay with Abner son of Ner, commander of his army; and Saul was lying in the encampment, with the army encamped around him.


text:
Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, Who will go down with me into the camp of Saul? And Abishai said, I will go down with you.


text:
So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay round about him.


text:
Then said Abishai to David, God has given your enemy into your hands this day. Now therefore let me smite him to the earth at once with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.


text:
David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?


text:
David said, As the Lord lives, [He] will smite him; or his day will come to die or he will go down in battle and perish.


text:
The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed; but take now the spear that is at his head and the bottle of water, and let us go.


text:
So David took the spear and the bottle of water from Saul’s head, and they got away. And no man saw or knew or wakened, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.


text:
Then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of the mountain afar off, a great space being between them.


text:
David called to the army and Abner son of Ner, Will you answer, Abner? Abner replied, Who are you, calling [and disturbing] the king?


text:
David said to Abner, Are you not a valiant man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in [to your camp] to destroy the king your lord.


text:
This thing is not good that you have done. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the bottle of water that was at his head.


text:
And Saul knew David’s voice and said, Is this your voice, my son David? And David said, My voice, my lord O king!


text:
And David said, Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? What have I done? Or what evil is in my hand [tonight]?


text:
Now therefore, I pray you, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods.


text:
Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel is come out to seek one flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.


text:
Then said Saul, I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have <f>[1]</f>played the fool and have erred exceedingly.


text:
The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord’s anointed.


text:
And behold, as your life was precious today in my sight, so let my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.


text:
Then Saul said to David, May you be blessed, my son David; you will both do mightily and surely prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.


text:
But David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any more within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.


text:
So David arose and went over with the 600 men who were with him to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.


text:
And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow.


text:
And David said to Achish, If I have now found favor in your eyes, let me be given a place to dwell in some country town; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?


text:
Then Achish gave David the town of Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag belongs to the kings of Judah to this day.


text:
Now David and his men went up and made attacks on the Geshurites, Girzites, and Amalekites [enemies of Israel Joshua had failed to exterminate]. For from of old those nations inhabited the land, as one goes to Shur even to the land of Egypt. <f>ⓐ</f>


text:
And David smote the land and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels, and the apparel, and returned to Achish.


text:
Achish would ask, Against whom have you made a raid today? And David would reply, <f>[1]</f>Against the South (Negeb) of Judah, or of the Jerahmeelites, or of the Kenites.


text:
And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring tidings to Gath, thinking, Lest they should say about us, So did David, and so will he do as long as he dwells in the Philistines’ country.


text:
And Achish believed David, saying, He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; so he shall be my servant always.


text:
In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war against Israel. Achish said to David, Understand that you and your men shall go with me to battle.


text:
David said to Achish, All right, you shall know what your servant can do. Achish said to David, Therefore I will make you my bodyguard always.


text:
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the wizards out of the land.


text:
And the Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel and they encamped at Gilboa.


text:
When Saul inquired of the Lord, He refused to answer him, either by dreams or by Urim [a symbol worn by the priest when seeking the will of God for Israel] or by the prophets. <f>ⓐ</f>


text:
Then Saul said to his servants, Find me a woman who is a medium [between the living and the dead], that I may go and inquire of her. His servants said, Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at Endor.


text:
So Saul disguised himself, put on other raiment, and he and two men with him went and came to the woman at night. He said to her, Perceive for me by the familiar spirit and bring up for me the dead person whom I shall name to you.


text:
The woman said, See here, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and wizards out of the land. Why then do you lay a trap for my life to cause my death?


text:
And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord lives, there shall no punishment come to you for this.


text:
And when the woman saw Samuel, she screamed and she said to Saul, Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!


text:
The king said to her, Be not afraid; what do you see? The woman said to Saul, I see a god [terrifying superhuman being] coming up out of the earth!


text:
He said to her, In what form is he? And she said, An old man comes up, covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and made obeisance.


text:
And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me to bring me up? Saul answered, I am bitterly distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.


text:
Samuel said, Why then do you ask me, seeing that the Lord has turned from you and has become your enemy?


text:
The Lord has done to you as He said through me He would do; for [He] has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to your neighbor David. <f>ⓑ</f>


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Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord or execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day.


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Moreover, the Lord will also give Israel with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me [among the dead]. The Lord also will give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.


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Then immediately Saul fell full length upon the earth floor [of the medium’s house], and was exceedingly afraid because of Samuel’s words. There was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.


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The woman came to Saul, and seeing that he was greatly troubled, she said to him, Behold, your handmaid has obeyed you, and I have put my life in my hands and have listened to what you said to me.


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So now, I pray you, listen also to the voice of your handmaid and let me set a morsel of food before you, and eat, so you may have strength when you go on your way.


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But he said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he heeded their words. So he arose from the ground and sat upon the bed.


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The woman had a fat calf in the house; she hurried and killed it, and took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread.


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Then she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose up and went away that night.


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Now the Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by the fountain in Jezreel.


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As the Philistine lords were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were in the rear with Achish,


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The Philistine princes said, What are these Hebrews doing here? Achish said to the Philistine princes, Is not this David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days and years, and I have found no fault in him since he deserted to me to this day?


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And the Philistine princes were angry with Achish and they said to him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place where you have assigned him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could David reconcile himself to his master? Would it not be with the heads of the men here?


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Is not this David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?


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Then Achish called David and said to him, As surely as the Lord lives, you have been honest <i>and</i> upright, and for you to go out and come in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have found no evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Yet the lords do not approve of you.


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David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?


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And Achish said to David, I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.


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So now rise up early in the morning, with your master’s servants who have come with you, and as soon as you are up and have light, depart.


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So David and his men rose up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel [to fight against Israel].


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Now when David and his men came home to Ziklag on the third day, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid on the South (the Negeb) and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag and burned it with fire,


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And had taken the women and all who were there, both great and small, captive. They killed no one, but carried them off and went on their way.


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So David and his men came to the town, and behold, it was burned, and their wives and sons and daughters were taken captive.


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Then David and the men with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.


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David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.


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David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged <i>and</i> strengthened himself in the Lord his God.


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David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray you, bring me the ephod. And Abiathar brought him the ephod.


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And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? The Lord answered him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.


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So David went, he and the 600 men with him, and came to the brook Besor; there those remained who were left behind.


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But David pursued, he and 400 men, for 200 stayed behind who were too exhausted <i>and</i> faint to cross the brook Besor.


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They found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and water to drink,


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And a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins; and when he had eaten, his spirit returned to him, for he had eaten no food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.


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And David said to him, To whom do you belong? And from where have you come? He said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me because three days ago I fell sick.


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We had made a raid on the South (Negeb) of the Cherethites and upon that which belongs to Judah and upon the South (Negeb) of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag with fire.


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And David said to him, Can you take me down to this band? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.


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And when he had brought David down, behold, the raiders were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.


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And David smote them from twilight even to the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except 400 youths who rode camels and fled.


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Nothing was missing, small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David recovered all.


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Also David captured all the flocks and herds [which the enemy had], and the people drove those animals before him and said, This is David’s spoil.


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And David came to the 200 men who were so exhausted <i>and</i> faint that they could not follow [him] and had been left at the brook Besor [with the baggage]. They came to meet David and those with him, and when he came near to the men, he saluted them.


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Then all the wicked and base men who went with David said, Because they did not go with us, we will give them nothing of the spoil we have recovered, except that every man may lead away his wife and children and depart.


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David said, You shall not do so, my brethren, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and has delivered into our hands the troop that came against us.


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Who would listen to you in this matter? For as is the share of him who goes into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.


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When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, Here is a gift for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord:


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Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before [them] and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.


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And the Philistines pursued Saul and his sons, and slew Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons.


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Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse <i>and</i> mock me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was terrified. So <f>[1]</f>Saul took a sword and fell upon it.


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And when the men of Israel on the other side of the valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelites had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.


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The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.


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They cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor and sent them round about the land of the Philistines to publish it in the house of their idols and among the people.


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And they put Saul’s armor in the house of the Ashtaroth [the idols representing the female deities Ashtoreth and Asherah], and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.


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All the valiant men arose and went all night, and they took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan and came to Jabesh and cremated them there.


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Now after the death of Saul, when David returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, he had stayed two days in Ziklag,


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When on the third day a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obeisance.


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David said to him, How did it go? Tell me. He answered, The men have fled from the battle. Many have fallen and are dead; Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.


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The young man said, By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa and I saw Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and horsemen were close behind him.


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He said to me, Rise up against me and slay me; for terrible dizziness has come upon me, yet my life is still in me [and I will be taken alive].


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So I stood up against him and slew him, because I was sure he could not live after he had fallen. So I took the crown on his head and the bracelet on his arm and have brought them here to my lord. <f>ⓐ</f>


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They mourned and wept for Saul and Jonathan his son, and fasted until evening for the Lord’s people and the house of Israel, because of their defeat in battle.


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David said to the young man who told him, Where are you from? He answered, I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.


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David said to him, Why were you not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?


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David called one of the young men and said, Go near and fall upon him. And he smote him so that he died.


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David said to [the fallen man], Your blood be upon your own head; for you have testified against yourself, saying, I have slain the Lord’s anointed.


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And he commanded to teach it, [the lament of] the bow, to the Israelites. Behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar:


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Tell it not in Gath, announce it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.


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O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, or fields with offerings. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, as though he were not anointed with oil.


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From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.


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Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In their lives and in their deaths they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.


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You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with [other] delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.


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I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me. Your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.


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After this, David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said to him, Go up. David said, To which shall I go up? And He said, To Hebron.


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So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.


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And David brought up his men who were with him, each one with his household, and they dwelt in the towns of Hebron.


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And the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, The men of Jabesh-gilead buried Saul. <f>ⓐ</f>


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And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, saying, May the Lord bless you because you showed kindness <i>and</i> loyalty to Saul your king and buried him.


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And now may the Lord show loving-kindness and faithfulness to you. I also will do well by you because you have done this.


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So now, let your hands be strengthened and be valiant, for your master Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.


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Now Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.


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Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began his two-year reign over Israel. But the house of Judah followed David.


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Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out also; and the two groups met by the pool of Gibeon, seating themselves with one group on either side of the pool.


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And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and have a contest before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.


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Then there arose and went over by number — twelve of Benjamin who were with Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.


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And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his side; so they all fell together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Knives, which is at Gibeon.


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A very fierce battle followed, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.


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Three sons of Zeruiah [the half sister of David] were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe <i>or</i> antelope.


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Asahel pursued Abner, and as he ran he turned not to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.


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Abner said to him, Turn aside to your right or left, and seize one of the young men and take his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.


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And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I be able to face Joab your brother?


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Asahel refused to turn aside; so Abner with the rear end of his spear smote him through the abdomen, and he fell and died where he fell. And all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died stood still.


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But Joab and Abishai [his brothers] pursued Abner; the sun was going down as they came to the hill of Ammah, before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.


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And the Benjamites gathered together behind Abner and became one troop and took their stand on the top of a hill.


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Then Abner called to Joab, Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that bitterness will be the result? How long will it be then before you bid the people to stop pursuing their brethren?


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Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would have stopped pursuing their brethren in the morning.


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So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight any more.


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Abner and his men went all night through the Arabah [plain], crossed the Jordan, and went through the whole Bithron [district of ravines] and came to Mahanaim.


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Joab returned from pursuing Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel.


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And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men walked all night and came to Hebron at daybreak.


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There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.


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His second, Chileab, by Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;


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While there was war between the houses of Saul and David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.


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Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?


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Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth and said, Am I a dog’s head [despicable and hostile] against Judah? This day I keep showing kindness <i>and</i> loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman!


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To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.


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And Abner sent messengers to David where he was [at Hebron], saying, Whose is the land? Make your league with me, and my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you.


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And David said, Good. I will make a league with you. But I require one thing of you: that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see me.


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And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.


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And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her [second] husband, from Paltiel son of Laish [to whom Saul had given her].


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But her husband went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, Go back. And he did so.


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Abner talked with the seniors of Israel, saying, In times past you sought to make David king over you.


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Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and of all their enemies. <f>ⓐ</f>


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Abner also spoke to [the men of] Benjamin. Then [he] went to Hebron to tell David all that seemed good to Israel and the whole house of Benjamin to do.


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So Abner came to David at Hebron, and twenty men along with him. And David made Abner and the men with him a feast.


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Abner said to David, I will go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a league with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires. So David sent Abner away in peace.


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Then the servants of David came with Joab from pursuing a troop and brought much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.


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When Joab and all the army with him had come, it was told to Joab, Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he is gone in peace.


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Then Joab came to the king and said, What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it you have sent him away and he is quite gone?


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You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to know your going out and coming in and all you are doing.


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When Joab came from seeing David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it.


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And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the center of the gate to speak to him privately, and there he smote Abner in the abdomen, so that he died to avenge the blood of Asahel, Joab’s brother.


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When David heard of it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner son of Ner.


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Let it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and let the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or is a leper or walks with a crutch <i>or</i> is a distaff holder [unfit for war] or who falls by the sword or lacks food!


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So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.


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And David said to Joab and to all the people with him, Rend your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And King David followed the bier.


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They buried Abner in Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.


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Your hands were not bound or your feet put into fetters; as a man falls before wicked men, so you fell. And all the people wept again over him.


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All the people came to urge David to eat food while it was yet day; but David took an oath, saying, May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else, till the sun is down.


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And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased all the people.


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For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not the king’s will to slay Abner son of Ner.


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King David said to his servants, Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?


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And I am this day weak, though anointed [but not crowned] king; these sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!


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When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son [king over Israel], heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his courage failed, and all the Israelites were troubled <i>and</i> dismayed.


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Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of Benjamin — for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin,


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Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was a cripple in his feet. He was five years old when the news came out of Jezreel [of the deaths] of Saul and Jonathan. And the boy’s nurse took him up and fled; and in her haste, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.


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Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went about in the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who lay resting on his bed at noon.


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And they came into the interior of the house as though they were delivering wheat, and they smote him in the body; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.


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Now when they had come into the house and he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they [not only] smote and slew him, [but] beheaded him and took his head and went by the way of the plain all night.


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And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.


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And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, As the Lord lives, Who redeemed my life out of all adversity,


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When one told me, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking he was bringing good news, I seized and slew him in Ziklag who expected me to give him a reward for his news.


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How much more — when wicked men have slain a just man in his own house on his bed — shall I not now require his blood of your hand and remove you from the earth!


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David commanded his young men, and they slew them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them over the pool in Hebron. But they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Hebron in the tomb of Abner [his relative and once chief supporter].


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Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.


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In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord told you, You shall feed My people Israel and be prince over [them]. <f>ⓐ</f>


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So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them [there] before the Lord, and they anointed [him] king over Israel.


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In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.


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And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, You shall not enter here, for the blind and the lame will prevent you; they thought, David cannot come in here.


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David said on that day, Whoever smites the Jebusites, let him get up through the water shaft and smite the lame and the blind who are detested by David’s soul. So they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.


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So David dwelt in the stronghold and called it the City of David. And he built round about from the Millo and inward.


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Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.


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And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel’s sake.


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And David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and other sons and daughters were born to [him].


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And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,


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When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they all went up to find [him], but [he] heard of it and went down to the stronghold.


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David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said to David, Go up, for I will surely deliver [them] into your hand.


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And David came to Baal-perazim, and he smote them there, and said, The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like the bursting out of great waters. So he called the name of that place Baal-perazim [Lord of breaking through].


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When David inquired of the Lord, He said, You shall not go up, but go around behind them and come upon them over opposite the mulberry (or balsam) trees.


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And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then bestir yourselves, for then has the Lord gone out before you to smite the army of the Philistines.


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And [he] arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah [Kiriath-jearim] to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts, Who sits enthroned above the cherubim.


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And they set the ark of God upon a new cart and brought it <f>[1]</f>out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.


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And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, with the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark.


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And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord with all their might, with songs, lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.


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And when they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled <i>and</i> shook it.


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And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for touching the ark, and he died there by the ark of God.


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David was grieved <i>and</i> offended because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah [the breaking forth upon Uzzah] to this day.


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So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to him into the City of David; but he took it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.


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And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.


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And it was told King David, The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing;


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And David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen ephod [a priest’s upper garment].


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So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.


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As the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter [David’s wife], looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.


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They brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.


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When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name [and presence] of the Lord of hosts,


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And distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, each to his house.


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Then David returned to bless his household. And [his wife] Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who stripped himself of his kingly robes <i>and</i> uncovered himself in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the worthless fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!


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David said to Michal, It was before the Lord, Who chose me above your father and all his house to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord. Therefore will I make merry [in pure enjoyment] before the Lord.


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I will be still more lightly esteemed than this, and will humble <i>and</i> lower myself in my own sight [and yours]. But by the maids you mentioned, I will be held in honor.


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When King David dwelt in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,


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The king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains.


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For I have not dwelt in a house since I brought the Israelites out of Egypt to this day, but have moved about with a tent for My dwelling.


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In all the places where I have moved with all the Israelites, did I speak a word to any from the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to be shepherd of My people Israel, asking, Why do you not build Me a house of cedar?


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So now say this to My servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over My people Israel.


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And I was with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like [that] of the great men of the earth.


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And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and be moved no more. And wicked men shall afflict them no more, as formerly


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And as from the time that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I will cause you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord declares to you that He will make for you a house:


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And when your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will set up after you your offspring who shall be born to you, and I will establish his kingdom.


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He shall build a house for My <f>[1]</f>Name [and My Presence], and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.


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I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men.


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But My mercy <i>and</i> loving-kindness shall not depart from him, as I took [them] from Saul, whom I took away from before you.


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And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever.


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Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?


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Then as if this were a little thing in Your eyes, O Lord God, You have spoken also of Your servant’s house in the far distant future. And this is the law for man, O Lord God!


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Because of Your promise and as Your own heart dictates, You have done all these astounding things to make Your servant know <i>and</i> understand.


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Therefore You are great, O Lord God; for none is like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all [You have made] our ears to hear.


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What [other] one nation on earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be a people for Himself and to make for Himself a name? You have done great and terrible things for Yourself <i>and</i> for Your land, before Your people, whom You redeemed <i>and</i> delivered for Yourself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.


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And You have established for Yourself Your people Israel to be Your people forever, and You, Lord, became their God.


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Now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word You have given as to Your servant and his house; and do as You have said,


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And Your name [and presence] shall be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts is God over Israel; and the house of Your servant David will be made firm before You.


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For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant: I will build you a house. So Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You.


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And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.


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Therefore now let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let [his] house be blessed forever.


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After this David smote the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg-ammah out of the hands of the Philistines.


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He defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.


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David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river [Euphrates].


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David took from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except he reserved enough of them for 100 chariots.


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David put garrisons in Syrian Damascus, and the Syrians became [his] servants and brought tribute. The Lord preserved <i>and</i> gave victory to David wherever he went.


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And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.


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[He] sent Joram his son to King David to salute <i>and</i> congratulate him about his battle and defeat of Hadadezer. For Hadadezer had had wars with Toi. Joram brought vessels of silver, gold, and bronze.


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These King David dedicated to the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations he subdued:


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From Syria, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.


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He put garrisons throughout all Edom, and all the Edomites became his servants. And the Lord preserved <i>and</i> gave victory to [him] wherever he went.


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Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the [chief] priests, and Seraiah was the scribe;


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Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and Pelethites [the king’s bodyguards]; and David’s sons were chief [confidential] assistants to the king.


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And David said, Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?


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And of the house of Saul there was a servant whose name was Ziba. When they had called him to David, he said to him, Are you Ziba? He said, I, your servant, am he.


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The king said, Is there not still someone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the [unfailing, unsought, unlimited] mercy <i>and</i> kindness of God? Ziba replied, Jonathan has yet a son who is lame in his feet. <f>ⓐ</f>


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And the king said, Where is he? Ziba replied, He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.


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And Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, Behold your servant!


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David said to him, Fear not, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your father [grandfather], and you shall eat at my table always.


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And [the cripple] bowed himself and said, What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am?


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Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, I have given your master’s son [grandson] all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.


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And you shall till the land for him, you, your sons, and your servants, and you shall bring in the produce, that your master’s heir may have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, your master’s son [grandson], shall eat always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.


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Then Ziba said to the king, Your servant will do according to all my lord the king commands. So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons.


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Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in Ziba’s house were servants to Mephibosheth.


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So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table, [even though] he was lame in both feet.


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David said, I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, as his father did to me. So David sent his servants to console him for his father’s death; and they came into the land of the Ammonites,


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But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, Do you think that it is because David honors your father that he has sent comforters to you? Has he not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, spy it out, and overthrow it?


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So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half their beards and cut off their garments in the middle at their hips and sent them away.


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When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards are grown, and then return.


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And when the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves obnoxious <i>and</i> disgusting to David, they sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob and of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and of the king of Maacah 1,000 men, and of Tob 12,000 men.


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And the Ammonites came out and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate, but the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were stationed by themselves in the open country.


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When Joab saw that the battlefront was against him before and behind, he picked some of all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians.


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The rest of the men Joab gave over to Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the Ammonites.


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Joab said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you.


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Be of good courage; let us play the man for our people and the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what seems good to Him.


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And Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.


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And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians had fled, they also fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab returned from battling against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.


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Hadadezer sent and brought the Syrians who were beyond the river [Euphrates]; and they came to Helam, with Shobach commander of the army of Hadadezer leading them.


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When David was told, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. Then the Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him.


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The Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of [them] the men of 700 chariots and 40,000 horsemen and smote Shobach captain of their army, who died there.


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And when all the kings serving Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the Ammonites any more.


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In the spring, when kings go forth to battle, David sent Joab with his servants and all Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites [country] and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.


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One evening David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, when from there he saw a woman bathing; and she was very lovely to behold.


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David sent and inquired about the woman. One said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?


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And David sent messengers and took her. And she came in to him, and he lay with her — for she was purified from her uncleanness. Then she returned to her house.


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When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the people fared, and how the war progressed.


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David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of food [a gift] from the king.


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But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house.


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When they told David, Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?


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Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah live in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as my soul lives, I will not do this thing.


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And David said to Uriah, Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.


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David invited him, and he ate with him and drank, so that he made him drunk; but that night he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house.


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And he wrote in the letter, Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and withdraw from him, that he may be struck down and die.


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So when Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah opposite where he knew the enemy’s most valiant men were.


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And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David fell. Uriah the Hittite died also.


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Then if the king’s anger rises and he says to you, Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know they would shoot from the wall?


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Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth (Gideon)? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? Then say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. <f>ⓐ</f>


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The messenger said to David, Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in to the field, but we were upon them even to the entrance of the gate.


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Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.


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Then David said to the messenger, Say to Joab, Let not this thing disturb you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack upon the city and overthrow it. And encourage Joab.


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And when the mourning was past, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.


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And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came and said to him, There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor.


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But the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb which he had bought and brought up, and it grew up with him and his children. It ate of his own morsel, drank from his own cup, lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him.


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Now a traveler came to the rich man, and to avoid taking one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.


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Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man who has done this is a son [worthy] of death.


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Then Nathan said to David, You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king of Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.


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And I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added that much again.


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Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, doing evil in His sight? You have slain Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have murdered him with the sword of the Ammonites. <f>ⓐ</f>


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Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because [you have not only despised My command, but] you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.


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Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your <f>[1]</f>own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.


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For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. [Fulfilled in II Sam. 16:21, 22.]


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And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. <f>ⓑ</f>


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Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord <i>and</i> given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is born to you shall surely die.


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Then Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, and he was very sick.


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David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted and went in and lay all night [repeatedly] on the floor.


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His older house servants arose [in the night] and went to him to raise him up from the floor, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.


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And on the seventh day the child died. David’s servants feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, While the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he would not listen to our voices; will he then harm himself if we tell him the child is dead?


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But when David saw that his servants whispered, he perceived that the child was dead. So he said to them, Is the child dead? And they said, He is.


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Then David arose from the floor, washed, anointed himself, changed his apparel, and went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.


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Then his servants said to him, What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept while the child was alive, but when the child was dead, you arose and ate food.


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David said, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live?


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But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.


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David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went to her and lay with her; and she bore a son, and she called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved [the child];


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He sent [a message] by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and [Nathan] called the boy’s [special] name Jedidiah [beloved of the Lord], because the Lord [loved the child].


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And Joab sent messengers to David and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.


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Now therefore assemble the rest of the men, encamp against the city, and take it, lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.


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And he took the crown of their king [of Malcham] from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth exceedingly much spoil from the city.


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And he brought forth the people who were there, and put them to [work with] saws and iron threshing sledges and axes, and made them labor at the brickkiln. And he did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then [he] and all the men returned to Jerusalem.


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Absalom son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon [her half brother] son of David loved her.


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And Amnon was so troubled that he fell sick for his [half] sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it impossible for him to do anything to her.


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But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very crafty man.


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He said to Amnon, Why are you, the king’s son, so lean and weak-looking from day to day? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my [half] brother Absalom’s sister.


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Jonadab said to him, Go to bed and pretend you are sick; and when your father David comes to see you, say to him, Let my sister Tamar come and give me food and prepare it in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.


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So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, I pray you, let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.


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So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was in bed. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked them.


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She took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Send everyone out from me. So everyone went out from him.


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Then Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food here into the bedroom, so I may eat from your hand. So Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother.


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She replied, No, my brother! Do not force <i>and</i> humble me, for no such thing should be done in Israel! Do not do this foolhardy, scandalous thing! <f>ⓐ</f>


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And I, how could I rid myself of my shame? And you, you will be [considered] one of the stupid fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray you, speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.


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Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that his hatred for her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Get up and get out!


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But she said, No! This great evil of sending me away is worse than what you did to me. But he would not listen to her.


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He called the servant who served him and said, Put this woman out of my presence now, and bolt the door after her!


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Now [Tamar] was wearing a long robe with sleeves <i>and</i> of various colors, for in such robes were the king’s virgin daughters clad of old. Then Amnon’s servant brought her out and bolted the door after her.


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And [she] put ashes on her head and tore the long, sleeved robe which she wore, and she laid her hand on her head and went away shrieking <i>and</i> wailing.


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And Absalom her brother said to her, Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet now, my sister. He is your brother; take not this matter to heart. So Tamar dwelt in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.


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And Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had humbled his sister Tamar.


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After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.


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Absalom came to the king and said, Behold, your servant has sheepshearers; I pray you, let the king and his servants go with your servant.


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And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you. Absalom urged David; still he would not go, but he blessed him.


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Then said Absalom, If not, I pray you, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with you?


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Now Absalom commanded his servants, Notice now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine and when I say to you, Strike Amnon, then kill him. Fear not; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and brave.


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And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose and every man mounted his mule and fled.


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While they were on the way, the word came to David, Absalom has killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.


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Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the floor; and all his servants standing by tore their clothes.


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But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the king’s sons; for Amnon only is dead. This purpose has shown itself on Absalom’s determined mouth ever since the day Amnon humiliated his sister Tamar.


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So let not my lord the king take the thing to heart and think all the king’s sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead.


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But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch looked up, and behold, many people were coming by the way of the hillside behind him.


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And as he finished speaking, the king’s sons came and lifted up their voices and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.


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But Absalom fled and went to [his mother’s father] Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son [Amnon] every day.


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And the spirit of King David longed to go forth to Absalom, for he was comforted about Amnon, seeing that he was dead.


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And Joab sent to Tekoah and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning apparel, do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead.


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When the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king!


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And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.


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And behold, our whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, Deliver him who slew his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew; and so they would destroy the heir also. And so quenching my coal which is left, they would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the earth.


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And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, let the guilt be on me and on my father’s house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.


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Then she said, I pray you, let the king remember the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And David said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth.


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Then the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king. He said, Say on.


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[She] said, Why then have you planned such a thing against God’s people? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that [he] does not bring home his banished one.


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We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away life, but devises means so that he who is banished may not be an utter outcast from Him.


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And now I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And I thought, I will speak to the king; it may be that he will perform the request of his servant.


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For the king will hear to deliver his handmaid from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from [Israel] the inheritance of God.


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And the woman said, The word of my lord the king will now give me rest <i>and</i> security, for as an angel of God is my lord the king to hear <i>and</i> discern good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you!


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Then the king said to the woman, Hide not from me anything I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king speak.


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The king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who directed me; he put all these words in my mouth.


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In order to change the course of matters [between Absalom and his father] your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God — to know all things that are on the earth.


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And Joab fell to the ground on his face and did obeisance and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.


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And the king said, Let him go to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king’s face.


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But in all Israel there was none so much to be praised for his beauty as Absalom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.


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And when he cut the hair of his head, he weighed it — for at each year’s end he cut it, because its weight was a burden to him — and it weighed 200 shekels by the king’s weight.


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There were born to Absalom three sons and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.


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So Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but he would not come to him; even when he sent again the second time, he would not come.


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Therefore Absalom said to his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire. So Absalom’s servants set the field afire.


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Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, Why have your servants set my field on fire?


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Absalom answered Joab, I sent to you, saying, Come here, that I may send you to the king to ask, Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore [Joab], let me see the king, and if there is iniquity <i>and</i> guilt in me, let him kill me.


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So Joab came to the king and told him. And when David had called for Absalom, he came to him and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and [David] kissed Absalom.


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And [he] rose up early and stood beside the gateway; and when any man who had a controversy came to the king for judgment, Absalom called to him, Of what city are you? And he would say, Your servant is of such and such a tribe of Israel.


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Absalom would say to him, Your claims are good and right, but there is no man appointed as the king’s agent to hear you.


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Absalom added, Oh, that I were judge in the land! Then every man with any suit or cause might come to me and I would do him justice!


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And whenever a man came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.


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Thus Absalom did to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.


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And after [four] years, Absalom said to the king, I pray you, let me go to Hebron [his birthplace] and pay my vow to the Lord.


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For your servant vowed while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, If the Lord will bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord [by offering a sacrifice].


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But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, Absalom is king at Hebron.


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With Absalom went 200 men from Jerusalem, who were invited [as guests to his sacrificial feast]; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not a thing.


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And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy was strong; the people with Absalom increased continually.


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And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.


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David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise and let us flee, or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us and smite the city with the sword.


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And the king’s servants said to the king, Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king says.


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So the king and all his household after him went forth. But he left ten women who were concubines to keep the house. <f>ⓐ</f>


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All David’s servants passed on beside him, along with [his bodyguards] all the Cherethites, Pelethites; also all the Gittites, 600 men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.


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The king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why do you go with us also? Return to your place and remain with the king [Absalom], for you are a foreigner and an exile.


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Since you came only yesterday, should I make you go up and down with us? Since I must go where I may, you return, and take back your brethren with you. May loving-kindness and faithfulness be with you.


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But Ittai answered the king, As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or life, even there also will your servant be.


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So David said to Ittai, Go on and pass over [the Kidron]. And Ittai the Gittite passed over and all his men and all the little ones who were with him.


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All the country wept with a loud voice as all the people passed over. The king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people went on toward the wilderness.


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Abiathar [the priest] and behold, Zadok came also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until all the people had gone from the city.


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Then the king told Zadok, Take back the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His house.


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The king also said to Zadok the priest, Are you not a seer? [You and Abiathar] return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan son of Abiathar.


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See, I will wait at the fords [at the Jordan] of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.


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And David went up over the Mount of Olives and wept as he went, barefoot and his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, weeping as they went.


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David was told, Ahithophel [your counselor] is among the conspirators with Absalom. David said, O Lord, I pray You, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.


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When David came to the summit [of Olivet], where he worshiped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head.


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But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in the past, so will I be your servant now, then you may defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.


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Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, just tell it to [them].


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Behold, their two sons are there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them send to me everything you hear.


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When David was a little past the top [of Olivet], behold, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him with a couple of donkeys saddled, and upon them 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 summer fruits, and a skin of wine.


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The king said to Ziba, What do you mean by these? Ziba said, The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who become faint in the wilderness.


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The king said, And where is your master’s son [grandson Mephibosheth]? Ziba said to the king, Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father [grandfather Saul].


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Then the king said to Ziba, Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours. Ziba said, I do obeisance; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord O king.


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When King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul, Shimei son of Gera, came out and cursed continually as he came.


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And he cast stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.


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The Lord has avenged upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hands of Absalom your son. Behold, the calamity is upon you because you are a bloody man!


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Then said [David’s nephew] Abishai son of Zeruiah to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.


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The king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, Curse David, who then shall ask, Why have you done so?


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And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who was born to me, seeks my life. With how much more reason now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone; and let him curse, for the Lord has bidden him to do it.


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It may be that the Lord will look on the iniquity done me and will recompense me with good for his cursing this day.


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So David and his men went by the road, and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite David and cursed as he went and threw stones and dust at him.


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And the king and all the people who were with him came [to the Jordan] weary, and he refreshed himself there.


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And when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to [him], Long live the king! Long live the king!


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Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your kindness <i>and</i> loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?


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Hushai said to Absalom, No, for whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him I will remain.


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And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so will I serve you.


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And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father’s concubines whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be made strong.


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So they spread for Absalom a tent on the top of the [king’s] house, and Absalom went in to his father’s harem in the sight of all Israel.


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And the counsel of Ahithophel in those days was as if a man had consulted the word of God; so was all Ahithophel’s counsel considered both by David and by Absalom.


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Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me choose 12,000 men and I will set out and pursue David this night.


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I will come upon him while he is exhausted and weak, and cause him to panic; all the people with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone.


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I will bring back all the people to you. [The removal of] the man whom you seek is the assurance that all will return; and all the people will be at peace.


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When Hushai came, Absalom said to him, Ahithophel has counseled thus. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak up.


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For, said Hushai, you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are embittered <i>and</i> enraged like a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.


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Behold, he is hidden even now in some pit or other place; and when some of them are overthrown at the first, whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the followers of Absalom.


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And even he who is brave, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and that those who are with him are brave men.


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Therefore I counsel that all [the men of] Israel be gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in your own person.


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So shall we come upon [David] some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew settles [unseen and unheard] on the ground; and of him and of all the men with him there shall not be left so much as one.


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If he withdraws into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the ravine until not one pebble is left there.


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Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel. For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.


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Then said Hushai to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled.


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Now send quickly and tell David, Lodge not this night at the fords [at the Jordan] of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king be swallowed up and all the people with him.


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Now [the youths] Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed at En-rogel, for they must not be seen coming into the city. But a maidservant went and told them, and they went and told King David.


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But a lad saw them and told Absalom; but they left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they went down into it.


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And the woman spread a covering over the well’s mouth and spread ground corn on it; and the thing was not discovered.


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For when Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They went over the brook of water. When they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.


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After they had departed, the boys came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said, Arise and pass quickly over the river Jordan; for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you.


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David arose and all the people with him and passed over the Jordan. By daybreak, not one was left who had not crossed.


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But when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, went home to his city, put his household in order, and hanged himself and died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.


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Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.


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Absalom made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of an [Ishmaelite] named Ithra, who married Abigail daughter of Nahash, [half sister of David and] sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.


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When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash of Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim


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Brought beds, basins, earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans, lentils, parched [pulse — seeds of peas and beans],


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Honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of cows for David and the people with him to eat; for they said, The people are hungry, weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.


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David sent forth the army, a third under command of Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. [He] told the men, I myself will go out with you also.


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But the men said, You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us; if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth 10,000 such as we are. So now it is better that you be able to help us from the city.


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The king said to them, Whatever seems best to you I will do. So he stood beside the gate, and all the army came out by hundreds and by thousands.


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The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.


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So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.


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[Absalom’s] men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter that day of 20,000 men.


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For the battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more men that day than did the sword.


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Then Absalom [unavoidably] met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and Absalom’s head caught fast [in a fork] of the oak; and the mule under him ran away, leaving him hanging between the heavens and the earth.


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Joab said to the man, You saw him! Why did you not strike him down to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a girdle.


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The man told Joab, Though I should receive 1,000 pieces of silver, yet I would not put forth my hand against the king’s son. For in our hearing the king charged you, Abishai, and Ittai, Have a care, whoever you be, for the young man Absalom.


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Otherwise, if I had dealt falsely against his life — for nothing is hidden from the king — you yourself would have taken sides against me.


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Joab said, I will not tarry thus with you. He took three darts in his hand and thrust them into the body of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.


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Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained <i>and</i> spared them.


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They took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest and raised a very great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled, everyone to his own home.


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Now Absalom in his lifetime had reared up for himself a pillar which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance. He called the pillar after his own name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.


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Then said Ahimaaz son of Zadok, Let me now run and bear the king tidings of how the Lord has avenged David of his enemies.


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Joab told him, You shall not carry news today, but another time. Today you shall bear no news, for the king’s son is dead.


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Then said Joab to the Cushite [an Ethiopian], Go tell the king what you have seen. And the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.


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Then said Ahimaaz son of Zadok again to Joab, But anyhow, let me, I pray you, also run after the Cushite. Joab said, Why should you run, my son, seeing you will have no reward, for you have not sufficient tidings?


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But he said, Let me run anyhow. So Joab said to him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and outran the Cushite.


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Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate by the wall, and when he looked, he saw a man running alone.


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The watchman called out and told the king. The king said, If he is alone, he has news to tell. And he came on and drew near.


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Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper, Behold, another man running alone. The king said, He also brings news.


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The watchman said, I think the man in front runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok. The king said, He is a good man and comes with good tidings.


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And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, All is well! And he fell down to the ground on his face before the king and said, Blessed be the Lord your God, Who has shut up the men who lifted up their hands against my lord the king.


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The king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant and me, your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.


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And behold, the Cushite (Ethiopian) came, and he said, News, my lord the king! For the Lord has delivered you this day from all who rose up against you.


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The king said to the Cushite, Is the young man Absalom safe? The Cushite replied, May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise against you to do evil be like that young man is.


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And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would to God I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son!


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So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for they heard it said, The king grieves for his son.


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The people slipped into the city stealthily that day as humiliated people steal away when they flee in battle.


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But the king covered his face and cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!


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And Joab came into the house to the king and said, You have today covered the faces of all your servants with shame, who this day have saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines.


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For you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have declared today that princes and servants are nothing to you; for today I see that if Absalom had lived and all the rest of us had died, you would be well pleased.


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So now arise, go out and speak kindly and encouragingly to your servants; for I swear by the Lord that if you do not go, not a man will remain with you this night. And this will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.


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Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And all [his followers] were told, The king is sitting in the gate, and they all came before the king. Now Israel [Absalom’s troops] had fled, every man to his home.


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And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us from the hands of our enemies, and he saved us from the hands of the Philistines. And now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.


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And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. So now, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king?


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And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Say to the elders of Judah, Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king, to bring him to his house?


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And say to Amasa, Are you not of my bone and of my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of my army hereafter in place of Joab.


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He inclined the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so they sent word to [him], Return, you and all your servants.


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So [David] returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king, to conduct him over the Jordan.


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And Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, hastily came down with the men of Judah to meet King David,


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And 1,000 men of Benjamin with him. And Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants with him, rushed to the Jordan <i>and</i> pressed quickly into the king’s presence.


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And there went over a ferryboat to bring over the king’s household and to do what he thought good. And Shimei son of Gera fell down before the king as David came to the Jordan,


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And said to the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity to me <i>and</i> hold me guilty, nor remember what your servant did the day my lord went out of Jerusalem [when Shimei grossly insulted David]; may the king not take it to heart.


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For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore, behold, I am today the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.


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But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?


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David said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary to me today? Shall anyone be put to death today in Israel? For do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?


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Therefore the king said to Shimei, You shall not die [at my hand]. And the king gave him his oath. <f>ⓐ</f>


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Mephibosheth the son [grandson] of Saul came down to meet the king, and had not dressed his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until he returned in peace <i>and</i> safety.


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And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, David said to him, Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?


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He said, My lord O king, my servant [Ziba] deceived me; for I said, Saddle me the donkey that I may ride on it and go to the king, for your servant is lame [but he took the donkey and left without me].


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He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But the king is as an angel of God; so do what is good in your eyes.


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For all of my father’s house were but doomed to death before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right therefore have I to cry any more to the king?


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Mephibosheth said to the king, Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has returned home in safety <i>and</i> peace.


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Now Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went on to the Jordan with the king to conduct him over the Jordan.


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Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even eighty years old; and he had provided the king with food while he remained at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.


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And Barzillai said to the king, How much longer have I to live, that it would be worthwhile for me to go up with the king to Jerusalem?


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I am this day eighty years old. Could I now [be useful as a counselor to] discern between good and evil? Can your servant appreciate what I eat or drink? Can I any longer enjoy the voices of singing men and women? Why then should your servant be still a burden to my lord the king?


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Your servant will only go over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward?


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Let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city and be buried by the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king. And do to him what shall seem good to you.


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The king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him what seems good to you; and whatever you ask of me I will do for you.


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So all the people went over the Jordan. When the king had crossed over, he kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and [the great man] returned to his own place.


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Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him; and all the people of Judah and also half the people of Israel escorted the king.


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And all the men of Israel came to the king and said to him, Why have our kinsmen, the men of Judah, stolen you away and have brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?


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But all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us. Why then be angry about it? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?


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Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, We have ten [tribes’] shares in the king; and we have more right to David than you have. Why then did you despise <i>and</i> ignore us? Were we not the first to speak of our bringing back our king? But the words of the men of Judah were more violent than the charges of the men of Israel.


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There happened to be there a base <i>and</i> contemptible fellow named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite. He blew a trumpet and said, We have no portion in David and no inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to his tents, O Israel!


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So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba son of Bichri; but the men of Judah stayed faithfully with their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem.


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So David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women, his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them away under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.


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Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble the men of Judah to me within three days, and you be present here.


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So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah, but he tarried longer than the set time which had been appointed him.


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And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba son of Bichri do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he get for himself fenced cities and snatch away our very eyes.


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And there went after him Joab’s men and [David’s bodyguards] the Cherethites and Pelethites and all the mighty men; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.


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When they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing a soldier’s garment, and over it was a sheathed sword fastened around his hips; and as he went forward, it fell out.


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Joab said to Amasa, Are you well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand [as if] to kiss him.


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But Amasa did not notice the sword in Joab’s hand. So [Joab] struck him [who was to have been his successor] with it in the body, shedding his bowels to the ground without another blow; and [soon] he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bichri.


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And Amasa wallowed in his blood in the highway. And when the man saw that all the people who came by stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field and spread a cloth over him.


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When Amasa was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.


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Joab went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Berites assembled and also went after [Sheba] ardently.


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And they came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the men with Joab battered <i>and</i> undermined the wall to make it fall.


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And when he came near her, the woman said, Are you Joab? He answered, I am. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid. He answered, I am listening.


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Then she said, People used to say, Let them but ask counsel at Abel, and so they settled the matter.


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I am one of the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city which is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?


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That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said, Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.


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Then the woman in her wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and cast it down to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his own home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. <f>ⓐ</f>


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Joab was over the host of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over [the king’s bodyguards] the Cherethites and Pelethites;


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There was a three-year famine in the days of David, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. The Lord replied, It is on account of Saul and his bloody house, for he put to death the Gibeonites.


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So the king called the Gibeonites — now the Gibeonites were not Israelites but of the remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah had sought to slay the Gibeonites —


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So David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? How can I make atonement that you may bless the Lord’s inheritance?


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The Gibeonites said to him, We will accept no silver or gold of Saul or of his house; neither for us shall you kill any man in Israel. David said, I will do for you what you say.


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They said to the king, The man who consumed us and planned to prevent us from remaining in any territory of Israel,


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Let seven men of his sons be delivered to us and we will hang them up before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, [on the mountain] of the Lord. And the king said, I will give them.


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But the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between David and Jonathan son of Saul.


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But the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of [Merab] daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.


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He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hung them up on the hill before the Lord, and all seven perished together. They were put to death in the first days of barley harvest.


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Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell on them, and she did not allow either the birds of the air to come upon them by day or the beasts of the field by night.


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And David went and took the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them up when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa.


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He brought from there the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son, and they gathered the bones of those who were hung up.


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And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son they buried in the country of Benjamin in Zelah in the tomb of Kish, [Saul’s] father, and they did all that the king commanded. And after that, God heard <i>and</i> answered when His people prayed for the land.


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The Philistines had war again with Israel. And David went down and his servants with him and fought against the Philistines, and David became faint.


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Ishbi-benob, who was of the sons of the giants, the weight of whose spear was 300 shekels of bronze, was girded with a new sword, and thought to kill David.


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But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, and smote and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men charged him, You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.


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After this, there was again war with the Philistines at Gob (Gezer). Then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph (Sippai), who was a descendant of the giant.


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There was again war at Gob with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam.


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And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; he also was a descendant of the giants.


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These four were descended from the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hands of David and his servants.


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David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.


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He said: The Lord is my Rock [of escape from Saul] and my Fortress [in the wilderness] and my Deliverer; <f>ⓐ</f>


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My God, my Rock, in Him will I take refuge; my Shield and the Horn of my salvation; my Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior — You save me from violence. <f>ⓑ</f>


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In my distress I called upon the Lord; I cried to my God, and He heard my voice from His temple; my cry came into His ears.


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Then the earth reeled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens trembled and shook because He was angry.


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The channels of the sea were visible, the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.


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The Lord rewarded me according to my uprightness with Him; He compensated <i>and</i> benefited me according to the cleanness of my hands.


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Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His [holy] sight.


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Toward the loving <i>and</i> loyal You will show Yourself loving <i>and</i> loyal, and with the upright <i>and</i> blameless You will show Yourself upright <i>and</i> blameless.


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And the afflicted people You will deliver, but Your eyes are upon the haughty, whom You will bring down.


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As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried. He is a Shield to all those who trust <i>and</i> take refuge in Him.


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He makes my feet like the hinds’ [firm and able]; He sets me secure <i>and</i> confident upon the heights.


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You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; and Your condescension <i>and</i> gentleness have made me great.


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Then I beat them small as the dust of the earth; I crushed them as the mire of the street and scattered them abroad.


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You also have delivered me from strife with my people; You kept me as the head of the nations. People whom I had not known served me.


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Foreigners yielded feigned obedience to me; as soon as they heard of me, they became obedient to me.


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It is God Who executes vengeance for me and Who brought down [and disciplined] the peoples under me,


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Who brought me out from my enemies. You also lifted me up above those who rose up against me; You delivered me from the violent man.


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For this I will give thanks <i>and</i> extol You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.


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He is a Tower of salvation <i>and</i> great deliverance to His king, and shows loving-kindness to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever.


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Now these are the last words of David: David son of Jesse says, and the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, says,


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The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me, When one rules over men righteously, ruling in the fear of God,


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He dawns on them like the morning light when the sun rises on a cloudless morning, when the tender grass springs out of the earth through clear shining after rain.


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Truly does not my house stand so with God? For He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. For will He not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?


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But wicked, godless, <i>and</i> worthless lives are all like thorns to be thrust away, because they cannot be taken with the hand.


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But the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire on the spot.


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These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, chief of the Three [heroes], known also as Adino the Eznite; he wielded his spear and went against 800 men, who were slain at one time. <f>ⓐ</f>


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Next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines assembled there for battle, and the men of Israel had departed.


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[Eleazar] arose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword. The Lord wrought a great deliverance <i>and</i> victory that day; the men returned after him only to take the spoil.


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Next to [Eleazar] was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines were gathered at Lehi on a piece of ground full of lentils; and the [Israelites] fled from the Philistines.


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But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it and slew the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great victory.


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And three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time to David in the cave of Adullam, and a troop of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.


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And David said longingly, Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate!


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And the three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem by the gate and brought it to David. But he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord.


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And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, to drink this. Is it not [the same as] the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives? So he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.


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Now Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against 300 men and slew them, and won a name beside the Three.


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Was he not most renowned of the Three? So he was their captain; however, he did not attain to the Three.


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And Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many notable acts, slew two lionlike men of Moab. He went down also and slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day.


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And he slew an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew the man with his own spear.


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He was more renowned than the Thirty, but he attained not to the [first] Three. David set him over his guard <i>or</i> council.


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Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.


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For the king said to Joab the captain of the host who was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know their number.


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And Joab said to the king, May the Lord your God add a hundred times as many people as there are, and let the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?


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But the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So they went from the king’s presence to number the Israelites.


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They passed over the Jordan and encamped in Aroer, on the south side of the city lying in the midst of the ravine [of the Arnon] toward Gad, and on to Jazer.


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Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan [Dan in the forest] and around to Sidon,


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And came to the stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out to the South (the Negeb) of Judah at Beersheba.


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So when they had gone through all the land [taking the census], they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.


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And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king. There were in Israel 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000.


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But David’s heart smote him after he had numbered the people. David said to the Lord, I have sinned greatly in what I have done. I beseech You, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.


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When David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,


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Go and say to David, Thus says the Lord, I hold over you three choices; select one of them, so I may bring it upon you.


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So Gad came to David and told him and said, Shall seven years of famine come to your land? Or will you flee three months before your pursuing enemies? Or do you prefer three days of pestilence in your land? Consider and see what answer I shall return to Him Who sent me.


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And David said to Gad, I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are many <i>and</i> great; but let me not fall into the hands of man.


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So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba 70,000 men.


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And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented of the evil <i>and</i> reversed His judgment and said to the destroying angel, It is enough; now stay your hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.


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When David saw the angel who was smiting the people, he spoke to the Lord and said, Behold, I have sinned and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray You, be [only] against me and against my father’s house.


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Then Gad came to David and said, Go up, rear an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.


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Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming toward him; and [he] went out and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.


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Araunah said, Why has my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing floor from you, to build there an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.


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And Araunah said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Behold, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and the yokes of the oxen for wood.


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All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king. And Araunah said to the king, The Lord your God accept you.


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But King David said to Araunah, No, but I will buy it of you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God of that which costs me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.


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David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and Israel’s plague was stayed.


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And King David was old and advanced in years; they covered him with [bed]clothes, but he could not get warm.


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So his servants [the <f>[1]</f>physicians] said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her wait on and be useful to the king; let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may get warm.


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So they sought a fair maiden through all the territory of Israel and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.


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The maiden was beautiful; and she waited on and nursed him. But the king had no intercourse with her.


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Then Adonijah son of [David’s wife] Haggith exalted himself, saying, I [the eldest living son] will be king. And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, with fifty men to run before him.


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David his father had never in his life displeased him by asking, Why have you done so? He was also a very attractive man and was born after Absalom.


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He conferred with <f>[2]</f>Joab son of Zeruiah [David’s half sister] and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed Adonijah and helped him.


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But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s mighty men did not side with Adonijah.


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Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatlings by the Stone of Zoheleth, which is beside [the well] En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah.


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Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, reigns and David our lord does not know it?


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Go to King David and say, Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then does Adonijah reign?


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Behold, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.


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So Bathsheba went in to the king in his chamber. Now the king was very old <i>and</i> feeble, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to [him].


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And she said to him, My lord, you swore by the Lord your God to your handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me and sit upon my throne.


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He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army. But he did not invite Solomon your servant.


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Now, my lord O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after you.


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Otherwise, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, I and my son Solomon shall be counted as offenders.


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The king was told, Here is Nathan the prophet. And when he came before the king, he bowed himself before him with his face to the ground.


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And Nathan said, My lord the king, have you said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne?


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He has gone this day and sacrificed oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and they eat and drink before him and say, Long live King Adonijah!


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But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited.


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Is this done by my lord the king and you have not shown your servants who shall succeed my lord the king?


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Then King David answered, Call Bathsheba. And she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.


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And the king took an oath and said, As the Lord lives, Who has redeemed my soul out of all distress,


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Even as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead — even so will I certainly do this day.


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Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and did obeisance to the king and said, Let my lord King David live forever!


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King David said, Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.


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The king told them, Take the servants of your lord and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule and bring him down to Gihon [in the Kidron Valley].


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And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, Long live King Solomon!


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Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my stead; I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.


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And Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so too.


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As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.


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So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites [the king’s bodyguards] went down and caused Solomon to ride upon King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon.


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Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet and all the people said, Long live King Solomon!


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All the people followed him; they played on pipes and rejoiced greatly, so that the earth [resounded] with the joyful sound.


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And Adonijah and all the guests with him heard it as they finished feasting. When Joab heard the trumpet sound, he said, What does this uproar in the city mean?


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While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, Come in, for you are a trustworthy man and bring good news.


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The king has sent him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king’s mule.


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Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; they have come up from there rejoicing, so the city resounds. This is the noise you heard.


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Moreover, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than your name and make his throne greater than your throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed


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And said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who has granted me to see one of my offspring sitting on my throne this day.


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And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose and went [to the tabernacle tent on Mt. Zion] and caught hold of the horns of the altar [as a fugitive’s refuge].


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And it was told Solomon, Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has caught hold of the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not slay his servant with the sword.


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Solomon said, If he will show himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of him shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.


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So King Solomon sent, and they brought Adonijah down from the altar [in front of the tabernacle]. He came and bowed himself to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, Go to your house.


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Keep the charge of the Lord your God, walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His precepts, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may do wisely <i>and</i> prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,


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That the Lord may fulfill His promise to me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart <i>and</i> mind and with all their soul, there shall not fail you [to have] a man on the throne of Israel.


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You know also what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, whom he murdered, avenging in time of peace blood shed in war, and putting innocent blood of war on the girdle on his loins and on the sandals of his feet.


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Do therefore according to your wisdom, but let not his hoary head go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) in peace.


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But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table; for with such kindness they met me when I fled because of Absalom your brother. <f>ⓐ</f>


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And you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan [on my return], and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put you to death with the sword.


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So do not hold him guiltless; for you are a wise man and know what you should do to him. His hoary head bring down to the grave with blood.


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Adonijah, the son of [David and] Haggith, came to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. She said, Do you come peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.


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He said, You know that the kingdom belonged to me [as the eldest living son], and all Israel looked to me to reign. However, the kingdom has passed from me to my brother; for it was his from the Lord.


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He said, I pray you, ask King Solomon, for he will not refuse you, to give me Abishag the Shunammite to be my wife. <f>ⓑ</f>


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So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose to meet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set at his right hand for her, the king’s mother.


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Then she said, I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me. The king said to her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not refuse you.


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King Solomon answered his mother, And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also — for he is my elder brother — [ask it] even for him and for [his supporters] Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah.


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Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not requested this against his own life.


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Therefore, as the Lord lives, Who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and Who has made me a house as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.


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And to Abiathar the priest the king said, Get to Anathoth to your own estate; for you deserve death, but I will not put you to death now, because you bore the ark of the Lord God before my father David and were afflicted in all my father endured.


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So Solomon expelled Abiathar [descendant of Eli] from being priest to the Lord, fulfilling the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. <f>ⓒ</f>


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When the news came to Joab, for Joab had followed Adonijah though he had not followed Absalom, [he] fled to the tent (tabernacle) of the Lord and caught hold of the horns of the altar [before it].


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King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was at the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, strike him down.


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So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and told Joab, The king commands, Come forth. But Joab said, No, I will die here. Then Benaiah brought the king word again, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.


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The king said to him, Do as he has said. Strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from [me and from] my father’s house the innocent blood which Joab shed.


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The Lord shall return his bloody deeds upon his own head, for he fell upon two men more [uncompromisingly] righteous and honorable than he and slew them with the sword, without my father knowing of it: Abner son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.


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So shall their blood return upon the head of Joab and of his descendants forever. But upon David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the Lord forever.


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So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck and killed Joab, and he was buried at his own house in the wilderness.


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The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army and put Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar.


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The king sent for Shimei and said to him, Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not leave there.


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For on the day you go out and pass over the brook Kidron, know with certainty that you shall die; your blood shall be upon your own head.


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And Shimei said to the king, The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.


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But after three years, two of Shimei’s servants ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And Shimei was told, Behold, your [runaway] servants are in Gath.


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So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to King Achish to seek his servants, and brought them from Gath.


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And the king sent for Shimei and said to him, Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, saying, Know with certainty, on the day you go out and walk abroad anywhere, you shall surely die? And you said to me, I have heard your word. It is accepted.


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The king also said to Shimei, You are aware in your own heart of all the evil you did to my father David; so the Lord will return your evil upon your own head.


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But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.


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So the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who went out and struck down Shimei, and he died. And the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.


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And Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the City of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem.


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But the people sacrificed [to God] in the high places [as the heathen did to their idols], for there was no house yet built to the <f>[1]</f>Name of the Lord.


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Solomon loved the Lord, walking [at first] in the statutes <i>and</i> practices of David his father, only he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.


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The king went to Gibeon [near Jerusalem, where stood the tabernacle and the bronze altar] to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. One thousand burnt offerings Solomon offered on that altar.


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In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, <f>[2]</f>Ask what I shall give you.


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Solomon said, You have shown to Your servant David my father great mercy <i>and</i> loving-kindness, according as he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart with You; and You have kept for him this great kindness <i>and</i> steadfast love, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.


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Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father, and I am <f>[3]</f>but a lad [in wisdom and experience]; I know not how to go out (begin) or come in (finish).


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Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who cannot be counted for multitude.


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So give Your servant an understanding mind <i>and</i> a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge <i>and</i> rule this Your great people? <f>ⓐ</f>


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God said to him, Because you have asked this and have not asked for long life or for riches, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize what is just and right,


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Behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise, discerning mind, so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall any arise after you equal to you.


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I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings equal to you all your days.


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And if you will go My way, keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days.


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Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.


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And one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.


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And the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered. And we were together; no stranger was with us, just we two in the house.


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And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while your handmaid slept and laid him in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom.


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And when I rose to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I had considered him in the morning, behold, it was not the son I had borne.


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But the other woman said, No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son! And this one said, No! But the dead son is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.


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The king said, One says, This is my son that is alive and yours is the dead one. The other woman says, No! But your son is the dead one and mine is the living one.


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Then the mother of the living child said to the king, for she yearned over her son, O my lord, give her the living baby, and by no means slay him. But the other said, Let him not be mine or yours, but divide him.


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Then the king said, Give her [who pleads for his life] the living baby, and by no means slay him. She is the child’s mother.


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And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had made, and they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.


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Azariah son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud son of Nathan was priest and the king’s friend <i>and</i> private advisor;


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Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who secured provisions for the king and his household; each man had to provide for a month in a year.


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Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as beyond Jokmeam;


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Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (to him belonged the villages of Jair son of Manasseh which are in Gilead, also the region of Argob which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars);


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Geber son of Uri, in Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; only one officer was over all the country [at one time, each serving for one month].


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Judah and Israel were many, like the sand which is by the sea in multitude; they ate, drank, and rejoiced.


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Solomon reigned <f>[1]</f>over all the kingdoms from the [Euphrates] River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.


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Ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides harts, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl of choice kinds.


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For he had dominion over all the region west of the [Euphrates] River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River, and he had peace on all sides around him.


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Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all of Solomon’s days.


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And those officers provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to his table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking.


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Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was needed, each according to his assignment.


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And God gave Solomon exceptionally much wisdom and understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand of the seashore.


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For he was wiser <f>[2]</f>than all other men — than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame was in all the nations round about.


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He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.


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Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.


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Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that he was anointed king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David.


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You know how David my father could not build a house to the Name of the Lord his God because wars were about him on every side, until the Lord put his foes under his feet. <f>ⓐ</f>


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But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil confronting me.


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And I purpose to build a house to the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, Your son whom I will set on your throne in your place shall build the house to My Name <i>and</i> Presence.


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So, Hiram, command them to hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; my servants shall join yours, and I will give you whatever wages you set for your servants. For you know that no one among us can equal the skill of the Sidon men in cutting timber.


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When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed be the Lord this day, Who has given David a wise son to be over this great people.


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And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things for which you sent to me; I will do all you wish concerning the cedar and cypress timber.


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My servants shall bring the logs down from Lebanon to the sea, make them into rafts, and float them by sea to the place that you direct. I will have them released there, and you shall take them away. And you shall fulfill my desire by providing food for my household.


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And Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 measures of wheat for food for his household, and 20 measures of pure, beaten oil. He gave these to Hiram yearly.


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The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they made a treaty.


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He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month by divisions; one month they were in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was over the levy.


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The king commanded, and they hewed <i>and</i> brought out <f>[1]</f>great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stone.


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Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the men of Gebal did the hewing and prepared the timber and stones to build the house.


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And 480 years after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the second month, Ziv, he began to build the Lord’s house.


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The length of the house Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits, its breadth twenty, and its height thirty cubits.


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The length of the vestibule in front of the temple was twenty cubits, equal to the width of the house, and its depth in front of the house was ten cubits.


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Against the wall of the house he built chambers running round the walls of the house both of the Holy Place and of the Holy of Holies; and he made side chambers all around.


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The first story’s side chambers were five cubits wide, those of the middle story six cubits wide, and of the third story seven cubits wide; for around the outside of the wall of the house he made offsets in order that the supporting beams should not be thrust into the walls of the house.


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When the house was being built, its stone was made ready at the quarry, and no hammer, ax, or tool of iron was heard in the house while it was in building.


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The entrance to the lowest side chamber was on the right [or south] side of the house; and one went up winding stairs into the middle chamber and from the middle into the third.


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So Solomon built the temple building and finished it, and roofed the house with beams and boards of cedar.


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Then he built the stories of chambers [the lean-to] against all the house, each [story] five cubits high; and it was joined to the house with timbers of cedar.


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Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes, execute My precepts, and keep all My commandments to walk in them, then I will fulfill to you My promises which I made to David your father.


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He built the walls of the house (the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies) within with boards of cedar, from the floor of the house to the rafters of the ceiling. He covered the inside with wood, and the floor of the house with boards of cypress.


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He built twenty cubits of the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the rafters; he built it within for the sanctuary, the Holy of Holies.


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The cedar on the house within was carved with gourds and open flowers. All was cedar; no stone was visible.


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And he prepared the Holy of Holies in the inner room in which to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord.


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The Holy of Holies was twenty cubits in length, in breadth, and in height. He overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the cedar altar.


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Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across in front of the Holy of Holies and overlaid it with gold.


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And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole [incense] altar that [stood outside the door but] belonged to the Holy of Holies he overlaid with gold.


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Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub and five cubits its other wing; from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other was ten cubits.


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He put the cherubim within the inner sanctuary. Their wings were stretched out, so that the wing of one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall, and their inner wings touched in the midst of the room.


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He carved all the walls of the house (these two holy rooms) round about with figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, within and without.


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For the Holy of Holies he made [folding] doors of olive wood; their entire width was one-fifth that of the wall.


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On the two doors of olive wood he carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; he overlaid them with gold, and spread gold on the cherubim and palm trees.


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He carved on them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, covered with gold evenly applied on the carved work.


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In the eleventh year, in Bul, the eighth month, the house was finished throughout according to all its specifications. So he was seven years in building it.


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He built also the Forest of Lebanon House; its length was a hundred cubits, its breadth fifty, and its height thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.


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And it was covered with cedar above the side chambers that were upon the forty-five pillars, fifteen in a row.


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He also made the Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits and its breadth thirty cubits. There was a porch in front, and pillars and a cornice before them.


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He made the porch for the throne where he was to judge, the Porch of Judgment; it was covered with cedar from floor to ceiling.


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His house where he was to dwell had another court behind the Porch of Judgment of similar work. Solomon also made a house like this porch for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.


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All were of costly stones hewn according to measure, sawed with saws back and front, even from foundation to coping, and from the outside to the great court.


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Also the great encircling court had three courses of hewn stone and a course of cedar beams, like was around the inner court of the house of the Lord and the porch of the house.


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He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. He was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill to do any kind of work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and did all his [bronze] work.


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He fashioned the two pillars of bronze, each eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference.


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He made two capitals of molten bronze to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of each capital was five cubits.


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Nets of checkerwork and wreaths of chainwork for the capitals were on the tops of the pillars, seven for each capital.


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So Hiram made the pillars. There were two rows of pomegranates encircling each network to cover the capitals that were upon the top.


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The capitals that were upon the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work [design], four cubits.


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The capitals were upon the two pillars and also above the rounded projection beside the network. There were 200 pomegranates in two rows round about, and so with the other capital.


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Hiram set up the pillars of the porch of the temple; he set up the right pillar and called its name Jachin [he will establish], and he set up the left pillar and called its name Boaz [in strength].


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He made a round molten Sea, ten cubits from brim to brim, five cubits high and thirty cubits in circumference. <f>ⓐ</f>


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Under its brim were gourds encircling the Sea, ten to a cubit; the gourds were in two rows, cast in one piece with it.


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It stood upon twelve oxen, three facing north, three west, three south, and three east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their rears pointed inward.


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It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held 2,000 baths [Hebrew liquid measurement].


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Hiram made ten bronze bases [for the lavers]; their length and breadth were four cubits, and the height three cubits.


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On the panels between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and upon the ledges there was a pedestal above. Beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work.


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And every base had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and at the four corners were supports for a laver. Beneath the laver the supports were cast, with wreaths at the side of each.


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Its mouth within the capital projected upward a cubit, and its mouth was round like the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half. Also upon its mouth were carvings, and their borders were square, not round.


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Under the borders were four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were one piece with the base. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half.


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The wheels were made like a chariot wheel: their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast.


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There were four supports to the four corners of each base; the supports were part of the base itself.


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On the top of the base there was a circular elevation half a cubit high, and on the top of the base its stays and panels were of one piece with it.


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And on the surface of its stays and its panels Hiram carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths round about.


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Then he made ten lavers of bronze; each laver held forty baths and measured four cubits, and there was one laver on each of the ten bases.


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He put the bases five on the south side of the house and five on the north side; and he set the Sea at the southeast corner of the house.


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Hiram made the lavers, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the Lord:


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The two pillars; and the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the two pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls;


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And the 400 pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were upon the pillars;


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The pots, the shovels, and the basins. All these vessels which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the Lord were of burnished bronze.


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Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were so many; the weight of the bronze was not found out.


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Solomon made all the other vessels of the Lord’s house: the [incense] altar of gold; the table of gold for the showbread;


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The lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the Holy of Holies; with the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold;


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The cups, snuffers, basins, spoons, firepans — of pure gold; and the hinges of gold for the doors of the innermost room, the Holy of Holies, and for the doors of the Holy Place.


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So all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was completed. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated — the silver, the gold, and the vessels — and put them in the treasuries of the Lord’s house.


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Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers’ houses of the Israelites, before the king in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Zion, the City of David.


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All the men of Israel assembled themselves before King Solomon at the feast in the seventh month, Ethanim.


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And they brought up the ark of the Lord, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up.


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King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who had assembled before him were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, so many that they could not be reported or counted.


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And the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place in the Holy of Holies of the house, under the wings of the cherubim.


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For the cherubim spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles.


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The poles were so long that the ends of them were seen from the Holy Place before the Holy of Holies, but they were not seen outside; they are there to this day.


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There was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt. <f>ⓐ</f>


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So the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house.


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And the king turned his face about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel stood.


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He said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who spoke with His mouth to David my father and has with His hand fulfilled it, saying,


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Since the day that I brought forth My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My Name [and My Presence] might be in it, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.


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Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the Name [the Presence] of the Lord, the God of Israel.


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And the Lord said to David my father, Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart.


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Yet you shall not build the house, but your son, who shall be born to you, shall build it to My Name [and My actively present Person].


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And the Lord has fulfilled His promise which He made: I have risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built a house for the Name (renown) of the Lord, the God of Israel.


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And I have made there a place for the ark [the token of <f>[1]</f>His presence], in which is the covenant [the Ten Commandments] of the Lord which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. <f>ⓑ</f>


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Then Solomon stood [in the court] before the Lord’s burnt offering altar in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven


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And he said, O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing mercy <i>and</i> loving-kindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart.


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You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father. You also spoke with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.


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Therefore now, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father what You promised him when You said, There shall not fail you a man before Me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have done.


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Now, O God of Israel, let Your word which You spoke to Your servant David my father be confirmed [by experience].


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But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, the heavens and heaven of heavens [in its most extended compass] cannot contain You; how much less this house that I have built?


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Yet graciously consider the prayer and supplication of Your servant, O Lord my God, to hearken to the [loud] cry and prayer which he prays before You today,


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That Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, My Name [and the token of My presence] shall be there, that You may hearken to the prayer which Your servant shall make in [or facing toward] this place.


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Hearken to the prayer of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray in <i>or</i> toward this place. Hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive.


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Whenever a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears the oath before Your altar in this house,


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Then hear in heaven and do and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked by bringing his guilt upon his own head and justifying the [uncompromisingly] righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness (his uprightness, right standing with God).


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When Your people Israel are struck down before the enemy because they have sinned against You, and they turn again to You, confess Your <f>[2]</f>name (Your revelation of Yourself), and pray, beseeching You in this house,


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Then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel and return them to the land You gave to their fathers.


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When heaven is shut up and no rain falls because they have sinned against You, if they pray in [or toward] this place and confess Your name (Your revelation of Yourself) and turn from their sin when You afflict them,


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Then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, when You teach them the good way in which they should walk. And give rain upon Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.


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If there is famine in the land or pestilence, blight, mildew, locust, or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is,


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Whatever prayer or supplication is made by any or all of Your people Israel — each man knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading forth his hands toward this house [and its pledge of Your presence] —


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Then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart You know, for You and You only know the hearts of all the children of men,


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That they may fear <i>and</i> revere You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.


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Moreover, concerning a stranger who is not of Your people Israel but comes from a far country for the sake of Your name [and Your active Presence] —


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For they will hear of Your great name (Your revelation of Yourself), Your strong hand, and outstretched arm — when he shall pray in [or toward] this house,


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Hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger asks of You, so that all peoples of the earth may know Your name [and <f>[3]</f>Your revelation of Your presence] and fear <i>and</i> revere You, as do Your people Israel, and may know <i>and</i> comprehend that this house which I have built is called by Your Name [and contains the token of Your presence].


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If Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You shall send them, and shall pray to the Lord toward the city which You have chosen and the house that I have built for Your Name [and Your revelation of Yourself],


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Then hear in heaven their prayer and supplication, and defend their cause <i>and</i> maintain their right.


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If they sin against You — for there is no man who does not sin — and You are angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the enemy’s land, far or near;


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Yet if they think <i>and</i> consider in the land where they were carried captive, and repent and make supplication to You there, saying, We have sinned and have done perversely and wickedly;


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If they repent <i>and</i> turn to You with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your Name;


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Then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, Your dwelling place, and defend their cause <i>and</i> maintain their right.


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And forgive Your people, who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions against You, and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have pity and be merciful to them;


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For they are Your people and Your heritage, which You brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace.


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Let Your eyes be open to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, to hearken to them in all for which they call to You.


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For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your heritage, as You declared through Moses Your servant when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.


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When Solomon finished offering all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, he arose from before the Lord’s altar, where he had knelt with hands stretched toward heaven.


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Blessed be the Lord, Who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise which He promised through Moses His servant.


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That He may incline our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His precepts which He commanded our fathers.


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Let these my words, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause <i>and</i> right of His servant and of His people Israel as each day requires,


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Let your hearts therefore be blameless <i>and</i> wholly true to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as today.


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Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord: 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the house of the Lord.


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On that same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the Lord’s house; there he offered burnt offerings, cereal offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to receive [all] the offerings.


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So at that time Solomon held the feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, for seven days [for the dedication] and seven days [for the Feast of Tabernacles], fourteen days in all.


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On the eighth day he sent the people away; they blessed the king and went to their tents with greatest joy and gratitude for all the goodness the Lord had shown to David His servant and Israel His people.


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When Solomon finished the building of the Lord’s house and the king’s house, and all he desired and was pleased to do,


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The Lord told him, I have heard your prayer and supplication which you have made before Me; I have hallowed this house which you have built, and I have put My Name [and My Presence] there forever. My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually.


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And if you will walk before Me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, keeping My statutes and My precepts,


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Then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, There shall not fail you [to have] a man upon the throne of Israel.


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But if you turn away from following Me, you or your children, and will not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you but go and serve other gods and worship them,


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Then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them, and this house I have hallowed for My Name (renown) I will cast from My sight. And Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all the peoples.


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This house shall become a heap of ruins; every passerby shall be astonished and shall hiss [with surprise] and say, Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?


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Then they will answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, Who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have laid hold of other gods and have worshiped and served them; therefore the Lord has brought on them all this evil.


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At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the Lord’s house and the king’s house,


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For which Hiram king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with as much cedar and cypress timber and gold as he desired, King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.


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And Hiram came from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they did not please him.


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He said, What are these cities worth which you have given me, my brother? So they are called the Cabul [unproductive] Land to this day.


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This is the account of the levy [of forced labor] which King Solomon raised to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.


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For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Gezer, burned it with fire, slew the Canaanites who dwelt in the city, and had given it as dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.


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And all the store cities which Solomon had and cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build <f>[1]</f>for his pleasure in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.


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As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not Israelites,


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Their children who were left after them in the land, whom the Israelites were not able utterly to destroy, of them Solomon made a forced levy of slaves to this day.


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But Solomon made no slaves of the Israelites; they were the soldiers, his officials, attendants, commanders, captains, chariot officers, and horsemen.


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These were the chief officers over Solomon’s work, 550 who had charge of the people who did the work.


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But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the City of David to her house which Solomon had built for her; then he built the Millo.


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Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar he built to the Lord, and he burned incense with them before the Lord. So he finished the house.


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And King Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in Edom.


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And Hiram sent with the fleet his servants, shipmen who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.


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When the queen of Sheba heard of [the constant connection of] the fame of Solomon with the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions (problems and riddles).


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She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels bearing spices, very much gold, and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she communed with him about all that was in her mind.


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Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he failed to explain to her.


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The food of his table, the seating of his officials, the standing at attention of his servants, their apparel, his cupbearers, his ascent by which he went up to the house of the Lord [or the burnt offerings he sacrificed], she was breathless <i>and</i> overcome.


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She said to the king, It was a true report I heard in my own land of your acts <i>and</i> sayings and wisdom.


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I did not believe it until I came and my eyes had seen. Behold, the half was not told me. You have added wisdom and goodness exceeding the fame I heard.


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Happy are your men! Happy are these your servants who stand continually before you, hearing your wisdom!


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Blessed be the Lord your God, Who delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, He made you king to execute justice and righteousness.


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And she gave the king 120 talents of gold and of spices a very great store and precious stones. Never again came such abundance of spices as these the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.


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The navy also of Hiram brought from Ophir gold and a great plenty of almug (algum) wood and precious stones.


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Of the almug wood the king made pillars for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, and lyres also and harps for the singers. No such almug wood came again or has been seen to this day.


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King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she wanted, whatever she asked, besides his gifts to her from his royal bounty. So she returned to her own country, she and her servants.


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Besides what the traders brought and the traffic of the merchants and from all the [tributary] kings and governors of the land of Arabia.


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And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.


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The throne had six steps, and attached at the rear of the top of the throne was a round covering <i>or</i> canopy. On either side of the seat were armrests, and two lions stood beside the armrests.


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Twelve lions stood there, one on either end of each of the six steps; there was nothing like it ever made in any kingdom.


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All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.


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For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.


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Every man brought tribute: vessels of silver and gold, garments, equipment, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.


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Solomon collected chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.


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The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamore trees in the lowlands.


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Solomon’s horses were brought out of Egypt, and the king’s merchants received them in droves, each at a price. <f>ⓐ</f>


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A chariot could be brought out of Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150. And so to all the kings of the Hittites and of Syria they were exported by the king’s merchants.


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But King Solomon [defiantly] loved many foreign women — the <f>[1]</f>daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites.


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They were of the very nations of whom the Lord said to the Israelites, You shall not mingle with them, neither shall they mingle with you, for surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods. Yet Solomon clung to these in love. <f>ⓐ</f>


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For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect (complete and whole) with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.


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For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abominable idol of the Ammonites! <f>ⓑ</f>


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Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as David his father did.


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Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abominable idol of Moab, on the hill opposite Jerusalem, and for Molech the abominable idol of the Ammonites.


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And he did so <f>[2]</f>for all of his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.


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And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord, the God of Israel, Who had appeared to him twice,


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And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he did not do what the Lord commanded.


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Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, Because you are doing this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely rend the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant!


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However, in your days I will not do it, for David your father’s sake. But I will rend it out of the hand of your son!


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However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to your son for David My servant’s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.


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The Lord stirred up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of royal descent in Edom.


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For when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of Israel’s army went up to bury the slain, he slew every male in Edom.


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But Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants, to Egypt, Hadad being yet a little child.


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They set out from Midian and came to Paran, and took men with them out of Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave [young] Hadad a house and land and ordered provisions for him.


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Hadad found great favor with Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife Tahpenes the queen.


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The sister of Tahpenes bore Hadad Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh.


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But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the commander of Israel’s army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.


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Then Pharaoh said to him, But what have you lacked with me that now you want to go to your own country? He replied, Nothing. However, let me go anyhow.


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God raised up for [Hadad] another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.


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Rezon gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band after the slaughter by David. They went to Damascus and dwelt and made [Rezon] king in Damascus.


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And Rezon was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief that Hadad did. Rezon abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria.


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Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, rebelled against the king —


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And for this reason: Solomon built the Millo and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.


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The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of courage. Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, put him in charge over all the [forced] labor of the house of Joseph.


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At that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way. Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they were alone in the field.


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He said to Jeroboam, You take ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes.


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But he shall have one tribe, for My servant David’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,


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Because they have forsaken Me and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in My ways, to do what is right in My sight, keeping My statutes and My ordinances as did David his father.


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However, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him ruler all the days of his life for David My servant’s sake, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes.


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Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David My servant may always have a light before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put My Name.


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And I will take you, and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires; and you shall be king over Israel.


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And if you will hearken to all I command you and will walk in My ways and do right in My sight, keeping My statutes and My commandments, as David My servant did, I will be with you and build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.


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Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until Solomon died.


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The rest of the acts of Solomon — and all that he did, and his wisdom (skill) — are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?


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And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.


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And when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it — for he still dwelt in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon — [he] returned from Egypt.


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And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam,


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Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore lighten the hard service and the heavy yoke your father put upon us, and we will serve you.


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And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived and said, How do you advise me to answer this people?


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And they said to him, If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them and answer them with good words, they will be your servants forever.


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But he forsook the counsel the old men gave him and consulted the young men who grew up with him and stood before him.


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He said to them, What do you advise that we answer this people who have said, Make the yoke your father put on us lighter?


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The young men who grew up with him answered, To the people who told you, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us — say this, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.


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And now whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.


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And spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; he chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.


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So the king did not hearken to the people, for the situation was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word which He spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. <f>ⓐ</f>


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So when all Israel saw that the king did not heed them, they answered the king, What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David! So Israel went to their tents.


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Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute [taskmaster over the forced labor], and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. So King Rehoboam hastened to get into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.


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When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah only.


