# verses

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And Joshua came at that time, and utterly destroyed the Anakim out of the hill country, from Hebron and from Debir, and from Anab, and from all the race of Israel, and from all the mountain of Judah with their cities; and Joshua utterly destroyed them.


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There was not <i>anyone</i> left of the Anakim by the children of Israel, only there was left of them in Gaza, and in Gath, and in Ashdod.


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And Joshua took all the land, as the Lord commanded Moses; and Joshua gave them for an inheritance to Israel by division according to their tribes; and the land ceased from war.


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<n>The Kings Conquered by Moses</n> And these <i>are</i> the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel killed, and inherited their land beyond the Jordan from the east, from the valley of Arnon, to Mount Hermon, and all the land of the Arabah on the east.


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Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, ruling from Arnon, which is in the valley, on the side of the valley, and half of Gilead as far as Jabbok, the borders of the children of Ammon.


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And the Arabah as far as the Sea of Chinneroth to the east, and as far as the Sea of the Arabah; the Salt Sea eastward <i>by</i> the way to Beth Jeshimoth, from Taman below the slopes of Pisgah.


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ruling from Mount Hermon and from Salcah, and <i>over</i> all the land of Bashan to the borders of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and the half of Gilead of the borders of Sihon king of Heshbon.


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Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel struck them; and Moses gave them by way of inheritance to Reuben and Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.


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<n>The Kings Conquered by Joshua</n> And these <i>are</i> the kings of the Amorites, whom Joshua and the children of Israel killed beyond the Jordan by the sea of Balagad in the plain of Lebanon, and as far as the mountain of Halak, as men go up to Seir. And Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel to inherit according to their portion.


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In the mountain, and in the plain, and in the Arabah, and in Ashedoth, and in the wilderness, and the Negev—the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:


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<n>The Parts of Canaan Still Unconquered</n> And Joshua <i>was</i> old and very advanced in years; and the Lord said to Joshua, “You are advanced in years, and there is much land left to inherit.


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And this <i>is</i> the land that is left: the borders of the Philistines, the Geshurites, and the Canaanites,


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from the wilderness before Egypt, as far as the borders of Ekron on the left of the Canaanites; <i>the land</i> is reckoned to the five principalities of the Philistines, to the inhabitants of Gaza, and of Ashdod, and of Ashkelon, and of Gath, and of Ekron, and to the Hivite;


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from Taman even to all the land of Canaan before Gaza, and the Sidonians as far as Aphek, as far as the borders of the Amorites.


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And all the land of Gebalites of the Philistines, and all Lebanon eastward from Gilgal, under Mount Hermon as far as the entering in of Hamath;


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everyone that inhabits the hill country from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth. All the Sidonians, I will destroy them from before Israel; but give them by inheritance to Israel, as I commanded you.


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<n>Dividing the Land</n> “From the Jordan to the Great Sea westward you shall divide it to <i>them.</i> The Great Sea shall be the boundary.” <i>But</i> to the two tribes and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to Reuben and to Gad, Moses gave <i>an inheritance</i> beyond the Jordan: Moses the servant of the Lord gave <i>it</i> to them eastward,


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from Aroer, which is on the bank of the Brook of Arnon, and the city in the midst of the valley, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon.


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All the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned from Heshbon to the coasts of the children of Ammon;


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and the region of Gilead, and the borders of the Geshirites and the Maachathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all the land of Bashan to Salcah.


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All the kingdom of Og in the region of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei—he was left of the giants; and Moses struck him, and destroyed him.


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But the children of Israel did not destroy the Geshurite and the Maachathite and the Canaanite; and the king of the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwelt among the children of Israel to this day.


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Only no inheritance was given to the tribe of Levi: the Lord God of Israel, He <i>is</i> their inheritance, as the Lord said to them; and this <i>is</i> the division which Moses made to the children of Israel in Araboth Moab, on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho.


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<n>The Land of Reuben</n> And Moses gave the land to the tribe of Reuben according to their families.


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And their borders were from Aroer, which is opposite the Brook of Arnon, and <i>theirs is</i> the city that is in the valley of Arnon; and all Misor,


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and all the cities of Misor, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, whom Moses struck, even him and the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, prince of the spoils of Sihon, dwelling in the country.


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And the borders of Reuben were the banks of the Jordan. This <i>is</i> the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.


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<n>The Land of Gad</n> And Moses gave an inheritance to the sons of Gad according to their families.


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And their borders were Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon to the Arabah, which is before Arad.


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and in the valley of Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon; and the Jordan shall be the boundary as far as part of the Sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan eastward.


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This <i>is</i> the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families and according to their cities; according to their families they will turn their backs before their enemies, because their cities and their villages were according to their families.


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<n>Half the Tribe of Manasseh</n> And Moses gave to half the tribe of Manasseh according to their families.


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And their borders were from Mahanaim, and all the kingdom of Bashan, and all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the villages of Jair, which are in the region of Bashan, sixty cities;


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half of Gilead, and in Ashtaroth, and in Edrei, royal cities of Og in the land of Bashan, <i>Moses gave</i> to the sons of Machir the sons of Manasseh, even to the half-tribe sons of Machir the sons of Manasseh, according to their families.


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These <i>are</i> they whom Moses caused to inherit beyond the Jordan in Araboth Moab, beyond the Jordan by Jericho, eastward.


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And these <i>are</i> those of the children of Israel that received their inheritance in the land of Canaan, to whom Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the <i>son</i> of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of the children of Israel, gave inheritance.


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They inherited according to their lots, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Joshua to the nine tribes and the half tribe, on the other side of the Jordan.


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For the sons of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim; and there was no inheritance in the land given to the Levites, only cities to dwell in, and their suburbs separated for the livestock, and their cattle.


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<n>Caleb Inherits Hebron</n> And the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the <i>son</i> of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word that the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God concerning me and you in Kadesh Barnea.


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For I was forty years old when Moses the servant of God sent me out of Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land; and I returned him an answer according to his mind.


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My brothers who went up with me turned away the heart of the people, but I applied myself to follow the Lord my God.


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And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘The land on which your foot has trodden, it shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have applied yourself to follow the Lord our God.’


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And now the Lord has kept me alive as He said: this <i>is</i> the forty-fifth year since the Lord spoke that word to Moses; and Israel journeyed in the wilderness; and now, behold, I <i>am</i> this day eighty-five years old.


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I am still strong this day, as when the Lord sent me: just so strong am I now to go out and to come in for war.


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And now I ask of you this mountain, as the Lord said in that day; for you heard this word on that day. And now the Anakim are there, cities great and strong. If then the Lord should be with me, I will utterly destroy them, as the Lord said to me.”


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And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh the son of Keniz for an inheritance.


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Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the <i>son</i> of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the commandment of the Lord God of Israel.


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And the name of Hebron before formerly was Kirjath Arba, it <i>is</i> the metropolis of the Anakim. And the land rested from war.


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<n>The Land of Judah</n> And the borders of the tribe of Judah according to their families were from the borders of Edom from the Wilderness of Zin, as far as Kadesh to the south.


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And their borders were from the south as far as a part of the Salt Sea from the high country that extends southward.


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And they proceed before the Ascent of Akrabbim, and go out around Zin, and go up from the south to Kadesh Barnea; and go out to Hezron, and proceed up to Adar, and go out by the way that is west of Karkaa.


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And <i>from there</i> they go out to Azmon, and issue at the valley of Egypt; and the termination of its boundaries shall be at the sea. These are their boundaries southward.


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And their boundaries eastward <i>are</i> all the Salt Sea as far as the Jordan; and their borders from the north, and from the border of the sea, and from part of the Jordan—


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the borders go up to Beth Hoglah, and they go along from the north to Beth Arabah, and the borders go on up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.


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And the borders continue on to the fourth part of the Valley of Achor, and go down to Gilgal, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, which is southward in the valley, and terminate at the water of the Fountain of the Sun. And their going forth shall be the Fountain of Rogel.


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And the borders go up to the Valley of Hinnom, behind Jebus southward; this is Jerusalem: and the borders terminate at the top of the mountain, which is before the Valley of Hinnom toward the sea, which is by the side of the land of Rephaim northward.


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And the border <i>going forth</i> from the top of the mountain terminates at the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and terminates at Mount Ephron; and the border will lead to Baalah; this is the city of Jearim.


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And the border will go round from Baalah to the sea, and will go on to the mount of Assar behind the city of Jearim northwards; this is Chesalon: and it will come down to the City of Sun, and will go on to the south.


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And the border terminates behind Ekron northward, and the borders will terminate at Succhoth, and the borders will go on to the south, and will terminate at Libnah, and the issue of the borders will be at the sea; and their borders <i>shall be</i> toward the sea, the Great Sea shall be the boundary.


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<n>Caleb Occupies Hebron and Debir</n> And to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion in the midst of the children of Judah by the command of God; and Joshua gave him the city of Arba the metropolis of Anak; this is Hebron.


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And Caleb the son of Jephunneh destroyed from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Talmai, and Ahiman.


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And Caleb went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir; and the name of Debir before was the City of Letters.


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And Caleb said, “Whosoever shall take and destroy the City of Letters, and master it, to him will I give my daughter Achsah for a wife.”


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And Othniel the son of Kenaz the brother of Caleb took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.


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And it came to pass as she went out that she counseled him, saying, “I will ask of my father a field.” And she cried from off her donkey. And Caleb said to her, “What is it?”


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And she said to him, “Give me a blessing, for you have set me in the land of the Negev. Give me Botthanis.” So he gave her Gonaethla the upper, and Gonaethla the lower.


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And their cities were cities belonging to the tribe of the children of Judah on the borders of Edom by the wilderness, and Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,


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Ashdod, and her villages, and her hamlets: Gaza, and its villages and its hamlets as far as the river of Egypt, and the Great Sea is the boundary.


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Maarath, Beth Anoth, Eltekon; six cities, and their villages; Theco, and Ephratha, this is Bethlehem, and Pagor, Etan, Culon, Tatam, Thobes, Carem, Galem, Thether, and Manocho: eleven cities, and their villages;


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And the Jebusite dwelt in Jerusalem, and the children of Judah could not destroy them; and the Jebusites dwelt in Jerusalem to this day.


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<n>The Land of Ephraim </n> And the borders of the children of Joseph were from the Jordan by Jericho towards the east; and they will go up from Jericho to the hill country, to the wilderness, to Bethel Luz.


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And they will go across to the sea to the borders of Aptalim, as far as the borders of Beth Horon the lower, and the going forth of them shall be to the sea.


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And the borders of the children of Ephraim were according to their families, and the borders of their inheritance were eastward to Ataroth, and Eroc as far as Beth Horon the upper, and Gaza.


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And the borders will proceed to the sea to Michmethath north of Therma; they will go round eastward to Thenasa, and Selles, and will pass on eastward to Janohah,


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and to Macho, and Ataroth, and <i>these are</i> their villages; and they will come to Jericho, and will issue at the Jordan.


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And the borders will proceed from Tappuah, to the sea, <i>and</i> to Kanah; and their termination will be at the sea; this <i>is</i> the inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim according to their families.


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And the cities separated to the sons of Ephraim <i>were</i> in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh, all the cities and their villages.


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And Ephraim did not destroy the Canaanite who dwelt in Gezer; and the Canaanite dwelt in Ephraim to this day, until Pharaoh the king of Egypt went up and took it, and burned it with fire. And the Canaanites, and Perizzites, and the inhabitants in Gaza they destroyed, and Pharaoh gave them for a dowry to his daughter.


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<n>The Other Half-Tribe of Manasseh</n> And the borders of the tribe of the children of Manasseh, (for he <i>was</i> the firstborn of Joseph,) <i>assigned</i> to Machir the firstborn of Manasseh the father of Gilead, for he was a warrior, <i>were</i> in the land of Gilead and of Bashan.


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And there was <i>land</i> assigned to the other sons of Manasseh according to their families: to the sons of Jezi, and to the sons of Kelez, and to the sons of Jeziel, and to the sons of Shechem, and to the sons of Symarim, and to the sons of Opher: these <i>are</i> the males according to their families.


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And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons but daughters: and these <i>are</i> the names of the daughters of Zelophehad: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.


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And they stood before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua, and before the rulers, saying, “God commanded by the hand of Moses to give us an inheritance in the midst of our brothers.” So there was given to them by the command of the Lord an inheritance among the brothers of their father.


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And their lot fell <i>to them</i> from Manasseh, and <i>to the</i> plain of Labec of the land of Gilead, which is beyond the Jordan.


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For the daughters of the sons of Manasseh inherited a portion in the midst of their brothers, and the land of Gilead was assigned to the remainder of the sons of Manasseh.


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And the borders of the sons of Manasseh were Delanath, which is before the sons of Anath, and it proceeds to the borders to Jamin and Jassib to the fountain of En Tappuah.


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It shall belong to Manasseh, and Tappuah on the borders of Manasseh <i>shall belong</i> to the sons of Ephraim.


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And the borders shall go down to the valley of Carana southward by the valley of Jariel, (<i>there is</i> a terebinth tree <i>belonging</i> to Ephraim between <i>that and</i> the city of Manasseh) and the borders of Manasseh <i>are</i> northward to the brook; and the sea shall be its termination.


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Southward <i>the land belongs</i> to Ephraim, and northward to Manasseh; and the sea shall be their cost; and northward they shall border upon Aseb, and eastward upon Issachar.


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And Manasseh shall have in <i>the portion of</i> Issachar and Beth Shean and their villages, and the inhabitants of Dor, and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo, and its villages, and the third part of Mapheta, and its villages.


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And the sons of Manasseh were not able to destroy these cities; and the Canaanite began to dwell in that land.


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And it came to pass that when the children of Israel were strong, they made the Canaanites subject <i>to them</i>, but they did not utterly destroy them.


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<n>The Sons of Joseph Protest</n> And the sons of Joseph answered Joshua, saying, “Why have you caused us to inherit one inheritance, and <i>only </i>one lot, seeing we are a great people, and God has blessed us?”


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And Joshua said to them, “If you are a great people, go up to the forest, and clear <i>the land</i> for yourself, if Mount Ephraim is too small for you.”


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And they said, “Mount Ephraim does not please us, and the Canaanite dwelling in it in Beth Shean, and in its villages, <i>and</i> in the valley of Jezreel, has choice cavalry and iron.”


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And Joshua said to the sons of Joseph, “If you are a great people, and have great strength, you shall not have <i>only</i> one inheritance.


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For you shall have the wood, for there is a wood, and you shall clear it, and <i>the land </i>shall be yours; even when you shall have utterly destroyed the Canaanite, for he has chosen cavalry; yet you are stronger than he.”


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<n>The Remainder of the Land Divided</n> And all the congregation of the children of Israel were assembled at Shiloh, and there they pitched the tabernacle of witness. And the land was subdued by them.


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And the sons of Israel remained, <i>even</i> those who had not received their inheritance, seven tribes.


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And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “How long will you be slack to inherit the land, which the Lord our God has given you?


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Appoint of yourselves three men of each tribe, and let them rise up and go through the land, and let them describe it before me, as it will be proper to divide it.”


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And they came to him. And he divided to them seven portions, <i>saying</i>, “Judah shall stand to them a border southward, and the sons of Joseph shall stand to them northward.


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And divide the land into seven parts, and bring its description here to me, and I will give you a lot before the Lord our God.


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For the sons of Levi have no part among you; for the priesthood of the Lord <i>is</i> his portion; and Gad, and Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave to them.”


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And the men rose up and went; and Joshua commanded the men who went to explore the land, saying, “Go and explore the land, and come to me, and I will bring you forth a lot here before the Lord in Shiloh.”


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And they went, and explored the land. And they viewed it, and described it according to the cities, seven parts in a book, and brought <i>the book</i> to Joshua.


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<n>The Land of Benjamin</n> And the lot of the tribe of Benjamin came forth first according to their families. And the borders of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.


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And their borders were northward: the borders shall go up from the Jordan behind Jericho northward, and shall go up to the mountain westward, and the issue of it shall be the Wilderness of Beth Aven.


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And the borders will go forth from there to Luz, behind Luz, from the south of it; this is Bethel. And the borders shall go down to Ataroth Adar, to the hill country, which is southward of Beth Horon.


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And the borders shall pass through and proceed to the part that looks toward the sea, on the south, from the mountain in front of Beth Horon southward, and its termination shall be at Kirjath Baal, which is Kirjath Jearim, a city of the children of Judah; this is the part toward the west.


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And the south side on the part of Kirjath Baal; and the borders shall go across to Gasin, to the fountain of the water of Nephtoah.


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And the borders shall extend down on one side, this is in front of the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is on the side of Rephaim northward, and it shall come down to Gehenna behind Jebus southward: it shall come down to En Rogel.


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and shall proceed to Galiloth, which is in front by the going up of Ethamin; and they shall come down to the stone of Beon of the sons of Reuben, and shall pass over behind Beth Arabah northward, and shall go down to the borders behind the sea northward.


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And the termination of the borders shall be at the creek of the Salt Sea northward to the side of the Jordan southward: these are their southern borders.


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And the Jordan shall be their boundary on the east: this <i>is</i> the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, these <i>are</i> their borders round about according to their families.


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And the cities of the children of Benjamin according to their families were: Jericho, Beth Haglah, Emek,


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Jebus (this is Jerusalem), Gibeath, <i>and </i>Jearim; thirteen cities, and their villages. This <i>is</i> the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families.


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<n>The Land of Simeon</n> And the second lot came out for the children of Simeon; and their inheritance was in the midst of the lots of the children of Judah.


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round about their cities as far as Balec as <i>men</i> go to Bameth southward: this <i>is</i> the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.


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The inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon <i>was a part</i> of the lot of Judah, for the portion of the children of Judah was greater than theirs; and the children of Simeon inherited in the midst of their lot.


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<n>The Land of Zebulun</n> And the third lot came out to Zebulun according to their families; the bounds of their inheritance shall be—Esedekgola shall be their border,


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And the border returned from Sarid in an opposite direction eastward, to the borders of Chisloth Tabor, and shall pass on to Daberath, and shall proceed upward to Japhia.


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And from there it shall come round in the opposite direction eastward to Gath Hepher to Eth Kazin, and shall go on to Rimmon.


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And the borders shall come round northward to Hannathon, and their going out shall be at Jiphthah El.


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This <i>is</i> the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun according to their families, <i>these</i> cities and their villages.


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And the boundaries shall border upon Tabor, and upon Shahazimah westward, and Beth Shemesh; and the extremity of his bounds shall be the Jordan.


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This <i>is</i> the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.


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Alammelech, Amad, Mishal, and the lot will border on Carmel westward, along <i>the Brook </i>Shihor Libnah.


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And it will return westward from Beth Dagon, and will join Zebulun and Ekgai, and Jiphthah El northwards, and the borders will come to Beth Emk and Neiel, and will go on to Cabul,


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And the borders shall turn back to Ramah, and to the fountain of Masphassat, and the Tyrians; and the borders shall return to Jasiph, and their going forth shall be the sea, and Apoleb, and Achzib.


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This <i>is</i> the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Asher according to their families, the cities and their villages.


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And their borders were Moolam, Mola, Besemiin, Arme, Naboc, and Jephthamai, as far as Dodam; and their goings out were the Jordan.


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And the coasts will return westward by Athabor, and will go out from there to Jacanah, and will border on Zebulun southward, and Asher will join <i>it</i> westward, and the Jordan eastward.


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And the sons of Dan went and fought against Lachish, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword. And they dwelt in it, and called the name of it Leshem. And the Amorite continued to dwell in Edom and in Salamin; and the hand of Ephraim prevailed against them, and they became tributaries to them.


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This <i>is</i> the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan, according to their families, these <i>are</i> their cities and their villages. And the children of Dan did not drive out the Amorite who afflicted them in the mountain; and the Amorite would not allow them to come down into the valley, but they forcibly took from them the border of their portion.


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<n>Joshua’s Inheritance</n> And they proceeded to take possession of the land according to their borders, and the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them,


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by the command of God, and they gave him the city which he asked for, Timnah Serah, which is in the mount of Ephraim. And he built the city, and dwelt in it.


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These <i>are</i> the divisions which Eleazar the priest divided by lot, and Joshua the <i>son</i> of Nun, and the heads of families among the tribes of Israel, according to the lots, in Shiloh before the Lord by the doors of the tabernacle of testimony, and they went to take possession of the land.


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“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Assign the cities of refuge, <i>of</i> which I spoke to you by Moses.


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<i>Even</i> a refuge to the manslayer who has killed a man unintentionally; and the cities shall be to you a refuge, and the manslayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he has stood before the congregation for judgment.’”


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And Joshua separated Kadesh in Galilee in the mountains of Nephthali, and Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and the city of Arba; this is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah.


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And beyond the Jordan he appointed Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in the country of Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.


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These <i>were</i> the cities selected for the sons of Israel, and for the stranger abiding among them, that everyone who kills a man unintentionally should flee to there, that he should not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he should stand before the congregation for judgment.


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<n>The Cities of the Levites</n> And the heads of the families of the sons of Levi drew near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the <i>son</i> of Nun, and to the heads of families of the tribes of Israel.


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And they spoke to them in Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “The Lord gave commandment by Moses to give us cities to dwell in, and the country round about for our livestock.”


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So the children of Israel gave to the Levites in their inheritance by the command of the Lord the cities and the country round.


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And the lot came out for the children of Caath; and the sons of Aaron, the priests the Levites, had by lot thirteen cities out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin.


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And to the sons of Caath that were left were <i>given </i>ten cities<i> by</i> lot, out of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh.


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And the sons of Gershon had thirteen cities, out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Nephthali, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.


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And the sons of Merari according to their families had by lot twelve cities, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun.


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And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities and their suburbs, as the Lord commanded Moses, by lot.


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And the tribe of the children of Judah, and the tribe of the children of Simeon, and <i>part</i> of the tribe of the children of Benjamin gave these cities, and they were assigned


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And they gave to them Kirjath Arba the metropolis of the sons of Anak; this is Hebron in the mountains of Judah, and the suburbs surrounding it.


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But the lands of the city, and its villages Joshua gave to the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh for a possession.


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And to the sons of Aaron he gave the city of Hebron for a refuge for the manslayer, and the suburbs belonging to it; and Limnah and the suburbs belonging to it;


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and Asa and its suburbs; and Tany and its suburbs; and Beth Shemesh and its suburbs: nine cities from these two tribes.


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And to the families, <i>even</i> the sons of Caath the Levites, that were left of the sons of Caath, there was <i>given</i> their priests' city,


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out of the tribe of Ephraim; and they gave them the manslayer's city of refuge, Shechem and its suburbs, Gaza and its appendages, and its suburbs;


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And out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Tanach and its suburbs; and Jebatha and its suburbs; two cities.


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In all <i>were given</i> ten cities, and the suburbs of each belonging to them, to the families of the sons of Caath that remained.


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And <i>Joshua gave</i> to the sons of Gershon the Levites out of the other half-tribe of Manasseh cities set apart for the manslayers, Golan in the country of Bashan, and its suburbs; and Bosora and its suburbs; two cities.


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And of the tribe of Nephthali, the city set apart for the manslayer, Kadesh in Galilee, and its suburbs; and Nemmath and its suburbs; and Themmon and its suburbs; three cities.


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And to the family of the sons of Merari the Levites that remained, <i>he gave</i> out of the tribe of Zebulun, Maan and its suburbs; and Kartah and its suburbs,


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And beyond the Jordan over against Jericho, out of the tribe of Reuben, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Bezer in the wilderness; Miso and its suburbs;


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And out of the tribe of Gad the city of refuge for the manslayer, both Ramoth in Gilead, and its suburbs; Camin and its suburbs;


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All <i>these</i> cities <i>were given</i> to the sons of Merari according to the families of them that were left out of the tribe of Levi; and their limits were the twelve cities.


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All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the children of Israel <i>were</i> forty-eight cities, and their suburbs round about these cities:


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a city and the suburbs round about the city to all these cities: and Joshua ceased dividing the land by their borders. And the children of Israel gave a portion to Joshua because of the commandment of the Lord: they gave him the city which he asked. They gave him Thamnasachar in Mount Ephraim; and Joshua built the city, and dwelt in it. And Joshua took the knives of stone in which he circumcised the children of Israel that were born in the desert by the way, and put them in Thamnasachar.


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<n>The Promise Fulfilled</n> So the Lord gave to Israel all the land which He swore to give to their fathers: and they inherited it, and dwelt in it.


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And the Lord gave them rest round about, as He swore to their fathers; not one of all their enemies maintained his ground against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands.


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There failed not one of the good things which the Lord spoke to the children of Israel; all came to pass.


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<n>Eastern Tribes Return to Their Land</n> Then Joshua called together the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,


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and said to them, “You have heard all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and you have obeyed my voice in all that he commanded you.


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You have not deserted your brothers these many days. Until this day you have kept the commandment of the Lord your God.


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And now the Lord our God has given our brothers rest, as He told them. Now then, return and depart to your homes, and to the land of your possession, which Moses gave you on the other side of the Jordan.


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But take great heed to do the commands and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you to do; to love the Lord our God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commands, and to cleave to Him, and serve Him with all your mind, and with all your soul.”


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And to <i>one </i>half the tribe of Manasseh Moses gave a portion in the land of Bashan, and to <i>the other</i> half Joshua gave a portion with his brothers on the other side of the Jordan westward: and when Joshua sent them away to their homes, then he blessed them.


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And they departed with much wealth to their houses, and they divided the spoil of their enemies with their brothers; very much livestock, and silver, and gold, and iron, and much clothing.


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So the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, departed from the children of Israel in Shiloh in the land of Canaan, to go away into Gilead, into the land of their possession, which they inherited by the command of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.


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<n>An Altar by the Jordan</n> And they came to Gilead of the Jordan, which is in the land of Canaan. And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an alter by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.


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And the children of Israel heard <i>someone </i>say, “Behold, the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an alter at the borders of the land of Canaan at Gilead of the Jordan, on the opposite side to the children of Israel.”


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And the children of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and to the sons of the half-tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead, both Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest,


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and ten of the chiefs with him; <i>there was</i> one chief of every household out of all the tribes of Israel (the heads of families are the captains of thousands in Israel).


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And they came to the sons of Reuben, and to the sons of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead; and they spoke to them, saying,


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“Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord: What <i>is</i> this transgression that you have transgressed before the God of Israel, to turn away today from the Lord, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, so that you should be apostates from the Lord?


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Is the sin of Peor too little for you, whereas we have not been cleansed from it until this day, though there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord?


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And you have revolted this day from the Lord; and it shall come to pass if you revolt this day from the Lord, that tomorrow there shall be wrath upon all Israel.


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And now if the land of your possession <i>is too</i> little, cross over to the land of the possession of the Lord, where the tabernacle of the Lord dwells, and receive an inheritance among us; and do not become apostates from God, neither do you apostatize from the Lord, because of your having built an altar apart from the altar of the Lord our God.


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Behold, did not Achan the <i>son</i> of Zerah commit a trespass, <i>taking</i> of the accursed thing, and there was wrath on the whole congregation of Israel? And he himself died alone in his own sin.”


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And the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the captains of the thousands of Israel, saying,


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“God, <i>even</i> God is the Lord, and <i>even </i>God Himself knows, and Israel shall know; if we have transgressed before the Lord by apostasy, let Him not deliver us this day.


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And if we have built to ourselves an altar, so as to apostatize from the Lord our God, so as to offer upon it a sacrifice of burnt offerings, so as to offer upon it a sacrifice of peace offering, the Lord shall require it.


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But we have done this for the sake of precaution <i>concerning this</i> thing, saying, ‘Lest hereafter your sons should say to our sons, “What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel?”


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Whereas the Lord has set boundaries between us and you, even the Jordan, and you have no portion in the Lord: so your sons shall alienate our sons, that they should not worship the Lord.


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And we gave orders to do thus, to build this altar, not for burnt offerings, nor for meat offerings;


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but that this may be a witness between you and us, and between our generations after us, that we may do service to the Lord before Him, with our burnt offerings and our meat offerings and our peace offerings: so your sons shall not say to our sons, hereafter, “You have no portion in the Lord.”


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And we said, “If ever it should come to pass that they should speak <i>so</i> to us, or to our posterity hereafter; then shall they say, ‘Behold the likeness of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for the sake of burnt offerings, nor for the sake of meat offerings, but it is a witness between you and us, and between our sons.”


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Far be it from us therefore that we should turn away from the Lord this day, so as to apostatize from the Lord, that we should build an altar for burnt offerings, and for peace offerings, besides the altar of the Lord which is before His tabernacle.’”


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And Phinehas the priest and all the chiefs of the congregation of Israel who were with him heard the words which the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh spoke, and it pleased them.


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And Phinehas the priest said to the sons of Reuben, and to the sons of Gad, and to the half of the tribe of Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord <i>is</i> with us, because you have not trespassed grievously against the Lord, and because you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.”


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So Phinehas the priest and the princes departed from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh out of Gilead into the land of Canaan to the children of Israel; and reported the words to them.


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And it pleased the children of Israel; and they spoke to the children of Israel, and blessed the God of the children of Israel, and told them to go up no more to war against the others to destroy the land of the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. So they dwelt upon it.


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And Joshua gave a name to the altar of the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh; and said, “It is a testimony in the midst of them, that the Lord is their God.”


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<n>Joshua’s Farewell Address</n> And it came to pass after many days after the Lord had given Israel rest from all his enemies round about, that Joshua was old and advanced in years.


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And Joshua called together all the children of Israel, and their elders, and their chiefs, and their judges, and their officers, and said to them, “I am old and advanced in years.


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And you have seen all that the Lord our God has done to all these nations before us; <i>for it</i> is the Lord your God who has fought for you.


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See, that I have given to you these nations that are left to you by lots to your tribes, all the nations beginning at the Jordan; and <i>some</i> I have destroyed; and the boundaries shall be at the Great Sea westward.


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And the Lord our God, He shall destroy them before us, until they utterly perish; and He shall send against them the wild beasts, until He has utterly destroyed them and their kings from before you; and you shall inherit their land, as the Lord our God said to you.


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Therefore strive diligently to observe and do all things written in the Book of the Law of Moses, that you do not turn to the right hand or to the left;


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that you do not mix with these nations that are left; and the names of their gods shall not be named among you, neither shall you serve them, neither shall you bow down to them.


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And the Lord shall destroy them before you, <i>even</i> great and strong nations; and no one has stood before us until this day.


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For if you shall turn aside and attach yourselves to these nations that are left with you, and make marriages with them, and become mingled with them and they with you,


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know that the Lord will no more destroy these nations from before you; and they will be to you snares and stumbling blocks, and nails in your heels, and darts in your eyes, until you are destroyed from off this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.


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“But I hasten to go the way <i>of death</i>, as all that are upon the earth also <i>do.</i> And you know in your heart and in your soul, that not one word has fallen <i>to the ground</i> of all the words which the Lord our God has spoken respecting all that concerns us; there has not one of them failed.


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And it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon us which the Lord God <i>promised you, so shall </i>He bring upon you all the evil things, until He has destroyed you from off this good land, which the Lord has given you,


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when you transgress the covenant of the Lord our God, which He has commanded us, and go and serve other gods, and bow down to them.”


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<n>The Tribes Renew the Covenant</n> And Joshua gathered all the tribe of Israel to Shiloh, and called their elders, and their officers, and their judges, and set them before God.


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And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Your fathers at first sojourned beyond the river, <i>even</i> Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods.


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And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river, and I guided him through all the land, and I multiplied his descendants;


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and I gave to him Isaac, and to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau Mount Seir for him to inherit. And Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt, and became there a great and populous and mighty nation, and the Egyptians afflicted them.


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And afterwards <i>God</i> brought out our fathers from Egypt, and you entered into the Red Sea; and the Egyptians pursued after our fathers with chariots and horses into the Red Sea.


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And we cried aloud to the Lord, and He put a cloud and darkness between us an the Egyptians, and He brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in the land of Egypt; and you were in the wilderness many days.


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And He brought us into the land of the Amorites that dwelt beyond the Jordan, and the Lord delivered them into our hands; and you inherited their land, and utterly destroyed them from before you.


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And Balak, king of Moab, son of Siphor, rose up, and made war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam to curse us.


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But the Lord your God would not destroy you; and He greatly blessed us, and rescued us out of their hands, and delivered them <i>to us</i>.


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And you crossed over the Jordan, and came to Jericho; and the inhabitants of Jericho fought against us, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, the Jebusite, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Lord delivered them into our hands.


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And He sent forth the hornet before you; and He drove them out from before you, <i>even</i> twelve kings of the Amorites, not with your sword, nor with your bow.


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And He gave you a land on which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you were settled in them; and you eat <i>of</i> vineyards and olive yards which you did not plant.


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“And now fear the Lord, and serve Him in righteousness and justice; and remove the strange gods, which our fathers served beyond the river, and in Egypt; and serve the Lord.


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But if it does not seem good to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your fathers that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, among whom you dwell upon their land. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, for He is holy.”


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And the people answered and said, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord, so as to serve other gods.


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The Lord our God, He is God; He brought up us and our fathers from Egypt, and kept us in all the way in which we walked, and among all the nations through whom we passed.


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And the Lord cast out the Amorite, and all the nations that inhabited the land from before us: indeed, we will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”


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And Joshua said to the people, “Indeed you will not be able to serve the Lord, for God is holy; and He being jealous will not forgive your sins and your transgressions.


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Whenever you shall forsake the Lord and serve other gods, then He shall come upon you and afflict you, and consume you, because He has done you good.”


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And Joshua said to the people, “You <i>are</i> witnesses against yourselves, that you have chosen the Lord, to serve Him.


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And now take away the strange gods that are among you, and set your heart right toward the Lord God of Israel.”


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So Joshua made a covenant with the people on that day, and gave them a law and an ordinance in Shiloh before the tabernacle of the God of Israel.


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And he wrote these words in the Book of the Laws of God. And Joshua took a great stone, and set it up under the oak before the Lord.


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And Joshua said to the people, “Behold, this stone shall be among you for a witness, for it has heard all the words that have been spoken to it by the Lord; for He has spoken to you this day; and this <i>stone</i> shall be among you for a witness in the last days, whenever you shall deal falsely with the Lord my God.”


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<n>The Death of Joshua</n> And it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun the servant of the Lord died, <i>at the age</i> of a hundred and ten years.


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And they buried him by the borders of his inheritance in Timnath Serah in the mount of Ephraim, northward of the mount of Gilead. There they put with him into the tomb in which they buried him, the knives of stone with which he circumcised the children of Israel in Gilgal, when he brought them out of Egypt, as the Lord appointed them; and there they are to this day.


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And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that lived as long as Joshua, and all that knew all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.


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And the children of Israel brought up the bones of Joseph out of Egypt, and buried <i>them</i> in Shechem, in the portion of the land which Jacob bought of the Amorites who dwelt in Shechem for a hundred ewe lambs; and he gave it to Joseph for a portion.


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And it came to pass afterwards that Eleazar the high priest the son of Aaron died, and was buried in Gibeah of Phinehas his son, which he gave him in Mount Ephraim. In that day the children of Israel took the ark of God, and carried it about among them. And Phinehas exercised the priest's office in the place of Eleazar his father till he died, and he was buried in his own place Gibeah. But the children of Israel departed everyone to their place, and to their own city: and the children of Israel worshipped Astarte, and Astaroth, and the gods of the nations round about them; and the Lord delivered them into the hands of Eglom king of Moab, and he ruled over them eighteen years.


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<n>Israel’s Failure to Complete the Conquest of Canaan</n> And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, “Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”


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And Judah said to his brother Simeon, “Come up with me into my lot, and let us array ourselves against the Canaanites, and I also will go with you into your lot.” And Simeon went with him.


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And Judah went up; and the Lord delivered the Canaanite and the Perizzite into their hands, and they attacked them in Bezek to <i>the number of</i> ten thousand men.


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And they overtook Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they attacked the Canaananite and the Perizzite.


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And Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued after him, and took him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.


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And Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, gathered their food under my table: as I therefore have done, so God has recompensed me.” So they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.


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And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and struck them with the edge of the sword, and they burned the city with fire.


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And afterwards the children of Judah went down to fight with the Canaanite dwelling in the hill country, and the south, and the plain country.


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And Judah went to the Canaanite who dwelt in Hebron; and Hebron came out against him (and the name of Hebron before was Kirjath Arba) and they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, children of Enac.


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And they went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir; and the name of Debir before was Kirjath Serpher, the City of Letters.


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And Caleb said, “Whosoever shall attack the City of Letters, and shall first take it, I will give to him Achsah my daughter for a wife.”


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And Othniel the younger son of Kenaz the brother of Caleb took it; and Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah for a wife.


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And it came to pass as she went in, that Othniel urged her to ask a field of her father; and she murmured and cried from off her donkey <i>and said</i>, “You have sent me forth into a south land.” And Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?”


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And Achsah said to him, “Give me, I pray, a blessing, for you have sent me forth into a south land, and you shall give me the ransom of water.” And Caleb gave her according to her heart the ransom of the upper <i>springs</i> and the ransom of the lower <i>springs</i>.


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And the children of Jethro the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses, went up from the City of Palm Trees with the children of Judah, to the wilderness that is in the south of Judah, which is at the descent of Arad, and they dwelt with the people.


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And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and attacked the Canaanite that inhabited Zephath, and they utterly destroyed them; and they called the name of the city Anathema.


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But Judah did not inherit Gaza nor her coasts, nor Ashkelon or her coasts, nor Ekron or her coasts, nor Ashdod or the lands around it.


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And the Lord was with Judah, and he inherited the mountain; for they were not able to destroy the inhabitants of the valley, for Rechab prevented them.


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And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses said; and then he inherited the three cities of the children of Anak.


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But the children of Benjamin did not take the inheritance of the Jebusite who dwelt in Jerusalem; and the Jebusite dwelt with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this day.


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And the spies looked, and behold, a man went out of the city, and they took him; and they said to him, “Show us the way into the city, and we will deal mercifully with you.”


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And he showed them the way into the city; and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and his family.


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


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And Manasseh did not drive out <i>the inhabitants</i> of Beth-Shean, which is a city of Scythians, nor her towns, nor her suburbs; nor Taanach, nor her towns; nor the inhabitants of Dor, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; nor the inhabitant of Balac, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; nor the inhabitants of Megiddo, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; nor the inhabitants of Jeblaam, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; and the Canaanite began to dwell in this land.


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And it came to pass when Israel was strong, that he put the Canaanite under forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.


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And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanite that dwelt in Gezer; and the Canaanite dwelt in the midst of him in Gezer, and became forced labor.


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And Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kedron, nor the inhabitants of Domana: and the Canaanite dwelt in the midst of them, and became forced labor to them.


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And Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Accho, and those people became tributary to him, nor did he drive out the inhabitants of Dor, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor the inhabitants of Ahlab, nor Achzib, nor Helbah, nor Aphik, nor Rehob.


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And Asher dwelt in the midst of the Canaanite who inhabited the land, for he could not drive him out.


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And Nephthali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemeth, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; and Nephthali dwelt in the midst of the Canaanite who inhabited the land; but the inhabitants of Beth Shemeth and of Beth Anath became forced labor to them.


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And the Amorite drove out the children of Dan into the mountains, for they did not allow them to come down into the valley.


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And the Amorite began to dwell in the mountain of shells, in which are bears, and foxes, in Myrsinon, and in Shaalabbin; and the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy upon the Amorite, and he became forced labor to them.


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<n>Israel’s Disobedience</n> And an angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to the <i>place of</i> weeping, and to Bethel, and to the house of Israel, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I brought you up out of Egypt, and I brought you into the land which I swore to your fathers; and I said, I will never break My covenant that I have made with you.


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And you shall make no covenant with them that dwell in this land, neither shall you worship their gods; but you shall destroy their graven images, you shall pull down their altars: but you did not listen to My voice, for you did these things.


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And I said, I will not drive them out from before you, but they shall be for a distress to you, and their gods shall be to you for an offense.’”


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And it came to pass when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept.


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<n>The Death of Joshua</n> And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that lived many days with Joshua, as many as knew all the great work of the Lord, what things He had done in Israel.


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And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, <i>being </i>one hundred and ten years old.


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And they buried him in the border of his inheritance, in Timnath Heres, in Mount Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.


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And all that generation were gathered to their fathers: and another generation rose up after them, who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He wrought in Israel.


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<n>Israel’s Unfaithfulness</n> And the children of Israel did evil before the Lord, and served Baalam.


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And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and walked after other gods, of the gods of the nations round about them; and they worshipped them.


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And the Lord was very angry with Israel; and He gave them into the hands of the plunderers, and they plundered them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, and they could not any longer resist their enemies,


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among whomsoever they went; and the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord spoke, and as the Lord swore to them; and He greatly afflicted them.


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And the Lord raised up judges, and the Lord saved them out of the hands of those that spoiled them: and yet they would not listen to the judges,


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for they went whoring after other gods, and worshipped them; and they turned quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the words of the Lord; <i>and </i>they did not do so.


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And because the Lord raised up judges for them, so the Lord was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved at their groaning by reason of them that besieged them and afflicted them.


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And it came to pass when the judge died, that they went back, and again corrupted <i>themselves</i> worse than their fathers to go after other gods, to serve them and to worship them: they did not abandon their own doings, nor their stubborn ways.


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And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and said, “Because this nation has forsaken My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice,


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therefore I will no longer drive out a man of the nations before their face, which Joshua the son of Nun left in the land.” And <i>the Lord</i> left <i>them</i>,


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to test Israel with them, whether they would keep the way of the Lord, to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.


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So the Lord will leave these nations, so as not to cast them out suddenly; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.


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<n>The Nations Remaining in the Land</n> And these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, <i>that is, </i>all that had not known the wars of Canaan.


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Only for the sake of the generations of Israel, to teach them war, only the men before them did not know them.


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<i>These are the nations:</i> the five lordships of the Philistines, and every Canaanite, and the Sidonian, and the Hivite who dwelt in Lebanon from the mount of Hermon to Hamath.


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And <i>this</i> was done in order to test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commands of the Lord, which He charged their fathers by the hand of Moses.


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And the children of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.


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And they took their daughters for wives to themselves, and they gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.


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<n>Othniel</n> And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served Baalam and the groves.


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And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Syria of the rivers: and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.


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And the children of Israel cried to the Lord. And the Lord raised up a deliverer to Israel, and he delivered them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.


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And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war against Cushan-Rishathaim. And the Lord delivered into his hand Cushan-Rishathaim king of Syria of the rivers, and his hand prevailed against Cushan-Rishathaim.


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<n>Ehud</n> And the children of Israel continued to do evil before the Lord. And the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil before the Lord.


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And he gathered to himself all the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and struck Israel, and took possession of the City of Palm Trees.


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And the children of Israel cried to the Lord; and He raised up to them a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man who used both hands alike: and the children of Israel sent gifts by his hand to Eglon king of Moab.


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And Ehud made himself a two-edged dagger of a span long, and he secured it under his cloak upon his right thigh.


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And he went, and brought the presents to Eglon king of Moab. And Eglon <i>was</i> a very handsome man.


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And it came to pass when Ehud <i>had</i> made an end of offering his gifts, that he dismissed those that brought the gifts.


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And he himself returned from the quarries that are by Gilgal. And Ehud said, “I have a secret message for you, O king!” And Eglon said to him, “Be silent.” And he sent away from his presence all who waited upon him.


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And Ehud went in to him; and he sat alone in his own upper summer chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you, O king.” And Eglon rose up from his throne near to him.


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And it came to pass as he arose, that Ehud stretched forth his left hand, and took the dagger off his right thigh, and plunged it into his belly;


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and drove in also the handle after the blade, and the fat closed in upon the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly.


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And Ehud went out to the porch, and shut the doors of the chamber behind him, and locked <i>them</i>, and passed on by the appointed <i>guards</i>.


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And he went out. And Eglon’s servants came, and saw, and behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked. And they said, “Does he not uncover his feet in the summer-chamber?”


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And they waited till they were ashamed, and behold, there was no one that opened the doors of the upper chamber; and they took the key, and opened them. And behold, their master was fallen down dead upon the ground.


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And Ehud escaped while they were in a tumult, and no one paid attention to him; and he passed by the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.


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And it came to pass when Ehud came into the land of Israel, that he blew the horn in Mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel came down with him from the mountain, and he was before them.


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And he said to them, “Come down after me, for the Lord God has delivered our enemies, even Moab, into our hand.” So they went down after him, and seized on the fords of the Jordan before Moab, and he did not allow a man to pass over.


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And they struck Moab on that day, <i>and killed</i> about ten thousand men, every lusty <i>person</i> and every mighty man; and not a man escaped.


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So Moab was humbled in that day under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest eighty years; and Ehud judged them till he died.


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<n>Shamgar</n> And after him rose up Shamgar the son of Anath, and he struck the Philistines to the number of six hundred men with a plow share of an ox; and he too delivered Israel.


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And the Lord sold the children of Israel into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor; and the chief of his army was Sisera, and he dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.


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And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, because he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and he mightily oppressed Israel twenty years.


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And she sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim; and the children of Israel went up to her for judgment.


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And Deborah sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh Nephtali, and she said to him, “Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded you? And you shall depart to Mount Tabor, and shall take with yourself ten thousand men of the sons of Nephtali and of the sons of Zebulun.


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And I will bring to you to the torrent of Kison Sisera the captain of the host of Jabin, and his chariots, and his multitude, and I will deliver them into your hands.”


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And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go; and if you will not go, I will not go; for I know not the day on which the Lord prospers His messenger with me.”


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And she said, “I will surely go with you; but know that your honor shall not attend on the expedition on which you go, for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” And Deborah arose, and went with Barak out of Kedesh.


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And Barak called out Zebulun and Nephtali out of Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.


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And Heber the Kenite had removed from Caina, from the sons of Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, and pitched his tent by the oak of the covetous ones, which is near Kedesh.


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And Sisera summoned all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron and all the people with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the brook of Kishon.


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And Deborah said to Barak, “Rise up, for this is the day on which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand, for the Lord shall go forth before you.” And Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.


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And the Lord routed Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera descended from off his chariot, and fled on his feet.


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And Barak pursued after the chariots and after the army, into Harosheth of the Gentiles; and the whole army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword, there was none left.


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And Sisera fled on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber, his friend the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin 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, fear not.” So he turned aside to her into the tent; and she covered him with a rug.


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And Sisera said to her, “Give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him to drink, and covered him.


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And Sisera said to her, “Stand now by the door of the tent, and it shall come to pass if any man come to you, and ask of you, and say, ‘Is there <i>any</i> man here?’ Then you shall say, ‘There is not.’”


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And Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him, and fastened the peg in his temple, and it went through to the ground, and he fainted away, and darkness fell upon him and he died.


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And behold, Barak was pursuing Sisera. And Jael went out to meet him, and she said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek.” And he went in to her, and behold, Sisera had fallen down dead, and the peg was in his temple.


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And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin king of Canaan, until they utterly destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.


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Hear, O kings, and give ear, O you rulers: I will sing, it is I <i>who will sing</i> to the Lord, it is I, I will sing a psalm to the Lord God of Israel.


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O Lord, in Your going forth on Seir, when You went forth out of the land of Edom, the earth quaked and the heaven dropped the dew, and the clouds dropped water.


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The mountains were shaken before the face of the Lord Eloi, this Sinai, before the face of the Lord God of Israel.


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In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, they deserted the <i>right </i>ways, and went in <i>through the </i>byways; they went in crooked paths.


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The mighty men in Israel failed, they failed until <i>I, </i>Deborah arose, until <i>there</i> arose a mother in Israel.


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They chose new gods; then the cities of rulers fought; there was not a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel.


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My heart inclines to the orders given in Israel; you that are willing among the people, bless the Lord.


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You that mount a donkey at noonday, you that sit on the judgment seat, and walk by the roads of them that sit in judgment by the way. Declare,


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<i>you that are delivered</i> from the noise of disturbers among those that draw water; there shall they relate righteous acts: O Lord, increase righteous acts in Israel. Then the people of the Lord went down to the cities.


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Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song. Arise, Barak, and lead your captivity captive, O son of Abinoam.


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Then the remnant went down to the strong, the people of the Lord went down for him among the mighty ones from me.


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Ephraim rooted them out in Amalek, behind you was Benjamin among your people: the inhabitants of Machir came down with me searching out the enemy, and from Zebulun came those that draw with the scribe’s pen of record.


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And princes in Issachar were with Deborah and Barak, thus she sent Barak on his feet in the valleys into the portions of Reuben; great <i>pangs</i> reached to the heart.


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Why did they sit between the sheep folds to hear the bleating of flocks for the divisions of Reuben? <i>There were</i> great searchings of heart.


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Gilead is on the other side of the Jordan where he pitched his tents; and why does Dan remain in ships? Asher sat down on the sea coasts, and he will dwell at his ports.


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Kings set themselves in array, then the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach at the water of Megiddo; they took no gift of money.


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The stars from heaven set themselves in array, they set themselves <i>to fight</i> with Sisera out of their paths.


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The brook of Kishon swept them away, the ancient brook, the brook Kishon: my mighty soul will trample him down.


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to curse Meroz: ‘Curse <i>it</i>,’ said the angel of the Lord; cursed <i>is</i> everyone that dwells in it, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to His help among the mighty.


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She stretched forth her left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman’s hammer, and she struck Sisera with it, she nailed through his head and killed him; she nailed through his temples.


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He rolled down between her feet; he fell and lay between her feet; he bowed and fell: where he bowed, there he fell dead.


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The mother of Sisera looked down through the window out of the loophole, saying, ‘Why was his chariot ashamed? Why did the wheels of his chariots tarry?’


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‘Will they not find him dividing the spoil? He will surely be gracious to every man.” <i>There are</i> spoils of dyed garments for Sisera, spoils of various dyed garments, dyed embroidered garments, they are the spoils for his neck.


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Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord: and they that love Him shall be as the going forth of the sun in his strength.” And the land had rest forty years.


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<n>The Midianite Oppression</n> And the children of Israel 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. And the children of Israel made for themselves caves in the mountains, and the dens, and the holes in the rocks, because of Midian.


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And it came to pass when the children of Israel sowed, that Midian and Amalek went up, and the children of the east went up together with them.


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And they encamped against them, and destroyed their fruits until they came to Gaza; and they left no sustenance in the land of Israel, not even ox or donkey among the herds.


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For they and their stock came up, and their tents were with them, as the locust in multitude, and there was no number to them and their camels; and they came to the land of Israel, and laid it waste.


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And the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: I am He that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and I brought you up out of the house of your bondage.


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And I delivered you out of the hand of Egypt, and out of the hand of all that afflicted you, and I cast them out before you; and I gave you their land.


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And I said to you, I am the Lord your God: you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but you did not listen to My voice.”


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<n>Gideon</n> And an angel of the Lord came, and sat down under the fir tree, which was in Ephratha in the land of Joash father of Esdri. And Gideon his son was threshing wheat in a wine press in order to escape from the face of Midian.


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And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you <i>who are</i> mighty in strength!”


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And Gideon said to him, “Be gracious with me, my Lord: but if the Lord is with us, why have these evils found us? And where are all His miracles, which our fathers have related to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ And now He has cast us out, and given us into the hand of Midian.”


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And the Angel of the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this your strength, and you shall save Israel out of the hand of Midian: behold, I have sent you.”


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And Gideon said to him, “<i>Be gracious</i> with me, my Lord: how shall I save Israel? Behold, my thousand is weakened in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”


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And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “The Lord shall be with you, and you shall strike Midian as one man.”


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And Gideon said to him, “If now I have found mercy in Your eyes, and You will do this day for me all that You have spoken of with me,


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do not depart from here until I come to You, and I will bring forth an offering and offer it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”


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And Gideon went in, and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of fine flour; and he put the flesh in the basket, and poured the broth into the pot, and brought them forth to Him under the terebinth tree, and drew near.


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And the Angel of God said to him, “Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and put them on that rock, and pour out the broth close by”; and he did so.


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And the Angel of the Lord stretched out the end of the rod that was in His hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened bread; and fire came up out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened bread, and the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight.


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And Gideon saw that He was the Angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, “Ah, O Lord my God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”


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And Gideon built there an altar to the Lord, and called it The Peace of the Lord, until this day, as it is still in Ephratha of the father of Esdri.


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And it came to pass in that night, that the Lord said to him, “Take the young bull which your father has, even the second bull of seven years old, and you shall destroy the altar of Baal which your father has, and the grove which is by it you shall destroy.


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And you shall build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and you shall take the second bull, and shall offer up burnt offerings with the wood of the grove, which you shall destroy.”


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And Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord spoke to him. And it came to pass, as he feared the house of his father and the men of the city if he should do it by day, that he did it by night.


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<n>Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal</n> And the men of the city rose up early in the morning. And behold, the altar of Baal had been demolished, and the grove by it had been destroyed; and they saw the second bull, which Gideon offered on the altar that had been built.


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And a man said to his neighbor, “Who has done this thing?” And they inquired and searched, and learned that Gideon the son of Joash had done this thing.


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And the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, and let him die, because he has destroyed the altar of Baal, and because he has destroyed the grove that is by it.”


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And Gideon the son of Joash said to all the men who rose up against him, “Do you now plead for Baal, or will you save him? Whoever will plead for him, let him be slain this morning: if he be a god let him plead for himself, because <i>one</i> has thrown down his altar.”


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And he called it in that day Jerubbaal, saying, “Let Baal plead against him,” because his altar has been thrown down.


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And all Midian, and Amalek, and the sons of the east gathered themselves together, and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.


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And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he sounded his trumpet, and Abiezer came to help after him.


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And <i>Gideon</i> sent messengers into all Manasseh, and into Asher, and into Zebulun, and into Nephtali; and he went up to meet them.


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<n>The Sign of the Fleece</n> And Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as You have said,


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behold, I put the fleece of wool in the threshing floor: if there be dew on the fleece only, and drought on all the ground, I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”


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And it was so. And he rose up early in the morning, and wrung the fleece, and dew dropped from the fleece, a bowl full of water.


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And Gideon said to God, “Let not Your anger be kindled with me, and I will speak yet once; I will even yet make one trial more with the fleece: let now the drought be upon the fleece only, and let there be dew on all the ground.”


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And God did so in that night; and there was drought on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.


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<n>Gideon Surprises and Routs the Midianites</n> And Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) rose early, and all the people with him, and encamped at the fountain of Harod. And the camp of Midian was to the north of him, <i>reaching</i> from the hill of Moreh, in the valley.


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And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people that are with you <i>are</i> <i>too </i>many, so that I may not deliver Midian into their hand, lest at any time Israel boast against Me, saying, ‘My hand has saved me.’


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And now speak in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Who is afraid and fearful? Let him turn and depart from Mount Gilead.’” And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand, and ten thousand were left.


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And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too numerous; bring them down to the water, and I will purge them there for you; and it shall come to pass that of whom I shall say to you, This one shall go with you, even he shall go with you; and of whomever I shall say to you, This one shall not go with you, <i>even</i> he shall not go with you.”


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And he brought the people down to the water; and the Lord said to Gideon, “Whoever shall lap of the water with his tongue as if a dog should lap, you shall set him apart; likewise whoever shall bow down upon his knees to drink.”


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And the number of those that lapped with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men; and all the rest of the people bowed upon their knees to drink water.


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And the Lord said to Gideon, “I will save you by the three hundred men that lapped, and I will give Midian into your hand; and all the <i>rest of the</i> people shall go everyone to his place.”


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And they took the provision of the people in their hand, and their horns; and he sent away every man of Israel, each to his tent, and he strengthened the three hundred. And the army of Midian was beneath him in the valley.


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And it came to pass in that night that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down into the camp, for I have delivered them into your hand.


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And you shall hear what they shall say, and afterwards your hands shall be strong, and you shall go down into the camp.” And he went down with Purah his servant to the extremity of the <i>companies of</i> fifty, which were in the camp.


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And Midian and Amalek and all the children of the east <i>were</i> scattered in the valley, as numerous as locusts; and there was no number to their camels, but they were as the sand on the seashore in multitude.


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And Gideon came, and behold, a man <i>was</i> relating a dream to his neighbor, and he said, “Behold, I have dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread rolling into the camp of Midian, and it came as far as a tent, and struck it, and it fell, and it turned it up, and the tent fell.”


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And his neighbor answered and said, “This is none other than the sword of Gideon, son of Joash a man of Israel: God has delivered Midian and all the host into his hand.”


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And it came to pass when Gideon heard the account of the dream and the interpretation of it, that he worshipped the Lord, and returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Rise up, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into our hand.”


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And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put horns in the hands of all, and empty pitchers, and torches in the pitchers.


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And he said to them, “You shall look at me, and so shall you do; and behold, I will go to the beginning of the camp, and it shall come to pass <i>that</i> as I do, so shall you do.


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And I will blow the trumpet, and all you with me shall blow <i>your</i> trumpets round about the whole camp, and you shall say, ‘For the Lord and Gideon.’”


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And Gideon and the hundred men that were with him came to the extremity of the army in the beginning of the middle watch; and they completely roused the guards, and blew the trumpets, and they smashed the pitchers that were in their hands,


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and the three companies blew their trumpets, and smashed their pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and in their right hands their horns to sound with; and they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon.”


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And <i>every</i> man stood in his place round about the camp; and all the army ran, and sounded <i>an alarm</i>, and fled.


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And they sounded with the three hundred horns; and the Lord set <i>every</i> man’s sword in all the camp against his neighbor.


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And the army fled as far as Bethseed Tagaragatha Abel-meula to Tabath. And the men of Israel from Nephtali, and from Asher, and from all Manasseh, came to help, and followed after Midian.


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And Gideon sent messengers into all of Mount Ephraim, saying, “Come down to meet Midian, and take to yourselves the water as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.” And every man of Ephraim cried out, and they took the water before hand unto Beth Barah and the Jordan.


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And they took the princess of Midian, even Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they slew Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from beyond the Jordan.


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<n>Gideon’s Triumph and Vengeance</n> And the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “What <i>is</i> this <i>that</i> you have done to us, in that you did not call us when you went to fight with Midian?” And they contended with him sharply.


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And he said to them, “What have I now done in comparison of you? <i>Is</i> not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?


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The Lord has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what could I do in comparison of you?” Then was their spirit calmed toward him, when he spoke this word.


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And Gideon came to the Jordan, and crossed over, himself and the three hundred with him, hungry yet still pursuing.


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And he said to the men of Soccoth, “Give some bread to feed this people that follow me; because they are faint, and behold, I am following after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”


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And the princes of Soccoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?”


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And Gideon said, “Therefore when the Lord gives Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then will I tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness, and the Barkenim.”


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Then he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them likewise. And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Soccoth <i>had</i> answered him.


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And Zebah and Zalmunna <i>were</i> in Karkor, and their armies <i>were</i> with them, about fifteen thousand, all that were left of the whole army of the aliens; and those that fell <i>were</i> a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew the sword.


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And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, eastward of Nobah and Jogbehah; and he attacked the army, while the camp was secure.


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


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And he took prisoner a young lad of the men of Soccoth, and questioned him. And he wrote to him the names of the princes of Soccoth and of their elders, seventy-seven men.


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And Gideon came to the princes of Soccoth, and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you reproached me, saying, ‘<i>Are</i> the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your men that are faint?’”


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And he took the elders of the city, with the thorns and briers of the wilderness, and with them he threshed the men of the city.


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And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed in Tabor?” And they said, “As you <i>are</i>, so <i>were</i> they, according to the likeness of the son of a king.”


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And Gideon said, “They were my brothers and the sons of my mother: as the Lord lives, if you had preserved them alive, I would not have slain you.”


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And he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise up and kill them.” But the lad did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, and he was still very young.


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And Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up, and fall on us, for your power is as that of a man.” And Gideon arose, and killed Zebah and Zalmunna: and he took the round ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.


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<n>Gideon’s Idolatry</n> And the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, my lord, you and your son, and your grandson also, for you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”


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And Gideon said to them, “I will not rule, and my son shall not rule among you; <i>but </i>the Lord shall rule over you.”


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And Gideon said to them, “I will make a request of you: give me every man an earring out of his spoils.” (for they had golden earrings, for they were Ishmaelites).


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And they said, “We will certainly give them.” And he opened his garment, and each man cast in an earring out of his spoils.


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And the weight of the golden earrings which he asked was one thousand seven hundred pieces of gold, besides the crescents, and the chains, and the garments, and the purple cloths that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were on the necks of their camels.


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And Gideon made an ephod of it, an set it in his city in Ephratha; and all Israel went whoring after it, and it became a stumbling block to Gideon and his house.


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Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they did not lift up their head any longer. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.


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And Gideon son of Joash died in his city, and he was buried in the tomb of Joash his father in Ephratha of Abi-Esdri.


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And it came to pass when Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned, and went a whoring after the Baals, and made for themselves a covenant with Baal, that he should be their god.


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And the children of Israel forgot the Lord their God who had delivered them out of the hand of all that afflicted them.


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And they did not deal mercifully with the house of Jerubbaal, (that is, Gideon) according to all the good which he did to Israel.


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<n>Abimelech’s Treachery</n> And Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers; and he spoke to them and to all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,


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“Speak in the ears of all the men of Shechem, saying, ‘Which is better for you, that seventy men, even all the sons of Jerubbaal, should reign over you, or that one man should reign over you?’ And remember that I am your own flesh and bone.”


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And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the ears of all the men of Shechem, and their heart turned after Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”


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And they gave him seventy <i>pieces</i> of silver out of the house of Baal-Berith; and Abimelech hired for himself worthless and cowardly men, and they went after him.


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And he went to the house of his father to Ephratha, and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men upon 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, and all the house of Beth Millo were gathered together, and they went and made Abimelech king by the Oak of Sedition, which was at Shechem.


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<n>The Parable of the Trees</n> And it was reported to Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and wept, and said to them, “Hear me, you men of Sicima, and God shall hear you.


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But the olives said to them, ‘Shall I leave my fatness, with which men shall glorify God, and go to be promoted over the trees?’


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But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruits, and go to be promoted over the trees?’


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And the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men, and go to be promoted over the trees?’


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And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me to reign over you, come, stand under my shadow; and if not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’


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“And now, if you have done it in truth and integrity, and have made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal, and with his house, and if you have done to him according to the reward of his hand,


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as my father fought for you, and put his life in jeopardy, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;


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and you have risen up this day against the house of my father, and have slain his sons, seventy men, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech the son of his bondwoman king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother:


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if then you have done truly and faithfully with Jerubbaal, and with his house this day, <i>then </i>rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice over you.


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But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Beth Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Beth Millo, and devour Abimelech.”


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And Jotham fled and ran away, and went as far as Beer, and dwelt there out of the way of his brother Abimelech.


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


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to bring the injury done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, and to lay their blood upon their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and upon the men of Shechem, because they strengthened his hands to slay his brothers.


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And the men of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the top of the mountains, and robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. And it was reported to Abimelech the king.


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And Gaal son of Ebed came, and his brothers, and passed by Shechem, and the men of Shechem trusted in him.


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And they went out into the field, and gathered their grapes, and trod them, and made merry; and they brought <i>the grapes</i> into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.


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And Gaal the son of Jobel said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is the son of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his manager, his servant with the son of Hamor the father of Shechem? And why should we serve him?


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If only this people were under my hand! Then would I remove Abimelech, and I would say to him, ‘Multiply your host, and come out.’”


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And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and behold, they have besieged the city against you.


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And it shall come to pass in the morning at sunrise, <i>that </i>you shall rise up early and draw toward the city; and behold, he and the people with him will come forth against you, and you shall do to him according to your power.”


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And Abimelech and all the people with him rose up by night, and formed an ambush against Shechem in four companies.


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And Gaal the son of Ebed went forth, and stood by the door of the gate of the city. And Abimelech and the people with him rose up from the ambush.


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And Gaal the son of Ebed saw the people, and said to Zebul, “Behold, a people comes down from the top of the mountains.” And Zebul said to him, “You see the shadow of the mountains as men.”


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And Gaal continued to speak and said, “Behold, a people comes down westward from the part bordering on the middle of the land, and another company comes by the way of Diviners’ Terebinth Tree.”


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And Zebul said to him, “And where is your mouth as you spoke, Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the people whom you despised? Go forth now, and set the battle in array against him.”


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And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled from before him; and many fell down slain as far as the door of the gate.


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And Abimelech entered into Aruma, and Zebul cast out Gaal and his brothers, so that they should not dwell in Shechem.


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And it came to pass on the second day that the people went out into the field, and one brought word to Abimelech.


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And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and formed an ambush in the field. And he looked, and behold, the people went forth out of the city, and he rose up against them, and struck them.


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And Abimelech and the chiefs of companies that were with him rushed forward, and stood by the door of the gate of the city; and the two <i>other</i> companies rushed forward upon all that were in the field, and struck them.


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And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and took the city, and killed the people that were in it, and destroyed the city, and sowed it with salt.


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And Abimelech went up to the mount of Zalmon, and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a branch of a tree, and took it, and laid it on his shoulders; and said to the people that were with him, “What you see me doing, do quickly as I do.”


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And every man likewise cut down a branch, and went after Abimelech, and laid them against the place of gathering, and burned the place of gathering over them with fire. And they died, even all the men of the tower of Sicima, about a thousand men and women.


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And there was a strong tower in the midst of the city; and all the men and the women of the city fled there, and shut <i>the door</i> behind them, and went up on the roof of the tower.


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And Abimelech drew near to the tower, and they besieged it; and Abimelech drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.


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And he cried out quickly to the young man his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword, and kill me, lest at any time they should say, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man thrust him through and he died.


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So God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did against his father, in slaying his seventy brothers.


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And all the wickedness of the men of Shechem God repaid upon their heads; and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.


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<n>Tola</n> And after Abimelech, Tola the son of Puah rose up to save Israel, <i>being</i> the son of his father’s brother, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in Mount Ephraim.


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And he had thirty-two sons riding on thirty-two colts, and they had thirty-two cities; and they called them Jair’s towns until this day in the land of Gilead.


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<n>Oppression by the Ammonites</n> And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the Lord, and did not serve Him.


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And the Lord was very angry with Israel, and sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon.


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And they afflicted and bruised the children of Israel at that time eighteen years, all the children of Israel beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorite in Gilead.


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And the children of Ammon went over the Jordan to fight with Judah, and Benjamin, and with Ephraim; and the children of Israel were greatly afflicted.


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And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You, because we have forsaken God, and served the Baals.”


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And the Lord said to the children of Israel, “Did I not save you from Egypt and from the Amorite, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines,


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and from the Sidonians, and Amalek, and Midian, who afflicted you? And you cried to Me, and I saved you out of their hand?


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Go, and cry to the gods whom you have chosen for yourselves, and let them save you in the time of your affliction.”


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And the children of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned: do unto us according to all that is good in Your eyes; only deliver us this day.”


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And they put away the strange gods from the midst of them, and served the Lord only, and His soul was pained for the trouble of Israel.


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And the children of Ammon went up, and encamped in Gilead; and the children of Israel were gathered together and encamped on the hill.


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And the people, the princes of Gilead, said, every man to his neighbor, “Who is he that shall begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He shall even be head over all that dwell in Gilead.”


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<n>Jephthah</n> And Jephthah the Gileadite <i>was</i> a mighty man; and he <i>was</i> the son of a harlot, who bore Jephthah to Gilead.


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And the wife of Gilead bore him sons; and the sons of his wife grew up, and they cast out Jephthah, and said to him, “You shall not inherit in the house of our father, for you are the son of a concubine.”


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And Jephthah fled from the face of his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men gathered to Jephthah, and went out with him.


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And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me, and cast me out of my father’s house, and banish me from you? And why have you come to me now, when you need me?”


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And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore have we now turned to you, that you should go with us, and fight against the sons of Ammon, and be our leader over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”


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And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you turn me back to fight with the children of Ammon, and the Lord should deliver them before me, then will I be your leader.”


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And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord be witness between us, if we shall not do according to your word.”


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And Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and ruler over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.


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


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And the king of the children of Ammon said to the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took my land when he went up out of Egypt, from Arnon to Jabbok, and to the Jordan: now then return them peaceably and I will depart.”


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and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon;


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for in their going up out of Egypt Israel went in the wilderness as far as the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh.


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And Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘I will pass, if it please you, by your land’; and the king of Edom would not consent. And <i>Israel</i> also sent to the king of Moab, and he did not consent; and Israel sojourned in Kadesh.


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And <i>they</i> journeyed in the wilderness, and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. And they came by the east of the land of Moab, and encamped in the country beyond Arnon, and did not enter the borders of Moab, for Arnon is the border of Moab.


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And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorite, king of Hesbron, and Israel said to him, ‘Let us pass through your land to our place.’


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And Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory; and Sihon gathered all his people, and they encamped at Jahaz; and he set the battle in array against Israel.


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And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they struck him; and Israel inherited all the land of the Amorite who dwelt in that land,


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And now the Lord God of Israel has removed the Amorite from before His people Israel, and shall you inherit his <i>land</i>?


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Will you not inherit those possessions which Chemosh your god shall cause you to inherit; and shall not we inherit the <i>land of</i> all those whom the Lord our God has removed from before you?


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And now are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he indeed fight with Israel, or indeed make war with him,


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when Israel dwelt in Hesbron and in its coasts, and in the land of Aroer and in its coasts, and in all the cities by the Jordan, three hundred years? And why did you not recover them in that time?


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And now I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me in preparing war against me: may the Lord, the Judge, render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.”


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<n>Jephthah’s Vow</n> And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed by the watchtower of Gilead to the other side of the children of Ammon.


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And Jephthah vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,


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then it shall come to pass that whosoever shall first come out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, he shall be the Lord’s: I will offer him up for a burnt offering.”


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And Jephthah advanced to meet the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hand.


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And he struck them from Aroer till <i>one</i> comes to Arnon, twenty cities in number, and as far as Abel-Keramim, with a very great destruction. And the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.


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<n>Jephthah’s Daughter</n> And Jephthah came to Mizpah, to his house; and behold, his daughter came forth to meet him with timbrels and dances; and she was his only child, <i>for </i>he had no other son or daughter.


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And it came to pass when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter, you have indeed troubled me, and you are the cause of my trouble; and I have opened my mouth against you to the Lord, and I shall not be able to return from it.”


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And she said to him, “Father, have you opened your mouth to the Lord? Do to me accordingly as <i>the word</i> went out of your mouth, in that the Lord has worked vengeance for you on your enemies of the children of Ammon.”


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And she said to her father, “Let my father now do this thing: let me alone for two months, and I will go up and down on the mountains, and I will lament 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, and her companions, and she lamented her virginity on the mountains.


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And it came to pass at the end of the two months that she returned to her father; and he performed upon her his vow which he vowed; and she knew no man.


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And it was an ordinance in Israel, <i>that</i> the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days in the year.


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<n>Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim</n> And the men of Ephraim assembled <i>themselves</i>, and passed on to the north, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you go over to fight with the children of Ammon, and did not call 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 and the children of Ammon were very much engaged in war; and I called for you, and you did not save me out of their hand.


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And I saw that you were no helper, and I put my life in my hand, and passed on to the sons of Ammon; and the Lord delivered them into my hand: and why then have you come up against me this day to fight with me?”


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And Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they that had escaped of Ephraim said, “You <i>are</i> of Gilead in the midst of Ephraim and in the midst of Manasseh.”


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And Gilead took the fords of the Jordan before Ephraim; and they that escaped of Ephraim said to them, “Let us go over.” And the men of Gilead said, “Are you an Ephraimite?” And he said, “No.”


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Then they said to him, “Say now Stachys.” And he did not correctly pronounce it. So they took him, and killed him at the fords of the Jordan; and there fell at that time of Ephraim forty-two thousand.


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And Jephthah judged Israel six years; and Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in his city, <i>which was </i>Gilead.


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And he had thirty sons and thirty daughters, whom he sent forth; and he brought in thirty daughters for his sons from outside; and he judged Israel seven years.


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And he had forty sons, and thirty grandsons, that rode upon seventy colts: and he judged Israel eight years.


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And Abdon the son of Hillel, the Pirathonite, died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the mount of Amalek.


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<n>The Birth of Samson</n> And the children of Israel yet again committed iniquity before the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.


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And there was a man of Zorah, of the family of the kindred of Dan, and his name was Manoah, and his wife was barren, and bore no children.


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And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman, and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not given birth; yet you shall conceive a son.


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for behold, you are with child, and shall bring forth a son; and there shall come no razor upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”


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And the woman went in, and spoke to her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His appearance <i>was as</i> of an angel of God, very fearful. And I did not ask Him where He was <i>from</i>, and He did not tell me His name.


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And He said to me, ‘Behold, you are with child, and shall bring forth a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat no unclean thing; for the child shall be holy to God from the womb until the day of his death.’”


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And Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, “I pray to You, O Lord my Lord, <i>concerning</i> the Man of God whom You sent; let Him now come to us once more, and teach us what we shall do with the child about to be born.”


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And the Lord heard the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came yet again to the woman. And she sat in the field, and Manoah her husband was not with her.


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And the woman made haste and ran, and brought word to her husband, and said to him, “Behold the Man who came in <i>the other</i> day to me has appeared to me.”


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And Manoah arose and followed his wife, and came to the Man, and said to Him, “Are you the Man that spoke to the woman?” And the Angel said, “I <i>am</i>.”


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And Manoah said, “Now shall <i>Your</i> word come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and our dealings with him?”


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And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Of all things concerning which I spoke to the woman, she shall beware.


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She shall eat of nothing that comes of the vine yielding wine, and let her not drink wine or strong liquor, and let her not eat anything unclean: all things that I have commanded her she shall observe.”


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And Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, “Let us detain You here, and prepare before You a young goat.”


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And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “If you should detain Me, I will not eat of your bread; and if you would offer a burnt offering, you shall 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, that <i>when</i> Your word shall come to pass, we may glorify You?”


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And Manoah took a young goat, and its grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord; and <i>the Angel</i> wrought a distinct work, and Manoah and his wife were looking on.


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And it came to pass when the flame went up above the altar toward heaven, that the Angel of the Lord went up in the flame; and Manoah and his wife were looking, and they fell upon their face to the earth.


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And the Angel appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that this <i>was</i> the Angel of the Lord.


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But his wife said to him, “If the Lord were pleased to slay us, He would not have received of our hand a burnt offering and a grain offering; and He would not have shown us all these things, neither would He have caused us to hear all these things as <i>He did</i> at this time.”


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And the woman brought forth a son, and she called his name Sampson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.


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And the Spirit of the Lord began to go out with him in the camp of Dan, and between Zorah and Esthaol.


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<n>Samson’s Marriage</n> And Sampson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.


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And he went up and told his father and his mother, and said, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; and now take her to me for a wife.”


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And his father and his mother said to him, “Are there no daughters among your brothers, and <i>is there not</i> a woman of all my people, that you <i>would </i>go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Sampson said to his father, “Take her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”


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And his father and his mother did not know that it was of the Lord, that He sought to be revenged on the Philistines. And at that time the Philistines lorded it over Israel.


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And Sampson and his father and his mother went down to Timnah, and he came to the vineyard of Timnah. And behold, a young lion roared in meeting him.


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And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he crushed <i>the lion</i> as he would have crushed a young goat, and there was nothing in his hands. And he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.


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And after some time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey <i>were</i> in the mouth of the lion.


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And he took it into his hands, and went on eating, and he went to his father and his mother, and gave to them, and they did eat; but he did not tell them that he took the honey out of the mouth of the lion.


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And his father went down to the woman, and Sampson made there a banquet for seven days, for so the young men are used to doing.


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And Sampson said to them, “I put to you a riddle: if you will indeed tell it to me, and discover it within the seven days of the feast, I will you give thirty sheets and thirty changes of clothing.


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And if you cannot tell it me, you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” And they said to him, “Put forth your riddle, and we will hear it.”


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And he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” And they could not explain the riddle for three days.


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And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they said to the wife of Sampson, “Deceive now your husband, and let him tell you the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire: did you invite us to do us violence?”


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And Sampson’s wife wept before him, and said, “You just hate me! You don’t love me! For the riddle which you have put to my people you have not told me.” And Sampson said to her, “If I have not told it to my father and my mother, shall I tell it to you?”


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And she wept before him the <i>entire </i>seven days in which the banquet lasted. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she troubled him; and she told it to her people.


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And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day, before sunrise, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And Sampson said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have known my riddle.”


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And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him powerfully, and he went down to Ashkelon, and destroyed thirty men among the inhabitants, and took their garments, and gave the changes of clothing to them that told the riddle. And Sampson was very angry, and went up to the house of his father.


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And the wife of Sampson was <i>given</i> to one of his friends, with whom he was on terms of friendship.


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<n>Samson Defeats the Philistines</n> And it came to pass after a time, in the days of wheat harvest, that Sampson visited his wife with a young goat, and said, “I will go in to my wife even into the chamber.” But her father did not allow him to go in.


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And her father spoke, saying, “I said that you surely did hate her, and I gave her to one of your friends: is not her younger sister better than she? Let her be to you instead of her.”


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And Sampson said to them, “Even for once am I guiltless with regard to the Philistines, in that I do mischief among them.”


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And Sampson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned <i>the foxes </i>tail to tail, and put a torch between two tails, and fastened it.


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And he set fire to the torches, and sent <i>the foxes</i> into the grain of the Philistines; and everything was burnt from the threshing floor to the standing grain, and even to the vineyard and olives.


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And the Philistines said, “Who <i>has done</i> these things?” And they said, “Sampson the son in law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife, and given her to one of his friends.” And the Philistines went up, and burned her and her father’s house with fire.


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And Sampson said to them, “Though you may have dealt thus with her, verily I will be avenged of you, and afterwards I will cease.”


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And he struck them, leg on thigh, <i>with</i> a great overthrow; and went down and dwelt in a cave of the rock of Etam.


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And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” And the Philistines said, “We have come up to bind Sampson, and to do to him as he has done to us.”


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And the three thousand men of Judah went down to the hole of the rock Etam, and they said to Sampson, “Don’t you know that the Philistines rule over us? And what <i>is</i> this <i>that</i> you have done to us?” And Sampson said to them, “As they did to me, so have I done to them.”


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And they said to him, “We have come down to bind you, to deliver you into the hand of the Philistines.” And Sampson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not fall upon me yourselves.”


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And they spoke to him, saying, “No, but we will only bind you securely, and deliver you into their hand, and will by no means kill you.” And they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him from that rock.


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And they came to Lehi. And the Philistines shouted, and ran to meet him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as flax which is burned with fire; and his bonds were consumed from off his hands.


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And he found the jawbone of a donkey that had been cast away, and he put forth his hand and took it, and he struck down a thousand men with it.


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And Sampson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey I have utterly destroyed them, for with the jawbone of a donkey I have struck down a thousand men.”


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And it came to pass when he ceased speaking, that he cast the jawbone out of his hand; and he called that place the Lifting of the Jawbone.


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And he was very thirsty, and wept before the Lord, and said, “You have been well pleased to grant this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?”


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And God broke open a hollow place in the jaw, and there came out water, and he drank; and his spirit returned and he revived. Therefore the name of the fountain was called The Well of the Invoker, which is in Lehi, to this day.


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And it was reported to the Gazites, saying, “Sampson has come here.” And they surrounded him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and they were quiet all the night, saying, “Let us wait until the sun rises, and <i>then </i>we will kill him.”


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And Sampson slept till midnight, and rose up at midnight, and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city with the two posts, and lifted them up with the bar, and laid them on his shoulders, and he went up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron, and laid them there.


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And the princes of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, “Deceive him, and see where his great strength is, and by what means we may prevail against him, and bind him to humble him; and we will give you each eleven hundred pieces of silver.”


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And Delilah said to Sampson, “Tell me, wherein lies your great strength, and with what may you be bound, so that you may be humbled.”


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And Sampson said to her, “If they bind me with seven moist cords that have not been spoiled, then shall I be weak, and be as one of the ordinary men.”


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And the princes of the Philistines brought to her seven moist cords that had not been spoiled, and she bound him with them.


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And the <i>men </i>lying in wait remained with her in the chamber; and she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Sampson.” And he broke the cords as if anyone should break a strand of yarn when it has touched the fire, and <i>the secret of </i>his strength was not known.


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And Delilah said to Sampson, “Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies; now then, tell me <i>with </i>what shall you be bound.”


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And he said to her, “If they should bind me securely with new ropes with which work has not been done, then shall I be weak, and shall be as another man.”


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And Delilah took new ropes, and bound him with them, and the <i>men </i>lying in wait came out of the chamber, and she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Sampson.” And he broke them off his arms like a thread.


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And Delilah said to Sampson, “Behold, you have deceived me, and told me lies; tell me, I intreat you, <i>with </i>what may you be bound.” And he said to her, “If you should weave the seven locks of my head with the web, and should fasten them with the pin into the wall, then shall I be weak as another man.”


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And it came to pass when he was asleep, that Delilah took the seven locks of his head, and wove them with the web, and fastened them with the pin into the wall. Then she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Sampson.” And he awoke out of his sleep, and carried away the pin of the web out of the wall.


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And Delilah said to Sampson, “How can you say ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? This <i>is the </i>third time you have deceived me, and have not told me where your great strength <i>lies</i>.”


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And it came to pass as she pressed him sore with her words continually, and pestered him, that his spirit failed, to the point of death.


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Then he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has not come upon my head, because I have been holy to God from my mother’s womb; if then I should be shaven, my strength will depart from me, and I shall be weak, and I shall be as all other men.”


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And Delilah saw that he told her all his heart, and she sent and called the princes of the Philistines, saying, “Come up yet this once; for he has told me all his heart.” And the chiefs of the Philistines went up to her, and brought the money in their hands.


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And Delilah made Sampson sleep upon her knees. And she called a man, and he shaved the seven locks of his head, and she began to humble him, and his strength departed from him.


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And Delilah said, “The Philistines are upon you, Sampson.” And he awoke out of his sleep and said, “I will go out as at former times, and shake myself”; and he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.


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And the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he became a grinder in the prison house.


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<n>The Death of Samson</n> And the chiefs of the Philistines met to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon, and to make merry. And they said, “<i>Our </i>god has given into our hand our enemy Sampson.”


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And the people saw him, and sang praises to their god; “For our god,” <i>they said</i>, “has delivered our enemy into our hand, who wasted our land, and who multiplied our slain.”


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And when their heart was merry, then they said, “Call Sampson out of the prison house, and let him play before us.” And they called Sampson out of the prison house, and he played before them; and they struck him with the palms of their hands, and set him between the pillars.


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And Sampson said to the young man that held his hand, “Allow me to feel the pillars on which the house <i>rests</i>, and I will lean myself upon them.”


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And the house <i>was</i> full of men and women, and there <i>were</i> all the chiefs of the Philistines, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women looking at the sports of Sampson.


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And Sampson wept before the Lord, and said, “O Lord, my Lord, remember me, I pray, and strengthen me, O God, just this once, and I will be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”


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And Sampson took hold of the two pillars on which the house stood, and leaned on them, and laid hold of one with his right hand, and the other with his left.


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And Sampson said, “Let my wife perish with the Philistines.” And he bowed himself mightily; and the house fell upon the princes, and upon all the people that were in it. And the dead whom Sampson slew in his death were more than those whom he slew in his life.


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And his brothers and his father’s house went down, and they took him; and they went up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah; and he judged Israel twenty years.


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And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver which you took of yourself, and <i>about which</i> you cursed me, and spoke in my ears, <i>saying, </i>‘Behold, the silver is with me’; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son of the Lord.”


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And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, “I had wholly consecrated the money to the Lord out of my hand for my son, to make a graven and a molten <i>image</i>, and now I will restore it to you.”


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But he returned the silver to his mother, and his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silversmith, and he made it a graven and a molten image; and it was in the house of Micah.


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And the house of Micah <i>was</i> to him the house of God, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and he consecrated one of his sons, and he became to him a priest.


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And there was a young man in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah, and he <i>was</i> a Levite, and he was sojourning there.


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And the man departed from Bethlehem the city of Judah to sojourn in whatever place he might find. And he came as far as Mount Ephraim, and to the house of Micah to accomplish his journey.


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And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I go to sojourn in any place I may find.”


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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 every year, and a change of clothing, and your living.”


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And the Levite went and began to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.


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<n>The Migration of Dan</n> In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of Dan sought for itself an inheritance to inhabit, because no inheritance had fallen to it until that day in the midst of the tribes of the children of Israel.


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And the sons of Dan sent from their families five men of valor, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it. And they said to them, “Go and search out the land.” And they came as far as the mount of Ephraim to the house of Micah, and they lodged there


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in the house of Micah, and they recognized the voice of the young man the Levite, and turned in there. And they said to him, “Who brought you in here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?”


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And they said to him, “Inquire now of God, and we shall know whether our way will prosper, on which we are going.”


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And the five men went on, and came to Laish; and they saw the people in the midst of it dwelling securely, at ease as is the manner of the Sidonians, and there is no one perverting or shaming a matter in the land, nor an heir extorting treasures; and they are far from the Sidonians, and they have no ties with anyone.


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And the five men came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, and said to their brothers, “Why do you sit here idle?”


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And they said, “Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good, yet you are still: do not delay to go, and to enter in to possess the land.


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And whenever you shall go, you shall come in upon a secure people, and the land is extensive, for God has given it into your hand; a place where there is no lack of anything that the earth affords.”


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And there departed six hundred men of the families of Dan, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, girded with weapons of war.


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And they went up, and encamped in Kirjath Jearim in Judah; therefore it was called in that place the Camp of Dan, until this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath Jearim.


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And the five men who went to spy out the land of Laish answered and said to their brothers, “You know that there is in this place an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven and a molten image; and now consider what you shall do.”


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And they turned aside there, and went into the house of the young man, the Levite, even into the house of Micah, and asked him how he was.


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And the six hundred men of the sons of Dan who were girded with their weapons of war stood by the door of the gate.


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And the five men who went to spy out the land went up, and entered into the house of Micah, and the priest stood.


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And they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”


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And they said to him, “Be silent, lay your hand upon your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for you to be the priest of the house of one man, or to be the priest of a tribe and house for a family of Israel?”


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


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So they turned and departed, and put their children and their property and their baggage before them.


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They went some distance from the house of Micah, and behold, Micah and the men in the houses near Micah’s house cried out, and overtook the children of Dan.


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And the children of Dan turned their face, and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have cried out?”


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And Micah said, “Because you have taken my graven image which I made, and my priest, and have gone; and what have I remaining? And what is this that you say to me, ‘Why do you cry?’”


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And the children of Dan said to him, “Let not your voice be heard with us, lest angry men run upon you, and take away your life, and the lives of your house.”


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And the children of Dan went their way; and Micah saw that they were stronger than himself, and he returned to his house.


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<n>The Danites Settle in Laish</n> And the children of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest that he had, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and burned the city with fire.


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And there was no deliverer, because the city is far from the Sidonians, and they have no ties with anyone, and it is in the valley of the house of Raab; and they built the city, and dwelt in it.


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And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; and the name of the city was Laish before.


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And the children of Dan set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan son of Gershom son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan till the time of the carrying away of the nation.


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And they set up for themselves the graven image which Micah had made, all the days that the house of God was in Shiloh; and it was so in those days that there was no king in Israel.


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<n>The Levite’s Concubine</n> And there was a Levite sojourning in the sides of Mount Ephraim, and he took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem Judah.


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And his concubine departed from him, and went away from him to the house of her father to Bethlehem Judah, and she was there four months.


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And her husband rose up, and went after her to speak kindly to her, to recover her to himself. And he had his young man with him, and a pair of donkeys; and she brought him into the house of her father. And the father of the young woman saw him, and was well pleased to meet him.


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And his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, constrained him, and he stayed with him for three days; and they ate and drank, and lodged there.


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And it came to pass on the fourth day that they rose early, and he stood up to depart. And the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterwards you shall go.”


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So they two sat down together and ate and drank. And the father of the young woman said to her husband, “Now stay the night, and let your heart be merry.”


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And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law constrained him, and he stayed and lodged there.


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And he rose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the father of the young woman said, “Now strengthen your heart, and do not be a soldier until the day declines”; and the two ate.


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And the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine, and his young man. But his father in law, the father of the young woman said to him, “Behold now, the day has declined toward evening; lodge here, and let your heart rejoice; and you shall rise early tomorrow for your journey, and you shall go to your home.”


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However the man would not lodge there, but he arose and departed, and came to the part opposite Jebus, (this is Jerusalem) and <i>there was</i> with him a pair of donkeys, saddled, and his concubine was with him.


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And they came as far as Jebus. And the day had far advanced, and the young man said to his master, “Come, and let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites, and let us lodge in it.”


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And his master said to him, “We will not turn aside to a strange city, where there is none of the children of Israel, but we will pass on as far as Gibeah.”


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And he said to his young man, “Come, and let us draw near to one of the places, and we will lodge in Gibeah or in Ramah.”


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And they passed by and went on, and the sun went down upon them near to Gibeah, which is in Benjamin.


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And they turned aside there to go in to lodge in Gibeah. And they went in, and sat down in the street of the city, and there was no one would take them into <i>his</i> house to spend the night.


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And behold, an old man came out of the field from his work in the evening; and the man was of Mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah, and the men of the place were sons of Benjamin.


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And he lifted up his eyes, and saw a traveler in the street of the city; and the old man said to him, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”


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And he said to him, “We are passing by from Bethlehem Judah to the sides of Mount Ephraim; I am from there, and I went as far as Bethlehem Judah, and I am going home, and there is no man to take me into his house.


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Although we have both straw and food for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and my maid and the young man with your servants; there is no lack of anything.”


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And the old man said, “Peace be unto you; however <i>let </i>all your needs be upon me, and by no means lodge in the street.”


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And he brought him into his house, and made room for his donkeys; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.


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<n>Gibeah’s Crime</n> And they <i>were</i> enjoying themselves, when behold, the men of the city, sons of transgressors, surrounded the house, knocking at the door. And they spoke to the old man, the owner of the house, saying, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.”


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And the master of the house came out to them, and said, “No, brothers, I beg you, do not act so wickedly, seeing this man has come into my house; do not commit this outrage.


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Behold my daughter <i>is </i>a virgin, and the man’s concubine <i>is here as well</i>: I will bring them out. Humble them, and do to them as you please; but to this man do not do such a vile thing!”


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But the men would not consent to hear him. So the man laid hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they knew her, and abused her all night till the morning, and let her go when the morning dawned.


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And the woman came toward morning, and fell down at the door of the house where her husband was, until it was light.


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And her husband rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went forth to go on his journey; and behold, the woman his concubine had fallen down by the doors of the house, and her hands were on the threshold.


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And he said to her, “Get up, and let us go”; but she did not answer, for she was dead. And he took her upon his donkey, and went to his place.


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And he took his sword, and laid hold of his concubine, and divided her into twelve parts, and sent them to every coast of Israel.


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And it was so, that everyone who saw it said, “<i>Such a day</i> as this has not happened nor has been seen from the day of the going up of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt until this day: take counsel concerning it, and speak.”


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<n>Israel’s War with the Benjamites</n> And all the children of Israel went out, and all the congregation was gathered as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, and in the land of Gilead, to the Lord at Mizpah.


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And all the tribes of Israel stood before the Lord in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew <i>the </i>sword.


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And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah: and the children of Israel came and said, “Tell us, where did this wickedness take place?”


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And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, “I and my concubine went to Gibeah of Benjamin to lodge.


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And the men of Gibeah rose up against me, and surrounded the house by night against me; they wanted to kill me, and they have humbled my concubine, and she is dead.


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And I laid hold of my concubine, and divided her in pieces, and sent <i>the parts</i> into every coast of the inheritance of the children of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and an abomination in Israel.


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And all the people rose up as one man, saying, “None of us shall return to his tent, and none of us shall return to his house.


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Moreover we will take ten men for a hundred for all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred for a thousand, and a thousand for ten thousand, to take provision, to cause them to come to Gibeah of Benjamin, to do to it according to all the abomination which they have done in Israel.”


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


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Now then give up the men, the sons of transgressors that are in Gibeah, and we will put them to death, and purge out <i>the </i>wickedness from Israel.” But the children of Benjamin did not consent to obey the voice of their brothers the children of Israel.


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And the children of Benjamin were gathered from their cities to Gibeah, to go forth to fight with the children of Israel.


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And the children of Benjamin from their cities were numbered in that day, twenty-three thousand, <i>every</i> man drawing a sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men of all the people, able to use both hands alike.


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And the men of Israel, exclusive of Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew <i>the </i>sword; all these were men of war.


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And they arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired of God. And the children of Israel said, “Who shall go up for us first to fight with the children of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first as leader.”


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And the sons of Benjamin went forth from Gibeah, and they destroyed in Israel on that day twenty-two thousand men down to the ground.


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And the men of Israel strengthened themselves, and again engaged in battle in the place where they had engaged on the first day.


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And the children of Israel went up, and wept before the Lord till evening, and inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall we again draw near to battle with our brothers the children of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against them.”


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And the children of Benjamin went forth to meet them from Gibeah on the second day, and destroyed of the children of Israel yet eighteen thousand more men down to the ground: all these drew <i>the </i>sword.


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And the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came to Bethel. And they wept, and sat there before the Lord; and they fasted on that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and perfect sacrifices before the Lord,


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and Phineas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron stood before it in those days; and the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall we yet again go forth to fight with our brothers the sons of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands.”


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And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as before.


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And the children of Benjamin went out to meet the people, and were all drawn out of the city, and began to strike and kill the people as before in the roads, one of which goes up to Bethel, and one to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.


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And the children of Benjamin said, “They fall before us as at the first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let us flee, and draw them out from the city into the roads”; and they did so.


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And all the men rose up out of their places, and engaged in Baal Tamar. Then Israel’s men in ambush advanced from their place from Maraagabe.


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And there came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel; and the fight was severe; and they did not know that evil was coming upon them.


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And the Lord struck Benjamin before the children of Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin in that day a hundred and twenty-five thousand men: all these drew <i>the </i>sword.


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And the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten; and the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin, because they trusted in the men in ambush which they had prepared against Gibeah.


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And when they retreated, then those in ambush rose up, and they moved toward Gibeah, and the whole ambush came forth, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword.


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And the children of Israel had a signal of battle with those <i>waiting</i> in ambush, that they should send up a signal of smoke from the city.


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And the children of Israel saw that those in ambush had seized Gibeah, and they stood in line of battle; and Benjamin began to strike down wounded ones among the men of Israel, about thirty men; for they said, “Surely they fall again before us, as in the first battle.”


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And the signal went up increasingly over the city as a pillar of smoke. And Benjamin looked behind him, and behold the destruction of the city went up to heaven.


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And the men of Israel turned back, and the men of Benjamin panicked, because they saw that evil had come upon them.


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And they turned to the way of the wilderness from before the children of Israel, and fled: but the battle overtook them, and those from the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.


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And they cut down Benjamin, and pursued him from Nua closely till they came opposite Gibeah on the east.


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And the rest turned, and fled to the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; and the children of Israel picked off of them five thousand men; and the children of Israel went down after them as far as Gidom, and they killed two thousand of them.


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And all that fell of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew <i>the </i>sword in that day: all these were men of might.


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And the rest turned, and fled to the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, even six hundred men; and they sojourned four months in the rock of Rimmon.


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And the children of Israel returned to the children of Benjamin, and struck them with the edge of the sword from the city of Methla, even to the cattle, and everything that was found in all the cities: and they burned with fire the cities they found.


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<n>Wives Provided for the Benjamites</n> Now the children of Israel swore in Mizpah, saying, “No man of us shall give his daughter to Benjamin for a wife.”


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And the people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God. And they lifted up their voice and wept with a great weeping;


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and said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this come to pass, that today one tribe should be counted <i>as missing</i> from Israel?”


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And it came to pass on the next day that the people rose up early, and built an altar there, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings.


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And the children of Israel said, “Who of all the tribes of Israel, did not go up among the congregation, to the Lord?” For there was a great oath concerning those who did not go up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”


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And the children of Israel relented toward Benjamin their brother, and said, “Today one tribe is cut off from Israel.


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What shall we do for wives for the rest that remain? Whereas we have sworn by the Lord, not to give them of our daughters for wives.”


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And they said, “What one man is there of the tribes of Israel, who did not go up to the Lord to Mizpah?” And behold, no man came to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly.


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And the congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the strongest, and they commanded them, saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword.


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And this shall you do: every male and every woman that has known the lying with a man you shall devote to <i>destruction</i>, but the virgins you shall save alive.” And they did so.


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And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins, who had not known a man by lying with him; and they brought them to Shiloh in the land of Canaan.


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And all the congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin at the rock of Rimmon, and invited them to <i>make</i> peace.


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And Benjamin returned to the children of Israel at that time, and the children of Israel gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the daughters of Jabesh Gilead; and they were content.


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And the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for them that remain?” For the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin.


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And they said, “<i>There must be</i> an inheritance of those that have escaped of Benjamin; and so a tribe shall not be destroyed out of Israel.


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For we shall not be able to give them wives of our daughters, because we swore among the children of Israel, saying, ‘Cursed is he that gives a wife to Benjamin.’”


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And they said, “Lo! Now <i>there is</i> a feast of the Lord from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, eastward on the way that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and from the south of Lebonah.


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and you shall see; and lo! If there come out the daughters of the inhabitants of Shiloh to perform their dances, then shall you go out of the vineyards and seize for yourselves every man a wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go into the land of Benjamin.


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And it shall come to pass, when their fathers or their brothers come to dispute with us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them freely to us, for we have not taken every man his wife in the battle: because you did not give to them according to the occasion, you transgressed.’”


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And the children of Benjamin did so; and they took wives according to their number from the dancers whom they seized. And they went and returned to their inheritance, and built the cities, and dwelt in them.


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And the children of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and his family; they went out from there, every man to his inheritance.


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<n>Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab</n> And it came to pass <i>in the days </i>when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a man went from Bethlehem, Judah to sojourn in the land of Moab—he, his wife, and his two sons.


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And the man's name <i>was</i> Elimelech, and his wife's name <i>was </i>Naomi, and the names of his two sons <i>were </i>Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they came to the land of Moab, and remained there.


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And they took to themselves wives, women of Moab; the name of the one <i>was</i> Orpah, and the name of the second <i>was</i> Ruth; and they dwelt there about ten years.


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<n>Naomi and Her Moabite Daughters-In-Law</n> And she rose up, and her two daughters-in-law, and they returned out of the country of Moab, for she heard in the country of Moab that the Lord <i>had</i> visited His people to give them bread.


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And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went by the way to return to the land of Judah.


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And Naomi said to her daughters-in-law, “Go now, and each of you return to the house of her mother. The Lord deal mercifully with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.


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The Lord grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.” And she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept.


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And Naomi said, “Return now, my daughters; and why do you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb to be your husbands?


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Turn now, my daughters, for I am too old to be married: for I said, Suppose I were married, and should bear sons;


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would you wait for them till they should be grown? Or would you refrain from being married for their sakes? Not so, my daughters, for I am grieved for you, that the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.”


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And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people; but Ruth followed her.


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And Naomi said to Ruth, “Behold, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods; turn now also after your sister-in-law.”


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And Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you, or to return from following you; for wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people <i>shall be</i> my people, and your God my God.


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And wherever you die, I will die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, <i>if I leave you</i>, for death <i>only</i> shall divide between me and you.”


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Now they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they arrived at Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them, and they said, “Is this Naomi?”


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And she said to them, “No, do not call me Naomi; call me 'Bitter,' for the Mighty One has dealt very bitterly with me.


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I went out full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. And why do you call me Naomi, seeing the Lord has humbled me and the Mighty One has afflicted me?”


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


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<n>Ruth Meets Boaz</n> And Naomi had <i>a friend,</i> an acquaintance of her husband, and the man <i>was</i> a mighty man of the kindred of Elimelech, and his name <i>was</i> Boaz.


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And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me go now to the field, and I will glean among the ears behind the man with whomsoever I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, daughter.”


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And she went; and came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers; and she happened by chance to come on a portion of the land of Boaz, of the kindred of Elimelech.


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And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord <i>be</i> with you.” And they said to him, “The Lord bless you.”


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And his servant who was set over the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi out of the land of Moab.


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And she said, ‘I beseech you, let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ And she came and stood from morning till evening, and did not rest, <i>even</i> a little, in the field.”


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And Boaz said to Ruth, “Have you not heard, <i>my</i> daughter? Do not depart to glean in another field; do not depart from here, <i>but </i>join yourself here with my young women.


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<i>Let</i> your eyes <i>be</i> on the field where <i>my men</i> reap, and you shall go after them. Behold, I have charged the young men not to touch you, and when you shall thirst, then you shall go to the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.”


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And she fell upon her face, and bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “How is it that I have found grace in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, seeing that I am a stranger?”


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And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me how you have dealt with your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, and how you left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and came to a people whom you did not know before.


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The Lord recompense your work; may a full reward be given to you from the Lord God of Israel, to whom you have come to trust under His wings.”


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And she said, “Let me find grace in your sight, my lord, because you have have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your maidservant, and behold, I shall be as one of your servants.”


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And Boaz said to her, “Now <i>it is</i> time to eat; come here, and you shall eat of the bread, and you shall dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So Ruth sat by the side of the reapers; and Boaz handed her parched grain, and she ate, and was satisfied, and left.


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And she rose up to glean; and Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her even glean among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.


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And by all means carry it for her, and you shall surely let fall for her some of that which is heaped up; and let her eat, and glean, and do not rebuke her.”


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So she gleaned in the field till evening, and beat out that she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.


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And she took <i>it</i> up, and went into the city. And her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned, and Ruth brought forth and gave to her the food which she had left from what she had been satisfied with.


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And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today, and where have you worked? Blessed be the man that took notice of you.” And Ruth told her mother-in-law where she <i>had</i> worked, and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today <i>is</i> Boaz.”


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And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed is he of the Lord, because He has not failed in His mercy with the living and the dead.” And Naomi said to her, “This man is our relative, and is one of our relations.”


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And Ruth said to her mother-in-law, “Yes, he also said to me, ‘Keep close to my young women, until the men shall have finished all my reaping.’”


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And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “<i>It is</i> well, daughter, that you went out with his young women; thus they shall not meet you in another field.”


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And Ruth joined herself to the young women of Boaz, to glean until they had finished the barley harvest and the wheat harvest.


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<n>Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor</n> And she lodged with her mother-in-law. And Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?


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And now <i>is</i> not Boaz our kinsman, with whose young women you were with? Behold, he winnows barley this night in the floor.


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But wash, and anoint yourself, and put your best clothing on, and go up to the threshing floor—do not make yourself known to the man until he has done eating and drinking.


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And it shall come to pass when he lies down, that you shall mark the place where he lies down, and shall come and lift up the covering of his feet, and shall lie down; and he shall tell you what you shall do.”


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And she went down to the threshing floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her.


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And Boaz ate and drank, and his heart was glad, and he came to lie down by the side of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and lifted up the covering of his feet.


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And it came to pass at midnight that the man was amazed, and troubled, and behold, a woman lay at his feet.


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And he said, “Who are you?” And she said, “I am your maidservant Ruth; spread your skirt over your maidservant, for you are a close relative.”


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And Boaz said, “Blessed <i>are</i> you of the Lord God, <i>my</i> daughter, for you have made your latter kindness greater than the former, in that you did not follow after the young men, whether <i>any be</i> poor or rich.


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And now fear not, my daughter, whatever you shall say I will do for you; for all the tribe of my people knows that you are a virtuous woman.


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Lodge <i>here</i> for the night, and it shall be in the morning, if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good, let him do it. But if he will not perform the duty of a close relative for you, then I will perform the relative’s duty for you, <i>as</i> the Lord lives; lie down till the morning.”


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And she laid at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before a man could recognize his neighbor; and Boaz said, “Let it not be known that a woman came into the threshing floor.”


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And he said to her, “Bring the apron that is upon you.” And she held it, and he measured six measures of barley, and put them upon her, and she went into the city.


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And Ruth went in to her mother-in-law, and she said to her, “<i>My</i> daughter!” And <i>Ruth</i> told her all that the man had done for her.


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And she said to her, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said to me, ‘do not go empty to your mother-in-law.’”


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And she said, “Sit still, <i>my</i> daughter, until you shall know how the matter will fall out; for the man will not rest until the matter is resolved this day.”


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<n>Boaz Redeems Ruth</n> And Boaz went up to the gate, and sat there. And behold, the relative passed by, of whom Boaz spoke. And Boaz said to him, “Turn aside, <i>and </i>sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.


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And Boaz said to the relative, “<i>The matter regards</i> the portion of the field which was our brother Elimelech's which was given to Naomi, who has now returned out of the land of Moab.


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And I said, ‘I will inform you, saying, Buy it before those that sit, and before the elders of my people: if you will redeem it, redeem it, but if you will not redeem it, <i>then </i>tell me, and I shall know; for there is no one beside you to redeem <i>it</i>, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I am <i>here</i>, I will redeem it.”


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And Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi and of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased, you must also buy her, so as to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.”


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And the kinsman said, I shall not be able to redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance; you redeem my right for yourself, for I shall not be able to redeem <i>it</i>.”


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And this <i>was</i> the ordinance in former times in Israel for redemption, and for a bargain, to confirm every word: A man loosed his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor that redeemed his right; and this was <i>for </i>a testimony in Israel.


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And the kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy my right for yourself.” And he took off his shoe and gave it to him.


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And Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You <i>are</i> witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon, from the hand of Naomi.


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Moreover I have bought for myself for a wife Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance; so the name of the dead shall not be destroyed from among his brothers, and from the tribe of his people: you <i>are</i> witnesses this day.”


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And all the people who were in the gate said, “<i>We are</i> witnesses”; and the elders said, “The Lord make your wife who goes into your house, as Rachel and as Leah, who both <i>together</i> built the house of Israel, and wrought mightily in Ephratha, and there shall be a name <i>to you</i> in Bethlehem.


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And let your house be as the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the descendants which the Lord shall give you of this maidservant.”


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<n>Descendants of Boaz and Ruth</n> And Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her; and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.


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And the woman said to Naomi, “Blessed <i>is</i> the Lord, who has not allowed a redeemer to fail you this day, even to make your name famous in Israel.


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And he shall be to you a restorer of your soul, and one to cherish <i>in </i>your old age; for your daughter-in-law who has loved you, who is better to you than seven sons, has born him.”


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And the neighbors gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi”; and they called his name Obed; this <i>is</i> the father of Jesse, the father of David.


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<n>The Family of Elkanah</n> There was a man of Ramathaim Zophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name <i>was</i> Elkanah, a son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, in Nasib Ephraim.


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And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the second <i>was </i>Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no child.


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And the man went up from year to year from his city, from Ramathaim, to worship and sacrifice to the Lord God of Sabaoth at Shiloh. And <i>the</i> two sons of Eli were there, Hophni and Phineas, the priests of the Lord.


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And to Hannah he gave a prime portion, because she had no child. And Elkanah loved Hannah more than the other; and the Lord had closed her womb.


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For the Lord gave her no child in her affliction, and according to the despondency of her affliction; and she was dispirited on this account, that the Lord had shut up her womb so as not to give her a child.


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So she went up to the house of the Lord year by year; and she was dispirited, and wept, and did not eat.


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<n>Hannah’s Vow</n> And Elkanah her husband called to her, “Hannah.” And she said to him, “Here am I, my lord.” And he said to her, “Why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why does your heart grieve you? Am I not better to you than ten children?”


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And Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and stood before the Lord. And Eli the priest was on a seat by the threshold of the temple of the Lord.


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And she vowed a vow to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God of Sabaoth, if You will indeed look upon the humiliation of Your maidservant and remember me, and give to Your maidservant a male child, then will I indeed dedicate him to You till the day of his death; and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and no razor shall come upon his head.”


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And it came to pass, while she was praying a long <i>time </i>before the Lord, that Eli the priest watched her mouth.


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And she was speaking in her heart, and her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. And Eli reckoned her to be drunk.


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And the servant of Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you, and go out from the presence of the Lord!”


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And Hannah answered and said, “No my lord, <i>I live</i> in a hard day, and I have not drunk wine or strong drink, and I pour out my soul before the Lord.


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Do not count your maidservant for a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint I have continued <i>my prayer</i> until now.”


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And Eli answered and said to her, “Go in peace, <i>and</i> <i>may </i>the God of Israel give you all your petition, which you have asked of Him.”


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And she said, “Your maidservant has found favor in your eyes.” And the woman went her way, and entered into her lodging, and ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was no longer sad.


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<n>The Birth of Samuel</n> And they rose early in the morning, and worshipped the Lord, and they went their way. And Elkanah went into his house at Ramathaim, and had relations with his wife Hannah; and the Lord remembered her, and she conceived.


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And it came to pass when the time had come, that she brought forth a son, and called his name Samuel, and said, “Because I asked him of the Lord God of Sabaoth.”


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And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer in Shiloh the yearly sacrifice, and his vows, and all the tithes of his land.


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But Hannah did not go up with him, for she said to her husband, “<i>I will not go up</i> until the child goes up, when I have weaned him, and he shall be presented before the Lord, and he shall abide there continually.”


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And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do that which is good in your eyes, abide still until you have weaned him; and may the Lord establish that which comes out of your mouth.” And the woman waited, and suckled her son until she had weaned him.


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And she went up with him to Shiloh with a calf of three years old, and loaves, and an ephah of fine flour, and a skin of wine. And she entered into the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child with them.


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And they brought him before the Lord; and his father slaughtered his offering which he offered from year to year to the Lord; and he brought the child near, and slaughtered the calf; and Hannah the mother of the child brought him to Eli.


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And she said, “I pray, my lord, as your soul lives, I am the woman that stood in your presence with you while praying to the Lord.


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<n>Hannah’s Prayer</n> And she said, “My heart is established in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies, I have rejoiced in Your salvation.


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For there is none holy like the Lord, and there is none righteous as our God; there is none holy besides You.


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Boast not, and utter not high things; let not high sounding words come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and God prepares His own designs.


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They that were full of bread have been brought low; and the hungry have forsaken the land; for the barren has born seven, and she that abounded in children has grown feeble.


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He lifts up the poor from the earth, and raises the needy from the dunghill; to seat him with the princes of the people, and causing them to inherit the throne of glory;


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granting his petition to him that prays; and He blesses the years of the righteous, for by strength cannot man prevail.


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The Lord will weaken His adversary; the Lord is holy. Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast in his strength, and let not the rich man boast in his wealth; but let him that boasts boast in this: to understand and know the Lord, and to execute judgment and justice in the midst of the earth. The Lord has gone up to the heavens, and has thundered: He will judge the extremities of the earth, and He gives strength to our kings, and will exalt the horn of His anointed.”


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And she left him there before the Lord and departed to Ramathaim. And the child ministered in the presence of the Lord before Eli the priest.


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And the priest’s claim from everyone of the people that sacrificed was this: the servant of the priest came while the meat was boiling, and a flesh-hook of three teeth was in his hand.


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And he struck it into the great caldron, or into the bronze vessel, or into the pot, and whatever came up with the flesh-hook, the priest took for himself. So they did to all Israel that came to sacrifice to the Lord in Shiloh.


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And before the fat was burnt for a sweet savor, the servant of the priest would come, and say to the man that sacrificed, “Give some meat to roast for the priest, and I will by no means take from you boiled meat out of the caldron.”


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And if the man that sacrificed said, “First let the fat be burned, as it is fit, and take for yourself of all things which your soul desires,” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not I will take it by force.”


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


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<n>The Child Samuel at Shiloh</n> And Samuel ministered before the Lord, a child wearing a linen ephod.


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And his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, in her going up in company with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.


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And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, saying, “The Lord recompense to you decendants from this woman, in return for the loan which you have lent to the Lord.” And the man returned to his place.


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


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<n>Prophecy Against Eli’s Household</n> And Eli was very old, and he heard what his sons did to the children of Israel.


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And he said to them, “Why do you do such things, which I hear from the mouth of all the people of the Lord?


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No my sons! For the report which I hear is not good. Do not <i>do </i>so, for the reports which I hear are not good, so that the people do not serve God.


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If a man should sin against another, then shall they pray for him to the Lord; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to destroy them.


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And a man of God came to Eli, and said, “Thus says the Lord, I plainly revealed Myself to the house of your father, when they were servants in Egypt to the house of Pharaoh.


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And I chose the house of your father out of all the tribes of Israel to minister to Me in the priest’s office, to go up to My altar, and to burn incense, and to wear an ephod. And I gave to the house of your father all the offerings by fire of the children of Israel for food.


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Therefore why have you looked upon My incense offering and My grain offering with a shameless eye, and have honored your sons above Me, so that they should bless themselves with the firstfruits of every sacrifice of Israel before Me?


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Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: I said, Your house and the house of your father shall pass before Me forever: but now the Lord says, ‘Far be it from Me; for I will only honor them that honor Me, and he that despises Me shall be despised.


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Behold, the days are coming when I will destroy your descendants, and the descendants of your father’s house.


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And if I do not destroy a man of yours from My altar, <i>it shall be</i> that his eyes may fail and his soul may perish; and everyone that remains in your house shall fall by the sword of men.


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And this which shall come upon your two sons Hophni and Phineas shall be a sign to you: in one day they shall both die.


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And I will raise up to Myself a faithful priest, who shall do all that is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.


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And it shall come to pass that he that survives in your house will come and bow down before him for a little piece of silver, saying, “Put me into one of your priest’s offices to eat bread.”’”


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<n>Samuel’s Calling</n> And the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days, <i>for </i>there was no distinct vision.


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And it came to pass at that time that Eli was sleeping in his place; and his eyes began to fail, and could not see.


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And the lamp of God <i>was burning</i> before it was trimmed, and Samuel slept in the temple, where the ark of God was.


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And he ran to Eli and said, “<i>Here</i> I <i>am</i>, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call you; return, go to sleep.” And he returned and went to sleep.


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And the Lord called again, “Samuel, Samuel.” And he went to Eli the second time, and said, “Behold <i>here</i> I <i>am</i>, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call you; return, go to sleep.”


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And <i>this was</i> before Samuel knew the Lord, and <i>before</i> the word of the Lord was revealed to him.


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And the Lord called Samuel again for the third time; and he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Behold, I <i>am here</i>, for you called me.” And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.


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And he said, “Return, child, go to sleep; and it shall come to pass if He shall call you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.


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And the Lord came, and stood, and called him as before. And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”


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And the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I execute My words in Israel; whoever hears them, both his ears shall tingle.


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In that day I will raise up against Eli all things that I have said against his house; I will begin, and I will make an end.


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And I have told him that I will be avenged on his house perpetually for the iniquities of his sons, because his sons spoke evil against God, and he did not admonish them.


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And <i>it shall</i> not <i>go on</i> so; I have sworn to the house of Eli, the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for with incense or sacrifices forever.”


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And Samuel slept till morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord; and Samuel feared to tell <i>Eli</i> the vision.


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And he said, “What was the word that was spoken to you? I pray you do not hide it from me: may God do these things to you, and more also, if you hide from me anything of all the words that were spoken to you in your ears.”


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And Samuel reported all the words, and did not hide them from him. And Eli said, “He is the Lord, He shall do that which is good in His sight.”


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And the Lord manifested Himself again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel. And Samuel was believed by all Israel, from one end of the land to the other, to be a prophet <i>of</i> the Lord. And Eli <i>was</i> very old, and his sons kept advancing <i>in wickedness</i>, and their way <i>was</i> evil before the Lord.


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<n>The Ark of God Captured</n> And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Israel to war; and Israel went out to meet them and encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.


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And the Philistines prepared to fight with Israel, and the battle was turned against them. And the men of Israel fell before the Philistines, and four thousand men were killed in the battlefield.


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And the people came to the camp, and the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord caused us to fall this day before the Philistines? Let us take the ark of our God out of Shiloh, and let it proceed from the midst of us, and it shall save us from the hand of our enemies.”


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And the people sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the Lord who dwells between the cherubim. And both the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were with the ark.


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And it came to pass when the ark of the Lord entered into the camp, that all Israel cried out with a loud voice, and the earth resounded.


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And the Philistines heard the cry, and the Philistines said, “What is this great cry in the camp of the Hebrews?” And they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.


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Woe to us, O lord, deliver us today, for such a thing has not happened before. Woe to us; who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck Egypt with every plague, and in the wilderness.


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Strengthen yourselves and behave yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you may not serve the Hebrews as they have served us, but be men, and fight with them!”


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And they fought with them; and the men of Israel fell, and they fled, every man to his tent. And there was a very great slaughter; and there fell of Israel thirty thousand fighting men.


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<n>The Death of Eli</n> And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the battle, and he came to Shiloh on that day. And his clothes were torn, and dust was upon his head.


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And he came, and behold, Eli was upon the seat by the gate, watching the road, for his heart was greatly alarmed for the ark of God. And the man entered into the city to bring news, and the city cried out.


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And Eli heard the sound of the cry, and said, “What is the voice of this cry?” And the men hastened and went in, and reported to Eli.


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And Eli said to them that stood round about him, “What is the voice of this sound?” And the man hastened and advanced to Eli, and said to him, “I am he that has come out of the camp, and I have fled from the battle today.” And Eli said, “What has happened, my son?”


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And the young man answered and said, “The men of Israel fled from the face of the Philistines, and there was a great slaughter among the people, and both your sons are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.”


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And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from the seat backward near the gate, and his back was broken, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. And he judged Israel twenty years.


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<n>Ichabod</n> And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas, was pregnant, <i>and </i>she<i> was </i>about to give birth. And she heard the news that the ark of God had been taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead. And she wept and gave birth, for her pains came upon her.


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And in her time she was at the point of death; and the women that stood by her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have born a son.” But she did not answer, and she did not understand in her heart.


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And she called the child <RF q=2>2 Lit. <i>no glory</i></n>Ichabod, because of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law, and because of her husband.


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<n>The Philistines and the Ark</n> And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.


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And the Philistines took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.


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And the people of Ashdod rose early, and entered into the house of Dagon. And they looked, and behold, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of the Lord. So they lifted up Dagon, and set him in his place. And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Ashdodians, and He plagued them, and He struck them in their secret parts, <i>both in </i>Ashdod and her coasts.


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And it came to pass when they rose early in the morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off each before the threshold, and both the wrists of his hands had fallen on the floor of the porch; only the stump of Dagon was left.


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Therefore the priests of Dagon, and everyone that enters into the house of Dagon, do not tread upon the threshold of the house of Dagon in Ashdod to this day, but <i>rather</i> they step over <i>it</i>.


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And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon Ashdod, and He brought evil upon them, and it burst out upon them into the ships, and rats sprang up in the midst of their country, and there was a great tumult of death in the city.


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And the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, and they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us, for His hand is heavy upon us, and upon Dagon our god.”


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Therefore they sent and gathered the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Let the ark of God come over to us.” And the ark of the God of Israel came to Gath.


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And it came to pass after it went about to Gath, that the hand of the Lord came upon the city, and <i>there was</i> very great confusion. And He struck the men of the city, <i>both</i> small and great, and struck them in their buttocks. And the Gittites made for themselves images of tumors.


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And they sent away the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass when the ark of God went into Ekron, that the men of Ekron cried out, saying, “Why have you brought back the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people?”


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So they sent and gathered the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it lodge in its place; and let it not slay us and our people.”


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(For there was a very great confusion in all the city, when the ark of the God of Israel entered there; and those who lived and died not were struck with tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven).


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<n>The Ark Returned to Israel</n> And the ark was in the country of the Philistines for seven months, and their land brought forth swarms of rats.


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And the Philistines called their priests, and their prophets, and their enchanters, and said, “What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? Teach us how we shall send it away to its <i>proper </i>place.”


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And they said, “If you send away the ark of the covenant of the Lord God of Israel, do not on any account send it away empty, but by all means render to it an offering for the plague; and then shall you be healed, and an atonement shall be made for you. Should not His hand be thus stayed from off you?”


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“According to the number of the lords of the Philistines, five golden tumors, for the plague was on you, and on your rulers, and on the people; and golden rats, the likeness of the rats that destroyed your land. And you shall give glory to the Lord, that He may lighten His hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.


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And why do you harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? Was it not so when He mocked them, that they let the people go, and they departed?


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And now take wood and make a new wagon, and take two cows, that have calved for the first time, without their calves; and yoke the cows to the wagon, and lead the calves away from them, and take them home.


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And you shall take the ark and put it on the wagon. And you shall restore to it the golden articles for the trespass offering in a coffer by the side of it; and you shall let it go, and sent it away, and you shall depart.


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And you shall see, if it shall go the way of its coasts along by Beth Shemesh, He has brought upon us this great affliction; and if not, then shall we know that His hand has not touched us, and this has happened to us by chance.”


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And the Philistines did so. And they took two cows that had calved for the first time, and yoked them to the wagon, and shut up their calves at home.


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And the cows went straight to Beth Shemesh; they went along one track and labored, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after it as far as the coasts of Beth Shemesh.


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And the men of Beth Shemesh were reaping the wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark of the Lord, and rejoiced to meet it.


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And the wagon entered into the field of Joshua, which was in Beth Shemesh, and they set there by it a great stone; and they split the wood of the wagon, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to the Lord.


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And the Levites brought up the ark of the Lord, and the coffer with it, and the golden articles upon it, and placed them on the great stone, and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and grain offerings on that day to the Lord.


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And these are the golden tumors which the lords of the Philistines gave as a trespass offering to the Lord: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, and for Ekron one.


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And the golden rats according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, belonging to the five lords, from the fenced city to the village of the Perizzite, and to the great stone, on which they placed the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that was in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.


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And the sons of Jeconiah were not pleased with the men of Beth Shemesh, because they looked into the ark of the Lord; and the Lord struck fifty thousand and seventy men among them. And the people mourned, because the Lord had inflicted on the people a very great plague.


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<n>The Ark at Kirjath Jearim</n> And the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who shall be able to pass before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall the ark of the Lord go up from us?”


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And they send messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; go down and take it home to yourselves.”


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And the men of Kirjath Jearim came, and brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord. And they brought it into the house of Aminadab on the hill; and they consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the covenant of the Lord.


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<n>Samuel Judges Israel</n> And it came to pass from the time that the ark was in Kirjath Jearim, the days were multiplied, and <i>the time</i> was twenty years; and all the house of Israel looked after the Lord.


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And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your heart, <i>then </i>take away the strange gods from your midst, and the groves, and prepare your hearts to serve the Lord, and serve Him only; and He shall deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”


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And they were gathered together to Mizpah, and they drew water, and poured it out upon the earth before the Lord. And they fasted on that day, and said, “We have sinned before the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.


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And the Philistines heard that all the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpah. And the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel, and the children of Israel heard, and they feared before the Philistines.


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And the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry to the Lord your God for us, and He shall save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”


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And Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it up as a burnt offering with all the people to the Lord. And Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.


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And Samuel was offering the burnt offering; and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; and the Lord thundered with a mighty sound in that day upon the Philistines, and they were confounded and overthrown before Israel.


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And the men of Israel went forth out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them as far as Beth Car.


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And Samuel took a stone, and set it up between Mizpah and the old <i>city</i>; and he called the name of it Ebenezer, signifying, Stone of the Helper; and he said, Thus far has the Lord helped us.”


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So the Lord humbled the Philistines, and they no longer came into the border of Israel; and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.


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And the cities which the Philistines took from the children of Israel were restored; and they restored them to Israel from Ekron to Gath. And they took the coast of Israel out of the hand of the Philistines; and there was peace between Israel and the Amorite.


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And he went from year by year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all these consecrated places.


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And he <i>always</i> returned to Ramah, because his house was there; and he judged Israel from there, and he built an altar to the Lord <i>at Ramah</i>.


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<n>Israel Demands a King</n> And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.


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And these are the names of his sons: Joel the firstborn, and the name of the second Abijah; <i>they were</i> judges in Beersheba.


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And his sons did not walk in his ways, and they turned aside after gain, and took gifts, and perverted judgments.


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and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. And now set over us a king to judge us, like the other nations have.”


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And the thing was evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, “Give us a king to judge us”; and Samuel prayed to the Lord.


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And the Lord said to Samuel, “Hear the voice of the people, in whatever they shall say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from reigning over them.


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According to all their doings which they have done to Me, from the day that I brought them out of Egypt until this day, even as they have deserted Me, and served other gods, so they also do to you.


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And now heed their voice; only you shall solemnly testify to them, and you shall describe to them the manner of the king who shall reign over them.”


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And he said, “This shall be the manner of the king that shall rule over you: he shall take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and among his horsemen, and running before his chariots,


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and <i>his manner shall be</i> to make them to himself captains of hundreds and captains of thousands; and to reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and prepare his instruments of war, and the implements of his chariots.


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And he will take your fields, your vineyards, and your good olive groves, and give them to his servants.


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And he will take the tithe of your seeds and your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs, and to his servants.


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And he will take your servants, and your handmaids, and your good herds and your donkeys, and he will take a tenth of them for his works.


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And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord shall not hear you in those days, because you have chosen for yourselves a king.”


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Nevertheless the people would not listen to Samuel; and they said to him, “No, but there shall be a king over us.


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And we also will be like all the nations; and our king shall judge us, and shall go out before us, and fight our battles.”


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And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and appoint them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Let each man depart to his city.”


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<n>Saul Chosen to be King</n> And <i>there was</i> a man of the sons of Benjamin, and his name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Jared, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a man of might.


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And this man had a son, and his name was Saul, of great stature, a handsome man. And there was not a more handsome man among the sons of Israel than he, high above all the people, from his shoulders and upward.


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Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, “Take with you one of the young men, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.”


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And they went through Mount Ephraim, and they went through the land of Shalisha, and did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then they passed through the land of the Benjamites, and did not find them.


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And when they came to Zuph, Saul said to his young man that was with him, “Come and let us return, lest my father leave the donkeys, and become worried about us.”


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And the young man said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is of high repute; all that he shall speak will surely come to pass. Now then let us go, that he may tell us our way on which we have set out.”


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And Saul said to his young man that was with him, “But look, if we should go, what shall we bring the man of God? For we have ran out of bread, and we have nothing else to bring to the man of God.”


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And the young man answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have here in my hand a fourth part of a shekel of silver, and you shall give it to the man of God, and he shall tell us our way.”


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Now formerly in Israel, everyone who went to inquire of God said, “Come and let us go to the seer”; for the people formerly called the prophet, the seer.


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And 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 ascent to the city, they found some young women coming out to draw water, and they said to them, “Is the seer here?”


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And the virgins answered them and said, “He is <i>here</i>: behold, <i>he is</i> before you. Now he is coming to the city, because of the day, for today <i>there is</i> a sacrifice for the people on the high place.


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As soon as you shall enter into the city, so shall you find him in the city, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes in, for he blesses the sacrifice, and afterwards the guests eat. Now then go up, for you shall find him because of the holiday.”


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And they went up to the city. And as they were entering into the midst of the city, behold, Samuel came out to meet them, to go up to the high place.


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“At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over My people Israel, and he shall save My people out of the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon the humiliation of My people, for their cry has come unto Me.”


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And Samuel looked upon Saul, and the Lord said to him, “Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you; this one shall rule over My people.”


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And Saul drew near to Samuel into the midst of the city, and said, “Tell me, now which is the house of the seer?”


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And Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am he: go up before me to the high place, and eat with me today, and I will send you away in the morning, and I will tell you all that is in your heart.


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And concerning your donkeys that have been lost now these three days, do not worry about them, for they have been found. And to whom does the excellency of Israel belong? Does it not <i>belong </i>to you, and to your father’s house?”


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And Saul answered and said, “Am I not the son of a Benjamite, the least tribe of the people of Israel? And of the least family of the whole tribe of Benjamin? And why have you spoken to me according to this word?”


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And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them to the inn, and set <i>for </i>them there a place among the chief of those that were called, about seventy men.


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And Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the portion which I gave to you, which I told you to set aside.”


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Now the cook had boiled the shoulder, and he set it before Saul. And Samuel said to Saul, “Behold that which is left, set before you, and eat; for it is set there for a testimony in preference to the others; take of it.” So Saul ate with Samuel on that day.


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And he went down from the high place into the city, and they prepared a lodging for Saul on the roof, and he lay down.


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And it came to pass when the morning dawned, that Samuel called Saul on the roof, saying, “Rise up, and I will dismiss you.” And Saul arose, and he and Samuel went out.


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<n>Samuel Anoints Saul</n> As they went down to a part of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Speak to the young man, and let him pass on before us. But you stand here now, and listen to the word of God.”


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And Samuel took a flask of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said to him, “Has not the Lord anointed you for a ruler over His people, over Israel? And you shall rule among the people of the Lord, and you shall save them out of the hand of their enemies; and this <i>shall be</i> the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be ruler over His inheritance:


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As soon as you have departed from me this day, you shall find two men by the burial place of Rachel on the mount of Benjamin, rejoicing greatly. And they shall say to you, “The donkeys which you went to look for have been found; and behold, your father has given up the matter of the donkeys, and he is anxious for you, saying, ‘What shall I do for my son?’


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And you shall depart from there, and shall go beyond that as far as the Oak of Tabor, and you shall find there three men going up to God, to Bethel, one bearing three young goats, and another bearing three vessels of bread, and another bearing a skin of wine.


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And they shall ask you how you are doing, and shall give you two <i>loaves</i> of bread, and you shall receive them from their hand.


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And afterward you shall go to the hill of God, where the encampment of the Philistines is. Nasib the Philistine is there. And it shall come to pass when you have entered into the city, that you shall meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place; and before them will be lutes, a drum, a pipe, and a harp, and they shall prophesy.


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And the Spirit of the Lord shall come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and you shall turn into another man.


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And it shall come to pass when these signs come upon you—<i>then</i> do whatsoever your hand shall find, because God is with you.


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And you shall go down in front of Gilgal, and behold, I will come down to you to offer a burnt offering, and peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you, and I will make known to you what you shall do.”


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And it came to pass when he turned his back to depart from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all these signs came to pass in that day.


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And he came there to the hill, and behold, a band of prophets was opposite him. And the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them.


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And all that had known him before came, and saw, and behold, he was in the midst of the prophets. And the people said, everyone to his neighbor, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”


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And one of them answered and said, “And who is his father?” And therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”


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And his uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And they said, “To look for the donkeys; and we saw that they were lost, and we went in to Samuel.”


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And Saul said to his uncle, “He told me plainly that the donkeys were found.” But regarding the kingdom, he did not tell.


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And he said to the children of Israel, “Thus has the Lord God of Israel spoken, saying, ‘I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you out of the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and out of all the kingdoms that afflicted you.


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And you have this day rejected God, who is Himself your deliverer out of all your evils and afflictions. And you said, “No, but you shall set a king over us.” And now stand before the Lord according to your tribes, and according to your families.’”


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And he brought near the tribe of Benjamin by families, and the family of Matri was chosen by lot. And they brought near the family of Matri, man by man, and Saul the son of Kish was chosen. And he sought him, but he was not found.


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And Samuel asked yet again of the Lord, “Will the man come here?” And the Lord said, “Behold, he is hid among the equipment.”


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And he ran and took him from there, and he set him in the midst of the people. And he was taller than all the people from his shoulders and upwards.


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And Samuel said to all the people, “Have you seen whom the Lord has chosen to Himself, that there is no one like him among you all?” And all the people took notice, and said, “Long live the king!”


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And Samuel told the people the manner of the king, and wrote it in a book, and set it before the Lord. And Samuel sent away all the people, and each went to his place.


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And Saul departed to his house in Gibeah. And there went with Saul mighty men whose hearts God had touched.


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But evil men said, “Who <i>is</i> this man <i>that</i> shall save us?” And they despised him, and brought him no gifts.


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<n>Saul Defeats the Ammonites</n> And it came to pass about a month after this, that Nahash the Ammonite went up, and encamped against Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”


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And Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On these terms will I make a covenant with you, that I will put out all of your right eyes, and I will lay a reproach upon Israel.”


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And the men of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days, and we will send messengers into all the coasts of Israel. If there should be no one to deliver us, we will come out to you.”


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And the messengers came to Saul at Gibeah, and they spoke the words into the ears of the people; and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.


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And behold, Saul came out of the field after the early morning. And Saul said, “Why do the people weep?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.


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And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled against them.


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And he took two cows, and cut them in pieces, and sent them into all the coasts of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whosoever does not come forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall they do to his oxen.” And a transport from the Lord came upon the people of Israel, and they came out to battle as one man.


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And he reviewed them at Bezek in Bama, every man of Israel six hundred thousand, and the men of Judah seventy thousand.


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And he said to the messengers that came, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh: ‘Tomorrow you shall have deliverance when the sun is hot.’” And the messengers came to the city, and told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.


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And the men of Jabesh said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Tomorrow we will come forth to you, and you shall do to us what seems good in your sight.”


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So it was, on the next day, that Saul divided the people into three companies, and they went into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and they killed the children of Ammon until the heat of the day. And it came to pass that those who were left were scattered, and there was not left two together among them.


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And the people said to Samuel, “Who has said that Saul shall not reign over us? Give up the men, and we will put them to death.”


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And Saul said, “No man shall die this day, for today the Lord has brought about deliverance in Israel.”


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And all the people went to Gilgal, and Samuel anointed Saul there to be king before the Lord in Gilgal, and there he offered grain offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And Samuel and all Israel rejoiced exceedingly.


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<n>Samuel’s Farewell Address</n> And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all things that you have said to me, and I have set a king over you.


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And now behold, the king goes before you; and I have grown old and shall rest. And look, my sons are among you; I have gone about before you from my youth to this day.


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Behold, <i>here </i>I<i> am</i>, answer against me before the Lord and before His anointed. Whose calf have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or who among you have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe, even as <i>much as a</i> sandal? Bear witness against me, and I will make restitution to you.”


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And they said to Samuel, “You have not injured us, and you have not oppressed us; and you have not afflicted us, and you have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”


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And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness among you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, <i>He is</i> witness.


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And Samuel spoke to the people, saying, “The Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron is witness, who brought our fathers up out of Egypt.


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And now stand still, and I will judge you before the Lord; and I will relate to you all the righteousness of the Lord, the things which He has done among you and your fathers.


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When Jacob and his sons went into Egypt, and Egypt humbled them, then our fathers cried to the Lord, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron. And they brought our fathers out of Egypt, and He made them to dwell in this place.


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And they forgot the Lord their God, and He sold them into the hands of Sisera, commander of the army of Jabis, king of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab. And He fought with them.


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And they cried to the Lord, and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord, and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths; and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’


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And He sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and rescued us out of the hand of our enemies round about, and you dwelt in security.


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And you saw that Nahash king of the children of Ammon came against you, and you said, ‘No, none but a king shall reign over us’; when the Lord our God is our king.


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If you should fear the Lord, and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and not resist the mouth of the Lord, and you and your king that reigns over you should follow the Lord, <i>then well</i>.


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But if you should not listen to the voice of the Lord, and you should resist the mouth of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be upon you and upon your king.


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<i>Is it</i> not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, and He shall send thunder and rain. And know and see, that your wickedness is great which you have done before the Lord, having asked for yourselves a king.”


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And Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain in that day. And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.


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And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, and let us not die; for we have added to all our sins this iniquity, in asking a king for ourselves.”


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And Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear: you have <i>indeed</i> done all this wickedness; only do not turn from following the Lord, and serve the Lord with all your heart.


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And do not turn aside after <i>the gods</i> that are nothing, who will do nothing, and will not deliver you, because they are nothing.


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For the Lord will not cast off His people for His great name’s sake, because the Lord graciously took you to Himself for a people.


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And far be it from me to sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will serve the Lord, and show you the good and right way.


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Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth and with all of your heart, for you see what great things He has done for you.


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Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of the men of Israel. And there were with Saul two thousand who were in Michmash, and in Mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And he sent the rest of the people <i>away,</i> every man to his tent.


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And Jonathan attacked Nasib the Philistine that dwelt in the hill; and the Philistines heard of it, and Saul sounded the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “The servants have despised us.”


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And all Israel heard it said, “Saul has attacked Nasib the Philistine.” Now Israel had been put to shame before the Philistines, and the children of Israel went up after Saul in Gilgal.


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And the Philistines gathered together to war with Israel; and they came up against Israel with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And they came up, and encamped in Michmash, opposite Beth Aven towards the south.


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And the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait so that they could not draw near, and the people hid themselves in caves, sheepfolds, rocks, ditches, and pits.


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And those that went over crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed after him in amazement.


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And he continued seven days for the appointed testimony, as Samuel told him. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and his people were dispersed from him.


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And Saul said, “Bring <i>some</i> victims here, that I may offer burnt offerings and peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.


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And it came to pass when he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to meet him, and to bless him.


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And Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw how the people were scattered from me, and that you were not present as you had purposed according to the set time of the days, and the Philistines were gathered at Michmash.


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Then I said, ‘Now will the Philistines come down to me to Gilgal, and I have not sought the face of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”


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And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly, for you have not kept my command, which the Lord commanded you, as now the Lord would have confirmed your kingdom over Israel forever.


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But now your kingdom shall not stand, and the Lord shall seek for Himself a man after His own heart; and the Lord shall appoint him to be a ruler over His people, because you have not kept all that the Lord has commanded you.”


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And Samuel arose and departed from Gilgal, and the remnant of the people went after Saul to meet <i>him</i> after the men of war, when they had come out of Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were found with him, about six hundred men.


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<n>Preparations for Battle</n> And Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people that were found with them, halted in Gibeah of Benjamin, and they wept. And the Philistines had encamped in Michmash.


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And men came forth in three companies to destroy out of the land of the Philistines; one company turning by the way of Ophrah toward the land of Shual,


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and another company turning the way of Beth Horon, and another company turning to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.


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And there was not found a blacksmith in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.”


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And all Israel went down to the land of the Philistines to forge everyone his reaping hook and his tool, and everyone his ax and his sickle.


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And it was near the time of vintage. And their tools were <i>valued at</i> three shekels for a plow share, and there was the same rate for the ax and the sickle.


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And it came to pass in the days of the war of Michmash, that there was not a sword or spear found in the hand of all the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; but they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.


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<n>Jonathan Surprises and Routs the Philistines</n> And when a certain day arrived, Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armor, “Come, and let us go over to the garrison of the Philistines that is on the other side”; but he didn’t tell his father.


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And Saul sat on the top of the hill under the pomegranate tree that is in Migron, and there were with him about six hundred men.


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And Ahijah son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, God’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.


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And at the place in which Jonathan sought to pass over to the the Philistines’ camp, there was a sharp rock on both sides of the passage. The name of the one <i>rock </i>was Bozez, and the name of the other <i>was </i>Seneh.


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The one way was northward to one coming to Michmash, and the other way was southward to one coming to Gibeah.


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And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; <i>perhaps</i> the Lord may do something for us, for nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”


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And his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart: behold, I am with you, my heart is as your heart.”


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If they should say thus to us, ‘Wait until we send you word’; then we will stand still by ourselves, and will not go up against them.


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<i>But</i> if they should say thus to us, ‘Come up to us’; then will we go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hands. This <i>shall be</i> a sign to us.”


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And they both went in to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of their caves, where they had hidden themselves.”


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And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.” And Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hands of Israel.”


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And Jonathan went up on his hands and feet, and his armorbearer with him; and they looked on the face of Jonathan, and he struck them, and his armorbearer then killed <i>them</i> after him.


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And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer effected was twenty men, with darts and slings, and pebbles of the field.


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And there was dismay in the camp, and in the field; and all the people in the garrison, and the spoilers were amazed; and they would not act, and the land was terrorstruck, and there was dismay from the Lord.


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And the watchmen of Saul beheld in Gibeah of Benjamin, and behold, the army was thrown into confusion on every side.


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And Saul said to the people with him, “Number yourselves now, and see who has gone out from you.” And they numbered themselves, and behold, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not found.


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And it came to pass while Saul was speaking to the priest, that the sound in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase greatly; and Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hands.”


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And Saul went up and all the people that were with him, and they came to the battle. And behold, every man’s sword was against his neighbor, a very great confusion.


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And the servants who had been before with the Philistines, who had gone up to the army, turned themselves also to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.


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And all the Israelites who were hidden in Mount Ephraim heard also that the Philistines fled; and they also gathered themselves after them to battle. And the Lord saved Israel in that day. And the war passed through Bamoth; and all the people with Saul were about ten thousand men.


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<n>Saul’s Rash Oath</n> And Saul committed a great trespass of ignorance in that day, and he placed a curse on the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who shall eat bread before evening; so I will avenge myself on my enemy.” And none of the people tasted bread, though all the land was dining.


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And the people went into the place of the bees, and behold, they continued speaking; but there was none that put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath <i>that Saul had made </i>unto the Lord.


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And Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people; and he reached forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it into the honeycomb, and returned his hand to his mouth, and his countenance was brightened.


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And one of the people answered and said, “Your father solemnly adjured the people, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who shall eat bread today.’” And the people were very faint,


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and Jonathan knew it, and said, “My father has destroyed the land: see how my countenance has brightened <i>now</i> that I have tasted a little of this honey.


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Surely if the people had this day eaten freely of the spoils of their enemies which they found, the slaughter among the Philistines would have been greater.”


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And the people turned to the spoil; and the people took flocks, and herds, and calves, and killed them on the ground, and the people ate with the blood.


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And it was reported to Saul, saying, “The people have sinned against the Lord, eating with the blood.” And Saul said, “Roll a large stone to me here.”


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And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them to bring here everyone his calf, and everyone his sheep; and let them kill it on this stone and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood.” And the people brought each one that which was in his hand, and they killed them there.


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And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines this night, and let us plunder among them till daybreak, and let us not leave a man among them.” And they said, “Do all that is good in your sight.” And the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.”


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And Saul inquired of God, “If I go down after the Philistines, will You deliver them into the hands of Israel?” And He did not answer him in that day.


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And Saul said, “Bring here all the chiefs of Israel, and know and see by whom this sin has been committed this day.


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For as the Lord lives who has saved Israel, if <i>the </i>answer should be against my son Jonathan, he shall surely die.” And there was no one that answered out of all the people.


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And he said to all the men of Israel, “You shall be under subjection, and I and Jonathan my son will be under subjection.” And the people said to Saul, “Do that which is good in your sight.”


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And Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel, why have You not answered Your servant this day? Is the iniquity in me, or in Jonathan my son? Lord God of Israel, give clear <i>manifestations</i>, and if <i>the lot</i> should declare this, give holiness, I pray, to Your people of Israel.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped.


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And Saul said, “Cast <i>lots</i> between me and my son Jonathan: whomever the Lord shall cause to be taken by lot, let him die.” And the people said to Saul, “This thing is not <i>to be done</i>.” And Saul prevailed against the people, and they cast lots between him and Jonathan his son, and Jonathan was taken by lot.


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And Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I did indeed taste a little honey, with the end of my staff that was in my hand; and behold, I am to die!”


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And the people said to Saul, “Shall he that has accomplished this great salvation in Israel be put to death this day? <i>As</i> the Lord lives, there shall not fall to the ground one of the hairs of his head; for the people of God have done good this day.” And the people prayed for Jonathan in that day, and he did not die.


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<n>Saul’s Continuing Wars</n> So Saul received the kingdom. By lot he inherited the office <i>of ruling</i> over Israel. And he fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab, against the children of Ammon, against the children of Edom, against Beth Hor, against the king of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he was victorious.


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And he did valiantly, and struck Amalek, and rescued Israel out of the hand of them that trampled on him.


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And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui, and Malchishua. And <i>these were</i> the names of his two daughters: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the second Michal.


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And the name of his wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of his captain of the army was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.


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And the war was fierce against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any mighty man, and any valiant man, then he took them to himself.


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<n>Saul Spares Agag, King of Amalek</n> And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over Israel. And now hear the voice of the Lord.


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Thus said the Lord of hosts, ‘Now will I take vengeance for what Amalek did to Israel, when he met him in the way as he came up out of Egypt.


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And now go, and you shall strike Amalek and Hierim and all that belongs to him, and you shall not save anything of his alive, but you shall utterly destroy him. And you shall devote him and all his possessions <i>to destruction</i>, and you shall spare nothing belonging to him; and you shall slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, calf and sheep, camel and donkey.’”


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And Saul summoned the people, and he numbered them in Gilgal, four hundred thousand troops, and Judah thirty thousand troops.


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And Saul said to the Kenite, “Go, and depart out of the midst of the Amalekites, lest I put you with them; for you dealt mercifully with the children of Israel when they went up out of Egypt.” So the Kenite departed from the midst of Amalek.


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And he took Agag the king of Amalek alive, and he killed all the people and Hierim with the edge of the sword.


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And Saul and all the people saved Agag alive, and the best of the flocks, and of the herds, and of the fruits, of the vineyards, and of all the good things; and they would not destroy them. But every worthless and despised thing they destroyed.


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“I greatly regret that I have made Saul to be king; for he has turned back from following Me, and has not kept My word.” And Samuel was grieved, and cried to the Lord all night.


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And Samuel rose early and went to meet Israel in the morning. And it was told Saul, saying, “Samuel has come to Carmel, and he has raised up help for himself.” And he turned his chariot, and came down to Gilgal to Saul. And behold, he was offering up a burnt offering to the Lord, the best of the spoils which he brought out of Amalek.


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And Samuel came to Saul. And Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord; I have performed all that the Lord has said.”


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And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the sound of the oxen which I hear?”


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And Saul said, “I have brought them out of Amalek, that which the people preserved, even the best of the sheep, and of the cattle, that it might be sacrificed to the Lord your God, and the rest I have utterly destroyed.”


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And Samuel said to Saul, “Stay, and I will tell you what the Lord has said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak on.”


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And Samuel said to Saul, “Are you not little in His eyes, <i>though</i> a leader of one of the tribes of Israel? And <i>yet</i> the Lord anointed you to be king over Israel.


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And the Lord sent you on a journey, and said to you, ‘Go, and utterly destroy: you shall slay the sinners against Me, even the Amalekites; and you shall war against them until you have consumed them.’


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And why did you not listen to the voice of the Lord, but instead swoop down upon the spoils, and do that which was evil in the sight of the Lord?”


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And Saul said to Samuel, “Because I listened to the voice of the people. Yet I went the way by which the Lord sent me, and I brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I destroyed Amalek.


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But the people took of the spoils, the best flocks and herds out of that which was destroyed, to sacrifice before the Lord our God in Gilgal.”


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And Samuel said, “Does the Lord take <i>as great a </i>pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as <i>He does </i>in obeying the words of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than a good sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.


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For sin is as divination; idols bring on pain and grief. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord also shall reject you from being king over Israel.”


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And Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, in that I have transgressed the word of the Lord and the words you have spoken; for I feared the people, and I listened to their voice.


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And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not turn back with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord will reject you from being king over Israel.”


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And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from out of your hand this day, and will give it to your neighbor, who is better than you.


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And Israel shall be divided in two: and <i>God</i> will not turn nor repent, for He is not as a man to repent.”


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And Saul said, “I have sinned; yet honor me, I pray, before the elders of Israel, and before my people; and turn back with me, and I will worship the Lord your God.”


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And Samuel said, “Bring me Agag the king of Amalek.” And Agag came to him trembling. And Agag said, “Is death thus bitter?”


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And Samuel said to Agag, “As your sword has bereaved women of their children, so shall your mother be made childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag <i>to pieces</i> before the Lord in Gilgal.


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And Samuel did not see Saul again till the day of his death, for Samuel mourned after Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.


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<n>David Anointed King</n> And 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, and go; I will send you to Jesse, to Bethlehem; for I have seen among his sons a king for Me.”


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And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer in your hand, and you shall say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’


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And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will make known to you what you shall do; and you shall anoint him whom I shall name to you.”


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And Samuel did all that the Lord told him; and he came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city were trembling at meeting him, and said, “Do you come peaceably, O Seer?”


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And he said, “Peaceably: I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and rejoice with me this day.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.


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And it came to pass when they came in, that he saw Eliab, 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, nor on his stature, for I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.”


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And Jesse called Abinadab, and he passed before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has God chosen this one.”


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And Jesse caused his seven sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen these.”


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And Samuel said to Jesse, “Have you no more sons?” And Jesse said, “<i>There is</i> yet a little one; behold, he tends the flock.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and fetch him, for we may not sit down till he comes.”


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And he sent and fetched him. And he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and very good looking. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Arise, and anoint David, for he is good.”


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And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose, and departed to Ramah.


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<n>A Distressing Spirit Torments Saul</n> And the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.


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Let now your servants speak before you, and let them seek for our lord a man skilled to play on the harp; and it shall come to pass when an evil spirit comes upon you, and he shall play on his harp, that you shall be well, and he shall refresh you.”


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And one of his servants answered and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, and he understands playing <i>on the harp</i>, and the man is prudent, and a warrior, and wise in speech, and the man is handsome, and the Lord is with him.”


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And Jesse took a homer of bread, and a skin of wine, and one kid of the goats, and sent them by the hand of his son David to Saul.


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And David went in to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.


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And it came to pass when the evil spirit was upon Saul, that David took his harp, and played with his hand. And Saul was refreshed, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.


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<n>David and Goliath</n> And the Philistines gathered their armies to battle, and gathered themselves to Sochoh of Judah, and encamped between Sochoh and Azekah in Ephes Dammin.


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And Saul and the men of Israel gathered together, and they encamped in the valley, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.


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And the Philistines stood on the mountain on one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, and the valley was between them.


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And there went forth a mighty man out of the army of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height <i>was</i> <RF q=3>3 Masoretic text: <i>4 cubits</i>. Goliath is 3 feet shorter in LXX.</n>four cubits and a span.


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And <i>he had</i> a helmet upon his head, and he wore a breastplate of chain armor; and the weight of his breastplate was five thousand shekels of brass and iron.


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And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the spear’s head <i>was formed</i> of six hundred shekels of iron; and his armorbearer went before him.


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And he stood and cried to the army of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come forth to set yourselves in battle array against us? Am I not a Philistine, and you Hebrews of Saul? Choose for yourselves a man, and let him come down to me.


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And if he shall be able to fight against me, and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I should prevail and kill him, then you shall be our servants, and serve us.”


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And the Philistine said, “Behold, I have defied the armies of Israel this very day: give me a man, and we will both of us fight in single combat.”


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And Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they were dismayed, and greatly terrified.


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And David said to Saul, “Let not the heart of my lord be dejected within him: your servant will go, and fight with this Philistine.”


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And Saul said to David, “You will not in any way be able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are just a youth, and he <i>is </i>a man of war from his youth.”


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And David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending the flock for his father, and when a lion came and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock,


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that I went forth after him, and killed him, and drew the spoil out of his mouth. And as he rose up against me, then I caught hold of his throat, and struck him, and killed him.


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Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, and the uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them! Shall I not go and kill him, and remove this day <i>this</i> reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised one, who has defied the army of the living God?


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The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this uncircumcised Philistine!” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord shall be with you.”


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And he fastened his sword over David’s coat. And he tried walking with them once and again, and David said to Saul, “I shall not be able to go with these, for I have not tested them.” So they removed them from him.


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And he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he approached the Philistine.


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And the Philistine said to David, “Am I as a dog, that you come against me with a staff and stones?” And David said, “No, but worse than a dog.” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.


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And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.”


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And David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to you in the name of the Lord God of hosts, of the army of Israel, which you have defied this day.


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And the Lord shall deliver you this day into my hand, and I will kill you, and take away your head from off of you, and I will give your limbs and the limbs of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky, and to the wild beasts of the earth; and all the earth shall know that there is a God in Israel.


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And all this assembly shall know that the Lord delivers not by sword or spear, for the battle is the Lord’s, and the Lord will deliver you into our hands.”


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And David stretched out his hand into his bag, and took out a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead, and the stone penetrated through the helmet into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the ground.


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And David ran, and stood upon him, and took his sword, and killed him, and cut off his head. And the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, and they fled.


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And the men of Israel and Judah arose, and shouted and pursued them as far as the entrance to Gath, and as far as the gate of Ashkelon. And the slain men of the Philistines fell in the way of the gates, both to Gath, and to Ekron.


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And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.


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<n>Saul’s Jealosy of David</n> And women came out to meet David from all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, with timbrels, and with rejoicing, and with cymbals.


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And the women began <i>this song</i>, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”


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And it seemed evil in the eyes of Saul concerning this matter, and he said, “To David they have given ten thousands, and to me they have given thousands?”


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And he removed <i>David</i> from <i>before </i>him, and made him a captain of a thousand for himself; and he went out and came in before the people.


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<n>David Marries Michal</n> And Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And it was told Saul, and the thing was pleasing in his eyes.


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And Saul said, “I will give her to him, and she shall be a stumbling block to him.” Now the hand of the Philistines was against Saul.


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And Saul charged his servants, saying, “Speak privately to David, saying, ‘Behold, the king delights in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’”


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And the servants of Saul spoke these words in the ears of David. And David said, “<i>Is it</i> a light thing in your eyes to become son-in-law to the king? Seeing I am a humble man, and not honorable?”


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And Saul said, “Thus shall you speak to David: ‘The king wants no gift but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself on the kings enemies.’” Now Saul thought to cast him into the hands of the Philistines.


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And Saul’s servants reported these words to David, and David was well pleased to become the son-in-law to the king.


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And David arose, and went, he and his men, and killed among the Philistines <RF q=4>4 Masoretic text has <i>two hundred</i></n>one hundred men. And he brought their foreskins, and he became the king’s son-in-law, and <i>Saul</i> gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.


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<n>Jonathan Intercedes for David</n> And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.


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And Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David. And Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul seeks to kill you; therefore take heed to yourself tomorrow morning, and hide yourself, and dwell in secret.


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And I will go forth, and stand near my father in the field where you shall be, and I will speak concerning you to my father; and I will see what his answer may be, and I will tell you.”


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And Jonathan spoke favorably concerning David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king sin against your servant David, for he has not sinned against you, and his deeds are very good.


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And he put his life in his hand, and killed the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great deliverance. And all Israel saw, and rejoiced. Why then do you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”


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And Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, saying, “<i>As</i> the Lord lives, he shall not die.”


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And Jonathan called David, and told him all these words; and Jonathan brought David in to Saul, and he was before him as in former times.


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And there was war again against Saul; and David did valiantly, and fought against the Philistines, and struck them with a very great slaughter, and they fled from before him.


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And an evil spirit from God was upon Saul, and he was resting in his house, and a spear was in his hand, and David was playing on the harp with his hands.


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And Saul sought to kill David with the spear; and David withdrew suddenly from the presence of Saul; and he drove the spear into the wall; and David retreated and escaped.


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And it came to pass in that night, that Saul sent messengers to the house of David to watch him, in order to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “Unless you save your life this night, tomorrow you shall be slain.”


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And Michal took statues, and laid them on the bed, and she put the liver of a goat by his head, and covered them with clothes.


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And the messengers came, and behold, the statues were on the bed, and the goat’s liver was at his head.


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And Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and allowed my enemy to depart, and he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said, ‘Let me go, and if not, I will kill you.’”


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So David fled, and escaped, and he came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And Samuel and David went, and stayed at Naioth in Ramah.


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And Saul sent messengers to take David, and they saw the assembly of the prophets, and Samuel stood as appointed over them; and the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they prophesied.


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And it was told Saul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent again a third set of messengers, and they also prophesied.


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And Saul was very angry, and went himself also to Ramah, and he came as far as the well of the threshing floor that is in Sechu. And he asked and said, “Where are Samuel and David?” And they said, “Behold, at Naioth in Ramah.”


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And he went from there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on prophesying till he came to Naioth in Ramah.


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And he took off his clothes, and prophesied before them; and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”


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<n>The Friendship of David and Jonathan</n> And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came into the presence of Jonathan; and he said, “What have I done, and what is my fault, and how have I sinned before your father, that he seeks my life?”


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And Jonathan said to him, “Far be it from you! You shall not die! Behold, my father will not do anything great or small without first telling it to me. And why should my father hide this matter from me? This thing is not so.”


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And David answered Jonathan and said, “Your father surely knows that I have found favor in your sight, and he said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he refuse his consent.’ But as the Lord lives, and your soul lives, as I said, there is but <i>a step</i> between me and death.”


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And David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I shall not on any account sit down to eat, but you shall let me go, and I will hide in the plain till the evening.


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And if your father in any way inquires about me, then shall you say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all his family.’


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If he should say, “Fine,”—then all is safe for your servant: but if he should answer harshly to you, know that evil is determined by him.


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And you shall deal mercifully with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with yourself. And if there is iniquity in your servant, then kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”


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And Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I surely know that evil is determined by my father to come upon you, although it should not be against your cities, I will tell you.”


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And Jonathan said to David, “The Lord God of Israel knows that I will search out my father as I have an opportunity, three times, and behold, <i>if good</i> should be determined concerning David, and I do not send to you in the field,


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may God do so to Jonathan and more, also! As I shall also report the evil to you, and make it known to you, and I will let you go; and you shall depart in peace, and the Lord shall be with you, as he was with my father.


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you shall not withdraw your mercy from my house forever, And if you do not, when the Lord cuts off the enemies of David, each from the face of the earth,


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<i>should it happen</i> that the name of Jonathan be discovered by the house of David, then let the Lord seek out the enemies of David.”


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And Jonathan said, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be inquired about, because your seat will be observed as vacant.


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And you shall stay three days, and watch an opportunity, and shall come to your place where you may hide yourself in the day of your business, and you shall wait by the stone Ezel.


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If I should expressly say to the lad, ‘The arrow is here, and on this side of you, take it’; then come, for it is well with you, and there is no reason <i>for fear</i>, <i>as</i> the Lord lives. But if I should say thus to the young man, ‘The arrow is on that side of you, and beyond’; go, for the Lord has sent you away.


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And as for the word which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is witness between me and you forever.”


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So David hid himself in the field. And the new month arrived, and the king came to the table to eat.


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And he sat upon his seat as in former times, even on his seat by the wall, and he went before Jonathan. And Abner sat on one side of Saul, but David’s place was empty.


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And Saul said nothing on that day, for he said, “Something has happened to him, and he is not clean, because he has not purified himself.”


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And it came to pass on the next day, on the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty; and Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse attended both yesterday and today at the table?”


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And Jonathan answered Saul and said to him, “David asked my permission to go to Bethlehem, his city.


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And he said, Let me go, I pray, for we have a family sacrifice in the city, and my brothers have sent for me. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, I will go and see my brothers. Therefore he is not present at the table of the king.”


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And Saul was exceedingly angry with Jonathan, and said to him, “You son of a traitorous woman! For do I not know that you are an accomplice with the son of Jesse to yourself, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?


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For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, your kingdom shall not be established: now then send and take the young man, for he shall surely die!”


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And Saul lifted up his spear against Jonathan to kill him, so Jonathan knew that this evil was determined on by his father to kill David.


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And Jonathan sprang up from the table in great anger, and did not eat bread on the second day of the month, for he grieved bitterly for David, because his father determined <i>to do evil</i> against him.


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And morning came, and Jonathan went out to the field, as he appointed to do for a signal to David, and a little boy <i>was</i> with him.


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And he said to the lad, “Run, find me the arrows which I shoot.” And the lad ran, and <i>Jonathan</i> shot an arrow, and sent it beyond him.


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And the lad came to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan shot; and Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “The arrow is on that side of you, and beyond you.”


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And Jonathan cried out after the lad, saying, “Make haste, and do not delay.” And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and brought the arrows to his master.


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And when the lad went in, then David arose from the stone Ezel, and fell upon his face, and bowed down to him three times, and they kissed each other, and wept for each other, for a great while.


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And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, and as we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord shall be witness between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever’—<i>even so let it be</i>.” And David arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.


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<n>David in Nob</n> And David came to Nob, to Abimelech the priest. And Abimelech was amazed at meeting him, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”


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And David said to the priest, “The king gave me a command today, and said to me, ‘Let no one know the matter on which I send you, and concerning which I have charged you’; and I have charged my servants to be in the place that is called, ‘The Faithfulness of God, Phellani Maemoni.’


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And the priest answered David and said, “There are no common loaves under my hand, for I have none but holy loaves: if the young men have been kept at least from women, then they shall eat them.”


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And David answered the priest and said to him, “Yes, we have been kept from women for three days: when I came forth for the journey all the young men were purified; but this journey is profane, for it shall be sanctified today on account of my weapons.”


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So Abimelech the priest gave him the showbread; for there were no loaves there, but only the presence loaves which had been removed from the presence of the Lord, in order that hot bread should be set on, on the day on which he took them.


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And one of Saul’s servants was there on that day, detained before the Lord, and his name was Doeg the Syrian, tending Saul’s mules.


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And David said to Abimelech, “See if you have a spear or a sword here, for I have not brought my sword or my weapons, for the word of the king was urgent.”


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And the priest said, “Behold the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah; and it is wrapped in a cloth. If you will take it, take it for yourself, for there is no other <i>weapon </i>except that here.” And David said, “Behold, there is none like it; give it to me.”


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<n>David Flees to Gath</n> And he gave it to him. And David arose, and fled in that day from the presence of Saul. And David came to Achish king of Gath.


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And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did not the dancing women begin the song to him, saying, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands?’”


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And he changed his appearance in that day before <i>the king</i>, and pretended to be somebody else; and he pounded on the doors of the city, and used extravagant gestures with his hands, and fell against the doors of the gate, and his saliva ran down upon his beard.


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And Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad; why have you brought him in to me?


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Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought him in to me to play the madman? He shall not come into the house!”


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<n>David and His Followers at Adullam</n> And David departed from there, and escaped. And he came to the cave of Adullam. And his brothers heard, and the house of his father, and they went down to him there.


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And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was troubled in mind gathered to him there, and he was a leader over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.


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And David departed from there to Mizpah of Moab, and said to the king of Moab, “Let my father and my mother be with you here, until I know what God will do to me.”


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And he persuaded the King of Moab, and they dwelt with him continually, while David was in the stronghold.


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And Gad the prophet said to David, “Do not dwell in the stronghold: go, and you shall enter the land of Judah.” So David went, and came and dwelt in the city of Hereth.


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<n>Saul Murders the Priests at Nob</n> And Saul heard that David was discovered, and his men with him. Now Saul dwelt in the hill below the field that is in Ramah, and his spear was in his hand, and all his servants stood near him.


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And Saul said to his servants that stood by him, “Hear now, you sons of Benjamin, will the son of Jesse indeed give all of you fields and vineyards, and will he make you all captains of hundreds and captains of thousands?


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For you <i>are</i> all conspiring against me, and there is no one that informs me, whereas my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or informs me, that my son has stirred up my servant against me for an enemy, as it is this day?”


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And Doeg the Syrian who was over the mules of Saul answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse as he came to Nob, to Abimelech son of Ahitub the priest.


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And the priest inquired of God for him, and gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”


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And the king sent to call Abimelech son of Ahitub and all his father’s sons, the priests that were in Nob; and they all came to the king.


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And Saul said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, that you should give him bread and a sword, and should inquire of God for him, to raise him up against me as an enemy, as he is this day?”


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And he answered the king and said, “And who is there among all your servants as faithful as David, and he is a son-in-law of the king, and he is executor of all your commands, and is honorable in your house?


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Have I begun today to inquire of God for him? By no means: let not the king bring a charge against his servant, and against any of my father’s house, for your servant knew nothing about these matters, great or small.”


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And the king said to the bodyguards that attended on him, “Come here and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and they did not inform me.” But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to fall upon the priest of the Lord.


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And the king said to Doeg, “Turn, and fall upon the priests.” So Doeg the Syrian turned, and killed the priests of the Lord in that day, three hundred and five men, all wearing an ephod.


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And he struck Nob, the city of the priest, with the edge of the sword, both man and woman, infant and suckling, calf and ox, and also sheep.


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And David said to Abiathar, “I knew it in that day, that Doeg the Syrian would surely tell Saul. I am guilty of the death of the house of your father.


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Dwell with me; fear not, for wherever I shall seek a place of safety for my life, I will also seek a place for your life, for you are safely guarded while <i>you are </i>with me.”


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<n>David Saves the City of Keilah</n> And it was told David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines war in Keilah, and they rob, and they trample on the threshing floors.”


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And David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” And the Lord said, “Go, and you shall strike these Philistines, and shall save Keilah.”


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And the men of David said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judea; and how shall it be if we go to Keilah? Shall we go after the spoils of the Philistines?”


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And David inquired yet again of the Lord; and the Lord answered him, and said to him, “Arise and go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hands.”


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So David and his men with him went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines; and they fled from before him, and he carried off their cattle, and struck them with a great slaughter, and David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.


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And it came to pass when Abiathar the son of Abimelech fled to David, that he went down with David to Keilah, having an ephod in his hand.


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And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has sold him into my hands, for he is shut up, having entered into a city that has gates and bars.”


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And David knew that Saul spoke openly of mischief against him. So David said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod of the Lord.”


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And David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has indeed heard, that Saul seeks to come against Keilah to destroy the city on my account.


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Will <i>the place</i> be shut up? And now will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “It will be shut up.”


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And David arose, and the men with him, in number about four hundred, and they went forth from Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, so he halted the expedition.


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<n>David Eludes Saul in the Wilderness</n> And he dwelt in Maserim in the wilderness, in the narrow passes; and dwelt in the wilderness in Mount Ziph, in the dry country. And Saul sought him continually, but the Lord did not deliver him into his hands.


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And David perceived that Saul went forth to seek him. And David was in the dry mountain in the New Ziph.


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And Jonathan son of Saul arose, and went to David to New <i>Ziph</i>, and strengthened his hands in the Lord.


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And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to you; and Saul my father knows it.”


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So they both made a covenant before the Lord; and David dwelt in New <i>Ziph</i>, and Jonathan went to his home.


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And the Ziphites came up out of the dry country to Saul to the hill, saying, “Behold, is not David hidden with us in Messara, in the narrows in New <i>Ziph</i> in the hill of Echela, which is on the right of Jeshimon?


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And now <i>according to</i> all the king’s desire to come down, let him come down to us; they have shut him up into the hands of the king.”


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Go, I pray, and yet make preparations, and notice his place where his foot shall be, quickly, in that place which you spoke of, lest by any means he should deal craftily.


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Take notice, then, and learn, and I will go with you. And it shall come to pass that if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”


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And the Ziphites arose, and went before Saul. And David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, towards the west, to the right of Jeshimon.


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And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they brought word to David, and he went down to the rock that was in the Wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard, and followed after David to the wilderness of Maon.


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And Saul and his men went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hiding himself to escape from Saul; and Saul and his men encamped against David and his men, in order to take them.


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And a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Make haste and come here, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”


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So Saul returned from following after David, and went to meet the Philistines. Therefore that place was called The Divided Rock.


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<n>David Spares Saul</n> And it came to pass when Saul returned from pursuing after the Philistines, that it was reported to him, saying, “David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.”


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And he took with him three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of Sadiem.


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And he came to the flocks of sheep that were by the way, and there was a cave there. And Saul went in to make preparation, and David and his men were sitting in the inner part of the cave.


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And the men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the Lord spoke to you, that He would deliver your enemy into your hands; and you shall do to him as it is good in your sight.” So David arose and cut off the border of Saul’s garment secretly.


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And it came to pass after this that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut off the border of his garment.


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And David said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.”


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So David persuaded his men by his words, and did not allow them to rise up and kill Saul. And Saul arose and went his way.


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And David rose up and went after him out of the cave. And David cried after Saul, saying, “My lord, O king!” And Saul looked behind him, and David stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed down to him.


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And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of the people, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks you life?’


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Behold, your eyes have seen this day how that the Lord has delivered you into my hands in the cave. And I would not kill you, but I spared you, and said, ‘I will not lift up my hand against my master, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’


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And behold, the border of your garment is in my hand, I cut off the border, and did not kill you. Know then and see this day, there is no evil in my hand, nor impiety, nor rebellion; and I have not sinned against you, yet you lay snares for my life, to take it!


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The Lord judge between me and you, and the Lord vindicate you on yourself. But my hand shall not be upon you.


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As the old proverb says, ‘Transgression will proceed from the wicked ones’; but my hand shall not be upon you.


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And now after whom do you come forth, O king of Israel? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog, and after a flea?


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The Lord be judge and umpire between me and you, the Lord look upon and judge my cause, and rescue me out of your hand.”


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And it came to pass when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is this your voice, <i>my </i>son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.


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And Saul said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have recompensed me with good, but I have recompensed you with evil.


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And you have told me this day what good you have done to me, how the Lord locked me up into your hands today, and you did not kill me.


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And if anyone should find his enemy in distress, and should send him forth in a good way, then the Lord will reward him with good, as you have done this day.


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And now, behold, I know that you shall surely reign, and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.


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Now then swear to me by the Lord, that you will not destroy my descendants after me, that you will not blot out my name from the house of my father.”


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So David swore to Saul. And Saul departed to his place, and David and his men went up to the stronghold of Messara.


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<n>The Death of Samuel</n> And Samuel died, and all Israel assembled, and lamented him, and they buried him in his house in Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the Wilderness of Maon.


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<n>David and Abigail</n> And there was a man in Maon, and his flocks were in Carmel, and <i>he was</i> a very great man; and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand female goats. And he happened to be shearing his flock in Carmel.


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And the man’s name <i>was</i> Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. And his wife <i>was</i> of good understanding and very beautiful in appearance. But the man was harsh, and evil in his doings, and the man was foolish.


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And David sent ten young men, and he said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and ask him in my name how he is.


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And now, behold, I have heard that your shepherds who were with us in the wilderness are shearing your sheep, and we did not hinder them, neither did we demand anything from them all the time they were in Carmel.


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Ask your servants, and they will tell you. Let then your servants find grace in your eyes, for we have come on a good day; please give whatsoever your hand may find, to your son David.’”


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So the servants came and spoke these words to Nabal, according to all these words in the name of David.


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And Nabal sprang up, and answered the servants of David, and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? Nowadays there are many servants who depart from <i>their</i> masters.


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So shall I take my bread, and my wine, and my beasts that I have slain for my shearers, and shall I give them to men of whom I know not who they are?”


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So the servants of David turned back and returned, and came and reported to David according to these words.


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And David said to his men, “Gird on every man his sword.” And they went up after David, about four hundred men. And two hundred stayed with the supplies.


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And one of the servants reported to Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master; but he turned away from them.


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And the men were very good to us; they did not hinder us, neither did they demand from us anything all the days that we were with them.


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And when we were in the field, they were like a wall surrounding us, both night and day, all the days that we were with them feeding the flock.


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And now consider what you will do; for mischief is determined against our master and against his house; for he is a son of Belial, and no one can speak to him.”


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And Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two vessels of wine, and five sheep readily dressed, and five ephahs of fine flour, and one homer of dried grapes, and two hundred cakes of figs, and put them upon donkeys.


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And she said to her servants, “Go on before me, and I shall come after you.” But she did not tell her husband.


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And it came to pass when she had mounted her donkey and was going down by the covert of the mountain, that behold, David and his men came down to meet her, and she met them.


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And David said, “Perhaps I have kept all his possessions in the wilderness that he should wrong me, and we did not order the taking of anything, of all his goods; yet he has rewarded me evil for good.


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So God do to David and more also, if I leave one male of all that belongs to Nabal until the morning.”


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And Abigail saw David, and she dismounted quickly from her donkey; and she fell before David on her face, and bowed down to him, bowing to the ground,


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even to his feet, and said, “On me, my lord, be my wrong. Let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant.


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Let not my lord take to heart this pestilent man, for according to his name, so is he—Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the servants of my lord whom you sent.


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And now my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, as the Lord has kept you from coming against innocent blood and from executing vengeance for yourself, now therefore let your enemies, and those that seek evil against my lord, become as Nabal.


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And now accept this token of goodwill, which your servant has brought to my lord, and you shall give it to the servants that wait on my lord.


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Remove the trespass of your servant, I pray; for the Lord will surely make for my lord a sure house, for the Lord fights the battles of my lord, and no evil shall ever be found in you.


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And if a man shall rise up persecuting you and seeking your life, yet shall the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord God, and you shall whirl the life of your enemies as in the midst of a sling.


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And it shall be when the Lord has brought to pass for my lord all the good things He has spoken concerning you, and shall appoint you to be ruler over Israel,


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then this shall not be an abomination and offense to my lord, to have shed innocent blood without cause, and for my lord to have avenged himself. And so may the Lord do good to my lord, and you shall remember your maidservant, to do her good.”


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And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has sent you this very day to meet me.


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And blessed be your conduct, and blessed are you, who has hindered me this very day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself.


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But surely as the Lord God of Israel lives, who hindered me this day from doing you harm, if you had not hastened and come to meet me, then I said, ‘Surely there shall not be one male left to Nabal till the morning.’”


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And David took from her hand all that she brought to him, and said to her, “Go in peace to your house: see, I have heeded your voice, and accepted your petition.”


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And Abigail came to Nabal. And behold, he had a banquet in his house, as the banquet of a king, and the heart of Nabal was merry within him, and he was very drunk. And she told him nothing great or small till the morning light.


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And it came to pass in the morning, when Nabal recovered from his wine, that his wife told him these words. And his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.


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And David heard it and said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has judged the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and has delivered His servant from the power of evil; and the Lord has returned the mischief of Nabal upon his own head.” And David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to himself for a wife.


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So the servants of David came to Abigail to Carmel, and spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you, to take you to himself for a wife.”


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And she arose, and bowed down with her face to the earth, and said, “Behold, your servant is for a maid, to wash the feet of your servants.”


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And Abigail arose and mounted her donkey, and five maidens followed her. And she went after the servants of David, and became his wife.


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<n>David Spares Saul a Second Time</n> And the Ziphites came out of the dry country to Saul to the hill, saying, “Behold, David hides himself with us in the hill Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon.”


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And Saul arose, and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, and with him went three thousand men chosen out of Israel, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.


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And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah in front of Jeshimon, by the way, and David dwelt in the wilderness. And David saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.


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And David arose secretly, and went into the place where Saul was sleeping. And Abner the son of Ner was there, the captain of his army. And Saul was sleeping in a chariot, and the people had encamped along around him.


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And David answered and spoke to Abimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go in with me to Saul into the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go in with you.”


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So David and Abishai went in among the people by night. And behold, Saul was fast asleep in the chariot, and his spear was stuck in the ground near his head, and Abner and his people slept round about him.


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And Abishai said to David, “The Lord has delivered your enemy into your hands this day, and now I will strike him to the earth with this spear, once <i>for all</i>, and I will not have to strike him again.”


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And David said to Abishai, “Do not kill him, for who shall lift up his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?”


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And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come and he die, or he shall go down to battle and be added <i>to his fathers</i>.


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The Lord forbid that I should lift up my hand against the Lord’s anointed. And now take the spear from before his head, and the pitcher of water, and let us return home.”


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So David took the spear, and the pitcher of water, and they went home. And there was no one that saw, and no one that knew, and there was no one that awoke, they were all asleep, for a stupor from the Lord had fallen upon them.


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So David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, and there was a good distance between them.


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And David called to the people and spoke to Abner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” And Abner answered and said, “Who are you that calls?”


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And David said to Abner, “<i>Are</i> you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then do you not guard your lord the king? For one out of the people went in to destroy your lord the king.


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And this thing is not good which you have done. As the Lord lives, you are worthy of death, you who guard your lord the king, the Lord’s anointed. And now behold, the spear of the king, and the jug of water—where are the articles that should be at his head?”


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And Saul recognized the voice of David, and said, “Is this your voice, <i>my </i>son David?” And David said, “I am your servant, my lord, O king.”


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And he said, “Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? For in what <i>manner </i>have I sinned? And what unrighteousness has been found in me?


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And now, let my lord the king hear the word of his servant: if God stirs you up against me, let your offering be acceptable; but if <i>it is </i>the children of men, <i>may</i> they be cursed before the Lord, for they have cast me out this day, that I should not be established in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’


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And now let not my blood fall to the ground before the Lord, for the king of Israel has come forth to seek your life, as the night hawk pursues its <i>prey</i> in the mountains.”


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And Saul said, “I have sinned: turn, <i>my </i>son David, for I will not hurt you, because my life was precious in your eyes; and today I have been foolish and I have erred exceedingly.”


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And David answered and said, “Behold, the spear of the king. Let one of the servants come over and take it.


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And the Lord shall recompense each according to his righteousness and his truth, since the Lord delivered you this day into my hands, and I would not lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed.


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And behold, as your life has been precious this very day in my eyes, so let my life be precious before the Lord, and may He protect me, and deliver me out of all affliction.”


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And Saul said to David, “Blessed are you, my son; and you shall surely do valiantly, and <i>shall </i>surely prevail.” And David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.


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<n>David Serves King Achish of Gath</n> And David said in his heart, “Now shall I be one day delivered <i>for death</i> into the hands of Saul; and there is nothing better for me unless I should escape into the land of the Philistines, and Saul should cease from seeking me through every coast of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”


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So David arose, and the six hundred men that were with him, and he went to Achish, son of Maoch, king of Gath.


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And David dwelt with Achish, he and his men, each with his family; and David and both his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.


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And David said to Achish, “If now your servant has found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, and I will dwell there; for why does your servant dwell with you in a royal city?”


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And David and his men went up, and made an attack on all the Geshurites and on the Amalekites. And behold, the land was inhabited, (even the land from Shur) by those who come from the fortified cities, even to the land of Egypt.


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And he attacked the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive; and they took flocks, herds, donkeys, camels, and clothing; and they returned and came to Achish.


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And Achish said to David, “On whom have you made an attack today?” And David said to Achish, “On the south of Judea, and on the south of Jerahmeel, and on the south of the Kenite.”


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And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying, “Lest they carry a report to Gath, saying, ‘These things David does.’” And this was his manner all the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines.


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So David had the full confidence of Achish, who said, “He is thoroughly disgraced among his people in Israel and he shall be my servant forever.”


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And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together with their armies to go out to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know surely that you shall go forth to battle with me—you, and your men.”


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And David said to Achish, “Thus now you shall know what your servant will do.” And Achish said to David, “So will I make you captain of my bodyguard continually.”


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<n>Saul Consults a Medium</n> And Samuel had died, and all Israel lamented for him, and they buried him in his city, in Ramah. And Saul had removed out of the land those who had in them divining spirits, and the wizards.


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And the Philistines assembled themselves, and came and encamped in Shunem. And Saul gathered all the men of Israel, and they encamped in Gilboa.


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So Saul inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him neither by dreams, nor by manifestations, nor by prophets.


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Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who has in her a divining spirit, and I will go to her, and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, <i>there is</i> a woman who has in her a divining spirit at Endor.”


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So Saul disguised himself, and put on different clothing, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. Then he said to her, “Divine to me by the divining spirit within you, and bring up to me him whom I shall name to you.”


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And the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who had divining spirits in them, and the wizards from the land; and why do you spread a snare for my life to destroy it?”


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And Saul swore to her, and said, “As the Lord lives, no injury shall come upon you on this account.”


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And the woman saw Samuel, and cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”


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And the king said to her, “Do not fear; tell me, what did you see?” And the woman said to him, “I saw <RF q=5>5 Elohim was the original Hebrew word here translated “gods.” (&#61521;&#61541;&#61551;&#61557;&#61526;&#61481; This could mean magistrates, or spirits.</n>gods ascending out of the earth.”


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And he said to her, “What did you perceive <i>it to be</i>?” And she said to him, “<i>I see </i>an upright man ascending out of the earth, and he is clothed with a mantle.” And Saul knew that this was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down to him.


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And Samuel said, “Why have you troubled me, <i>to cause </i>me to ascend?” And Saul said, “I am greatly distressed, and the Philistines war against me, and God has departed from me, and He no longer hearkens to me, either by the hand of the prophets, or by dreams. And now I have called <i>on </i>you, to tell me what I shall do.”


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And Samuel said, “Why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you, and taken part with your neighbor?


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And the Lord has done to you as the Lord has spoken by me; and the Lord will tear the kingdom out of your hand, and will give it to your neighbor David.


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Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord, and did not execute His fierce anger upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day.


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And the Lord shall deliver up Israel with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons with you shall fall, and the Lord shall deliver the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”


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And Saul instantly fell to the ground, and was greatly afraid because of the words of Samuel; and there was no longer any strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all that day, and all that night.


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And the woman went in to Saul, and saw that he was greatly disquieted, and said to him, “Behold now, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have heard the words which you have spoken to me.


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And now hear the voice of your maidservant, and I will set before you a piece of bread, and eat, and you shall be strengthened, for you will be going on your way.”


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But he would not eat. So his servants and the woman constrained him, and he listened to their voice, and rose up from the earth, and sat upon a bench.


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And the woman had a fatted calf in the house; and she hastened and killed it. And she took meal and kneaded it, and baked unleavened cakes.


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And she brought <i>the meat</i> before Saul, and before his servants; and they ate, and rose up, and departed that night.


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<n>The Philistines Reject David</n> And the Philistines gathered all their armies to Aphek, and Israel encamped in Endor, which is in Jezreel.


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And the lords of the Philistines came by <i>the </i>hundreds and thousands, and David and his men went on in the rear with Achish.


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And the lords of the Philistines said, “Who <i>are</i> these that pass by?” And Achish said to the captains of the Philistines, “<i>Is</i> not this David the servant of Saul king of Israel? He has been with us for some time, even this second year, and I have not found any fault in him from the day that he attached himself to me, even until this day.”


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And the captains of the Philistines were displeased at him, and they said to him, “Send the man away, and let him return to his place, which you have appointed for him; and let him not come with us to the war, and let him not be a traitor in the camp. And with what will he be reconciled to his master? Will it not be with the heads of those men?


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<i>Is</i> not this David whom they celebrated in dances, saying, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands?’”


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And Achish called David and said to him, “<i>As</i> the Lord lives, you <i>are</i> right and approved in my eyes, and so is your going out and your coming in with me in the army, and I have not found any evil to charge against you, from the day that you came to me until this day. But you are not approved in the eyes of the lords.


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Now then return and go in peace, thus you shall not do evil in the sight of the lords of the Philistines.”


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And David said to Achish, “What have I done to you? And what have you found in your servant from the <i>first</i> day that I was before you, even until this day, that I should not come and war against the enemies of the lord my king?”


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And Achish answered David, “I know that you <i>are</i> good in my eyes, but the lords of the Philistines have said, “He shall not come with us to the war.


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Now then rise up early in the morning, you and the servants of your lord that have come with you, and go to the place that I have appointed for you, and entertain no evil thought in your heart, for you are good in my sight. And rise early for your journey when it is light, and depart.”


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So David arose early, he and his men, to depart and guard the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel to battle.


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<n>David Avenges the Destruction of Ziklag</n> And it came to pass when David and his men had entered Ziklag on the third day, that Amalek had made an attack upon the south, and upon Ziklag, and besieged Ziklag, and burned it with fire.


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And as to the women and all things that were in it, great and small, they killed neither man nor woman, but carried them away captive, and went on their way.


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And David and his men came into the city, and behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters were carried away captive.


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And David and his men lifted up their voice, and wept till there was no longer any power within them to weep.


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And both of David’s wives were carried away captive, Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.


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And David was greatly distressed, because the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, each for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.


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And David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and you shall surely rescue the <i>captives</i>.”


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So David went, he and the six hundred men with him, and they came as far as the brook Besor, and the extra <i>men</i> stopped .


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And he pursued them with four hundred men; and two hundred men remained behind, who tarried on the other side of the brook Besor.


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And they found an Egyptian in the field, and they took him, and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate, and they caused him to drink water.


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And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and he ate, and his spirit was restored in him; for he had not eaten bread, and had not drunk water three days and three nights.


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And David said to him, “To whom do you <i>belong</i>? And where are you from?” And the young man the Egyptian said, “I am the servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me, because I was taken ill three days ago.


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And we made an attack on the south of the Cherethites, and on the parts of Judea, and on the south of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.”


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And David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” And he said, “Swear now to me by God, that you will not kill me, and that you will not deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down upon this troop.”


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So he brought him down there, and behold, they were scattered abroad upon the surface of the whole land, eating and drinking, and feasting by reason of all the great spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.


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And David came upon them, and attacked them from the morning till the evening, and on the next day; and not one of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who were mounted on camels, and fled.


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And nothing was lacking to them, great or small; either of the spoils, or the sons and daughters, or anything that they had taken of theirs. And David recovered all.


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And he took all the flocks, and the herds, and led them away before the spoils. And it was said of these spoils, “These are the spoils of David.”


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And David came to the two hundred men who were left behind, that they should not follow after David, and he had caused them to remain by the brook of Besor. And they came forth to meet David, and to meet his people with him. And David drew near to the people, and they asked him how he did <i>it</i>.


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Then every ill-disposed and bad man of the soldiers who had gone with David, answered and said, “Because they did not pursue together with us, we will not give them of the spoils which we have recovered, only let each one lead away with him his wife and his children, and let them return.”


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And David said, “You shall not do so, after the Lord has delivered <i>the enemy</i> to us, and guarded us, and the Lord has delivered into our hands the troop that came against you.


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And who will hearken to these your words? For they are not inferior to us; for according to the portion of him that went down to the battle, so shall be the portion of him that abides with the baggage; they shall share alike.”


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And it came to pass from that day forward, that it became an ordinance and a custom in Israel until this day.


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And David came to Ziklag, and sent of the spoils to the elders of Judah, and to his friends, saying, “Behold, <i>some</i> of the spoils of the enemies of the Lord”;


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And to those in Aroer, and to those in Siphmoth, and to those in Saphi, and to those in Eshtemoa, and to those in Gath, and to those in Cimath, and to those in Saphec, and to those in Thimath,


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and to those in Carmel, and to those in the cities of Jeremeel, and to those in the cities of the Kenite;


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<n>The Death of Saul and His Sons</n> And the Philistines fought with Israel. And the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and they fell down wounded in the mountain in Gilboa.


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And the Philistines pressed closely on Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.


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And Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and pierce me through, and mock me.” But his armorbearer would not, for he feared greatly. So Saul took his sword and fell upon it.


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And the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead; and they forsook their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and dwelt in them.


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And it came to pass on the next day that the Philistines came to strip the dead, and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on the mountains of Gilboa.


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And they turned him over, and stripped off his armor, and sent it into the land of the Philistines, <i>and </i>sending the good news to their idols and to the people.


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And they set up his armor at the temple of Ashtoreth, and they fastened his body on the wall of Beth Shan.


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And they rose up, every man of might, and marched all night, and took the body of Saul and the body of Jonathan his son from the wall of Beth Shan; and they brought them to Jabesh, and burned them there.


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<n>The Report of Saul’s Death</n> And it came to pass after Saul was dead, that David returned from attacking Amelek, and he stayed two days in Ziklag.


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And it came to pass on the third day, that behold, a man came from the camp, from the people of Saul, and his clothes were torn, and dust <i>was</i> upon his head. And it came to pass when he went in to David, that he fell upon the earth, and bowed down to him.


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And David said to him, “Where have you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.”


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And David said to him, “What <i>is</i> the matter? Tell me.” And he said, “The people fled out of the battle, and many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead.”


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And David said to the young man who brought him the news, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”


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And the young man that brought the news said to him, “By chance I happened to be upon Mount Gilboa; and Saul was leaning upon his spear; and behold, the chariots and the commanders of the cavalry pressed hard upon him.


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And he said to me, ‘Stand over me and kill me, for a dreadful darkness has come upon me, for all my life <i>is</i> in me.’


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So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew he would not live after he had fallen; and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was upon his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”


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And David laid hold of his clothes, and tore them; and all the men who were with him tore their clothes.


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And they lamented and wept, and fasted till evening for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Judah, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.


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And David said to the young man who brought the news to him, “Where are you from?” And he said, “I am the son of an Amalekite sojourner.”


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And David said to him, “How was it that you were not afraid to lift up your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”


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And David called one of his young men, and said, “Go and fall upon him.” And he struck him, and he died.


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And David said to him, “Your blood <i>be</i> upon your own head; for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain the anointed of the Lord.’”


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And he gave orders to teach it to the sons of Judah: behold, it is written in the Book of the Upright:


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“Set up a pillar, O Israel, for the slain that have died upon your high places; how the mighty have fallen!


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Tell it not in Gath, and tell it not as glad tidings in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.


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You mountains of Gilboa, let neither dew nor rain descend upon you, nor fields of firstfruits <i>be upon you</i>, for there the shield of the mighty ones has been grievously assailed; the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.


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From the blood of the slain, and from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not return empty; and the sword of Saul did not turn back empty.


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Saul and Jonathan, the beloved and the beautiful, were not divided: comely <i>were they</i> in their life, and in their death they were not divided. <i>They were</i> swifter than eagles, and they were stronger than lions.


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Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you with scarlet together with your adorning, who added golden ornaments to your apparel.


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How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, even the slain ones upon your high places!


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I am grieved for you, my brother Jonathan; you were very lovely to me; your love to me was wonderful beyond the love of women.


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<n>David Anointed King of Judah</n> And it came to pass after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” And David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.”


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And David went up there to Hebron, <i>he</i> and both his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,


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And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David to reign over the house of Judah; and they reported to David, saying, “The men of Jabesh of the country of Gilead have buried Saul.”


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And David sent messengers to the rulers of Jabesh of the country of Gilead, and David said to them, “Blessed are you of the Lord, because you have shown this mercy toward your lord, even toward Saul the anointed of the Lord, and you have buried him and Jonathan his son.


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And now may the Lord deal in mercy and truth towards you: and I also will repay towards you this good deed, because you have done this.


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And now let your hands be made strong, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and moreover the house of Judah has anointed me to be king over them.”


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But Abner, the son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him up from the camp to Mahanaim;


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and made him king over the land of Gilead, and over Thasiri, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.


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Ishbosheth, Saul's son <i>was</i> forty years old when he reigned over Israel; and he reigned two years, but not over the house of Judah, who followed David.


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<n>The Battle of Gibeon</n> And Abner the son of Ner went forth, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, from Manahaim to Gibeon.


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And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went forth from Hebron, and met them at the Fountain of Gibeon, at the same place: and these sat down by the fountain on this side, and those by the fountain on that side.


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And Abner said to Joab, “Let now the young men arise, and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”


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And there arose and passed over by number twelve of the children of Benjamin, belonging to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.


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And each one grasped the head of his neighbor with his hand, and his sword <i>was thrust</i> into the side of his neighbor, and they fell down together: and the name of that place was called The Portion of the Treacherous Ones, which is in Gibeon.


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And the battle was very severe in that day; and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.


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Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was swift in his feet as a wild gazelle in the field.


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And Asahel followed after Abner, and turned not to go to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.


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And Abner said to him, “Turn to the right or to the left, and lay hold for yourself on one of the young men, and take to yourself his armor.” But Asahel would not turn back from following him.


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And Abner said yet again to Asahel, “Stand away from me, lest I strike you to the ground! And how could I show my face to Joab?


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And what is this? Return to Joab your brother!” But he would not stand away; and Abner struck him with the blunt end of the spear on his loins, and the spear went out behind him, and he fell down there and died on the spot. And it came to pass that everyone that came to the place where Asahel fell and died, stood still.


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And Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, and the sun went down. And they went as far as the hill of Ammah, which is in the front of Giah, by the desert way of Gibeon.


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And the children of Benjamin who followed Abner gathered themselves together, and they formed themselves into one body, and stood on the top of a hill.


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And Abner called Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour perpetually? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long then will you refuse to tell the people to turn from following our brothers?”


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And Joab said, “As the Lord lives, if you had not spoken, surely by morning the people would have given up from following his brother.”


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And Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people departed, and did not pursue after Israel, and did not fight any longer.


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And Abner and his men departed at evening, <i>and went</i> all that night, and crossed over the Jordan, and went along the whole adjacent <i>country</i>, and they came to the camp.


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And Joab returned from following Abner, and he assembled all the people, and there were missing of the people of David, nineteen men, and Asahel.


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And the servants of David struck of the children of Benjamin, of the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men belonging to him.


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And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the tomb of his father in Bethlehem. And Joab and the men with him went all the night, and the morning rose upon them in Hebron.


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<n>Abner Defects to David </n> And there was war for a long time between the house of Saul and the house of David; and the house of David grew continually stronger; but the house of Saul grew continually weaker.


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And sons were born to David in Hebron: and his firstborn was Ammon the son of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess.


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And his second son <i>was</i> Daluia, the son of Abigail the Carmelitess; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur.


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And the fourth <i>was</i> Adonijah, the son of Haggith, and the fifth <i>was</i> Shephatiah, the son of Abital.


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And the sixth <i>was</i> Ithream, the son of David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.


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And it came to pass while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was governing the house of Saul.


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And Saul had a concubine <i>named</i> Rizpah, the daughter of Jol; and Ishbosheth the son of Saul said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?”


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And Abner was very angry with Ishbosheth for this saying; and Abner said to him, “Am I a dog's head? I have this day showed kindness with the house of Saul your father, and with his brothers and friends, and have not gone over to the house of David, and do you this day seek a charge against me concerning injury to a woman?


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to take away the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to raise up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”


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And Abner immediately sent messengers to David, at Thailam where he was, saying, “Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand <i>is</i> with you to bring back to you all the house of Israel.”


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And David said, “With a good will I will make a covenant with you; only I demand one condition of you: you shall not see my face, unless you bring Michal the daughter of Saul, when you come to see my face.”


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And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, saying, “Restore me my wife Michal, whom I took for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”


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And her husband went with her weeping behind her as far as Bahurim. And Abner said to him, “Go, return”; and he returned.


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And Abner spoke to the elders of Israel, saying, “In former days you sought David to reign over you;


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and now perform <i>it</i>; for the Lord has spoken concerning David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save Israel out of the hand of all their enemies.’”


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And Abner spoke in the ears of Benjamin. And Abner went to speak in the ears of David at Hebron, all that seemed good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of the house of Benjamin.


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And Abner came to David at Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made a banquet of wine for Abner and his men with him.


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Then Abner said to David, “I will arise now and go, and gather to my lord the king all of Israel; and I will make a covenant with him, and you shall reign over all whom your soul desires.” And David sent Abner away, and he departed in peace.


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<n>Abner is Killed by Joab</n> And behold, the servants of David and Joab arrived from their expedition, and they brought much spoil with them. And Abner was not with David in Hebron, because he had sent him away, and he had departed in peace.


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Now Joab and all his army came, and it was reported to Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner has come to David, and David has let him go, and he has departed in peace.”


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And Joab went in to the king, and said, “What <i>is</i> this you have done? Behold, Abner came to you; and why have you let him go, and he has departed in peace?


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Surely you know the mischief of Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all things that you are doing?”


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And Joab returned from David, and sent messengers to Abner after <i>him</i>; and they brought him back from the Well of Sirah, but David was unaware.


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And he brought back Abner to Hebron, and Joab caused him to turn aside from the gate to speak to him, laying wait for him; and he stabbed him there in the stomach, and he died for the blood of Asahel the brother of Joab.


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And David heard <i>of it</i> afterwards, and said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord, even forever, of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.


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Let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all the house of his father; and let there not be wanting of the house of Joab one that has an issue, or a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that is in need of bread.”


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For Joab and Abishai his brother laid wait continually for Abner, because he slew Asahel their brother at Gibeon in the battle.


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And David said to Joab and to all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, and put on sackcloth, and lament over Abner.” And King David followed the coffin.


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And they buried Abner in Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice, and wept at his tomb, and all the people wept for Abner.


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Your hands were not bound, and your feet <i>were</i> not <i>put</i> in fetters; <i>one</i> brought <i>you</i> not near as Nabal; you have fallen before children of iniquity.”


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And all the people assembled to weep for him. And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day. And David swore, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if I eat bread or anything else before the sun goes down.”


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And all the people took notice, and all things that the king did before the people were pleasing in their sight.


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So all the people and all Israel perceived in that day, that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.


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And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a great prince has fallen this day in Israel?


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And that I am this day a <i>mere</i> kinsman <i>of his</i>, and <i>as it were</i> a subject; but these men the sons of Zeruiah are too harsh for me: the Lord reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”


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<n>Ishbosheth Assassinated</n> And Ishbosheth the son of Saul heard that Abner the son of Ner had died in Hebron; and his hands were paralyzed, and all the men of Israel grew faint.


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And Ishbosheth the son of Saul had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one <i>was</i> Baanah, and the name of the other <i>was </i>Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Berothite of the children of Benjamin; for Beeroth was reckoned to the children of Benjamin.


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And Jonathan, Saul's son, <i>had</i> a son lame of his feet, five years old, and he was <i>in the way </i>when the news of Saul and Jonathan his son came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled. And it came to pass as he made haste and retreated, that he fell, and was crippled. And his name <i>was</i> Mephibosheth.


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And Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Berothite set out, and they came in the heat of the day into the house of Ishbosheth; and he was sleeping on a bed at noon.


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And behold, the porter of the house winnowed wheat, and he slumbered and slept. And the brothers Rechab and Baanah went secretly into the house.


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And Ishbosheth was sleeping on his bed in his chamber. And they struck him, and killed him, and took off his head. And they took his head, and traveled all night by the western road.


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And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and they said to the king, “Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; and the Lord has executed vengeance on His enemies for my lord the king, as <i>it is </i>this day: even on Saul your enemy, and on his descendants.”


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And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Berothite, and said to them, “<i>As</i> the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all affliction;


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he that reported to me that Saul was dead, even he was as one bringing good news before me. But I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, to whom I ought, <i>as he thought</i>, to have given a reward for his news.


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And now evil men have slain a righteous man in his house, <i>and</i> upon his bed. Now then, I will require his blood from your hand, and I will destroy you from off the earth.”


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And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet; and they hung them up at the fountain in Hebron. And they buried the head of Ishbosheth in the tomb of Abner the son of Ner.


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<n>David Anointed King of All Israel</n> And all the tribes of Israel came to David to Hebron, and they said to him, “Behold, we <i>are</i> your bone and your flesh.


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And before, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall feed My people Israel, and you shall be for a leader to My people Israel.’”


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And all the elders of Israel come to the king at Hebron. And King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over all Israel.


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Seven years and six months he reigned in Hebron over Judah, and thirty-three years he reigned over all Israel and Judah in Jerusalem.


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And David and his men departed to Jerusalem, to the Jebusites that inhabited the land. And it was said to David, “You shall not come in here (for the blind and the lame withstood him, saying, ‘David shall not come in here).’”


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And David said on that day, “Everyone that attacks the Jebusites, let him attack with the dagger both the lame and the blind, and those that hate the soul of David.” Therefore they said, “The lame and the blind shall not enter into the house of the Lord.”


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And David dwelt in the stronghold, and it was called the City of David, and he built the city itself round about from the citadel, and <i>he built</i> his own house.


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And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar wood, and carpenters, and stone masons; and they built a house for David.


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And David knew that the Lord had prepared him to be king over Israel, and that his kingdom was exalted for the sake of His people Israel.


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And David took again wives and concubines out of Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron: and David had still more sons and daughters born to him.


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And these <i>are</i> the names of those that were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,


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<n>Philistine Attack Repulsed</n> And the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel; and all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold.


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And David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You deliver them into my hands?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”


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And David came from the Upper Breaches, and attacked the Philistines there. And David said, “The Lord has destroyed the hostile Philistines from before me, as water is dispersed.” Therefore the name of that place was called Over Breaches.


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And David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord said, “You shall not go up to meet them: turn from them, and you shall meet them near the Place of Weeping.”


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And it shall come to pass when you hear the sound of a clashing together from the Grove of Weeping, then you shall go down to them, for then the Lord shall go forth before you to create havoc in the battle with the Philistines.”


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And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck the Philistines from Gibeon as far as the land of Gezer.


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<n>The Ark Brought to Jerusalem</n> And David again gathered all the young men of Israel, about seventy thousand.


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And David arose and went, he and all the people that were with him, and some of the rulers of Judah, on an expedition <i>to a distant place</i>, to bring back from there the ark of God, upon which is called the name of the Lord of hosts who dwells between the cherubim.


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And they put the ark of the Lord on a new cart, and took it out of the house of Abinadab who lived on the hill, and Uzzah and his brothers, the sons of Abinadab drove the cart with the ark.


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And David and the children of Israel <i>were</i> playing before the Lord on well-tuned instruments mightily, and with songs, and with harps, and with lutes, and with drums, and with cymbals, and with pipes.


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And they came as far as the threshing floor of Nachon. And Uzzah reached forth his hand to the ark of God to keep it steady, and took hold of it; for the ox shook it out of its place.


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And the Lord was very angry with Uzzah, and God struck him there; and he died there by the ark of the Lord before God.


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And David was dispirited because the Lord made a breach upon Uzzah; and that place was called the Breach of Uzzah until this day.


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And David would not bring in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to himself into the City of David; and David turned it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.


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And the ark of the Lord lodged in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed all the house of Obed-Edom, and all his possessions.


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And it was reported to King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that he has, because of the ark of the Lord.” And David went, and brought up the ark of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness.


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And seven bands were with him bearing the ark, and for a sacrifice <i>there was </i>a calf, and lambs.


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And David sounded with well-tuned instruments before the Lord, and David <i>was</i> clothed with a fine long robe.


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And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet.


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And it came to pass as the ark arrived at the City of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked through the window, and saw King David dancing and playing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.


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And they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle which David pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings before the Lord, <i>and</i> peace offerings.


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And David made an end of offering the burnt offerings and peace offerings, and blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.


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And he distributed to all the people, even to all the host of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, both men and women, to everyone a cake of bread, and a piece of meat, and a cake from the frying pan. And all the people departed, everyone to his home.


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And David returned to bless his house. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and greeted him, and said, “How was the king of Israel glorified today, who was today uncovered in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the dancers wantonly uncovers himself!”


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And David said to Michal, “I will dance before the Lord. Blessed <i>be</i> the Lord who chose me before your father, and before all his house, to make me head over His people, even over Israel. Therefore I will play and dance before the Lord.


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And I will again uncover myself thus, and I will be vile in your eyes, and with the maid servants by whom you said that I was not held in honor.”


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<n>God’s Covenant with David</n> And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him an inheritance on every side <i>free</i> from all his enemies round about him;


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that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold now, I live in a house of cedar, and the ark of the Lord dwells in the midst of a tent.”


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And Nathan said to the king, “Go and do all that <i>is</i> in your heart, for the Lord <i>is</i> with you.”


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For I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt to this day, but I have been walking about in a lodging and in a tent,


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wheresoever I went with all Israel. Have I ever spoken to any of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to tend My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of Cedar?’


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And now thus shall you say to My servant David: ‘Thus says the Lord Almighty: “I took you from the sheepfold, that you should be a prince over My people, over Israel.


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And I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies before you, and I made you renowned according to the renown of the great ones on the earth.


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And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and I will plant them, and they shall dwell by themselves, and shall be distressed no longer; and the son of iniquity shall afflict them no longer, as he <i>has done</i> from the beginning,


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from the days when I appointed judges over My people Israel: and I will give you rest from all your enemies, and the Lord declares to you, that He shall build you a house.


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And it shall come to pass when your days have been fulfilled, and you sleep with your fathers, that I will raise up your descendants after you, even from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.


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I will be to him a father, and he shall be to Me a son. And when he happens to transgress, then will I chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men.


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And his house shall be made sure, and his kingdom forever before Me, and his throne shall be established forever.”’”


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<n>David’s Thanksgiving to God</n> Then King David came in, and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord, my Lord, and what <i>is</i> my house, that You have loved me <i>like </i>this?


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Whereas I was very little before You, O Lord, my Lord, yet You spoke concerning the house of Your servant for a long time <i>to come</i>. And <i>is</i> this the law of man, O Lord, my Lord?


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And You have wrought for Your servant's sake, and according to Your heart You have brought about all this greatness, to make it known to Your servant,


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that he may magnify You, O my Lord; for there is none like You, and there is no God but You among all of whom we have heard with our ears.


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And what other nation in the earth <i>is</i> like Your people Israel? Whereas God was his guide, to redeem for Himself a people, to make for Himself a name, to do mightily and nobly, so that You should cast out nations and <i>their</i> tabernacles from the presence of Your people, whom You redeemed for Yourself out of Egypt?


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And You have prepared for Yourself Your people Israel, to be a people forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God.


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And now, O my Lord, the Almighty Lord God of Israel, confirm the word forever which You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house: and now as You have said,


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Almighty Lord God of Israel, You have uncovered the ear of Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’: therefore Your servant has found <i>in</i> his heart to pray this prayer to You.


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And now, O Lord my Lord, You are God; and Your words will be true, and You have spoken these good things concerning Your servant.


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And now begin and bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O Lord, my Lord, have spoken, and the house of Your servant shall be blessed with Your blessing, so as to continue forever.”


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<n>David’s Wars</n> And it came to pass after this, that David attacked the Philistines, and put them to flight, and David took the tribute from out of the hand of the Philistines.


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Then David attacked Moab, and measured them out with lines, having laid them down on the ground. And there were two lines for slaying, and two lines he kept alive. And Moab became servants to David, yielding tribute.


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Then David attacked Hadadezer the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to extend his power to the River Euphrates.


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And David took a thousand of his chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David hamstrung all his chariot <i>horses</i>, but he reserved for himself a hundred chariots.


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And Syria of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, and David struck down twenty-two thousand of the Syrians.


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And David placed a garrison in Syria near Damascus, and the Syrians became servants and tributaries to David. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.


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And David took the golden bracelets which were on the servants of Hadadezer king of Zobah, and brought them to Jerusalem. And Susakim king of Egypt took them, when he went up to Jerusalem in the days of Rehoboam son of Solomon.


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And King David took from Masbak, and from the choice cities of Hadadezer, very much brass; with that Solomon made the bronze sea, and the pillars, and the lavers, and all the furniture.


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And Toi sent Joram his son to King David, to ask about his health, and to congratulate him on his fighting against Hadadezer and for attacking him, for he was an enemy to Hadadezer: and in his hands were vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass.


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And these King David consecrated to the Lord, with the silver and the gold with which he consecrated out of all the cities which he conquered,


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out of Edom and out of Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amelek, and from the spoils of Hadadezer son of Rehob king of Zobah.


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And David made <i>himself</i> a name. And when he returned he struck Edom in Gebelem to <i>the number of</i> eighteen thousand.


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And he set garrisons in Edom, even in all Edom: and all the Edomites were servants to the king. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.


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<n>David’s Administration</n> And David reigned over all of Israel: and David brought about judgment and justice over all his people.


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And Joab the son of Zeruiah <i>was</i> over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud <i>was keeper</i> of the records.


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And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, <i>were</i> priests; and Seraiah <i>was</i> the scribe,


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and Benaiah son of Jehoida <i>was</i> counselor, and the Cherethite and the Pelethite and the sons of David were princes of the court.


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<n>David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth</n> And David said, “Is there yet anyone left from the house of Saul, that I may deal kindly with him for Jonathan's sake?”


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And there was a servant of the house of Saul, and his name was Ziba. And they brought him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I <i>am</i> your servant.”


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And the king said, “Is there yet a man left of the house of Saul, that I may act towards him with the mercy of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is yet a son of Jonathan, lame <i>in</i> his feet.”


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And the king said, “Where <i>is</i> he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, <i>he is</i> in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo Debar.”


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And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul came to King David, and he fell upon his face and bowed down before him. And David said to him, “Mephibosheth”; and he said, “Behold your servant.”


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And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely deal mercifully with you for the sake of Jonathan your father, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”


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And Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “Who is your servant, that you have looked upon a dead dog such as me?”


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And the king called Ziba the servant of Saul, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house have I given to the son of your lord.


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And you, your sons, and your servants shall till the land for him; and you shall bring in bread to the son of your lord, and he shall eat bread; and Mephibosheth the son of your lord shall eat bread continually at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.


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And Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at the table of David, as one of the sons of the king.


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And Mephibosheth had a little son, and his name <i>was</i> Micha: and all the household of Ziba <i>were</i> servants to Mephibosheth.


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And Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he continually ate at the table of the king; and he was lame in both of his feet.


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<n>The Ammonites and Syrians Defeated</n> And it came to pass after this that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.


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And David said, “I will show mercy to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt mercifully with me.” And David sent to comfort him concerning his father by the hand of his servants; and the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon.


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And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “<i>Is it</i> to honor your father before you that David has sent comforters to you? Has not David rather sent his servants to you, that they should search the city, and spy it out and examine it?”


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And Hanun took the servants of David, and shaved their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, and sent them away.


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And they brought David word concerning the men; and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly dishonored. And the king said, “Remain in Jericho till your beards have grown, and <i>then</i> you shall return.”


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And the children of Ammon saw that the people of David were ashamed; and the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, and Rehob, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Amelek with a thousand men, and Ish-Tob with twelve thousand men.


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And the children of Ammon went forth, and set the battle in array by the door of the gate. <i>Those</i> of Syria—Zobah, Rehob, Ish-Tob, and Amelek, being by themselves in the field.


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And Joab saw that the battle was against him, both in front and from behind, and he chose out <i>some</i> of all the young men of Israel, and they set themselves in array against Syria.


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And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set the battle in array opposite to the children of Ammon.


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And he said, “If Syria is too strong for me, then shall you help me: and if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then will we be ready to help you.


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Be courageous, and let us be strong for our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God, and the Lord shall do that which is good in His eyes.”


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And the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, and they fled from before Abishai, and entered into the city. And Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.


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And Hadadezer sent and gathered the Syrians from the other side of the River Halamak, and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the army of Hadadezer <i>was</i> at their head.


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And it was reported to David, and he gathered all Israel and went over the Jordan, and came to Helam; and the Syrians set the battle in array against David, and fought with him.


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And Syria fled from before Israel, and David destroyed of the Syrians seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and he struck Shobach the captain of his army, and he died there.


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And all the kings <i>who were </i>servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, and they went over to Israel, and served them: and Syria was afraid to help the children of Ammon anymore.


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<n>David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba</n> And it came to pass, when the time of year had come for kings to go out <i>to battle</i>, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbath; but David remained at Jerusalem.


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And it came to pass toward evening, that David arose from his couch, and walked on the roof of the king's house, and saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.


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And David sent and inquired about the woman. And <i>one </i>said, “<i>Is </i>not this Bathsheba the daughter of Eliab, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”


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And David sent messengers, and took her, and went in to her, and he lay with her. And she was purified from her uncleanness, and returned to her house.


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And Uriah arrived and went in to him, and David asked him how Joab was, and how the people were, and how the war was going.


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And David said to Uriah, “Go to your house, and wash your feet.” And Uriah departed from the house of the king, and a portion <i>of meat </i>from the king followed him.


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And Uriah slept at the door of the king with the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.


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And they brought David word, saying, “Uriah has not gone down to his house.” And David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a <i>long </i>journey? Why have you not gone down to your house?”


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And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields; and shall I go into my house to eat and drink, and lie with my wife? How <i>should I do this? </i>As your 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 go.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the day following.


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And David called him, and he ate before him and drank, and made him drunk. And he went out in the evening to lie upon 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, saying, “Station Uriah in front of the <i>most </i>severe <i>part </i>of the fight, and retreat from behind him, that he may be wounded and die.”


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And it came to pass while Joab was watching against the city, that he set Uriah in a place where he knew that valiant men were.


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And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell, and Uriah the Hittite died also.


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And he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished reporting all the events of the war to the king,


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then it shall come to pass if the anger of the king shall arise, and he shall say to you, ‘Why did you draw near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from off the wall?


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Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal, son of Ner? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from above the wall, and he died in Thebez? Why did you draw near to the wall?’ Then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’”


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So the messenger of Joab went to the king, to Jerusalem, and he came and reported to David all that Joab had told him, all the affairs of the war. And David was very angry with Joab, and said to the messenger, “Why did you draw near to the wall to fight? Did you not know that you would be wounded from off the wall? Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal? Did not a woman cast upon him a piece of millstone from the wall, and he died in Thebez? Why did you draw near to the wall?”


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And the messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us, and they came out against us into the field, and we came upon them, even to the door of the gate.


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And the archers shot at your servants from off the wall, and some of the king's servants died, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.”


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And David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab: ‘Let not the matter be grievous in your eyes, for the sword devours one way at one time and another way at another: strengthen your array against the city, and destroy it, and strengthen him.’”


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And the time of mourning expired, and David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son: but the thing which David did was evil in the eyes of the Lord.


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<n>Nathan’s Parable and David’s Confession</n> And the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David; and he went in to him, and said to him, “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.


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But the poor <i>man had </i>only one little ewe lamb, which he had purchased, and preserved, and reared; and it grew up with himself and his children in common; it ate of his bread and drank of his cup, and slept in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter.


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And a traveler came to the rich man, and he refused to take of his flocks and of his herds, to prepare for the traveler that came to him; and he took the poor man's lamb, and prepared it for the man that came to him.”


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And David was greatly moved with anger against the man; and David said to Nathan, “<i>As </i>the Lord lives, the man that did this thing shall surely die.


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And Nathan said to David, “You are the man that has done this! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you to be king over Israel, and I rescued you out the hand of Saul;


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and I gave you the house of your master, and the wives of your master into your bosom, and I gave to you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been <i>too </i>little, I would have given you even more.


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Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do that which is evil in His eyes? You have slain Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and you have taken his wife to be your wife, and you have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.


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Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and you 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 <i>own </i>house, and I will take your wives from before your eyes, and will give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in broad daylight.


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For you did it in secret, but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and in broad daylight.’”


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And David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die.


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Only because you have given great occasion of provocation to the enemies of the Lord by this thing, your son also that is born to you shall surely die.”


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And Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child, which the wife of Uriah the Hittite bore to David, and it was ill.


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<n>David’s Son Dies</n> And David inquired of God concerning the child, and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground.


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And the elders of his house arose <i>and went </i>to him to raise him up from the ground, but he would not <i>rise</i>, nor did he eat bread with them.


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And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive we spoke to him, and he would not listen to our voice; and should we tell him <i>now </i>that the child is dead?—for he would do <i>himself </i>harm.”


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And David knew that his servants were whispering, and David perceived that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.”


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Then David rose up from the ground, and he washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes, and went into the house of God, and worshipped Him. And he went into his own house, and called for bread to eat, and they set bread before him and he ate.


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And his servants said to him, “What <i>is </i>this thing that you have done concerning the child? While the child was yet living you fasted and wept, and kept watch; but when the child was dead you rose up and ate bread, and drank.”


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And David said, “While the child yet lived, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows if the Lord will pity me, and the child should live?’


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But now the child is dead, why should I fast thus? Shall I be able to bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”


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<n>The Birth of Solomon</n> And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and he went in to her, and lay with her; and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his named Solomon, and the Lord loved him.


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<n>Rabbah is Captured</n> And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.


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And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, and taken the City of Waters.


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And now gather the rest of the people, and encamp against the city, and take it beforehand; lest I take the city first, and it be called by my name.”


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And he took the crown of Molchom their king from off his head, and the weight of it was a talent of gold, with precious stones, and it was upon the head of David; and he carried forth very much spoil of the city.


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And he brought forth the people that were in it, and put them under the saw, and under iron harrows, and axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick kiln: and thus he did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.


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<n>Amnon and Tamar</n> And it happened after this that Absalom the son of David had a very beautiful sister, and her name <i>was</i> Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.


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And Amnon was distressed even to sickness, because of Tamar his sister; for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for Amnon to do anything to her.


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Now Amnon had a friend, and his name <i>was</i> Jonadab, the son of Shimeah the brother of David: and Jonadab <i>was</i> a very cunning man.


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And he said to him, “What ails you, that you are weak like this? O son of the king, morning by morning? Will you not tell me?” And Amnon said, “I love Tamar the sister of my brother Absalom.”


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And Jonadab said to him, “Lie upon your bed, and make yourself sick, and your father shall come in to see you; and you shall say to him, ‘Let Tamar my sister come, and feed me with morsels, and let her prepare food before my eyes, that I may see and eat at her hands.’”


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So Ammon laid down and made himself sick; and the king came in to see him. And Amnon said to the king, “Let my sister Tamar come to me, and make a couple of cakes in my sight, and I will eat them at her hand.”


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And Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, and he <i>was</i> lying down: and she took the dough and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.


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And she took the frying pan and poured them out before him, but he would not eat. And Amnon said, “Send out every man from about me.” And they removed every man from about him.


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And Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring in the food into the closet, and I will eat of your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to her brother Amnon into the chamber.


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And she brought <i>them</i> to him to eat, and he caught hold of her, and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”


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And she said to him, “No, my brother, do not humble me, for it ought not to be so done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing!


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And I, where shall I remove my reproach? And you shall be as one of the fools in Israel. And now, speak to the king, for surely he will not keep me from you.”


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But Amnon would not listen to her voice; and he prevailed against her, and humbled her, and lay with her.


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Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her, for the last wickedness was greater than the first. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, and get out!”


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And Tamar spoke to him concerning this great mischief, <i>saying,</i> “This is greater than the other that you did to me, to send me away.” But Amnon would not listen to her voice.


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And he called his servant who had charge of the house, and said to him, “Put this <i>woman</i> out from me, and shut the door behind her.”


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And she had on herself a multi-colored robe, for so were the king's daughters that were virgins attired in their apparel. And his servant led her forth, and shut the door behind her.


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And Tamar took ashes, and put them on her head. And she tore the robe that was on her, and she laid her hands on her head, and went crying continually.


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And Absalom her brother said to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Now then, my sister, be silent, for he is your brother: be not careful to mention this matter.” So Tamar dwelt as a widow in the house of her brother Absalom.


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And King David heard of all these things, and was very angry; but he did not grieve the spirit of his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn.


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And Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, because Absalom hated Amnon, on account of his humbling of his sister Tamar.


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<n>Absalom Murders Amnon</n> And it came to pass at the end of two whole years, that they were shearing <i>sheep</i> for Absalom in Baal Hazor, near Ephraim. And Absalom invited all the king's sons.


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And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has a sheep-shearing; let now 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, and let us not be burdensome to you.” And he pressed him; but he would not go, but blessed him.


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And Absalom said to him, “And if not, let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”


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And Absalom pressed him, and he sent with him Amnon and all the king's sons; and Absalom made a banquet like the banquet of the king.


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And Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Take notice when the heart of Amnon shall be merry with wine, and I shall say to you, ‘Strike Amnon, and kill him.’ Do not fear, for is it not I that command you? Be courageous, and be valiant.”


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And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom commanded them. And all the sons of the king rose up, and they mounted every man his mule, and fled.


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And it came to pass, when they were on the way, that a report came to David, saying, “Absalom has slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.”


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Then the king arose, and tore his clothes, and lay upon the ground. And all his servants that were standing round him tore their clothes.


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And Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Let not my Lord the king say that he has slain all the young men the sons of the king, for Amnon alone is dead; for he was appointed <i>to death</i> by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he humbled his sister Tamar.


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And now let not my lord the king take the matter to heart, saying, ‘All the king's sons are dead’: for Amnon alone is dead.”


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And Absalom escaped. And the watchman lifted up his eyes and looked; and behold, many people went in the road behind him from the side of the mountain in the descent. And the watchman came and told the king, and said, “I have seen men by the road of Horonaim, by the side of the mountain.”


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And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king' sons are present: according to the word of your servant, so has it happened.”


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And it came to pass when he had finished speaking, that behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voices and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept with a very great weeping.


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But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai son of Ammihud the king of Geshur, to the land of Hamaachad. And King David mourned for his son continually.


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And King David ceased to go out after Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, regarding his death.


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<n>Absalom Returns to Jerusalem</n> Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the heart of the king was toward Absalom.


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And Joab sent to Tekoa, and took from there a cunning woman, and said to her, “Mourn, and put on mourning apparel, and do not anoint yourself with oil, and you shall be as a woman mourning for one that is dead thus for many days.


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And you shall go to the king, and speak to him according to this word.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.


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So the woman of Tekoa went in to the king and fell upon her face to the earth, and bowed down before him, and said, “Help, O king, help.”


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And the king said to her, “What is the matter with you?” And she said, “I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.


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And moreover your maid had two sons, and they fought together in the field, and there was no one to separate them; and the one struck down the other, his brother, and killed him.


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And behold, the whole family rose up against your maid, and they said, ‘Give up the one that struck down his brother, and we will put him to death for the life of his brother, whom he killed, and we will take away your heir.’ So they will extinguish my remaining coal, so as not to leave my husband a remnant or name upon the face of the earth.”


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And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me, my lord, O king, and on my father's house <i>be</i> the iniquity, and the king and his throne <i>be</i> guiltless.”


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And the king said, “Who was it that spoke to you? You shall bring him to me, and <i>one</i> shall not touch him anymore.”


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And she said, “Let now the king remember concerning his Lord God in that the avenger of blood is multiplied to destroy, and let them not take away my son.” And he said, “<i>As</i> the lord lives, not a hair on your son’s <i>head</i> shall fall to the ground.”


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And the woman said, “Let now your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak on.”


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And the woman said, “Why have you devised this thing against the people of God? Or <i>is</i> this word out of the king's mouth as a transgression, so that the king should not bring back his <i>own</i> banished <i>son</i>?


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For we shall surely die, and be as water poured upon the earth, which shall not be gathered up, and God shall take the life, even as He devises to thrust forth from Him His outcast.


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And now whereas I came to speak this word to my lord the king, <i>the reason is</i> that the people will see me, and your maid will say, ‘Let one now speak to my lord the king,’ if perhaps the king will perform the request of his maid;


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for the king will hear. Let him rescue his maid out of the hand of the man that seeks to cast out me and my son from the inheritance of God.”


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And the woman said, “If now the word of my lord the king be gracious,—<i>well</i>: for as an angel of God, so <i>is</i> my lord the king, to hear good and evil; and the Lord your God shall be with you.”


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And the king answered and said to the woman, “Do not hide from me, I pray, the matter which I ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king by all means speak.”


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And the king said, “<i>Is</i> not the hand of Joab in all this matter with you?” And the woman said to the king, “<i>As</i> your soul lives, my lord, O king, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab himself charged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your maid.


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In order that this form of speech might come about <i>it was</i> that your servant Joab has arranged this matter; and my lord is wise as <i>is</i> the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”


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And the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done to you according to this your word: go, bring back the young man Absalom.”


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And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down, and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O king, for my lord the king has performed the request of his servant.”


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And the king said, “Let him return to his house, and not see my face.” And Absalom returned to his house, and did not see the king's face.


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<n>David Forgives Absalom</n> And there was not a man in Israel as handsome as Absalom. From the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.


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And when he cut his hair, (and it was at the beginning of every year that he cut it, because it grew heavy upon him) even when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head, <i>and it weighed </i>two hundred shekels according to the royal shekel.


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And there were born to Absalom three sons and one daughter, and her name was Tamar. She was a very beautiful woman, and she became the wife of Rehoboam son of Solomon, and she bore to him Abia.


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And Absalom sent to Joab to bring him in to the king, and he would not come to him. And he sent to him the second time, and he would not come.


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And Absalom said to his servants, “Behold, Joab's portion in the field <i>is</i> next to mine, and he has barley in it; go and set it on fire.” And the servants of Absalom set the field on fire. And the servants of Joab come to him with their clothes torn, and they said to him, “The servants of Absalom have set <i>your</i> field on fire.”


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And Joab arose, and came to Absalom into the house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”


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And Absalom said to Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, and I will send you to the king, saying, “Why did I come out of Geshur? It would have been better for me to have remained there.”’ And now, behold, I have not seen the face of the king; but if there is iniquity in me, then put me to death.”


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And Joab went in to the king, and brought him word. And he called Absalom, and he went in to the king, and bowed down before him, and fell upon his face to the ground, even in the presence of the king; and the king kissed Absalom.


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<n>Absalom’s Treason</n> And it came to pass after this that Absalom prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.


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And Absalom rose early, and stood beside the way of the gate. And it came to pass that every man who had a cause came to the king for judgment. And Absalom cried to him, and said to him, “Of what city are you?” And he said, “Your servant <i>is</i> of one of the tribes of Israel.”


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And Absalom said to him, “See, your affairs <i>are</i> right and clear, yet you have no one <i>appointed</i> by the king to hear you.”


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And Absalom said, “O that one would make me a judge in the land; then every man who had a dispute or a cause would come to me, and I would judge him!”


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And it came to pass that when a man came near to bow down to him, that he stretched out his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him.


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And thus Absalom did to all Israel that came to the king for judgment; and Absalom gained the hearts of the men of Israel.


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And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said to his father, “I will go now, and pay my vows which I vowed to the Lord in Hebron,


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for your servant vowed a vow when I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the Lord should indeed restore me to Jerusalem, then will I serve the Lord.’”


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And Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shall you say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron.’”


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And there went with Absalom two hundred chosen men from Jerusalem; and they went in their innocence, and knew nothing.


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And Absalom sent to Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, from Giloh, where he was sacrificing. And there was a strong conspiracy; and the people with Absalom were increasingly numerous.


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<n>David Escapes from Jerusalem</n> And there came a messenger to David, saying, “The heart of the men of Israel has gone after Absalom.”


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And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Rise up, and let us flee, for we have no refuge from Absalom. Make haste and go, lest he overtake us speedily, and bring evil upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”


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And the king's servants said to the king, “In all things which our lord the king chooses, behold, <i>we are</i> your servants.”


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And the king and all his house went out on foot. And the king left ten women from among his concubines to keep the house.


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And all his servants passed on by his side, and every Cherethite, and every Pelethite, and they stood by the olive tree in the wilderness. And all the people marched near him, and all his court, and all the men of might, and all the men of war, six hundred; and they were present at his side. And every Cherethite, and every Pelethite, and all the six hundred Gittites that came on foot out from Gath, and they went on before the king.


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And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Return, and dwell with the king, for you are a stranger, and you have come forth as a sojourner out of your place.


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Whereas you came yesterday, shall I today cause you to travel with us, and shall you <i>thus</i> change your place? You came forth yesterday, and today shall I set you in motion to go along with us? I indeed will go wherever I may go: return then, and cause your brothers to return with you, and may the Lord deal mercifully and truly with you.”


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And Ittai answered the king and said, “<i>As</i> the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, in the place wheresoever my lord shall be, whether it be for death or life, there shall your servant be.”


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And the king said to Ittai, “Come and pass over with me.” So Ittai the Gittite and the king passed over, and all his servants, and all the multitude with him.


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And all the country wept with a loud voice. And all the people passed by over the Brook of Kidron; and the king crossed the Brook Kidron. And all the people and the king passed on toward the way of the wilderness.


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And behold, Zadok and all the Levites were also with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord. And they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had passed out of the city.


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And the king said to Zadok, “Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I should find favor in the eyes of the Lord, then will He bring me back, and He will show me <i>both the ark</i> and its beauty.


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But if He should say thus, ‘I have no pleasure in you’; behold, <i>here</i> I am, let Him do to me according to that which is good in His sight.”


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And the king said to Zadok the priest, “Behold, you shall return to the city in peace, and Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you.


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Behold, I continue in arms in Araboth of the desert, until there should come news from you to report to me.”


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And David went up by the ascent of <i>the Mount of</i> Olives, ascending and weeping, and had his head covered, and went barefoot. And all the people that were with him,<i> every man,</i> covered his head; and they went up, ascending and weeping.


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And it was reported to David, saying, “Ahithophel also <i>is</i> among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord my God, negate the counsel of Ahithophel.”


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And David came as far as Ros, where he worshipped God. And behold, Hushai the chief friend of David came out to meet him, having torn his clothes, and dust <i>was</i> upon his head.


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but if you shall return to the city, and shall say to Absalom, ‘Your brothers have passed over, and the king your father has passed over after me: and now I am your servant, O king, permit me to live. At one time, even of late, I was the servant of your father, and now I <i>am</i> your humble servant’—so shall you negate for me the counsel of Ahithophel.


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And behold, Zadok and Abiathar the priests are with you; and it shall be that every word that you shall hear from the king’s house you shall report it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.


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Behold, their two sons are with them, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar; and by them you shall report to me every word which you shall hear.”


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<n>David’s Adversaries</n> And David passed on a little further from Ros; and behold, Ziba the servant of Memphibosheth <i>came</i> to meet him; and he had a couple of donkeys saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves, and a hundred <i>cakes of</i> raisins, and a hundred <i>cakes of</i> dates, and a skin of wine.


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And the king said to Ziba, “What do you mean to do with these?” And Ziba said, “The donkeys <i>are</i> for the household of the king to sit on, and the loaves and the dates <i>are</i> for the young men to eat, and the wine <i>is</i> for them that are faint in the wilderness to drink.”


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And the king said, “And where <i>is</i> the son of your master?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem; for he said, ‘Today shall the house of Israel restore to me the kingdom of my father.’”


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And the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all Memphibosheth's property <i>is</i> yours.” And Ziba bowed down and said, “My lord, O king, let me find favor in your eyes.”


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<n>Shimei Curses David</n> And King David came to Bahurim; and behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul, and his name <i>was</i> Shimei, the son of Gera. He came forth and cursed as he went,


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and cast stones at David, and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on the right and left hand of the king.


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The Lord has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, because you have reigned in his place; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son; and behold, you <i>are taken</i> in your mischief, because you <i>are</i> a bloody man!”


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Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why does this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and take off his head!”


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And the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Let him alone, and so let him curse, for the Lord has told him to curse David: and who shall say, ‘Why have you done thus?’”


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And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came forth out of my <i>own </i>loins seeks my life; and how much more <i>this</i> Benjamite! Let him curse, because the Lord has told him.


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If by any means the Lord may look upon my affliction, thus shall He return me good for his cursing this day.”


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And David and all the men with him went along the road, and Shimei went by the side of the hill next to him, cursing as he went, and casting stones at him, and sprinkling him with dirt.


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<n>The Advice of Ahithophel</n> And Absalom and all the men of Israel went into Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.


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And it came to pass when Hushai the chief friend of David came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king!”


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And Absalom said to Hushai, “<i>Is</i> this your kindness to your friend? Why did you not go forth with your friend?”


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And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, but I follow whom the Lord, and this people, and all Israel have chosen—to him I will be, and with him I will sit.


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And again, whom shall I serve? Should I not <i>serve </i>in the presence of his son? As I served in the sight of your father, so will I be in your presence.”


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And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father's concubines, whom he left to keep his house; and all Israel shall hear that you have dishonored your father; and the hands of all that are with you shall be strengthened.”


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And they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.


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And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in former days, <i>was</i> as if one should inquire of the word of God: so <i>was</i> all the counsel of Ahithophel both to David and also to Absalom.


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And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me now choose out for myself twelve thousand men, and I will arise and follow after David this night.


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And I will come upon him when he <i>is</i> weary and weak-handed, and I will strike him with terror; and all the people with him shall flee, and I will strike only the king.


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And I will bring back all the people to you, as a bride returns to her husband: only you seek the life of one man, and all the people shall have peace.”


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And the word <i>seemed</i> good in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.


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<n>The Advice of Hushai</n> And Absalom said, “Call now also Hushai the Archite, and let us hear what <i>is</i> in his mouth as well.”


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And Hushai went in to Absalom, and Absalom spoke to him, saying, “According to these words has Ahithophel spoken: shall we do according to his word? But if not, speak up.”


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And Hushai said to Absalom, “This counsel which Ahithophel has counseled this one time <i>is</i> not good.”


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And Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are very mighty, and bitter in their spirit, as a bereaved bear in the field, <i>and as a wild boar in the plain</i>; and your father <i>is</i> a man of war, and will not give the people rest.


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For behold, he is now hidden in one of the hills or in some <i>other</i> place; and it shall come to pass when he falls upon them at the beginning, that <i>someone</i> will certainly hear, and say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people that follow after Absalom.’


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Then even he <i>that is</i> strong, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, it shall utterly melt: for all Israel knows that your father <i>is</i> mighty, and that those who are with him <i>are</i> mighty men.


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For thus I have surely given counsel, that all Israel shall be gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is upon the seashore for multitude; and that your presence should go in the midst of them.


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And we will come upon him in one of the places where we shall find him, and we will encamp against him, as the dew falls upon the earth; and we will not leave of him and of his men so much as one.


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And if he shall have taken refuge with his army in a city, then shall all Israel take ropes to that city, and we will draw it even into the river, that there may not be left there even a stone.”


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And Absalom, and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite <i>is</i> better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” (For the Lord has purposed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, that the Lord might bring all evil upon Absalom).


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<n>Hushai Warns David to Escape</n> And Hushai the Archite said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “Thus and thus has Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counseled.


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And now send quickly and report to David, saying, ‘Do not stay this night in Araboth of the wilderness: but go and make haste, lest <i>one</i> swallow up the king, and all the people with him.”


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And Jonathan and Ahimaaz stood by the Well of Rogel, and a maidservant went and reported to them, and they went to tell King David, so that they might not be seen entering into the city.


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But a young man saw them and told Absalom, and the two went quickly, and entered into the house of a man in Bahurim; and he had a well in his court, and they went down into it.


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And a woman took a covering, and spread it over the mouth of the well, and spread out ground grain upon it to dry, and the thing was not known.


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And the servants of Absalom came to the woman into the house and said, “Where <i>are</i> Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “’They have gone a little way beyond the water.” And they sought after them, but did not find them; and they returned to Jerusalem.


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And it came to pass after they were gone, that they came up out of the pit, and went on their way; and reported to King David, and said to David, “Arise, and go quickly over the water, for thus has Ahithophel counseled concerning you.”


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And David rose up and all the people with him, and they passed over the Jordan till the morning light; there was not one missing who did not pass over the Jordan.


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And Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, and he saddled his donkey, and rose and departed to his house into his city; and he gave orders to his household, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.


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And David passed over to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.


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And Absalom appointed Amasa over the army, in the place of Joab. And Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jether of Jezreel: he went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, the sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.


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And it came to pass when David came to Manahaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and Machir son of Ammiel of Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,


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brought ten embroidered beds (with double coverings) and ten caldrons, earthenware and wheat, barley and flour, meal and beans, and parched <i>seeds</i>,


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honey and butter, sheep and cheese of the herd. And they brought them to David and to his people with him to eat; for <i>one</i> said, “The people <i>are</i> faint and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.”


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<n>Absalom’s Defeat and Death</n> And David numbered the people with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.


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And David sent the people away, a third part under the hand of Joab, a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And David said to the people, “I also will surely go out with you.”


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And they said, “You shall not go out; for if we should indeed flee, they will not care for us; and if half of us should die, they will not mind us; for you <i>are</i> as ten thousand of us; and now <i>it is</i> well that you shall be to us an aid to help us in the city.”


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And the king said to them, “Whatever seems good in your eyes I will do.” And the king stood by the side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.


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And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Spare the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the people heard the king charging all the commanders concerning Absalom.


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And all the people went out into the woods against Israel; and the battle was in the woods of Ephraim.


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And the people of Israel fell down there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter in that day, <i>even</i> twenty thousand men.


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And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land. And the woods consumed more of the people than the sword consumed in that day.


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And Absalom went to meet the servants of David. And Absalom was mounted on his mule, and the mule came under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head was entangled in the oak, and he was suspended in the air; and the mule passed on from under him.


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And Joab said to the man who reported it to him, “Behold, did you indeed see him? Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten <i>pieces</i> of silver, and a belt.”


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And the man said to Joab, “Were I even to receive a thousand shekels of silver, I would not lift my hand against the king's son; for in our ears the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Take care of the young man Absalom for me,’


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so as to do no harm to his life: and nothing of the matter will be concealed from the king, and you will set yourself against me.”


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And Joab said, “I will begin this; I will not thus remain with you.” And Joab took three spears in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the heart of the oak.


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And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.


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And he took Absalom, and cast him into a great cavern in the woods, into a deep pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel fled, every man to his tent.


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Now Absalom, while he was yet alive, had taken and set up for himself the pillar near which he was taken, and set it up so as to have the pillar in the king's valley; for he said he had no son to keep his name in remembrance: and he called the pillar Absalom's Hand, until this day.


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<n>David Hears of Absalom’s Death</n> And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run now and carry the good news to the king, for the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.”


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And Joab said to him, “You <i>shall</i> not <i>be</i> a messenger of good news this day; you shall bear them another day; but on this day you shall bear no news, because the king's son is dead.”


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And Joab said to Hushai, “Go, report to the king all that you have seen.” And Hushai bowed down before Joab and went out.


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And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “No, let me also run after Hushai.” And Joab said, “Why would you thus run, my son? Come, you have no news for profit if you go.”


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And he said, “Why should I not run?” And Joab said to him, “Run.” And Ahimaaz ran along the way of Kechar, and outran Hushai.


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And David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up on the top of the gate of the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was running alone before him.


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And the watchman cried out, and reported to the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, <i>he has</i> good news in his mouth.” And the man came and drew near.


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And the watchman saw another man running. And the watchman cried at the gate, and said, “Behold, another man is running alone.” And the king said, “He also brings good news.”


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And the watchman said, “I see the running of the first as the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He <i>is</i> a good man, and will come to <i>report</i> good news.”


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And Ahimaaz cried out and said to the king, “Peace.” And he bowed down to the king with his face to the ground, and said, “Blessed <i>be</i> the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hands against my lord the king.”


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And the king said, “<i>Is</i> the young man Absalom safe?” And Ahimaaz said, “I saw a great multitude <i>at the time</i> of Joab's sending the king's servant and your servant, and I did not know what was there.”


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And behold, Hushai came up, and said to the king, “Let my lord the king hear the good news, for the Lord has avenged you this day upon all them that rose up against you.”


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And the king said to Hushai, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And Hushai said, “Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all whosoever have risen up against him for evil, be as that young man.”


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<n>David Mourns for Absalom</n> And the king was troubled, and went to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And thus he said as he went, “My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! I <i>pray</i> God I had died for you, <i>even</i> I <i>had died</i> for you, Absalom, my son, my son!”


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And the victory was turned that day into mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day, “The king grieves after his son.”


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And the people stole away that day to go into the city, as people steal away when they are ashamed as they flee in the battle.


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And Joab went in to the king, into the house, and said, “You have this day shamed the faces of all your servants that have delivered you this day, and <i>have saved</i> the lives of your sons and of your daughters, and the lives of your wives, and of your concubines,


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forasmuch as you love them that hate you, and hate them that love you; and you have this day declared, that your princes and your servants are nothing <i>in your sight</i>; for I know this day, that if Absalom were alive, <i>and</i> all of us were dead today, then it would have been right in your sight.


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And now arise and go forth, and speak comfortably to your servants; for I have sworn by the Lord, that unless you will go forth this day, there shall not a man remain with you this night. And know for yourself, this thing <i>will</i> indeed <i>be</i> evil to you beyond all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.”


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Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And all the people reported, saying, “Behold, the king sits in the gate.” And all the people went in before the king to the gate (for Israel had fled every man to his tent).


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And all the people disputed among all the tribes of Israel, saying, “King David delivered us from all our enemies, and he rescued us from the hand of the Philistines; and now he has fled from the land, and from his kingdom, and from Absalom.


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And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. And now, why are you silent about bringing back the king? And the word of all Israel came to the king.”


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And King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Israel, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring back the king to his house, since the word of all Israel have come to the king, to this <i>very</i> house?


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You <i>are</i> my brothers, you <i>are</i> my bones and my flesh: why are you the last to bring back the king to his house?’


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And you shall say to Amasa, ‘<i>Are</i> you not my bone and my flesh? And now God do so to me and more also, if you shall not be commander of the army before me continually in the place of Joab.’”


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And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah as that of one man; and they sent to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.”


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And the king returned, and came as far as the Jordan. And the men of Judah came to Gilgal on their way to meet the king, to cause the king to pass over the Jordan.


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And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, made haste and went down with the men of Judah to meet King David.


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And a thousand men of Benjamin <i>were</i> with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons with him, and his twenty servants with him. And they went directly down to the Jordan before the king,


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and they performed the service of bringing the king over; and a ferryboat went across to move the household of the king, and to do that which was right in his eyes. And Shimei the son of Gera fell on his face before the king, as he went over the Jordan,


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and said to the king, “Let not my lord now impute iniquity, and remember not all the iniquity of your servant in the day in which my lord went out from Jerusalem, so that the king should mind it.


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For your servant knows that I have sinned; and behold, I have come this day before all Israel and the house of Joseph, to go down and meet my lord the king.”


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But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed?”


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And David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you lie in wait against me this day? Today no man in Israel shall be put to death, for I know not this day if I reign over Israel.”


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And Memphibosheth the son of Saul's son went down to meet the king, and had not dressed his feet, nor trimmed his nails, nor shaved himself, neither had he washed his garments, from the day that the king departed, until the day that he arrived in peace.


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And it came to pass when he went into Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Memphibosheth?”


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And Memphibosheth said to him, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said to him, ‘Saddle me the donkey, and I will ride upon it, and go with the king’; for your servant <i>is</i> lame.


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And he has dealt deceitfully with your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king <i>is </i>like an angel of God; do that which is good in your eyes.


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For all of my father’s house were as dead men before my lord the king; yet you have set your servant among them that eat at your table; and what right have I any longer even to cry to the king?”


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And the king said to him, “Why speak any longer of these matters? I have said, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’”


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And Memphibosheth said to the king, “Rather, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come in peace to his house.”<br/>


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And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and crossed over the Jordan with the king, that he might escort the king over the Jordan.


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And Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old; and he had provided for the king when he dwelt in Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.


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And the king said to Barzillai, “You shall go over with me, and I will nourish your old age with me in Jerusalem.”


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And Barzillai said to the king, “How many <i>are</i> the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?


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I am this day eighty years old: can I then distinguish between good and evil? Can your servant taste any longer what I eat or drink? Can I hear the voice of singing men or singing women any longer? And why shall your servant be a burden to my lord the king any longer?


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Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. And why does the king return me this recompense?


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Let your servant remain, I pray, and I will die in my city, by the tomb of my father and of my mother. And behold, your servant Chimham shall go over with my lord the king; and do to him as it seems good in your eyes.”


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And the king said, “Let Chimham go over with me, and I will do to him what is good in my sight; and whatsoever you shall choose at my hand, I will do for you.”


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And all the people crossed over the Jordan, and the king crossed over. And the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned to his place.


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<n>The Quarrel About the King</n> And the king went over to Gilgal and Chimham went over with him. And all the men of Judah crossed over with the king, and also half the people of Israel.


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And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away, and caused the king and all his house to pass over the Jordan, and all the men of David with him?”


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And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel and said, “Because the king is our relative: and why were you thus angry concerning this matter? Have we indeed eaten of the king's food? Or has he given us a gift, or has he sent us a portion?”


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And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, “We have ten portions in the king, and we are older than you, we have also an interest in David above you: and why have you thus insulted us, and why was not our advice taken before that of Judah, to bring back our king?” And the speech of the men of Judah was sharper than the speech of the men of Israel.


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<n>The Rebellion of Sheba</n> And there was a transgressor there, and his name was Sheba, a Benjamite, the son of Bichri: and he blew the trumpet, and said, “We have no portion in David, neither have we <i>any</i> inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel!”


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And all the men of Israel went up from following David after Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah remained loyal to their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.


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And David went into his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women, his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and he put them in a place of custody, and maintained them, and he did not go into them; and they were kept living as widows, till the day of their death.


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And the king said to Amasa, “Call to me the men of Judah for three days, and be present here yourself.”


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And David said to Amasa, “Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than Absalom: now then take with you the servants of your lord, and follow after him, lest he find for himself strong cities, so will he blind our eyes.”


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So there went out after him Amasa and the men of Joab, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.


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And they <i>were</i> by the great stone that is in Gibeon. And Amasa went in before them. And Joab had upon him a military cloak over his apparel, and over it he was girded with a dagger fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and the dagger came out, and fell <i>to the ground</i>.


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And Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, <i>my</i> brother?” And the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amasa to kiss him.


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And Amasa did not see the dagger that was in the hand of Joab. And Joab struck him with it in his stomach, and his bowels were shed out upon the ground, and he did not repeat the blow, and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.


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And there stood over him one of the servants of Joab, and said, “Who <i>is</i> he that is for Joab, and who <i>is</i> on the side of David following Joab?”


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And Amasa <i>was</i> wallowing in blood in the midst of the road. And a man saw that all the people stood still; and he removed Amasa out of the road into a field, and he threw a garment over him, because he saw everyone that came to him standing still.


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And when he was quickly removed from the road, every man of Israel passed after Joab to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.


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And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth Maachah; and all in Charri also were assembled, and followed after him.


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And they came and besieged him in Abel and Beth Maachah: and they raised a siege mound against the city and it stood close to the wall; and all the people with Joab purposed to throw down the wall.


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And a wise woman cried from the wall and said, “Hear, hear; say to Joab, ‘Draw close, and I will speak to him.’”


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And he drew close to her. And the woman said to him, “Are you Joab?” And he said, “I <i>am</i>.” And she said to him, “Hear the words of your maid”; and Joab said, “I do hear.”


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And she spoke, saying, “In former times they said, ‘Surely one was asked in Abel and Dan, whether the faithful in Israel failed in what they purposed’; they will surely ask in Abel, even in like manner, whether they have failed.


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I am a peaceable one of the strong ones in Israel; but you seek to destroy a city and a mother city in Israel: why do you seek to ruin the inheritance of the Lord?”


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Is not this the case, that a man of Mount Ephraim, Sheba, son of Bichri by name, has even lifted up his hand against King David? Give him only to me, and I will depart from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.”


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And the woman went in to all the people, and she spoke to all the city in her wisdom; and they took off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri; and took it away and threw it to Joab. And he blew the trumpet, and the people separated from the city away from him, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.


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And Joab <i>was</i> over all the forces of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada <i>was</i> over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites.


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<n>David Avenges the Gibeonites</n> And there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, “<i>There is</i> guilt upon Saul and his house because of his bloody murder, whereby he slew the Gibeonites.”


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So King David called the Gibeonites, and said to them (now the Gibeonites are not the children of Israel, but <i>are</i> of the remnant of the Amorites, and the children of Israel had sworn to them; but Saul sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah),


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“What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord?”


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And the Gibeonites said to him, “We have no <i>question about</i> silver or gold with Saul and with his house; and there is no man for us to put to death in Israel.”


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And he said, “What do you ask? Speak, and I will do it for you.” And they said to the king, “The man who would have made an end of us, and persecuted us, who plotted against us to destroy us, let us utterly destroy him, so that he shall have no standing in all the coasts of Israel.


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Let one give us seven men of his sons, and let us hang them up in the sun to the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, as chosen out for the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give <i>them</i>.”


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But the king spared Memphibosheth son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, even between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.


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And the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Memphibosheth, and the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.


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And he gave them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the sun on the hill before the lord. And all seven of them fell together. Moreover they were put to death at the beginning of the days of harvest; <i>that </i>is, the barley harvest.


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And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and fixed it for herself on the rock in the beginning of the barley harvest, until water dropped upon them out of heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest upon them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.


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And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah the concubine of Saul had done (and they were faint, and Dan, the son of Joa of the offspring of the giants overtook them).


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And David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the men of the sons of Jabesh Gilead, who stole them from the street of Beth Shan; for the Philistines set them there in the day in which the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa.


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And he carried up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, and gathered the bones of them that had been hanged.


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And they buried the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, and the bones of them that had been hanged, in the land of Benjamin in the hill, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they did all things that the king commanded. And after this God hearkened to <i>the prayers of</i> the land.


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<n>Philistine Giants Destroyed</n> And there was yet war between the Philistines and Israel. And David went down and his servants with him, and they fought with the Philistines, and David went.


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And Ishbi-Benob, who was of the sons of Rapha, and the head of whose spear <i>was</i> three hundred shekels of brass in weight, who also was dressed with a club, even he thought to kill David.


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But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him and struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore, saying, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, and you shall not quench the lamp of Israel.”


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And after this there was a battle again with the Philistines in Gath. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph of the sons of Rapha.


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And there was a battle in Gob with the Philistines; and Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite slew <i>the brother of </i>Goliath the Gittite; and the staff of his spear <i>was</i> as a weaver's beam.


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And there was yet a battle in Gath. And there was a man of stature, and the fingers of his hands and the toes of his feet <i>were</i> six on each, twenty-four in number: and he also was born to Rapha.


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These four were born descendants of the giants in Gath, the family of Rapha; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.


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<n>Praise for God’s Deliverance</n> And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song, in the day in which the Lord rescued him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul.


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my God; He shall be to me my guard, I will trust in Him: <i>He is</i> my protector, and the horn of my salvation, my helper, and my sure refuge; You shall save me from the unjust man.


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When I am afflicted I will call upon the Lord, and will cry to my God, and He shall hear my voice out of His temple, and my cry shall come into His ears.


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And the earth was troubled and trembled, and the foundations of heaven were confounded and shaken, because the Lord was angry with them.


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There went up a smoke in His wrath, and devouring fire proceeded out of His mouth; coals were kindled at it.


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And He made darkness His hiding place; His tabernacle round about Him was the darkness of waters, He condensed it with the clouds of the air.


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And the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His anger.


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And the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness; even according to the purity of my hands did He recompense me.


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And the Lord will recompense me according to my righteousness, and according to the purity of my hands in His sight.


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As for the Mighty One, His way <i>is</i> blameless: the word of the Lord <i>is</i> strong <i>and</i> tried in the fire; He is a protector to all that put their trust in Him.


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I will pursue my enemies, and will utterly destroy them; and I will not turn again till I have consumed them.


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And You shall strengthen me with power for the war; You shall cause them that rise up against me to bow down under me.


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They shall cry, and there shall be no helper; <i>they shall cry </i>to the Lord, but He does not listen to them.


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And You shall deliver me from the striving of the peoples, You shall keep me <i>to be</i> the head of the Gentiles; a people which I did not know served me.


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The Lord lives, and blessed <i>be</i> my guardian, and my God, my strong keeper, <i>and He </i>shall be exalted.


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and bringing me out from my enemies; and You shall set me on high from among those that rise up against me; You shall deliver me from the violent man.


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He magnifies the salvation of His king, and works mercy for His anointed, even for David and for his descendants forever.”


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<n>David’s Last Words</n> And these <i>are</i> the last words of David. Faithful <i>is</i> David the son of Jesse, and faithful <i>is </i>the man whom the Lord has raised up to be the anointed of the God of Jacob, and beautiful <i>are</i> the psalms of Israel.


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The God of Israel says, “The watchman out of Israel spoke to me a parable: I said among men, ‘How will you strengthen the fear of the anointed?’


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And in the morning light of God, let the sun arise in the morning, from the light of which the Lord passed on, and as it were from the rain of the tender grass upon the earth.


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For my house <i>is</i> not so with the Mighty One; for He has made an everlasting covenant with me, ready, guarded at every time; for all my salvation and all my desire <i>is</i>, that the wicked should not flourish.


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and a man shall not labor among them; and <i>one shall have</i> that which is fully armed with iron, and the staff of a spear, and he shall burn them with fire, and they shall be burnt in their shame.”


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<n>David’s Mighty Men</n> These <i>are</i> the names of the mighty men of David: Josheb-Basshebeth the Canaanite is a captain of the third <i>part;</i> Adino the Eznite, he drew his sword against eight hundred soldiers at once.


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And after him Eleazer the son of his uncle, son of Dodai who was among the three mighty men with David; and when he defied the Philistines they were gathered there to war, and the men of Israel went up.


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He arose and attacked the Philistines, until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword: and the Lord brought about a great salvation in that day, and the people rested behind him only to plunder <i>the slain</i>.


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And after him Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered to Theria; and there was there a portion of ground full of lentils; and the people fled before the Philistines.


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And he stood firm in the midst of the portion, and rescued it, and attacked the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great deliverance.


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And three out of the thirty went down, and came to Cason to David, to the cave of Adullam; and <i>there was</i> an army of the Philistines, and they encamped in the valley of Rephaim.


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And David <i>was</i> then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines <i>was</i> then in Bethlehem.


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And David longed, and said, “Who will give me water to drink out of the well that is in Bethlehem by the gate?” Now the band of the Philistines <i>was</i> then in Bethlehem.


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And the three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well that was in Bethlehem in the gate; and they took it, and brought it to David, and he would not drink it, but poured it out before the Lord.


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And he said, “O Lord, <i>God </i>forbid that I should do this, that I should drink of the blood of the men who went at <i>the risk of</i> their lives.” And he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.


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And Abishai the brother of Joab the son of Zeruiah, <i>was</i> chief among the three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he killed; and he had a name among <i>these </i>three.


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Of those three <i>he was</i> most honorable, and he became a chief over them, but he did not attain to the <i>first </i>three.


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And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, he was abundant in <i>mighty</i> deeds, from Kabzeel, and he killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab: and he went down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.


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He killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man, and in the hand of the Egyptian <i>was</i> a spear as the side of a ladder; and he went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.


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He was honorable among the <i>second</i> three, but he did not attain to the <i>first</i> three: and David made him his reporter. And these <i>are</i> the names of King David's mighty men.


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Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, son of Benjamin the Ephrathite; Asmoth the Bardiamite; Emasu the Salabonite;


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<n>David’s Census of Israel and Judah</n> And the Lord caused His anger to burn forth again in Israel, and He stirred up David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”


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And the king said to Joab commander of the army, who was with him, “Go now through all the tribes of Israel and Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number the people, and I will know the number of the people.”


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And Joab said to the king, “Now may the Lord add to the people a hundredfold as many as they are, and <i>may</i> the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why does my lord the king desire this thing?”


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Nevertheless the word of the king prevailed against Joab and the captains of the army. Therefore Joab and the captains of the army went out before the king to number the people of Israel.


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And they went over the Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right of the city which is in the midst of the valley of Gad and Jazer.


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And they came to Gilead, and into the land of Tahtim Hodshi, which is Adasai, and they came to Danidan and Udan, and compassed Sidon.


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And they came to Mapsar of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivite and the Canaanite; and they came by the South of Judah to Beersheba.


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And they compassed the whole land; and they arrived at Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.


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And Joab gave in the number of the census of the people to the king. And Israel consisted of eight hundred thousand men of might that drew the sword; and the men of Judah <i>were</i> five hundred thousand fighting men.


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<n>The Judgment on David’s Sin </n> And the heart of David convicted him after he had numbered the people; and David said to the Lord, “I have sinned grievously, O Lord, <i>in</i> what I have now done: remove the iniquity of Your servant, I pray, for I have been exceedingly foolish.”


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And David rose early in the morning, and the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, the seer, saying, “Go, and speak to David, saying,


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‘Thus says the Lord: “I <i>shall </i>bring <i>one of</i> three things upon you: now choose one of them, and I will do <i>it</i> to you.”’”


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And Gad went in to David and told him, and said to him, “Choose <i>one of these things </i>to befall you, whether there shall come upon you <i>for</i> three years famine in your land; or that you should flee three months before your enemies, and they should pursue you; or that there should be three days of death in your land. Now then decide, and see what answer I shall return to Him that sent me.”


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And David said to Gad, “On every side I am in great distress: let me fall now into the hands of the Lord, for His compassions <i>are</i> great; and let me not fall into the hands of man.”


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So David chose for himself <i>the plague of </i>death: and <i>they were</i> the days of wheat harvest; and the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from morning till noon, and the plague began among the people; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.


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And the angel of the Lord stretched out His hand against Jerusalem to destroy it, and the Lord relented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, “<i>It is</i> enough now, withhold your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.


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And David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel striking the people, and he said, “Behold, it is I that has done wrong, but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand be upon me, I pray, and upon my father's house.”


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<n>David’s Altar on the Threshing Floor</n> And Gad came to David in that day, and said to him, “Go up, and set up to the Lord and altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.


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And Araunah looked out, and saw the king and his servants coming on before him. And Araunah went forth, and bowed down before the king with his face to the earth.


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And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy from you the threshing floor, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be restrained from off the people.”


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And Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer to the Lord that which is good in his eyes: behold, <i>here are</i> oxen for a burnt offering, and the wheels and furniture of the oxen for wood.”


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<i>And </i>Araunah gave all to the king. And Araunah said to the king, “The Lord your God bless you.”


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And the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you at a fair price, and I will not offer to the Lord my God a burnt offering for nothing.” So David purchased the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.


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And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings; and Solomon made an addition to the altar afterwards, for it was little at first. And the Lord hearkened to the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.


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<n>Adonijah Presumes to be King</n> And King David <i>was</i> old and advanced in days, and they covered him with clothes, and he was not warmed.


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And his servants said, “Let them seek for the king a young virgin, and she shall wait on the king, and cherish him, and lie with him, and my lord the king shall be warmed.”


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So they sought out a lovely young woman out of all the coasts of Israel; and they found Abishag the Shunammite, and they brought her to the king.


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And the young woman was extremely beautiful, and she cherished the king, and ministered to him, but the king did not know her.


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And Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.


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And his father never at any time checked him, saying, “Why have you done <i>thus</i>?” And he was also very handsome in appearance, and his mother bore him after Absalom.


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And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed after Adonijah.


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But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men of David, did not follow Adonijah.


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And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and calves and lambs by the stone of Zoheleth, which was near En Rogel. And he called all his brothers, and all the adult <i>men</i> of Judah, servants of the king.


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But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty <i>men</i>, and Solomon his brother, he did not call.


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And Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith reigns, and our lord David does not know it?


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And now come, let me give you counsel, and you shall rescue your life, and the life of your son Solomon.


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Make haste, and go in to King David, and you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Has not you, my lord, O king, sworn to your maid, saying, “Your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?” Why then does Adonijah reign?’


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And behold, while you are still speaking there with the king, I also will come in after you, and will confirm your words.”


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So Bathsheba went in to the king into the chamber. And the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king.


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And she said, “My lord, you swore by the Lord your God to your maid, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall reign after me, and shall sit upon my throne.’


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And he has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander-in-chief of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not called.


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And you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel <i>are</i> upon you, to tell them who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him.


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And it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and Solomon my son shall be offenders.”


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And behold, while she was yet talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came. And it was reported to the king,


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“Behold, Nathan the prophet <i>is here</i>.” And he came in to the king's presence, and bowed down to the king with his face to the ground.


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And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, did you say, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?


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For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and the chiefs of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and they said, ‘<i>Long</i> live King Adonijah.’


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But he has not invited me your servant, nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor Solomon your servant.


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Has this matter happened by the authority of my lord the king, and have you not made known to your servant who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him?”


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<n>David Proclaims Solomon King</n> And King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came in before the king, and stood before him.


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as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my place,’ so will I do this day.”


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And Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and paid homage to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever.”


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And King David said, “Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came in before the king.


