The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Then all Isra'el gathered themselves to David in Hevron and said, "Here, we are your own flesh and bone.
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Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, and said, Truly, we are your bone and your flesh.
2 In the past, even when Sha'ul was king, it was you who led Isra'el's military campaigns; and ADONAI your God said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Isra'el, and you will be chief over my people Isra'el.'"
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In the past, when Saul was king, it was you who went at the head of Israel when they went out or came in; and the Lord your God said to you, You are to be the keeper of my people Israel, and their ruler.
3 So all the leaders of Isra'el came to the king in Hevron; and David made a covenant with them in Hevron in the presence of ADONAI. Then they anointed David king over Isra'el, as ADONAI had said through Sh'mu'el.
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So all the responsible men of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they put the holy oil on David and made him king over Israel, as the Lord had said by Samuel.
4 David and all Isra'el went to Yerushalayim, also known as Y'vus; and the Y'vusi, the inhabitants of that region, were there.
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Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (which is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the people of the land, were there.
5 The inhabitants of Y'vus taunted David by saying, "You won't get in here!" Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Tziyon, also known now as the City of David.
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And the people of Jebus said to David, You will not come in here. But still, David took the strong place of Zion, which is the town of David.
6 David said, "Whoever attacks the Y'vusi first will be commander-in-chief." Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah attacked first and was made commander.
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And David said, The first to overcome the Jebusites will be chief and captain. And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went up first, and became chief.
7 David lived in the stronghold; therefore they called it the City of David.
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And David took the strong tower for his living-place, so it was named the town of David.
8 David built up the city around it, starting at the Millo [earth rampart] and going on around; while Yo'av repaired the rest of the city.
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And he took in hand the building of the town all round, starting from the Millo; and Joab put the rest of the town in order.
9 David grew greater and greater, because ADONAI-Tzva'ot was with him.
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And David became greater and greater in power, because the Lord of armies was with him.
10 These are David's chief warriors, who, under his rulership, joined forces with him and with all Isra'el to make him king, as ADONAI had said concerning Isra'el;
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Now these are the chief of David's men of war who were his strong supporters in the kingdom, and, with all Israel, made him king, as the Lord had said about Israel.
11 here is the list of David's warrior-heroes: Yashov'am son of a Hakhmoni, the chief officer; he is the one who raised his spear against 300 men and killed them in a single encounter.
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This is the list of David's men of war: Ishbaal, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the three: he put to death three hundred at one time with his spear.
12 After him was El'azar the son of Dodo the Achochi, one of the three warriors.
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And after him was Eleazar, the son of Dodo the Ahohite, who was one of the three great fighters.
13 He was with David at Pas-Damim, where the P'lishtim had assembled for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley; and when the people fled from the P'lishtim,
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He was with David at Pas-dammim, where the Philistines had come together for the fight, near a bit of land full of barley; and the people went in flight before the Philistines.
14 they stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P'lishtim; and ADONAI saved them with a great victory.
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And he took up his position in the middle of the bit of land, and kept back their attack, and overcame the Philistines; and the Lord gave a great salvation.
15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to the rock and came to David during harvest season at the cave of 'Adulam when the army of the P'lishtim had set up camp in the Refa'im Valley.
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And three of the thirty went down to David, to the rock, into the strong place of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines had taken up their position in the valley of Rephaim.
16 At that time David was in the fortress, and the garrison of the P'lishtim was in Beit-Lechem.
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At that time David had taken cover in the strong place, and an armed force of the Philistines was in Beth-lehem.
17 David had a craving and said, "I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem!"
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And David, moved by a strong desire, said, If only someone would give me a drink of the water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem by the doorway into the town!
18 The three broke through the army of the P'lishtim, drew water from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem, took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it; instead, he poured it out to ADONAI
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So the three, forcing a way through the Philistine army, got water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town, and took it back to David; but David would not take it, but made an offering of it, draining it out to the Lord,
19 and said, "My God forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of these men who went and put their lives in jeopardy? They risked their lives to bring it!"- and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did.
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Saying, By my God, far be it from me to do this! How may I take as drink the life-blood of these men who have put their lives in danger? so he did not take it. These things did the three great men of war.
20 Avishai the brother of Yo'av was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three.
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And Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty, for he put to death three hundred with his spear, but he had not a name among the three.
21 Of the three in the second rank he had the most honor and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three.
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Of the thirty, he was the noblest, and was made their captain, but he was not equal to the first three.
22 B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, the son of a valiant man of Kavtze'el, was a man of many exploits. He struck down two lion-hearted men of Mo'av. One day when it was snowing, he went down into a pit and killed a lion.
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Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, a fighting-man of Kabzeel, had done great acts; he put to death two young lions going into their secret place; and he went down into a hole and put a lion to death in time of snow.
23 Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man who was very tall, seven-and-a-half feet: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand the size of a weaver's beam; he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.
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And he made an attack on an Egyptian, a very tall man about five cubits high, armed with a spear like a cloth-worker's rod; he went down to him with a stick, and pulling his spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, put him to death with that same spear.
24 These are things that B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada did that earned him a name among the three warrior-heroes.
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These were the acts of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who had a great name among the thirty men of war.
25 He had more honor than the thirty, but he did not achieve the status of the first three. David put him in command of his personal guard.
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He was honoured over the thirty, but he was not equal to the first three: and David put him over his servants.
26 There were also these warrior-heroes: 'Asah'el the brother of Yo'av, Elchanan the son of Dodo, from Beit-Lechem,
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And these were the great men of war: Asahel, the brother of Joab, Elhanan, the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,
27 Shammah the Harori, Heletz the P'loni,
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Shammoth the Harodite, Helez the Pelonite,
28 'Ira son of 'Ikesh from T'koa, Avi'ezer from 'Anatot,
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Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite,
29 Sibkhai the Hushati, 'Ilai the Achochi,
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Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
30 Mahrai the N'tofati, Heled the son of Ba'anah the N'tofati,
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Maharai the Netophathite, Heled, the son of Baanah the Netophathite,
31 Ittai the son of Rivai from Giv'ah, from the descendants of Binyamin, B'nayahu from Pir'aton,
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Ithai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai from the vadis of Ga'ash, Avi'el the 'Arvati,
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Hurai of Nahale-gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,
33 'Azmavet the Bacharumi Elyachba the Sha'alvoni,
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Azmaveth of Bahurim, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
34 the sons of Hashem the Gizoni, Y'honatan the son of Shageh the Harari,
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The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan, the son of Shage the Hararite,
35 Achi'am the son of Sakhar the Harari, Elifal the son of Ur,
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Ahiam, the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal, the son of Ur,
36 Hefer the M'kherati, Achiyah the P'loni,
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Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hetzro the Karmeli, Na'arai the son of Ezbai
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Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai, the son of Ezbai,
38 Yo'el the brother of Natan, Mivchar the son of Hagri,
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Joel, the brother of Nathan, Mibhar, the son of Hagri,
39 Tzelek the 'Amoni, Nachrai the Be'eroti, armor-bearer of Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah,
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Zelek the Ammonite, and Naharai the Berothite, the servant who had the care of the arms of Joab, the son of Zeruiah;
40 'Ira the Yitri, Garev the Yitri,
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Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
41 Uriyah the Hitti, Zavad the son of Achlai,
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Uriah the Hittite, Zabad, the son of Ahlai,
42 'Adina the son of Shiza the Re'uveni, a leader among the Re'uveni, and thirty with him,
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Adina, the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him;
43 Hanan the son of Ma'akhah, Yoshafat the Mitni,
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Hanan, the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44 'Uziyah the 'Asht'rati Shama and Ye'i'el the sons of Hotam the 'Aro'eri,
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Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
45 Y'dia'el the son of Shimri, Yocha his brother, the Titzi,
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Jediael, the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,
46 Eli'el from Machavim, Yerivai and Yoshavyah the sons of Elna'am, Yitmah the Mo'avi,
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Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,
47 Eli'el, 'Oved, and Ya'asi'el from M'tzovayah.
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Eliel and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.