The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 Then all Israel assembled before David at Hebron. "Look at us," they said. "We're your very flesh and blood.
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Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
2 In the past, yes, even while Saul was king, you were the real leader of Israel. God told you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel; you are to be the ruler of my people Israel.'"
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And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.
3 When all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them in the presence of God at Hebron. Then they anointed David king over Israel exactly as God had commanded through Samuel.
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Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.
4 David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (it was the old Jebus, where the Jebusites lived).
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And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus; where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.
5 The citizens of Jebus told David, "No trespassing - you can't come here." David came on anyway and captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.
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And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David.
6 David had said, "The first person to kill a Jebusite will be commander-in-chief." Joab son of Zeruiah was the first; and he became the chief.
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And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief.
7 David took up residence in the fortress city; that's how it got its name, "City of David."
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And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David.
8 David fortified the city all the way around, both the outer bulwarks (the Millo) and the outside wall. Joab rebuilt the city gates.
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And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city.
9 David's stride became longer, his embrace larger - yes, God-of-the-Angel-Armies was with him!
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So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts was with him.
10 These are the chiefs of David's Mighty Men, the ones who linked arms with him as he took up his kingship, with all Israel joining in, helping him become king in just the way God had spoken regarding Israel.
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These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.
11 The list of David's Mighty Men: Jashobeam son of Hacmoni was chief of the Thirty. Singlehandedly he killed three hundred men, killed them all in one skirmish.
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And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.
12 Next was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the Big Three of the Mighty Men.
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And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.
13 He was with David at Pas Dammim, where the Philistines had mustered their troops for battle. It was an area where there was a field of barley. The army started to flee from the Philistines
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He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.
14 and then took its stand right in that field - and turned the tide! They slaughtered the Philistines, God helping them - a huge victory.
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And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance.
15 The Big Three from the Thirty made a rocky descent to David at the Cave of Adullam while a company of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.
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Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
16 David was holed up in the Cave while the Philistines were prepared for battle at Bethlehem.
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And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.
17 David had a sudden craving: "What I wouldn't give for a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem, the one at the gate!"
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And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
18 The Three penetrated the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the Bethlehem gate, shouldered it, and brought it to David. And then David wouldn't drink it! He poured it out as a sacred offering to God,
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And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,
19 saying, "I'd rather be damned by God than drink this! It would be like drinking the lifeblood of these men - they risked their lives to bring it." So he refused to drink it. These are the kinds of things that the Big Three of the Mighty Men did.
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And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.
20 Abishai brother of Joab was the chief of the Thirty. Singlehandedly he fought three hundred men, and killed the lot, but he never made it into the circle of the Three.
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And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.
21 He was highly honored by the Thirty - he was their chief - still, he didn't measure up to the Three.
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Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.
22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a Mighty Man from Kabzeel with many exploits to his credit: he killed two famous Moabites; he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day;
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Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.
23 and he killed an Egyptian, a giant seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian had a spear like a ship's boom but Benaiah went at him with a mere club, tore the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with it.
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And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
24 These are some of the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. But he was never included with the Three.
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These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.
25 He was highly honored among the Thirty, but didn't measure up to the Three. David put him in charge of his personal bodyguard.
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Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.
26 The Mighty Men of the military were Asahel brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
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Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,
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Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,
28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite,
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Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite,
29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
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Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,
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Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,
31 Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminite, Benaiah the Pirathonite,
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Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai from the ravines of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,
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Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
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Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,
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The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite,
35 Ahiam son of Sacar the Haranite, Eliphal son of Ur,
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Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,
36 Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
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Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,
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Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,
38 Joel brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri,
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Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri,
39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
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Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armourbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
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Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,
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Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,
42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, the Reubenite chief of the Thirty,
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Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,
43 Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite,
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Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
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Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite,
45 Jediael son of Shimri, Joha the Tizite his brother,
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Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,
46 Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite,
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Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,
47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
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Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.