New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 The following are those who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul son of Kish; they were among the mighty warriors who helped him in war.
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Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still shut up, because of Saul, the son of Kish; they were among the strong men, his helpers in war.
2 They were archers, and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right hand or the left; they were Benjaminites, Saul's kindred.
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They were armed with bows, and were able to send stones, and arrows from the bow, with right hand or left: they were Saul's brothers, of Benjamin.
3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, both sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; also Jeziel and Pelet sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu of Anathoth,
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Ahiezer was their chief, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Beracah and Jehu the Anathothite;
4 Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a warrior among the Thirty and a leader over the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah,
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And Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a great man among the thirty, and their chief; and Jeremiah and Jehaziel and Johanan and Jozabad the Gederathite;
5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite;
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Eluzai and Jerimoth and Bealiah and Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite;
6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;
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Elkanah and Isshiah and Azarel and Joezer and Jashobeam, the Korahites;
7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
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And Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
8 From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as gazelles on the mountains:
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And some of the Gadites, siding with David, went to his strong place in the waste land, great and strong men, trained for war, expert in the use of arms, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were quick-footed like roes on the mountains;
9 Ezer the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third,
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Ezer their chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
10 Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,
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Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,
11 Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,
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Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
12 Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth,
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Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,
13 Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh.
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Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.
14 These Gadites were officers of the army, the least equal to a hundred and the greatest to a thousand.
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These Gadites were captains of the army; the least of them was captain over a hundred men, and the greatest over a thousand.
15 These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
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It was they who went over Jordan in the first month, when the river was overflowing, and put to flight all the people of the valleys, to the east and to the west.
16 Some Benjaminites and Judahites came to the stronghold to David.
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And some of the children of Benjamin and Judah came to David in his strong place.
17 David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in friendship, to help me, then my heart will be knit to you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, though my hands have done no wrong, then may the God of our ancestors see and give judgment."
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And David went out to them, and said to them, If you have come in peace to give me help, my heart will be united with yours; but if you have come to give me up to those who would take my life, though my hands are clean from wrongdoing, then may the God of our fathers see it and give you punishment.
18 Then the spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said, "We are yours, O David; and with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to the one who helps you! For your God is the one who helps you." Then David received them, and made them officers of his troops.
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Then the spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, We are yours, David, we are on your side, O son of Jesse: may peace be with you and peace be with your helpers; for God is your helper. Then David took them into his army and made them captains of the band.
19 Some of the Manassites deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. (Yet he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines took counsel and sent him away, saying, "He will desert to his master Saul at the cost of our heads.")
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And some of the men of Manasseh came over to David, when he went with the Philistines to the war against Saul, but he gave them no help: for the lords of the Philistines, after discussion, sent him away, saying, He will go back to his master Saul, at the price of our lives.
20 As he went to Ziklag these Manassites deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of the thousands in Manasseh.
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Then when he went back to Ziklag, there came over to him, of the men of Manasseh, Adnah and Jozabad and Jediael and Michael and Jozabad and Elihu and Zillethai, captains of thousands from the armies of Manasseh.
21 They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all warriors and commanders in the army.
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And they gave David help against the armed bands, for they were all great men of war, and captains in the army.
22 Indeed from day to day people kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.
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And from day to day more supporters came to David, till he had a great army like the army of God.
23 These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops who came to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord.
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These are the numbers of the chiefs of the armed men, ready for war, who came to David at Hebron, to give the kingdom of Saul into his hands, as the Lord had said.
24 The people of Judah bearing shield and spear numbered six thousand eight hundred armed troops.
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There were six thousand, eight hundred spearmen of the children of Judah, armed for war;
25 Of the Simeonites, mighty warriors, seven thousand one hundred.
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Seven thousand, one hundred of the children of Simeon, great men of war;
26 Of the Levites four thousand six hundred.
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Of the children of Levi, four thousand, six hundred.
27 Jehoiada, leader of the house of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred.
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And Jehoiada, chief of the family of Aaron, and with him three thousand, seven hundred men;
28 Zadok, a young warrior, and twenty-two commanders from his own ancestral house.
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And Zadok, a young man, great and strong in war, with twenty-two captains from his father's people.
29 Of the Benjaminites, the kindred of Saul, three thousand, of whom the majority had continued to keep their allegiance to the house of Saul.
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And of the children of Benjamin, the brothers of Saul, three thousand; for up to that time the greater part of them had been true to Saul.
30 Of the Ephraimites, twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty warriors, notables in their ancestral houses.
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And of the children of Ephraim, twenty thousand, eight hundred great men of war, men of great name in their families.
31 Of the half-tribe of Manasseh, eighteen thousand, who were expressly named to come and make David king.
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And from the half-tribe of Manasseh, eighteen thousand, listed by name, came to make David king.
32 Of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs, and all their kindred under their command.
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And of the children of Issachar, there were two hundred chiefs, men who had expert knowledge of the times and what it was best for Israel to do, and all their brothers were under their orders.
33 Of Zebulun, fifty thousand seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose.
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Of Zebulun, there were fifty thousand men, who went out with the army, expert in ordering the fight, to give help with all sorts of arms; true-hearted men.
34 Of Naphtali, a thousand commanders, with whom there were thirty-seven thousand armed with shield and spear.
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And of Naphtali, a thousand captains with thirty-seven thousand spearmen.
35 Of the Danites, twenty-eight thousand six hundred equipped for battle.
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And of the Danites, twenty-eight thousand, six hundred, expert in ordering the fight.
36 Of Asher, forty thousand seasoned troops ready for battle.
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And of Asher, forty thousand who went out with the army, expert in ordering the fight.
37 Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, one hundred twenty thousand armed with all the weapons of war.
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From the other side of Jordan, there were a hundred and twenty thousand of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the men of the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every sort of instrument of war.
38 All these, warriors arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David king over all Israel; likewise all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king.
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All these men of war, expert in ordering the fight, came to Hebron with the full purpose of making David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were united in their desire to make David king.
39 They were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their kindred had provided for them.
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For three days they were there with David, feasting at his table, for their brothers had made ready food for them.
40 And also their neighbors, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—abundant provisions of meal, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.
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And those who were near, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came with food on asses and camels and mules and oxen, with meal for food and cakes of figs and masses of grapes, and wine and oil and oxen and sheep in great numbers, for there was joy in Israel.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.