The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Here are David's last words: "This is the speech of David the son of Yishai, the speech of the man who has been raised up, the one anointed by the God of Ya'akov, the sweet singer of Isra'el.
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Now these are the last words of David. David, the son of Jesse, says, the man who was lifted up on high, the man on whom the God of Jacob put the holy oil, the loved one of Israel's songs, says:
2 "The Spirit of ADONAI spoke through me, his word was on my tongue.
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The spirit of the Lord had voice through me, his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Isra'el spoke; the Rock of Isra'el said to me, 'A ruler over people must be upright, ruling in the fear of God;
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The God of Israel said, the word of the Rock of Israel came to me: When an upright king is ruling over men, when he is ruling in the fear of God,
4 like the morning light at sunrise on a cloudless day that makes the grass on the earth sparkle after a rain.
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It is as the light of the morning, when the sun comes up, a morning without clouds; making young grass come to life from the earth
5 "For my house stands firm with God -he made an everlasting covenant with me. It is in order, fully assured, that he will bring to full growth all my salvation and every desire.
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For is not my house so with God? For he has made with me an eternal agreement, ordered in all things and certain: as for all my salvation and all my desire, will he not give it increase?
6 "But the ungodly are like thorn bushes to be pushed aside, every one of them. They cannot be taken in one's hand;
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But the evil-doers, all of them, will be like thorns to be pushed away, because they may not be gripped in the hand:
7 To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft, and then only to burn them where they lie."
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But anyone touching them has to be armed with iron and the rod of a spear; and they will be burned with fire, every one of them.
8 Following are the names of David's warrior-heroes: Yoshev-Bashevet the Tach'kmoni, chief of the three, also known as 'Adino the 'Etzni; he is the one who came against 800 men, whom he killed in a single encounter.
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These are the names of David's men of war: Ishbaal the Hachmonite, chief of the three; his axe was lifted up against eight hundred put to death at one time.
9 After him was El'azar the son of Dodo the son of Achochi, one of the three warriors with David when they put their lives in jeopardy against the P'lishtim who were there assembled for battle, while the men of Isra'el had gone away.
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After him was Eleazar, the son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three great fighters, who was with David in Pas-dammim when the Philistines came together there for the fight; and when the men of Israel had gone in flight,
10 He stood firm and attacked the P'lishtim until his hand went into spasm, so that he couldn't let go of his sword. ADONAI accomplished a great victory that day; but the people didn't return until he had finished, and then only to plunder the bodies of the dead.
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He was with David and went on fighting the Philistines till his hand became tired and stiff from gripping his sword: and that day the Lord gave a great salvation, and the people came back after him only to take the goods of the Philistines.
11 After him was Shammah the son of Age the Harari. The P'lishtim had assembled at Lechi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the P'lishtim.
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After him was Shammah, the son of Ela the Hararite. And the Philistines came together in Lehi, where there was a bit of land full of seed; and the people went in flight from the Philistines.
12 But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P'lishtim; and ADONAI brought about a great victory.
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But he kept his place in the middle of the bit of land, and kept back their attack and overcame the Philistines: and the Lord gave a great salvation.
13 During harvest season three of the thirty leaders went down and came to David at the cave of 'Adulam when a company of P'lishtim had set up camp in the Refa'im Valley.
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And three of the thirty went down at the start of the grain-cutting, and they came to David at the strong place of Adullam; and the band of Philistines had taken up their position in the valley of Rephaim.
14 At that time David was in the fortress, and the garrison of the P'lishtim was in Beit-Lechem
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And at that time David had taken cover in the strong place, and an armed force of the Philistines was in Beth-lehem
15 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 water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town!
16 The three warrior-heroes 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 he wouldn't drink it. Instead, he poured it out to ADONAI
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And the three men, forcing their 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 he would not take it, but, draining it out, made an offering of it to the Lord.
17 and said, "ADONAI! Heaven forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of men who went and put their lives in jeopardy?"- and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did.
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And he said, Far be it from me, O Lord, to do this; how may I take as my drink the life-blood of men who have put their lives in danger? So he would not take it. These things did the three great men of war.
18 Avishai the brother of Yo'av, the son of Tz'ruyah, 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, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. He put to death three hundred with his spear, and he got for himself a name among the thirty.
19 He had the most honor of these three and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three
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Was he not the noblest of the thirty? so he was made their captain: but he was not equal to the first three
20 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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And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a fighting man of Kabzeel, had done great acts; he put to death the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down into a hole and put a lion to death in time of snow:
21 Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man of intimidating appearance: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, and 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 tall man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a stick, and pulling the spear out of the hands of the Egyptian, put him to death with that same spear
22 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.
23 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 rest of the thirty, but he was not equal to the first three. And David put him over the fighting men who kept him safe.
24 'Asah'el the brother of Yo'av was one of the thirty, Elchanan the son of Dodo of Beit-Lechem,
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Asahel, the brother of Joab, was one of the thirty; and Elhanan, the son of Dodai, of Beth-lehem,
25 Shammah the Harodi, Elika the Harodi,
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Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26 Heletz the Palti, 'Ira son of 'Ikesh from T'koa,
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Helez the Paltite, Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27 Avi'ezer from 'Anatot, M'vunai the Hushati,
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Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite,
28 Tzalmon the Achochi, Mahrai the N'tofati,
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Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 Helev the son of Ba'anah the N'tofati, Ittai the son of Rivai from Giv'ah, of the people of Binyamin,
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Heldai, the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
30 B'nayahu from Pir'aton, Hiddai from the vadis of Ga'ash,
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Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the valleys of Gaash,
31 Avi-'Alvon the 'Arvati, 'Azmavet the Barchumi,
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Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim,
32 Elyachba the Sha'alvoni, of the sons of Yashen, Y'honatan,
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Eliahba the Shaalbonite, Jashen the Gunite,
33 Shammah the Harari, Achi'am the son of Sharar the Arari,
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Jonathan, the son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam, the son of Sharar the Hararite,
34 Elifelet the son of Achasbai the son of the Ma'akhati, Eli'am the son of Achitofel from Giloh, thirty-seven in all.
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Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam, the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 Hetzrai from Karmel, Pa'arai the Arbi,
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Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Archite,
36 Yig'al the son of Natan of Tzovah, Bani the Gadi
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Igal, the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite
37 Tzelek the 'Amoni, Nachrai the Be'eroti, armor-bearer for Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah,
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Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, who had the care of the arms of Joab, son of Zeruiah,
38 'Ira the Yitri, Garev the Yitri, an
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Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite
39 Uriyah the Hitti
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Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in number.
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.