King James Version KJV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
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Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
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"The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me, his word is upon my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
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The God of Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God,
4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
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he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth upon a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth
5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.
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Yea, does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?
6 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
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But godless men are all like thorns that are thrown away; for they cannot be taken with the hand;
7 But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.
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but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire."
8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
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These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshe'beth a Tah-che'monite; he was chief of the three; he wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he slew at one time.
9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:
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And next to him among the three mighty men was Elea'zar the son of Dodo, son of Aho'hi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.
10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
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He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand cleaved to the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.
11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.
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And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Har'arite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the men fled from the Philistines.
12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
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But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory.
13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
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And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Reph'aim.
14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
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David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem
15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
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And David said longingly, "O that some one would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!"
16 And the three mighty men 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: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.
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Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the LORD,
17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
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and said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.
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Now Abi'shai, the brother of Jo'ab, the son of Zeru'iah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and slew them, and won a name beside the three.
19 Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
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He was the most renowned of the thirty, and became their commander; but he did not attain to the three
20 And 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: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:
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And Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he smote two ariels of Moab. He also went down and slew a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.
21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but 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.
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And he slew an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but Benai'ah went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear
22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.
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These things did Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada, and won a name beside the three mighty men.
23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.
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He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
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As'ahel the brother of Jo'ab was one of the thirty; Elha'nan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
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Shammah of Harod, Eli'ka of Harod,
26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
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Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Teko'a,
27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
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Abi-e'zer, of An'athoth, Mebun'nai the Hu'shathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
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Zalmon the Aho'hite, Ma'harai of Netoph'ah,
29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
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Heleb the son of Ba'anah of Netoph'ah, It'tai the son of Ri'bai of Gib'e-ah of the Benjaminites,
30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,
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Benai'ah of Pira'thon, Hid'dai of the brooks of Ga'ash,
31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
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Abi-al'bon the Ar'bathite, Az'maveth of Bahu'rim,
32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
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Eli'ahba of Sha-al'bon, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,
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Shammah the Har'arite, Ahi'am the son of Sharar the Har'arite,
34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
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Eliph'elet the son of Ahas'bai of Ma'acah, Eli'am the son of Ahith'ophel of Gilo,
35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
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Hezro of Carmel, Pa'arai the Arbite,
36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
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Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite
37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
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Zelek the Ammonite, Na'harai of Be-er'oth, the armor-bearer of Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah,
38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,
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Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite
39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.
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Uri'ah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the 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.