The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 These are David's last words: The voice of the son of Jesse, the voice of the man God took to the top, Whom the God of Jacob made king, and Israel's most popular singer!
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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,
2 God's Spirit spoke through me, his words took shape on my tongue.
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The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
3 The God of Israel spoke to me, Israel's Rock-Mountain said, "Whoever governs fairly and well, who rules in the Fear-of-God,
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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.
4 Is like first light at daybreak without a cloud in the sky, Like green grass carpeting earth, glistening under fresh rain.
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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.
5 And this is just how my regime has been, for God guaranteed his covenant with me, Spelled it out plainly and kept every promised word - My entire salvation, my every desire.
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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.
6 But the devil's henchmen are like thorns culled and piled as trash;
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But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
7 Better not try to touch them; keep your distance with a rake or hoe. They'll make a glorious bonfire!
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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.
8 This is the listing of David's top men. Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite. He was chief of the Three. He once put his spear to work against eight hundred - killed them all in a day.
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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.
9 Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite was the next of the elite Three. He was with David when the Philistines poked fun at them at Pas Dammim. When the Philistines drew up for battle, Israel retreated.
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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:
10 But Eleazar stood his ground and killed Philistines right and left until he was exhausted - but he never let go of his sword! A big win for God that day. The army then rejoined Eleazar, but all there was left to do was the clean-up.
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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.
11 Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The Philistines had mustered for battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. Israel fled before the Philistines
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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.
12 , but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for God!
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But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
13 One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined David at the Cave of Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim.
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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.
14 While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem
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And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15 David had a sudden craving and said, "Would I ever like a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem!"
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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!
16 So the Three penetrated the Philistine lines, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David wouldn't drink it; he poured it out as an offering to God,
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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.
17 saying, "There is no way, God, that I'll drink this! This isn't mere water, it's their life-blood - they risked their very lives to bring it!" So David refused to drink it. This is the sort of thing that the Three did.
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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.
18 Abishai brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah was the head of the Thirty. He once got credit for killing three hundred with his spear, but he was never named in the same breath as the Three.
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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.
19 He was the most respected of the Thirty and was their captain, but never got included among the Three
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Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a vigorous man who accomplished a great deal. He once killed two lion cubs in Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion.
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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:
21 Another time he killed a formidable Egyptian. The Egyptian was armed with a spear and Benaiah went against him with nothing but a walking stick; he seized the spear from his grip and killed him with his own spear
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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.
22 These are the things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada is famous for. But neither did he ever get ranked with the Three.
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These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.
23 He was held in greatest respect among the Thirty, but he never got included with the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
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He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.
24 "The Thirty" consisted of: Asahel brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem;
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Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25 Shammah the Harodite; Elika the Harodite;
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Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26 Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite;
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Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27 Abiezer the Anathothite; Sibbecai the Hushathite;
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Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophathite;
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Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite; Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites;
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Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
30 Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the badlands of Gaash;
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Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,
31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Barhumite;
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Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite; Jashen the Gizonite;
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Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
33 Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar the Urite;
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Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,
34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite; Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;
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Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 Hezro the Carmelite; Paarai the Arbite;
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Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36 Igal son of Nathan, commander of the army of Hagrites
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Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37 Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Beerothite, weapon bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah;
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Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38 Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite
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Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,
39 Uriah the Hittite. Thirty-seven, all told.
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Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.
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.