New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, son of Jesse, the oracle of the man whom God exalted, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:
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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 the Lord speaks through me, his word is upon 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 Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me: One who rules over people justly, 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 is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land
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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 Is not my house like this with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. Will he not cause to prosper all my help and my 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 godless are all like thorns that are thrown away; for they cannot be picked up with the 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 an iron bar or the shaft of a spear. And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.
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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 These are the names of the warriors whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the Three; he wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.
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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 Next to him among the three warriors was Eleazar son of Dodo son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle. The Israelites withdrew,
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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 but he stood his ground. He struck down the Philistines until his arm grew weary, though his hand clung to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. Then the people came back to him—but only to strip 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 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee, the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the army fled from the Philistines.
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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 took his stand in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the Lord 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 Towards the beginning of harvest three of the thirty chiefs went down to join David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
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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 David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem
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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 said longingly, "O that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!"
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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 Then the three warriors broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the Lord,
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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 for he said, "The Lord forbid that I should do this. Can I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. The three warriors did these things.
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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 Now Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Thirty. With his spear he fought against three hundred men and killed them, and won a name beside 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 was the most renowned of the Thirty, and became their commander; but he did not attain to the 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 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant warrior from Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he struck down two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.
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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 And he killed an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but Benaiah went against him with a staff, snatched the spear out of 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 Such were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and won a name beside the three warriors.
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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 was renowned among the Thirty, but he did not attain to the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
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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 Among the Thirty were Asahel brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem;
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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 of Harod; Elika of Harod;
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Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26 Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa;
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Helez the Paltite, Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27 Abiezer of Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite;
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Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai of Netophah;
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Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 Heleb son of Baanah of Netophah; Ittai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjaminites;
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Heldai, the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
30 Benaiah of Pirathon; Hiddai of the torrents of Gaash;
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Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the valleys of Gaash,
31 Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth of Bahurim;
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Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim,
32 Eliahba of Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen: Jonathan
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Eliahba the Shaalbonite, Jashen the Gunite,
33 son of Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite;
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Jonathan, the son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam, the son of Sharar the Hararite,
34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai of Maacah; Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;
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Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam, the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 Hezro of Carmel; Paarai the Arbite;
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Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Archite,
36 Igal 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 of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah;
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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 Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite
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Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite
39 Uriah the Hittite—thirty-seven in all.
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Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in number.
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.