# verses

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and turning westward this border goes to Aznothtabor and passes from there to Hukkok and reaches to Zebulun towards the Negev and reaches to Asher on the west side and to Judah upon the Jordan toward the sunrising.


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This [is] the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali according to their families, these cities with their villages.


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And the border of the sons of Dan went out [too little] for them; therefore, the sons of Dan went up to fight against Leshem and took it and smote it with the edge of the sword and possessed it and dwelt therein and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.


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This [is] the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.


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Thus they finished dividing the land in inheritance by their borders, and the sons of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun in their midst.


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According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked for, [which was] Timnathserah in mountain of Ephraim; and he rebuilt the city and dwelt therein.


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These [are] the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua, the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel, divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. So they finished dividing the land.:


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Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke unto you by the hand of Moses,


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so that the murderer who kills [any] person in error [and] without knowledge may flee there, and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.


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And he that flees unto one of these cities shall present himself at the entering of the gate of the city and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city; they shall receive him into the city among them and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.


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And when the avenger of blood pursues after him, they shall not deliver the murderer up into his hand because he smote his neighbour by error, nor did he have enmity with him before.


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And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment [and] until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days; then shall the murderer return, and come unto his own city and unto his own house unto the city from where he fled.


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Then they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in the mountain of Naphtali and Shechem in the mountain of Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which [is] Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.


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And on the other side of the Jordan of Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.


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These were the cities appointed for all the sons of Israel and for the stranger that sojourns among them that anyone who kills [any] person by error might flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation.:


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Then the heads of the fathers of the Levites came near unto Eleazar the priest and unto Joshua, the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel;


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and they spoke unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in with the suburbs thereof for our beasts.


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Then the sons of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their possessions, according to the word of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.


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And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites; and the sons of Aaron the priest, [who were] of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah and out of the tribe of Simeon and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.


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And the rest of the sons of Kohath [had] by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim and out of the tribe of Dan and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.


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And the sons of Gershon [had] by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar and out of the tribe of Asher and out of the tribe of Naphtali and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.


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The sons of Merari by their families [had] out of the tribe of Reuben and out of the tribe of Gad and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.


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Thus the sons of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses.


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And they gave out of the tribe of the sons of Judah and out of the tribe of the sons of Simeon these cities which are [here] mentioned by name;


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and they gave them the city of Arba of the father of Anak, which [is] Hebron, in the mountain of Judah, with its suburbs round about.


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But the fields of the city and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.


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Thus they gave to the sons of Aaron the priest Hebron with its suburbs, [to be] a city of refuge for murderers and Libnah with its suburbs


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and Ain with its suburbs and Juttah with its suburbs [and] Bethshemesh with its suburbs: nine cities out of those two tribes.


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But the families of the sons of Kohath, Levites, those who remained of the sons of Kohath, received cities by lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.


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For they gave them Shechem with its suburbs in the mountain of Ephraim, [to be] a city of refuge for murderers, and Gezer with its suburbs,


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And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with its suburbs and Gathrimmon with its suburbs: two cities.


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And unto the sons of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the [other] half tribe of Manasseh [they gave] Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, [to be] a city of refuge for murderers, and Beeshterah with its suburbs: two cities.


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And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, [to be] a city of refuge for murderers, and Hammothdor with its suburbs and Kartan with its suburbs: three cities.


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All the cities of those of Gershon according to their families [were] thirteen cities with their suburbs.


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And unto the families of the sons of Merari, Levites that remained, out of the tribe of Zebulun [they gave them], Jokneam with its suburbs and Kartah with its suburbs,


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And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, [to be] a city of refuge for murderers; and Mahanaim with its suburbs,


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So all the cities for the sons of Merari by their families, who remained of the families of the Levites, were [by] their lot twelve cities.


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All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the sons of Israel [were] forty-eight cities with their suburbs.


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Each one of these cities were separated with their suburbs round about them; thus [were] all these cities.


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Thus the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he swore to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it and dwelt therein.


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And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he had sworn unto their fathers; and none of their enemies could stand before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hands.


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There failed not a word of all the good things which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all of it came to pass.:


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and said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.


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Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.


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And now the LORD your God has given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them; therefore now return and go to your tents [and] unto the land of your possessions which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan.


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Only that with diligence ye keep yourselves doing the commandment and the law, which Moses, the servant of the LORD, charged you: to love the LORD your God and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cleave unto him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.


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Now to the [one] half of the tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given [possession] in Bashan; but unto the [other] half Joshua gave [inheritance] among their brethren on this side of the Jordan to the west. And Joshua also sent these to their tents, after having blessed them,


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And he spoke unto them, saying, Return with great riches unto your tents and with a great amount cattle with silver, with gold, with brass, with iron, and with very much clothing; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.


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And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, departing from the sons of Israel out of Shiloh, which [is] in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, of which they were the possessors, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.


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And when they came unto the borders of the Jordan, which [is] in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built an altar there next to the Jordan, a great altar to look upon.


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And the sons of Israel heard it said, Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of the Jordan, at the passage of the sons of Israel.


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And when the sons of Israel heard [of it], the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.


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And the sons of Israel sent unto the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest,


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and with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one [was] the head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.


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And they came unto the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh unto the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,


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Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass [is] this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD in that ye have built an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?


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[Is] the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, for which there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD?


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And ye turn away this day from following the LORD; and it will be, [seeing] ye rebel today against the LORD, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.


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If the land of your possession seems unto you [to be] unclean, [then] pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, in which the LORD'S tabernacle dwells and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building yourselves an altar in addition to the altar of the LORD our God.


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Peradventure did Achan, the son of Zerah, not commit a trespass in the anathema, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.


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Then the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,


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The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knows and let Israel also know; if [it is] in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD (save us not this day)


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that we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD or if to offer thereon burnt offering or present or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require [it];


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likewise, if we have not [rather] done it for fear of this thing, saying, Peradventure tomorrow your children shall speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?


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The LORD has put the Jordan for a border between us and you, O sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD, so shall your sons make our sons cease from fearing the LORD.


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but [that] it [may be] a witness between us and you and our generations after us, to do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace [offerings] that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD.


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Therefore we said, that it shall be, if they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may reply, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices, but it [is] a witness between us and you.


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Let it never happen that we should rebel against the LORD or that we should turn today from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for presents, or for sacrifices, in addition to the altar of the LORD our God that [is] before his tabernacle.


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And when Phinehas the priest and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel who [were] with him, heard the words that the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them.


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And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, said unto the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD [is] among us because ye have not intended to trespass against the LORD. Now ye have delivered the sons of Israel from the wrath of the LORD.


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And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel and brought them word again.


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And the thing pleased the sons of Israel; and the sons of Israel blessed God and did not speak again of going up against them in battle to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and Gad dwelt.


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And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar [Ed]; for it [is] a witness between us that the LORD [is] God.:


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And it came to pass many days after the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about that Joshua waxed old [and] stricken in age.


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And Joshua called for all Israel [and] for their elders and for their princes and for their judges and for their officers and said unto them, I am old [and] stricken in age;


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and ye have seen all that the LORD your God has done with all these Gentiles in your presence; for the LORD your God has fought for you.


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Behold, I have divided unto you as inheritance unto your tribes all these Gentiles, those that remain as well as those that are destroyed, from the Jordan unto the great sea towards the going down of the sun.


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And the LORD your God, shall expel them from before you and drive them from out of your presence; and ye shall possess their lands, as the LORD your God has promised unto you.


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Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses without turning aside [to] the right hand or [to] the left


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that ye not enter in among these Gentiles that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear [by them], neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them,


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For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong Gentiles; and until now no one has been able to stand before your face.


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One man of you has chased a thousand; for the LORD your God, he [himself] has fought for you, as he has promised you.


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Because if ye do in any wise go back and cleave unto the remnant of these Gentiles that remain among you and shall make marriages with them and go in unto them and they to you,


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know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no longer drive out [any of] these Gentiles from before you, but they shall be snares and traps unto you and scourges in your sides and thorns in your eyes until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you.


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And, behold, this day I [am] going the way of all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, [and] not one thing has failed thereof.


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Therefore it shall come to pass [that] as all [the] good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you, so shall the LORD bring upon you all the evil things until he has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you


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when ye shall transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, going in and serving other gods and bowing yourselves to them. And the anger of the LORD shall be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he has given unto you.:


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And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel and for their princes and for their judges and for their officers, and they presented themselves before God.


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And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Long ago your fathers dwelt on the other side of the river, [even] Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor, and they served other gods.


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And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river and led him throughout all the land of Canaan and multiplied his generation and gave him Isaac.


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And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt.


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I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them; and afterward I brought you out.


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And I brought your fathers out of Egypt; and [when] ye came to the sea, the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.


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And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt; and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.


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And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you, but I delivered them into your hands that ye might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you.


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Then Balak, the son of Zippor, king of the Moabites, arose and warred against Israel and sent and called Balaam, the son of Beor, to curse you.


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But I would not hearken unto Balaam; to the contrary, he blessed you repeatedly, and I delivered you out of his hand.


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And ye passed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the lords of Jericho fought against you: the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hands.


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And I sent hornets before you, which drove them out from before you, [even] the two kings of the Amorites, [but] not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.


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And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour and cities which ye did not build, and ye dwell in them and eat of vineyards and oliveyards which ye did not plant.


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Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in perfection and in truth and put away [from among you] the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river and in Egypt, and serve ye the LORD.


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And if it seems evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.


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Then the people answered and said, May it never happen that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods.


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For the LORD our God, he [it is] that brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage and who did those great signs in our sight and has kept us in all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whom we passed.


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And the LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land; [therefore,]will we also serve the LORD, for he [is] our God.


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Then Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD, for he [is] a holy God; he [is] a jealous God; he will not allow your rebellions nor your sins.


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If ye forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt and consume you, after he has done you good.


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And Joshua said unto the people, Ye [shall be] witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We [shall be] witnesses.


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Now, therefore, take away, the strange gods which [are] among you and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.


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And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and taking a great stone, he set it up there under an oak that [was] in the sanctuary of the LORD.


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And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which he spoke unto us: it shall be, therefore, a witness unto you lest ye deny your God.


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And after these things, Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, [being] one hundred and ten years old.


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And they buried him within the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which [is] in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the Mountain of Gaash.


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And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua and who had known all the works of the LORD that he had done with Israel.


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And the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem in the part of the field which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred ewes, and it became the inheritance of the sons of Joseph.


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And Eleazar, the son of Aaron, died, and they buried him in the hill of Phinehas, his son, which was given to him in the mountain of Ephraim.:


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Now after the death of Joshua, it came to pass that the sons of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first to fight against them?


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And Judah said unto Simeon, his brother, Come up with me into my lot that we may fight against the Canaanite; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.


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And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanite and the Perizzite into their hands, and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.


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And they found Adonibezek in Bezek, and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanite and the Perizzite.


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But Adonibezek fled, and they pursued after him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.


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And Adonibezek said, Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered [crumbs] under my table; as I have done, so God has recompensed me. And they put him into Jerusalem, and there he died.


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Now the sons of Judah had fought against Jerusalem and had taken it and smitten it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.


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And afterward the sons of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanite that dwelt in the mountains and in the Negev and in the plains.


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And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba), and they slew Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.


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And from there he went against the inhabitants of Debir (and the name of Debir before [was] Kirjathsepher).


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And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.


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And it came to pass when he took her that he persuaded her to ask her father for land to cultivate. And she lighted from off [her] ass, and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou?


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And she said unto him, Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a dry land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.


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And the sons of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the sons of Judah into the wilderness of Judah which is towards the Negev of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.


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And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanite that inhabited Zephath and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.


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And the LORD was with Judah, who drove out [the inhabitants of] the mountains, but could not drive out the inhabitants of the plains, because they had chariots of iron.


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And they gave Hebron unto Caleb as Moses had said, and he expelled from there the three sons of Anak.


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And the sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; thus the Jebusites dwell with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.


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And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee mercy.


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And when he showed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man go and all his family.


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And the man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city and called the name of it Luz, which [is] its name unto this day.


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Neither did Manasseh drive out [the inhabitants of] Bethshean and its towns nor Taanach and its towns nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanite desired to dwell in that land.


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And it came to pass when Israel was strong that they put the Canaanites under tribute but did not utterly drive them out.


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Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanite that dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanite dwelt in Gezer among them.


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Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron nor the inhabitants of Nahalol, but the Canaanite dwelt among them and became tributaries.


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Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho nor the inhabitants of Zidon nor of Ahlab nor of Achzib nor of Helbah nor of Aphik nor of Rehob;


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to the contrary Asher dwelt among the Canaanites that inhabited the land, for they did not drive them out.


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Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh nor the inhabitants of Bethanath, but he dwelt among the Canaanites that inhabited the land; nevertheless, the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.


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And the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the mountain, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley.


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And the Amorites desired to dwell in Mount Heres in Aijalon and in Shaalbim; yet when the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, they made them tributaries.


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And the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, I brought you up out of Egypt and caused you to enter into the land which I swore unto your fathers, and I said, I will never break my covenant with you


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as long as ye make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; to the contrary, ye shall throw down their altars, but ye have not heard my voice; why have ye done this?


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Therefore, I also said, I will not drive them out from before you, but they shall be [as thorns] in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.


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And when the angel of the LORD spoke these words unto all the sons of Israel the people lifted up their voice, and wept.


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For Joshua had let the people go, and the sons of Israel had each gone unto his inheritance to possess the land.


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And the people had served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua who had seen all the great works of the LORD that he had done with Israel.


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And they buried him within the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres in the mount of Ephraim on the north side of the mount of Gaash.


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And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers, and there arose another generation after them which did not know the LORD nor the work which he had done to Israel.


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And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them and provoked the LORD to anger.


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And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.


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Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said and as the LORD had sworn unto them; and thus they were greatly distressed.


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Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.


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And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they fornicated after other gods and bowed themselves unto them; they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers had walked hearing the commandments of the LORD; [but they] did not do so.


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And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of that judge; for the LORD repented because of their groanings by reason of those that oppressed them and afflicted them.


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But when the judge was dead, [then] they would return, and corrupt [themselves] more than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down unto them; they did not diminish from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.


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And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he said, Because these people transgress my covenant which I commanded their fathers and do not hearken unto my voice;


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neither will I drive out any longer from before them any of these Gentiles which Joshua left when he died,


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that through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD by walking therein as their fathers kept [it], or not.


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Therefore, the LORD left those Gentiles, without driving them out hastily; neither did he deliver them into the hand of Joshua.:


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Now these [are] the Gentiles which the LORD left, to prove Israel with them, [even] as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan;


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[he left them] only that the generations of the sons of Israel might know, [and] to teach them war, only [for those] that had known nothing before:


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[namely], five cardinals of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites that dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.


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These, therefore, were [left] to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.


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And as the sons of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,


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they took their daughters to be their wives and gave their daughters to their sons and served their gods.


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And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and forgot the LORD their God and served the Baalim and the groves.


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Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia, and the sons of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.


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And when the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a saviour to the sons of Israel, who saved them, [even] Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.


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And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel and went out to war; and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.


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And the sons of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.


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And he gathered unto him the sons of Ammon and of Amalek and went and smote Israel and took the city of palm trees.


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But when the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a saviour, Ehud, the son of Gera, a son of Jemini, a man, who had his right hand impeded, and by him the sons of Israel sent a present unto Eglon, the king of Moab.


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But Ehud had made himself a two-edged sword of a cubit length, and he girded it under his clothing upon his right thigh.


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But he, himself turned again from the graven images that [were] by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word for thee, O king, who then said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.


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And Ehud came unto him, and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a word from God unto thee. Then he arose out of [his] seat.


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But Ehud put forth his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglon's belly;


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in such a manner that the haft also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly, and the excrement came out.


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When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that the doors of the parlour [were] locked, they said, Peradventure he covers his feet in his summer chamber.


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And having waited until they were confounded and he [had] not opened the doors of the parlour; therefore, they took a key and opened [them]; and, behold, their lord [was] fallen down dead on the earth.


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But while they had waited, Ehud escaped and passed beyond the graven images and escaped unto Seirath.


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And as he entered in, he blew the shofar in the mountain of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.


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Then he said unto them, Follow after me, for the LORD has delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hands. And they went down after him and took the fords of the Jordan towards Moab and did not let anyone pass.


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And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all fat, and all men of war, and there escaped not a man.


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And after him was Shamgar, the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad, and he also saved Israel.:


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And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin, king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor, the captain of whose host [was] Sisera, and he dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.


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And the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD, for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he had mightily oppressed the sons of Israel for twenty years.


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This Deborah dwelt under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim, and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.


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And she sent and called Barak, the son of Abinoam, out of Kedesh of Naphtali and said unto him, Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded thee, [saying], Go and draw toward Mount Tabor and take with thee ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun?


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And I will draw Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, unto thee to the river Kishon, with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into thy hands.


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And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, [then] I will not go.


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And [she] said, I will surely go with thee, but thy honour shall not be in the way that thou goest; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.


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And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he went up with ten thousand men on foot, and Deborah went up with him.


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Now Heber, the Kenite, of the sons of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which [is] by Kedesh.


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And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, [even] nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that [were] with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.


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Then Deborah said unto Barak, Rise up, for this [is] the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into thy hands. Is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from Mount Tabor and ten thousand men after him.


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And the LORD broke Sisera and all [his] chariots and all [his] host with the edge of the sword before Barak so that Sisera lighted down off [his] chariot and fled away on foot.


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But Barak pursued after the chariots and after the host unto Harosheth of the Gentiles, and all the camp of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword, [and] there was not a man left.


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And Sisera fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for [there was] peace between Jabin, the king of Hazor, and the house of Heber the Kenite.


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And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a thick coverlet.


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And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk and gave him to drink and covered him again.


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Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and if anyone should come and enquire of thee and say, Is there anyone here? Thou shalt say, No.


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Then Jael, Heber's wife, took the tent stake, and putting a hammer in her hand, went softly unto him and smote the stake into his temples and fastened it into the ground, for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.


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And as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said unto him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he entered into where she was, behold, Sisera lay dead with the stake through his temples.


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And the hand of the sons of Israel began to prosper and to prevail against Jabin, the king of Canaan until they had destroyed him.:


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Hear, O ye kings. Give ear, O ye princes; I, [even] I, will sing unto the LORD; I will praise the LORD God of Israel.


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LORD, when thou didst go out of Seir, when thou didst march out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped; the clouds also dropped water.


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In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways ceased, and those that walked went [astray] through crooked paths.


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[The inhabitants of] the villages ceased; they had ceased in Israel until I Deborah arose, I arose a mother in Israel.


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When they chose new gods, the war [was] at the gates. Was there a shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?


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My heart [is] toward the princes of Israel, those that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.


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Because of the noise of archers, [taken from] among those that draw water, there they shall retell the righteousnesses of the LORD, [even] the righteousnesses of his villages in Israel. Now shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.


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Rise up, rise up, Deborah; rise up, rise up, sing a song. Stand up, Barak and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.


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Now he has made the remnant of the people to have dominion over the magnificent; the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.


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Out of Ephraim came his root against Amalek; after thee, [came] Benjamin, against thy peoples; out of Machir came down princes; and from Zebulun, those that handle the pen of the writer.


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Also princes of Issachar [were] with Deborah; and Issachar, like Barak, went on foot into the valley. From the divisions of Reuben, great are the thoughts of the heart.


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Why didst thou abide among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? From the divisions of Reuben great are the searchings of the heart.


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Gilead remained on the other side of the Jordan, and why did Dan remain next to the ships? Asher continued on the sea shore and remained in his breaches.


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Zebulun and Naphtali [were] a people [that] jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.


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The kings came [and] fought; then the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.


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The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. Tred down, O my soul, with strength.


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Then were the hoofs of the horses broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.


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Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they did not come to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.


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Blessed above women shall Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, be; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.


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She put her hand to the stake, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer, and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.


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At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down; at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead.


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The mother of Sisera looked out the window and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot [so] long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots tarry?


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Have they not found spoil and are dividing it? To each man a damsel [or] two; to Sisera a spoil of different colours, a spoil of different colours of needlework, of different colours of needlework on both sides, [meet] for the necks of [those that take] the spoil?


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So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD, but [let] those that love thee [be] as the sun when he rises in all his might. And the land had rest forty years.:


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And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hands of Midian for seven years.


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And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel, [and] because of the Midianites the sons of Israel made dens in the mountains and caves and strongholds.


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For when those of Israel had sown, the Midianites would come up and the Amalekites and the sons of the east. They would come up against them


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and encamp against them and destroy the fruits of the earth as far as Gaza, and they would leave nothing to eat in Israel neither sheep nor ox nor ass.


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For they would come up with their livestock and their tents in a great multitude like locusts, for there [was] no number in them nor in their camels, and they would enter into the land destroying it.


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And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD.


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the LORD sent a prophet unto the sons of Israel who said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;


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I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all that oppressed you and drove them out from before you and gave you their land;


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and I said unto you, I [am] the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell, but ye have not heard my voice.


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And the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak which [was] in Ophrah that [pertained] unto Joash, the Abiezrite, and his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, to hide [it] from the Midianites.


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And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him and said unto him, The LORD [is] with thee, thou mighty man of valour.


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And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this befallen us? And where [are] all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.


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And the LORD looked upon him and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Do I not send thee?


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Then he replied unto him, Oh my Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family [is] poor in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in my father's house.


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And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.


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And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou hast spoken with me.


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Do not depart from here, I pray thee, until I come unto thee and bring forth my present and set [it] before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.


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And Gideon went in and made ready a kid and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour; the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot and brought [it] out unto him under the oak and presented [it].


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And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and lay [them] upon this rock and pour out the broth. And he did so.


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Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that [was] in his hand and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.


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And when Gideon perceived that he [was] the angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.


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Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD and called it The LORD is the Peace, unto this day it [is] yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.


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And it came to pass the same night that the LORD said unto him, Take a bullock of thy father's [house] and a second bullock seven years old and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father has and cut down the grove that [is] by it


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and build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, according to [due] order, and take the second bullock and offer a burnt sacrifice upon the wood of the grove which thou shall have cut down.


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Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had said unto him. But he feared to do it by day because of his father's family and the men of the city, so he did [it] by night.


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And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that [was] by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar [that was] built.


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And they said one to another, Who has done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon, the son of Joash, has done this thing.


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Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son that he may die because he has cast down the altar of Baal and because he has cut down the grove that [was] by it.


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And Joash replied unto all that stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Will ye save him? Whoever will contend for him, let him be put to death while [it is yet] morning; if he [is] God, let him contend for himself with the one who has cast down his altar.


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Therefore, on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him because he has thrown down his altar.


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Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east gathered themselves together as one and went over and pitched camp in the valley of Jezreel.


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And the Spirit of the LORD clothed himself in Gideon, who when he had blown the shofar, Abiezer joined with him.


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And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh who also joined with him; [likewise] he sent messengers unto Asher and unto Zebulun and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.


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Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the threshing floor; [and] if the dew is on the fleece only and [it is] dry upon all the earth [beside it], then I shall know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand as thou hast said.


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And it was so, for he rose up early in the morning, and wringing the fleece, he took the dew out of it, a bowl full of water.


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But Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me if I speak again on this occasion; only let me prove again now with the fleece. I pray thee, let it be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.


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And God did so that night for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.:


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Then Jerubbaal, who [is] Gideon, and all the people that [were] with him rose up early and pitched camp beside the well of Harod so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north, on the other side of the hill of Moreh, in the valley.


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And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that [are] with thee [are] too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, My own hand has saved me.


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Now, therefore, cause it to be proclaimed in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever [is] fearful and trembling, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead. And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.


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And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people [are] yet [too] many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there; and it shall be [that] of whom I say unto thee, This [one] shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whoever I say unto thee, This [one] shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.


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So he brought the people down unto the water, and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that laps of the water with his tongue as a dog laps, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that bows down upon his knees to drink.


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And the number of those that lapped, [putting] their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink the water.


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Then the LORD said unto Gideon, With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the [other] people go each one to his place.


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And having taken provision for the people in his hands with their shofarot; he sent all [the other] Israelites each one to his tent and retained those three hundred men, and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley.


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And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise and descend to the camp, for I have delivered it in thy hands.


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and thou shalt hear what they say; and then thy hands shall be strengthened, and thou shalt go down to the camp. Then he went down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that [were] in the camp.


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And Midian and Amalek and all the sons of the east lay along in the valley like locusts in multitude, and their camels [were] not numbered as the sand by the sea side for multitude.


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And when Gideon arrived, behold, a man was telling a dream to his fellow, saying, Behold, I dreamed a dream that I saw a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and come unto the tents, and it smote them so that they fell and overturned them, and the tents fell.


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And his fellow answered and said, This [is] nothing else but the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel, [for] God has delivered the Midianites with all the camp into his hand.


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And when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshipped; and when he had returned into the camp of Israel, he said, Arise, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hands.


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And dividing the three hundred men [into] three companies, he put a shofar in each man's hand with empty pitchers and torches burning within the pitchers.


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And he said unto them, Look at me and do as I do; and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, as I do, so shall ye do.


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I shall blow the shofar, I and all that [are] with me, then ye shall blow the shofarot on every side of all the camp, and say, I AM The Hewer!


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So Gideon and the hundred men that [were] with him came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch [when] only the guards [were] awake, and they blew the shofarot and broke the pitchers that [were] in their hands.


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And the three companies blew the shofarot; and breaking the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the shofarot in their right hands to blow [with]; and they cried, The sword of I AM The Hewer!


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And they stood in their places round about the camp; and all the camp was routed, and they fled crying out.


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But the three hundred blew the shofarot, and the LORD set each man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the camp; and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath [and] to the border of Abelmeholah unto Tabbath.


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And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali and out of Asher and out of all Manasseh and pursued after the Midianites.


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Gideon also sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and the Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and took the waters unto Bethbarah and the Jordan.


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And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb; and [after they] pursued Midian, they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.:


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And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus that thou didst not call us when thou didst go to fight against Midian? And they chided with him sharply.


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And he replied unto them, What have I done now in comparison with you? [Is] not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?


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God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he spoke that word.


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And Gideon came to pass the Jordan, he and the three hundred men that [were] with him, faint from the pursuit.


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And he said unto those of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they [are] faint [that I may] pursue after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.


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And the principals of Succoth said, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand that we should give bread unto thy army?


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And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns and the briers of the wilderness.


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And he went up from there to Penuel and spoke unto them likewise; and those of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered [him].


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And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.


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Now Zebah and Zalmunna [were] in Karkor and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand [men], all that were left of all the hosts of the sons of the east, for one hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword [had been] slain.


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And Gideon went up by the way of those that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah and smote the camp, for the camp was secure.


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And as Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna and terrified all the host.


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and caught a young man of the men of Succoth and enquired of him; and he described unto him the principals of Succoth and the elders thereof, seventy-seven men.


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And he came unto the men of Succoth and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thy hand, that we should give bread unto thy men [that are] weary?


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And he took the elders of the city and thorns and briars of the wilderness, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.


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Then he said unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men [were those] whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou [art], so [were] they; each one resembled the sons of a king.


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And he said, They [were] my brethren, the sons of my mother; [as] the LORD lives, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.


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And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Rise up [and] slay them. But the youth did not draw his sword, for he feared because he [was] yet a youth.


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Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou and fall upon us, for as the man [is], [so is] his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna and took away the ornaments that [were] on their camels' necks.


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Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou and thy son and thy son's son also, for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.


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But Gideon replied, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.


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And Gideon said unto them, I desire to make a request of you that ye each one would give me the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings because they [were] Ishmaelites.)


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And they answered, We will willingly give [them]. And they spread a garment, and each one cast therein the earrings of his prey.


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And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand seven hundred [shekels] of gold, without the ornaments and collars and purple clothing that [was] on the kings of Midian and without the chains that [were] about their camels' necks.


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And Gideon made an ephod of them and kept it in his city of Ophrah, and all Israel fornicated after it in that place, and it became a snare unto Gideon and to his house.


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Thus Midian was broken before the sons of Israel so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the land rested forty years in the days of Gideon.


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And Gideon, the son of Joash, died in a good old age and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash, his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.


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And it came to pass as soon as Gideon was dead that the sons of Israel turned again and fornicated after the Baalim and made Baalberith their god.


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And the sons of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side,


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neither were they merciful with the house of Jerubbaal, [namely], Gideon, according to all the good which he had done unto Israel.:


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And Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,


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Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, What would [seem] better unto you, that seventy persons reign over you, all the sons of Jerubbaal; or that one reign over you? Remember also that I [am] your bone and your flesh.


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And his mother's brethren spoke for him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, He [is] our brother.


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And they gave him seventy [shekels] of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light men who followed him.


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And coming unto his father's house at Ophrah, he slew his brethren, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons, upon a stone; yet Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, for he hid himself.


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And all the men of Shechem gathered together with all the house of Millo and went and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that [was] in Shechem.


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And when they told [it] to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of Mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice and cried and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.


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The trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.


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But the olive tree replied, Should I leave my fatness, which because of me God and man are honoured, to go and sway over the trees?


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But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit to go and sway over the trees?


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And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, to go and sway over the trees?


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And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, [then] come [and] confide under my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.


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Now therefore, if ye have proceeded with truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have recompensed him according to the work of his hands


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(For my father fought for you and cast his life far [from him] to deliver you out of the hand of Midian;


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and ye are risen up against my father's house this day and have slain his sons, seventy men, upon a stone and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem because he [is] your brother;)


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if ye then have dealt in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, [then] rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.


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But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Millo and devour Abimelech.


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then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech


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that the cruelty [done] to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal and their blood might come to be laid upon Abimelech their brother who slew them and upon the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brethren.


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And the men of Shechem set ambushers for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them; and it was told Abimelech.


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And Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brethren and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.


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And they went out into the fields and gathered their vineyards and trod [the grapes] and made merry and went into the house of their gods and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.


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And Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, Who [is] Abimelech and who [is] Shechem that we should serve him? Is [he] not the son of Jerubbaal? And is not Zebul his deputy? Serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. For why should we serve him?


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If these people were under my hand, then I would remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army and come out.


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And when Zebul, the prince of the city, heard the words of Gaal, the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.


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And he sent messengers unto Abimelech astutely, saying, Behold, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brethren have come to Shechem; and, behold, they have fortified the city against thee.


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Now, therefore, rise up by night, thou and the people that [are] with thee, and put an ambush in the field.


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And in the morning as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early and set upon the city; and, behold, [when] he and the people that [are] with him come out against thee, then thou may do to them as thou shalt find occasion.


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And Abimelech rose up and all the people that [were] with him, by night, and they put an ambush against Shechem in four companies.


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And Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out and stood in the entering of the gate of the city; and Abimelech and all the people that [were] with him rose up from the ambush.


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And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold people that come down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as [if they were] men.


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And Gaal spoke again and said, See there come people who descend through the middle of the land, and another company comes along by the plain of Meonenim.


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Then Zebul said unto him, Where [is] now thy mouth, with which thou didst say, Who [is] Abimelech that we should serve him? [Is] not this the people that thou hast despised? Go out now and fight with them.


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And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown [and] wounded, [even] unto the entering of the gate.


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And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah; and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren that they should not dwell in Shechem.


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And it came to pass on the next day that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.


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And he took the people and divided them into three companies and set ambushes in the field and looked, and, behold, the people [were] come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them and smote them.


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And Abimelech and the company that [was] with him rushed forward and stood in the entering of the gate of the city, and the two [other] companies ran upon all [the people] that [were] in the fields and slew them.


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And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he took the city and slew the people that [were] therein and beat down the city and sowed it with salt.


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And when those of the tower of Shechem heard [that], they entered into the stronghold of the temple of the god Berith.


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Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people that [were] with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees and took it and laid [it] on his shoulder and said unto the people that [were] with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste [and] do as I [have done].


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And all the people likewise cut down each one his bough and followed Abimelech and put [them] next to the stronghold and set the stronghold on fire upon them; so that all those of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.


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But in the midst of the city there was a strong tower, and all the men and women fled there, and all those of the city, and shutting [the doors] behind them, they climbed up to the top of the tower.


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And Abimelech came to the tower, and fighting against it, he came to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.


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Then he called hastily unto the young man, his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword and slay me that it not be said of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.


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Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did against his father in slaying his seventy brethren.


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And all the evil of the men of Shechem God rendered upon their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal.:


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And after Abimelech there arose to save Israel, Tola, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.


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And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called the cities of Jair unto this day, which [are] in the land of Gilead.


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And the sons of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD and served the Baalim and Ashtaroth and the gods of Syria and the gods of Zidon and the gods of Moab and the gods of the sons of Ammon and the gods of the Philistines and forsook the LORD and did not serve him.


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And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon,


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who dashed in pieces and crushed the sons of Israel for eighteen years, all the sons of Israel that [were] on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorite, which [is] in Gilead.


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Moreover the sons of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim so that Israel was sore distressed.


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And the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee because we have forsaken our God and served the Baalim.


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And the LORD replied unto the sons of Israel, Were you not oppressed by Egypt, by the Amorites, by the sons of Ammon, by the Philistines,


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by those of Zidon, by Amalek, and by Maon, and ye cried to me and I delivered you out of their hands?


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And the sons of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned; do thou unto us whatever seems good unto thee; only deliver us now, we pray thee, this day.


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And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the LORD; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.


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Then the sons of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And likewise the sons of Israel assembled themselves together and encamped in Mizpeh.


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And the people [and] princes of Gilead said one to another, Who shall it be that will begin the battle against the sons of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.:


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Now Jephthah existed then, a Gileadite, a mighty man of valour, the son of a harlot unto whom Gilead had begat a son.


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And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they threw Jephthah out and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou [art] the son of a strange woman.


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Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of Tob; and vain men joined themselves to Jephthah and went out with him.


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And when the sons of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob;


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and they said unto Jephthah, Come, and thou shalt be our captain that we may fight with the sons of Ammon.


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And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me and expel me out of my father's house? Why, therefore, are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?


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And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, For this same reason we turn again to thee now that thou may go with us and fight against the sons of Ammon and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.


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Then Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the sons of Ammon and the LORD delivers them before me, shall I be your head?


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And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Let the LORD hear between us, if we do not comply with thy words.


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Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and prince over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.


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And Jephthah sent ambassadors unto the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me that thou art come against me to fight in my land?


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And the king of the sons of Ammon replied unto the ambassadors of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok and unto the Jordan; now, therefore, restore those [lands] again peaceably.


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saying unto him, Thus hath Jephthah said, Israel did not take land from Moab, nor land from the sons of Ammon,


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but Israel came up from Egypt and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea and came to Kadesh.


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Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land. But the king of Edom would not hear them. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab, but he would not [consent] either; therefore Israel abode in Kadesh.


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Then they went along through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and came by the side of the rising of the sun to the land of Moab; they pitched their camp on the other side of Arnon and did not enter within the border of Moab, for Arnon [was] the border of Moab.


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And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.


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But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together and pitched camp in Jahaz and fought against Israel.


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But the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorite that inhabited that land.


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And they possessed all the border of the Amorites from Arnon even unto Jabbok and from the wilderness even unto the Jordan.


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So now the LORD God of Israel has expelled the Amorites from before his people Israel and should thou possess it?


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If Chemosh thy god should expel anyone for you, would thou not possess it? So whoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.


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Art thou better now in any thing than Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Peradventure did he ever strive against Israel? Peradventure did he ever fight against them?


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Furthermore, Israel has dwelt in Heshbon and her towns and in Aroer and her towns and in all the cities that [are] along by the coasts of Arnon, for three hundred years. Why, therefore, did ye not recover [them] within that time?


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Therefore, I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me; let the LORD, who is the Judge, judge this day between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.


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Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed through Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he went [unto] the sons of Ammon.


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And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands,


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whoever comes forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer them up for a burnt offering.


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So Jephthah went over unto the sons of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands.


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And he smote them from Aroer, even unto Minnith twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel.


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And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; and she [was his] only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.


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And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of those that trouble me, for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.


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And she said unto him, My father, [if] thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which has proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as the LORD has taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, [even] of the sons of Ammon.


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And she said again unto her father, Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.


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And he said, Go. And he sent her away [for] two months, and she went with her companions and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.


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And it came to pass at the end of two months that she returned unto her father, who did with her [according] to his vow which he had vowed. And she had never known a man. From here came the custom in Israel


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[that] the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah, the Gileadite, four days in a year.:


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And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together towards the Aquilon and said unto Jephthah, Why didst thou go over to fight against the sons of Ammon and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thy house upon thee with fire.


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And Jephthah replied unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon, and when I called you, ye did not defend me from their hands.


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Seeing, therefore, that ye did not defend [me], I put my life in my hands and went over against the sons of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have ye come up against me this day to fight with me?


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Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they had said, Ye [are] fugitives of Ephraim; ye are Gileadites among Ephraim and Manassah.


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And the Gileadites took the passages of the Jordan from Ephraim; and it was [such] that when any of those of Ephraim who had escaped would say, May I pass? The men of Gilead would ask them, [Art] thou an Ephrathite? If he said, No;


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then they would say unto him, Now say Shibboleth. And he would say Cibboleth; for he could not pronounce [it] the same. Then they would take him and slay him at the passages of the Jordan. And at that time forty-two thousand of those of Ephraim fell.


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And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in [one of] the cities of Gilead.


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who had thirty sons and thirty daughters, [whom] he married abroad and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.


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And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons that rode on seventy he-asses, and he judged Israel eight years.


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And Abdon, the son of Hillel the Pirathonite, died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim in the mount of Amalek.:


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And the sons of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.


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And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of Dan, whose name [was] Manoah, and his wife [was] barren, (she had never born children).


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And the angel of the LORD appeared unto this woman and said unto her, Behold now, thou [art] barren and hast had no children, but thou shalt conceive and bear a son.


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For thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.


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Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance [was] like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible; but I did not ask him where he [was] from, neither did he tell me his name;


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but he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean [thing]; for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.


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Then Manoah prayed unto the LORD and said, O my Lord, let the man of God whom thou didst send come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.


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And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field, but Manoah her husband [was] not with her.


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And the woman made haste and ran and told her husband and said unto him, Behold, the man that came unto me has appeared unto me today.


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And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said unto him, [Art] thou the man that spoke unto this woman? And he said, I [am].


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Then Manoah said, Now let thy word come to pass. How shall we order the child, and what shall he do?


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She may not eat of any [thing] that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean [thing]; all that I commanded her let her keep.


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And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.


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And the angel of the LORD replied unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread, but if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, sacrifice it unto the LORD. For Manoah did not know that this [was] the angel of the LORD.


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And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What [is] thy name that when thy words come to pass we may honour thee?


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So Manoah took a kid with a present and sacrificed [it] upon a rock unto the LORD, and [the angel] did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on.


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For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar as Manoah and his wife looked on, and they prostrated themselves on the ground on their faces.


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But the angel of the LORD did not appear any more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he [was] the angel of the LORD.


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But his wife said unto him, If the LORD had desired to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and the present from our hands, neither would he have showed us all these [things], nor would he have announced this according to the time.


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And the Spirit of the LORD began to manifest himself at times in him in the camps of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.:


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And he came up and told his father and his mother, saying, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore get her for me to wife.


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Then his father and his mother said unto him, [Is there] never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren or among all my people that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleases me well.


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But his father and his mother did not know that it [was] of the LORD that he sought an occasion against the Philistines, for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.


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Then Samson went down with his father and his mother to Timnath, and when they came to the vineyards of Timnath, behold, a young lion came roaring against him.


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And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and [he had] nothing in his hand, but [he] did not make known unto his father or his mother what he had done.


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And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside [from the way] to see the carcase of the lion; and, behold, [there was] a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.


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And he took of it in his hands and went along the way eating, and when he came to his father and mother, he also gave them some to eat, but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.


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So his father went down unto the woman; and Samson made a banquet there, for the young men used to do so.


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unto whom Samson said, I will now put forth an enigma unto you, which if ye can declare it and discover it to me within the seven days of the banquet, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments.


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But if ye cannot declare [it] to me, then ye shall give me thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy enigma that we may hear it.


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And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not declare the enigma in three days.


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And it came to pass on the seventh day that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband that he may declare unto us this enigma lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire. Have ye called us here to impoverish us?


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And Samson's wife wept before him and said, Thou dost only hate me and dost not love me, for thou hast not declared unto me the enigma that thou hast put forth unto the sons of my people. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told [it] to my father nor my mother, and must I tell [it to] thee?


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And she wept before him the seven days while their banquet lasted, but on the seventh day, he told her, because she lay sore upon him, and she declared the enigma to the sons of her people.


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And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What [is] sweeter than honey? And what [is] stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye would have never discovered my enigma.


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And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and slew thirty men of them and taking their spoil, he gave the changes of garments to those who had explained the enigma. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.


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But it came to pass within [some] days in the time of wheat harvest that Samson visited his wife with a kid, and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not allow him to go in.


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And her father said, I was persuaded that thou didst utterly hate her; therefore, I gave her to thy companion. [Is] not her younger sister fairer than she? Take her, I pray thee, instead of her.


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And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turning them tail to tail, he put a torch between every two tails.


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Then, setting the torches on fire, he let [them] go into the standing grain of the Philistines and burnt up both the shocks and also the standing grain with the vineyards [and] oliveyards.


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Then the Philistines said, Who has done this? And they answered, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up and burnt her and her father with fire.


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And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet I will be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.


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And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter, and he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock Etam.


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And the men of Judah said, Why have ye come up against us? And they answered, We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he has done to us.


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Then three thousand men of Judah went to the cleft of the rock Etam and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines [are] rulers over us? What [is] this [that] thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.


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And they said unto him, We have come to bind thee that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.


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And they answered him, saying, No, we will bind thee fast and deliver thee into their hands; but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords and brought him up from the rock.


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[And] when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines received him with shouts; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that [were] upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.


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And he found a new jawbone of an ass and put forth his hand and took it and slew a thousand men with it.


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Then Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, one heap, two heaps; with the jaw of an ass I have slain a thousand men.


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And when he had finished speaking, he cast away the jawbone out of his hand and called that place Ramathlehi.


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And he was sore athirst and called on the LORD and said, Thou hast given this great salvation by the hand of thy servant; and now shall I die for thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?


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Then God broke a tooth that [was] in the jaw, and water came out there; and he drank, and recovered his spirit, and he lived. Therefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which [is] in Lehi unto this day.


text:
And it was told unto those of Gaza, Samson is come here. And they compassed [him] in and laid in wait for him all night in the gate of the city and were quiet all that night, saying, In the morning when it is light, we shall kill him.


text:
And Samson slept until midnight and arose at midnight and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put [them] upon his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain that [is] before Hebron.


text:
And it came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name [was] Delilah.


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And the cardinals of the Philistines came up unto her and said unto her, Entice him and see what [gives him] his great strength and by what [means] we may overcome him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and each one of us will give thee eleven hundred [pieces] of silver.


text:
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, what [gives thee] thy great strength and how might thou be bound to afflict thee.


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And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green wicker [strands] that were never dried, then I shall become weak and be as any other man.


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Then the cardinals of the Philistines brought up to her seven green wicker [strands] which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.


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Now [there were] men lying in wait in a chamber of her house. And she said unto him, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Samson. And he broke the wicker [strands] as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So [the secret of] his strength was not known.


text:
Then Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me and told me lies; now tell me, I pray thee, how thou might be bound.


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And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then I shall become weak and be as any [other] man.


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Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound him with them and said unto him, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Samson. And [there were men] lying in wait abiding in a chamber. But he broke them from off his arms like a thread.


text:
And Delilah said unto Samson, Until now thou hast mocked me, and told me lies. Tell me, therefore, now, how thou might be bound. Then he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the cloth.


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And she fastened [it] with the stake and said unto him, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep and went away with the stake of the loom and with the cloth.


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And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart [is] not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times and hast not yet told me what [gives thee] thy great strength.


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And it came to pass that, pressing and grinding him daily with her words, his soul [was reduced] unto mortal anguish.


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[Therefore], he told her all his heart and said unto her, A razor has never come upon my head, for I [am] a Nazarite of God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any [other] man.


text:
And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the cardinals of the Philistines, saying, Come up this time, for he has showed me all his heart. Then the cardinals of the Philistines came up unto her and brought the money in their hand.


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And she caused him to sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.


text:
And she said, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep and said, This time I will go out like before and escape; not knowing that the LORD had departed from him.


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But the Philistines took hold of him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of iron that he should grind in the prison house.


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[Then] the cardinals of the Philistines gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god and to rejoice, for they said, Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.


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And when the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the destroyer of our country, who slew many of us.


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And it came to pass when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson that he may make us laugh. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport, and they set him between the pillars.


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And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Bring me near and let me feel the pillars upon which the house stands that I may lean upon them.


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Now the house was full of men and women; and all the cardinals of the Philistines [were] there, and upon the roof [there were] about three thousand men and women that beheld while Samson was mocked.


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Then Samson called unto the LORD and said, O Lord GOD, remember me now and strengthen me now only this once, O God, that I may take vengeance at once of the Philistines for my two eyes.


text:
Then Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood and on which it was borne up, and leaned upon them, on the one with his right hand and on the other with his left.


text:
And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he pushed with [all his] might, and the house fell upon the cardinals and upon all the people that [were] in it. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than [those] which he slew in his life.


text:
Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down and took him and brought [him] up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the sepulchre of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.:


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And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred [shekels] of silver that were stolen from thee, about which thou didst curse in my hearing, behold, the silver [is] with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed [be thou] of the LORD, my son.


text:
And when he had restored the eleven hundred [shekels] of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had completely dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for thee, my son, to make thee a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will restore it unto thee.


text:
After the money was restored unto her, his mother took two hundred [shekels] of silver and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image, which was [set up] in the house of Micah.


text:
And the man Micah had a brothel of idolatry, and made an ephod and teraphim and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.


text:
And there was a young man out of Bethlehem of Judah of the family of Judah, who [was] a Levite, and he sojourned there.


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And the man had departed out of the city from Bethlehem of Judah to sojourn where he could find [a place], and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah as he journeyed.


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And Micah said unto him, From where hast thou come? And he said unto him, I [am] a Levite of Bethlehem of Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find [a place].


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Then Micah said unto him, Dwell with me and be a father and a priest unto me, and I will give thee ten [shekels] of silver by the year and the ordinary apparel and thy food. So the Levite went in.


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And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.


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And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah.


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In those days [there was] no king in Israel, and in those days the tribe of the Dan sought a possession for themselves to dwell in, for unto that day [their lot] had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel for an inheritance.


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And the sons of Dan sent five men from their family of their borders, men of valour, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it, and they said unto them, Go, search the land. These came unto Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, and they lodged there.


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When they [were] near the house of Micah, they recognized [the accent of] the voice of the young man the Levite, and they turned in there and said unto him, Who brought thee here? And what doest thou in this [place]? And what hast thou here?


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And he said unto them, Thus and thus Micah has done with me and has hired me that I may be his priest.


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And they said unto him, Ask counsel now, therefore, of God, that we may know whether he shall prosper our journey which we do.


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Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw that the people that dwelt there were secure, idle, and confident after the manner of the Zidonians; and there was no one in that land that might hinder them in any way from possessing that [land]; furthermore they [were] far from the Zidonians and had no business with anyone.


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And they retuned unto their brethren in Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said unto them, What [say] ye?


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And they said, Arise, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good; and [are] ye to remain still? Do not be slothful to go [and] to enter to possess the land.


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When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure and to a large land, for God has given it into your hands, a place where [there is] no want of any thing that [is] in the earth.


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And there went from there of the family of Dan, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war.


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And they went up and pitched camp in Kirjathjearim in Judah; therefore, they called that place the camp of Dan unto this day; it is behind Kirjathjearim.


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Then the five men that had gone to spy out the land of Laish said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod and teraphim and a graven image and a molten image? Now, therefore, consider what ye have to do.


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And they turned in there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, [even] unto the house of Micah, and greeted him.


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And the six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who [were] of the sons of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.


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And the five men that went to spy out the land went up [and] went in there [and] took the graven image and the ephod, and the teraphim and the molten image while the priest stood in the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men [that were] armed with weapons of war.


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So they entered into Micah's house and took the graven image the ephod and the teraphim and the molten image. Then the priest said unto them, What are you doing?


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And they said unto him, Silence, lay thy hand upon thy mouth and go with us to be our father and priest; [is it] better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family of Israel?


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And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the teraphim and the graven image and went in the midst of the people.


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[And] when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that [were] in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together and overtook the sons of Dan.


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And they cried unto the sons of Dan. And these turned their faces and said unto Micah, What ails thee that thou dost come with such a company?


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And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made and the priest, and ye are gone away; and what is left to me? And why do ye say unto me, What ails thee?


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And the sons of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us lest peradventure angry fellows run upon thee and thou lose thy life with the lives of thy household.


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And the sons of Dan went their way, and when Micah saw that they [were] too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.


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And they took [the things] which Micah had made together with the priest which he had and came unto Laish unto a people [that were] at quiet and secure, and they smote them with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire.


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And [there was] no deliverer because it [was] far from Zidon, and they had no business with anyone; and it was in the valley that [lies] by Bethrehob. Then they rebuilt the city and dwelt therein.


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And they called the name of the city Dan after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel; however, the name of the city [was] Laish at the first.


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And the sons of Dan set up the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershon, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.


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And they set up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.:


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In those days when [there was] no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of Mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem of Judah.


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And his concubine committed adultery against him and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehem of Judah and was there four whole months.


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And her husband arose and went after her to speak friendly unto her [and] to bring her again, having his servant with him and a couple of asses, and she brought him into her father's house. And when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him;


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and his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he dwelt with him three days; eating and drinking, and abiding there.


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And on the fourth day when they arose early in the morning, [the levite] rose up to depart; and the damsel's father said unto his son-in-law, Strengthen thy heart with a morsel of bread, and afterwards ye shall go.


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And the two of them sat down together and ate and drank. And the damsel's father said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and thy heart shall be merry.


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And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart, and the damsel's father said, Strengthen now thy heart. And after having eaten together, they tarried until afternoon.


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And when the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draws toward evening, I pray you tarry all night; behold, the day comes to an end; lodge here that thy heart may be merry, and tomorrow ye shall get up early and be on your way that thou may come unto thy tent.


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But the man would not remain there that night, but he rose up and departed and came over against Jebus, which [is] Jerusalem, with his two asses saddled and [with] his concubine.


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[And] when they [were] by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come now and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites and lodge in it.


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And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside here into a city of strangers that [is] not of the sons of Israel; we will go on to Gibeah.


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And he said unto his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places to pass the night, in Gibeah or in Ramah.


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And they passed on and walked; and the sun went down upon them [when they were] by Gibeah, which [belonged] to Benjamin.


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And they turned in there, to enter [and] to lodge in Gibeah; and entering in, they sat down in the plaza of the city, for no one took them into their house to pass the night.


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And, behold, an old man, who in the evening came from working in the field, who [was] also of Mount Ephraim, sojourned in Gibeah, but the men of the place [were] sons of Jemini.


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And the old man lifted up his eyes and saw the traveller in the plaza of the city and said unto him, Where dost thou go and where hast thou come from?


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And he said unto him, We [are] passing from Bethlehem of Judah toward the side of Mount Ephraim, where I am from, and I went to Bethlehem of Judah, but I [am now] going to the house of the LORD, and no one [has] received me in [their] house


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even though we have straw and fodder for our asses, and there is bread and wine also for me and for thy handmaid and for the young man [who is] with thy servant; we have no lack of any thing.


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And the old man said, Peace [be] with thee; let all thy needs be upon me; only do not pass the night in the plaza.


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So he brought him into his house and gave fodder unto the asses, and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.


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[Now] as they were making their hearts merry, behold, that men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about [and] beat at the doors and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thy house that we may know him.


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And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them and said unto them, No, my brethren, I pray you, do not do this evil, seeing that this man has entered into my house; do not commit this folly.


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Behold, [here is] my virgin daughter and his concubine; I will bring them out now, humble them, and do with them what seems good unto you, but unto this man do not commit this [vile] folly.


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But the men would not hearken unto him, so the man took his concubine and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her and abused her all night until the morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go.


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Then the woman came, in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord [was] until it was light.


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And her lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way, and behold, the woman his, concubine, was fallen down [at] the door of the house with her hands upon the threshold.


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And he said unto her, Rise up, and let us be going. But she did not answer. Then the man rose up and took her upon his ass and went unto his place.


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And when he was come into his house, he took a knife and laid hold on his concubine and divided her, [together] with her bones into twelve pieces, and sent them into all the borders of Israel.


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And everyone that saw it said, No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day. Consider this, give advice, and speak.:


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Then all the sons of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan to Beersheba and the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.


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And the chief of all the people, [even] of all the tribes of Israel, were present in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.


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(Now the sons of Benjamin heard that the sons of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then the sons of Israel said, Tell [us], how was this wickedness?


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And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Gibeah of Benjamin with my concubine to pass the night there.


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And the men of Gibeah rose up against me and beset the house round about upon me by night [and] thought to have slain me, and they have forced my concubine in such a manner that she is dead.


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Then I took my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the possession of Israel, for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.


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Then all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any [of us] go to his tent, neither will we any [of us] turn into his house


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and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch provisions for the people that shall go against Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.


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And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness [is] this that is done among you?


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Now therefore deliver [us] those men, the sons of Belial, who [are] in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away the evil from Israel. But the sons of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren, the sons of Israel;


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but the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities in Gibeah to go out to battle against the sons of Israel.


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And the sons of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty-six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.


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Among all this people [there were] seven hundred chosen men with their right hands impeded ([they were lefthanded]); each one could sling stones at a hairs [breadth], and not miss.


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And the men of Israel, not counting Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these [were] men of war.


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Then the sons of Israel arose and went up to the house of God and asked counsel of God and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the sons of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah [shall go up] first.


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And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in order to fight against them at Gibeah.


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And the sons of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah and destroyed down to the ground twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites that day.


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And the people encouraged themselves, and the men of Israel set their battle again in order in the place where they put themselves in order the first day.


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(And the sons of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the sons of Benjamin, my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)


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And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day and again destroyed down to the ground eighteen thousand of the sons of Israel; all these drew the sword.


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Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came unto the house of God and wept and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.


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And the sons of Israel enquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God [was] there in those days,


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and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thy hand.


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And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and put themselves in order against Gibeah as at the other times.


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And the sons of Benjamin went out against the people [and] were drawn away from the city, and they began to smite of the people [and] kill as at the other times in the highways, one of which goes up to the house of God and the other to Gibeah by the field, [and they killed] about thirty men of Israel.


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And the sons of Benjamin said, They [are] smitten down before us as at the first. But the sons of Israel said, Let us flee and draw them from the city unto the highways.


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Then all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and put themselves in order at Baaltamar, and also those of the ambushes of Israel came forth out of their place, out of the meadows of Gibeah.


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And ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was sore; but they did not know that evil [was] near them.


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And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel, and the sons of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men; all these drew the sword.


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So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were smitten, for the men of Israel had given place to the Benjamites because they trusted those of the ambushes which they had set behind Gibeah.


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[Then the men of] the ambushes rushed upon Gibeah and spread out and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.


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Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and [the men of] the ambushes that they should make a great signal by causing much smoke to rise up out of the city.


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Then when the men of Israel turned [their backs] in the battle and those of Benjamin began to smite [and] kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons, for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us as [in] the first battle.


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But when the signal began to arise up out of the city, a pillar of smoke, those of Benjamin looked behind them, and, behold, the whole consumption of the city ascended up to heaven.


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Then the men of Israel turned again, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, for they saw that evil was come upon them.


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Therefore, they turned [their backs] before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and those who [came] out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.


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[Thus] they inclosed those of Benjamin round about [and] chased them [and] trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.


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And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon; and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.


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So that all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew the sword; all these [were] men of valour.


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But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.


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And the men of Israel turned again upon the sons of Benjamin and smote them with the edge of the sword, men and beasts in [every] city and all that was found; they also set on fire all the cities that they came to.:


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Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, None of us shall give his daughter unto those of Benjamin to wife.


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And the people came to the house of God and abode there until the evening before God and lifted up their voices and wept sore


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and said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel that there should be one tribe lacking in Israel today?


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And it came to pass on the next day that the people rose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace [offerings].


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And the sons of Israel said, Who [is there] among all the tribes of Israel that did not come up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning the one that would not come up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.


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And the sons of Israel repented because of Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.


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What shall we do for wives for those that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters for wives?


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And they said, Is there anyone of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And they found that no one from Jabeshgilead had come to the camp nor to the assembly.


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For the people were numbered, and, behold, [there were] none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.


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Then the congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword with the women and the children.


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And this [is] the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male and every woman that has lain with a man.


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And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins that had known no man by lying with any male, and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which [is] in the land of Canaan.


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Then the whole congregation sent [some] to speak to the sons of Benjamin that [were] in the rock of Rimmon and to call peaceably unto them.


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And those of Benjamin had returned at that time; and they gave them as wives those whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead, and even so they were not enough.


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[Then] the elders of the congregation said, What shall we do for wives for those that remain? For the female sex had been destroyed out of Benjamin.


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And they said, Let the inheritance of Benjamin be saved that a tribe not be destroyed out of Israel.


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However, we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the sons of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed [be] he that gives a wife to [anyone of] Benjamin.


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Then they said, Behold, [there is] a solemn feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly [in a place] which [is] towards the Aquilon from Bethel and towards the rising of the sun from the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and towards the Negev from Lebonah.


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and watch with care, and when you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each one of you shall rapture a wife of the daughters of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin.


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And when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, we will say unto them, Be merciful unto us for their sakes because in the war we did not take enough women for all [of them]; and you could not have given them to them, [or] ye should be guilty now.


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And the sons of Benjamin did so and took [themselves] wives, according to their number, rapturing them from among those that danced; and they went and returned unto their inheritance and rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them.


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Then the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, each man to his tribe and to his family, each one going from there to his inheritance.


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In those days [there was] no king in Israel; each one did [that which seemed] right in his own eyes.:


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Now it came to pass in the days when the judges governed that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem of Judah went to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.


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And the name of the man [was] Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem of Judah. And they came into the fields of Moab and continued there.


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who took wives for themselves of the women of Moab; the name of the one [was] Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth; and they dwelt there about ten years.


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Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, to return from the fields of Moab, for she had heard in the field of Moab how the LORD had visited his people to give them bread.


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Therefore she went forth out of the place where she had been and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.


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And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to thy mother's house; the LORD deal with you in mercy as ye have dealt with the dead and with me.


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The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each [of you] in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice and wept.


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And Naomi replied, Go back, my daughters; why must ye go with me? Do I have more sons in my womb that they may be your husbands?


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Turn, my daughters, and go back, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I should say, I have hope, [if] I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons,


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should ye tarry for them until they are grown? Should ye stay without husbands because of them? No, my daughters, for I have greater bitterness than you because the hand of the LORD has come out against me.


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And they lifted up their voice and wept again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth cleaved unto her.


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And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods; return thou after thy sister-in-law.


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And Ruth said, Do not intreat me to leave thee [or] to return from following after thee, for wherever thou goest, I will go; and wherever thou shalt lodge, I will lodge; thy people [shall be] my people and thy God my God.


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Where thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried; let the LORD do so unto me and let him give unto me that only death shall part thee and me.


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So the two walked until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, entering into Bethlehem, that all the city was moved [because] of them, and they said, [Is] this Naomi?


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And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.


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I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why [then] call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?


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So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the fields of Moab, and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.:


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And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of strength, of the family of Elimelech, and his name [was] Boaz.


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And Ruth, the Moabitess, said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field and glean [ears of grain] after [him] in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.


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And she went and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and it came to pass that her lot was to light on a part of the field [belonging] unto Boaz, who [was] of the kindred of Elimelech.


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And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said unto the reapers, The LORD [be] with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.


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And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It [is] the damsel of Moab that came back with Naomi out of the fields of Moab;


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and she has said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves; so she came and has continued from the morning until now except a short while that [she] was in the house.


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Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hear, my daughter, do not glean in another field, nor leave here; thou shalt cleave to my maidens.


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Look carefully upon the field that they reap and go after them, for I have charged the young men not to touch thee. And when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink of [that] which the young men have drawn.


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Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes that thou should acknowledge me, seeing I [am] a stranger?


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And Boaz answered and said unto her, It has fully been showed me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband and [how] thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land of thy nativity and art come three days ago unto a people whom thou didst not know not before.


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Let the LORD recompense thy work and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to cover thyself.


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Then she said, Let me find grace in thy sight, my lord, for thou hast comforted me and hast spoken unto the heart of thy handmaid though I am not like unto one of thy handmaidens.


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And Boaz said unto her at mealtime, Come here and eat of the bread and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers, and he gave her of the pottage, and she ate and was satisfied, and [some was] left over.


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And when she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves and do not reproach her


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and let fall also [some] of the handfuls on purpose for her and leave [them] that she may glean [them] and do not reprehend her.


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So she gleaned in the field until evening and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.


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And she took [it] up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought forth that which had been left over after she had been satisfied and gave it to her.


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And her mother-in-law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned today? Where hast thou worked? Blessed be he that acknowledged thee. And she declared unto her mother-in-law all that had happened to her with him and said, The man's name with whom I worked today [is] Boaz.


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And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, Let him be blessed of the LORD, who has not left off his mercy unto the living nor unto the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man [is] near of kin unto us, and of whom one has the right to redeem us.


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And Ruth, the Moabitess, said, He also said unto me, Thou shalt cleave to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.


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And Naomi replied unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, [It is] good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens that they not meet thee in any other field.


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So she kept close by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest and dwelt with her mother-in-law.:


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Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee that it may be well with thee?


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And now [is] not Boaz of our kindred with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnows barley tonight in the threshing floor.


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Therefore, thou shalt wash thyself and anoint thyself and put thy raiment upon thee and go down to the threshingfloor, [but] do not make thyself known unto the man until he shall have finished eating and drinking.


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And it shall be when he lies down that thou shalt perceive the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in and uncover his feet and lie down [there], and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.


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And she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.


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And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap, and she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down.


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And it came to pass at midnight that the man was startled and took hold, and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.


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Then he said, Who [art] thou? And she answered, I [am] Ruth, thy handmaid; spread therefore the edge [of thy mantle] over thy handmaid; for thou [art a] redeemer.


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And he said, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD, my daughter, [for] thou hast shown more mercy in the end than at the first, not going after the young men, whether poor or rich.


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And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do unto thee all that thou hast said, for all the city of my people know that thou [art] a valiant woman.


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And now it is true that I [am thy] redeemer; however, there is [another] redeemer nearer than I ([in kinship]).


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Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning [that] if he will redeem thee, well, let him redeem thee, but if he does not wish to redeem, then I will redeem thee, [as] the LORD lives; lie down until the morning.


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And she lay at his feet until the morning, and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that the woman has come to the threshing floor.


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Also he said, Bring the veil that [thou hast] upon thee and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six [measures] of barley and laid [it] on her, and she went into the city.


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And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, What now, my daughter? And she told her all that had happened to her with the man.


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And she said, He gave me these six [measures] of barley, saying, Do not go empty unto thy mother-in-law.


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Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou shall know how the matter will fall, for that man will not rest until he has concluded the thing today.:


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And Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and, behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke came by unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! Come here and sit down. And he came and sat down.


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And he said unto the redeemer, Naomi, that is come again out of the field of Moab, sold a parcel of land, which [was] our brother Elimelech's,


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and I decided to cause thee to know this and tell thee to take [it] before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem [it], redeem [it], but if thou wilt not redeem [it], [then] tell me that I may know, for [there is] no one to redeem [it] besides thee, and I after thee. And he said, I will redeem [it].


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Then Boaz replied, The day that thou dost receive the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must also receive Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.


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And the redeemer said, I cannot redeem [it] for myself lest I ruin my own inheritance; redeem thou; I cede my right to you, for I shall not be able to redeem [it].


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Now for a long time in Israel there had been this custom concerning redemption or contracts, that for the confirmation of all matters: one plucked off his shoe and gave [it] to his neighbour, and this [was] a testimony in Israel.


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Therefore, [the former owner of] the right of redemption said unto Boaz, Buy [it] thyself. So he drew off his shoe.


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And Boaz said unto the elders and [unto] all the people, Ye [are] witnesses this day that I have bought all that [was] Elimelech's and all that [was] Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.


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Moreover, I also take Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his place. Ye [shall be] witnesses of this today.


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And all the people that [were] in the gate and the elders, said, [We are] witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, who built the house of Israel; and be thou a man of valour in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem;


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let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bore unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.


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So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife, and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.


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And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed [be] the LORD, who has not left thee this day without a redeemer, whose name shall be famous in Israel.


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And he shall be unto thee a restorer of [thy] soul and a sustainer in thy old age, for thy daughter-in-law, whom thou doth love, who is better to thee than seven sons, has given birth.


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And the women, her neighbours, named him, saying, There is a son born to Naomi, and they called his name Obed. This [is] the father of Jesse, the father of David.


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Now there was a certain man of Ramath of Zophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name [was] Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.


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And he had two wives; the name of the one [was] Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.


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And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of the hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, [were] there.


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And when the day would come, Elkanah would sacrifice, and he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters.


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But unto Hannah he would give a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah, even though the LORD had shut up her womb.


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And this would happen year by year when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she would provoke her; therefore, she would weep and not eat.


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Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why dost thou weep? And why dost thou not eat? And why is thy heart grieved? [Am] I not better to thee than ten sons?


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So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.


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and she vowed a vow and said, O LORD of the hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid and remember me and not forget thy handmaid but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.


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Now Hannah spoke in her heart and only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore, Eli thought she was drunk.


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And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I [am] a woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the LORD.


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Do not count thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have waited until now to speak.


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Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant [thee] thy petition that thou hast asked of him.


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And she said, Let thy handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and ate, and her countenance was no longer [sad].


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And they rose up in the morning early and worshipped before the LORD and returned and came to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.


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Therefore, it came to pass when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, she bore a son and called his name Samuel, [saying], Because I have asked him of the LORD.


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And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer unto the LORD the accustomed sacrifice and his vow.


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But Hannah did not go up, for she said unto her husband, [I will not go up] until the child is weaned, and [then] I will bring him that he may be presented before the LORD and abide there for ever.


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And Elkanah, her husband, said unto her, Do what seems good unto thee; tarry until thou hast weaned him; only [let] the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode and gave her son suck until she weaned him.


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And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks and one ephah of flour and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh; and the child [was] young.


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And she said, Oh my lord, [as] thy soul lives, my lord, I [am] the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.


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Therefore, I also have given him back to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall belong to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.:


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And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoices in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I have rejoiced in thy saving health.


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[There is] none holy as the LORD, for [there is] none beside thee; neither [is there] any strong One like our God.


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Do not multiply thyself speaking great and lofty things; let arrogant words cease from your mouth, for the LORD [is] the all-knowing God, and the [magnificent] works are his.


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[Those that were] full have hired themselves out for bread, and [those that were] hungry ceased so that the barren has given birth to seven, and she that has many children is waxed feeble.


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He raises up the poor out of the dust [and] lifts up the beggar from the dunghill to set [them] among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth [are] the LORD'S, and he has set the world upon them.


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He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked perish in darkness, for no man shall prevail by [their own] strength.


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LORD, thine adversaries shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven he shall thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give strength unto his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.


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And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child ministered unto the LORD before Eli the priest.


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[It was] the priests' custom with the people [that] when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come, while the flesh was being boiled, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;


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and he would strike [it] into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot, and all that the fleshhook brought up, the priest took for himself. Thus would they do in Shiloh to all the Israelites that went there.


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Likewise, before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant would come and say to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not take cooked flesh of thee, but raw.


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And [if] the man would say unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat today and [then] take [as much] as thy soul desires, then he would answer him, No, but thou shalt give [it to me] now, and if not, I will take [it] by force.


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Therefore, the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men despised the present of the LORD.


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Moreover his mother made him a little coat and brought [it] to him each year when she came up with her husband to offer the accustomed sacrifice.


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And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of the LORD. And they went unto their own home.


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And the LORD visited Hannah so that she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.


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Now Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel and how they lay with the women that served [at] the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.


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And he said unto them, Why do ye [do] such things? For I hear from all the people of your evil dealings.


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No, my sons, for [it is] no good report that I hear that ye cause the people of the LORD to transgress.


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If one man sins against another, the judges shall judge him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they did not hearken unto the voice of their father because the LORD had [already] decided to kill them.


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And a man of God came unto Eli and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I not plainly appear unto the house of thy father when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?


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And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel [to be] my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me, and I gave unto the house of thy father all the offerings on fire of the sons of Israel.


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Why do ye trample my sacrifices and my offerings which I have commanded [to be offered] in my tabernacle and honor thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?


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Therefore, the LORD God of Israel said, I had said indeed [that] thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever, but now the LORD said, It shall never be; for those that honor me I will honor, and those that lightly esteem me shall be vile.


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Behold, the days come that I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy father's house that there shall not be an old man in thy house.


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And thou shalt see a competitor [in my] tabernacle in all the things in which I shall do good unto Israel, and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever.


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I shall not [totally] cut off [all] thy men from my altar to consume thine eyes and to grieve thy soul, and all the increase of thy house shall die as [young] men.


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And this [shall be] a sign unto thee that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall both die.


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And I will raise me up a faithful priest [that] shall do according to [that] which [is] in my heart and in my mind, and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before my anointed for ever.


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And it shall come to pass [that] every one that is left in thy house shall come [and] crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into some aspect of the priesthood that I may eat a piece of bread.:


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And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; [there was] no open vision.


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And it came to pass one day when Eli [was] lain down in his place, his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;


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and before the lamp of God was put out, Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God [was];


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And he ran unto Eli and said, Here [am] I, for thou didst call me. And he said, I did not call; lie down again. And he went and lay down.


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And the LORD called Samuel yet again. And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here [am] I, for thou didst call me. And he answered, I did not call, my son; lie down again.


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And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, Here [am] I, for thou didst call me. Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the child.


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Therefore, Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down, and it shall be if he calls thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.


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And the LORD came and stood and called as at the other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant hears.


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And the LORD said unto Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of each one that hears it shall tingle.


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In that day I will perform against Eli all the things which I have spoken concerning his house; when I begin, I will also make an end.


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For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knows of (because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them).


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And therefore, I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be reconciled, [not] with sacrifices nor with presents for ever.


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And Samuel lay until the morning and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.


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And he said, What [is] the word that [the LORD] has spoken unto thee? I pray thee do not hide [it] from me. God do so to thee and more also, if thou hide [any] thing from me of all the word that he spoke unto thee.


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And Samuel declared all of it to him without hiding any thing. Then he said, It [is] the LORD; let him do what seems good unto him.


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Thus the LORD appeared again in Shiloh, for the LORD manifested himself to Samuel in Shiloh with [the] word of the LORD.:


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And Samuel spoke unto all Israel. Now [at that time] Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and pitched [their] camp beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines pitched theirs in Aphek.


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And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel; and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines, who slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.


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And when the people returned into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the LORD smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us that when it comes among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.


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So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of the hosts, who dwells [between] the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [were] there with the ark of the covenant of God.


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And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with [such] a great shout that the earth trembled.


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And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What great shout [of joy is] this in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.


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And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! For yesterday and day before yesterday it was not so.


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Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These [are] the gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.


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Be strong and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye not serve the Hebrews as they have served you; quit yourselves like men and fight.


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And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled each one into his tent, and there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell.


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And running out of the battle, [a] man of Benjamin came to Shiloh that same day with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head.


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And when he came, behold Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and gave the news, all the city cried out.


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And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What [is] the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily and told Eli.


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And the man said unto Eli, I come from the battle; I fled today out of the army. And he said [unto him], What has happened, my son?


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And the messenger answered and said, Israel fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God was taken.


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And it came to pass when he made mention of the ark of God, [Eli] fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.


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And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, [near] to be delivered, and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed, for her pains had come upon her.


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And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not, for thou hast given birth to a son. But she did not answer, neither did she regard [it].


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And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel! (Because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.)


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When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.


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And when those of Ashdod arose early in the morning, behold, Dagon [had] fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again.


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And when they arose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [were] cut off upon the threshold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left to him.


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Therefore, neither the priests of Dagon nor any that come into Dagon's temple tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.


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But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon those of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and smote them with hemorrhoids in Ashdod and within all their borders.


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And when they saw this, those of Ashdod said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us, for his hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our god.


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They sent, therefore, and gathered all the cardinals of the Philistines unto themselves and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be removed unto Gath. And they removed the ark of the God of Israel there.


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And it came to pass that after they had removed it, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction. And he smote the men of that city from the smallest to the greatest, and they broke out with hemorrhoids.


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Therefore, they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And when the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have removed the ark of the God of Israel unto us to kill me and my people.


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So they sent and gathered together all the cardinals of the Philistines and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it not kill me and my people, for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city, and the hand of God had become very heavy there.


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And those that did not die were smitten with the hemorrhoids, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.:


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Then the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we shall return it to his place.


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And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but ye shall pay unto him the [expiation of] guilt; then ye shall be healed, and ye shall know why his hand was not removed from you.


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Then said they, What shall be the [expiation of] guilt which we shall pay unto him? They answered, Five golden hemorrhoids and five golden rats, [according to] the number of the cardinals of the Philistines, for the same plague that is on you is also on your cardinals.


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Therefore, ye shall make images of your hemorrhoids and images of your rats that destroy the land, and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel; peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you and from off your gods and from off your land.


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Why then do ye harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had dealt [thus] among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?


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Now, therefore, make a new cart and take two milk cows, on which no yoke has been placed and tie the cows to the cart and bring their calves home from them.


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Then ye shall take the ark of the LORD and lay it upon the cart and put the jewels of gold, which ye pay him [for expiation of] guilt, in a coffer by the side thereof, and let it go.


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And see if it goes up by the way of his own border to Bethshemesh, [then] he has done us this great evil, but if not, then we shall know that [it is] not his hand [that] smote us; it [was] an accident [that] happened to us.


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And the men did so and took two milk cows and tied them to the cart and shut up their calves at home.


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Then they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart and the coffer with the rats of gold and the images of their hemorrhoids.


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And the cows went straight down the way of Bethshemesh [and] went along the highway, lowing as they went and turned not aside [to] the right hand or [to] the left, and the cardinals of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.


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And [those of] Bethshemesh [were] reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark and rejoiced to see [it].


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And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stopped there, for there was a great stone there; and they clave the wood of the cart and offered the cows in a burnt offering unto the LORD.


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And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the coffer that [was] with it, in which [were] the jewels of gold, and put [them] on the great stone, and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.


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These, therefore are the golden hemorrhoids which the Philistines returned [in expiation] for their guilt unto the LORD, for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one,


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and the golden rats, [according to] the number of all the cities of the Philistines [belonging] to the five cardinals; a ransom for those of the fenced cities and for the country dwellers even unto the great [stone of] Abel, upon which they placed the ark of the LORD in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite, and [this is remembered] unto this day.


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[Then] God smote those of Bethshemesh because they had looked at the ark of the LORD; he smote fifty thousand of the people and seventy [principal] men. And the people lamented because the LORD had smitten the people with such a great slaughter.


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And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? And to whom shall he go up from us?


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And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD; come down, therefore, and carry it up to you.:


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And the men of Kirjathjearim came and carried up the ark of the LORD and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.


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And it came to pass while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long, for it was twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.


text:
And Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye return unto the LORD with all your hearts, [then] put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you and prepare your hearts unto the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.


text:
And they gathered together in Mizpeh and drew water and poured [it] out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the sons of Israel in Mizpeh.


text:
And when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel were gathered together in Mizpeh, the cardinals of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard [it], they were afraid of the Philistines.


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And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.


text:
And Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered [it for] a burnt offering completely unto the LORD, and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel, and the LORD heard him.


text:
And it came to pass as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering that the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and crushed them, and they were smitten before Israel.


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And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh and pursued the Philistines and smote them until [they were] below Bethcar.


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Then Samuel took a stone and set [it] between Mizpeh and Shen and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Thus far the LORD has helped us.


text:
So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the border of Israel, and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.


text:
And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel from Ekron even unto Gath with their borders, and Israel delivered them out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorite.


text:
And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places.


text:
Then he would return to Ramah, for there [was] his house, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto the LORD.:


text:
Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abiah; [they were] judges in Beersheba.


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And his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after greed, receiving bribes and perverting [that which is] right.


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and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons do not walk in thy ways; therefore make us a king to judge us like all the Gentiles.


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But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.


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And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them.


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According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, with which they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they also do unto thee.


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Now, therefore, hearken unto their voice; however [first] protest solemnly against them by declaring unto them the rights of the king that shall reign over them.


text:
And he said, This will be the right of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint [them] for himself, for his chariots, and [to be] his horsemen, and [some] shall run before his chariot.


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And he will appoint captains over thousands and captains over fifties and [will set them] to plough his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and the munitions of his chariots.


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And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your good oliveyards and give [them] to his servants.


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And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards to give to his officers and to his servants.


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And he will take your menservants and your maidservants and your good young men and your asses and do his work with them.


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And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you, and the LORD will not hear you in that day.


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Nevertheless, the people refused to hear the voice of Samuel, and they said, No, but we will have a king over us


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that we also may be like all the Gentiles and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.


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And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and place a king over them. Then Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go each one unto his city.:


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Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name [was] Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a son of Jemini, a mighty man of power.


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And he had a son, whose name [was] Saul, a handsome young man. Among the sons of Israel there was not a nicer person than he; from his shoulders and upward [he was] higher than any of the people.


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And the [she] asses of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul, his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.


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And he passed through Mount Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find [them]. Then they passed through the land of Shalim, and [they were] not [there], and he passed through the land of Jemini, but they did not find [them].


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[And] when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that [was] with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave [caring] for the asses and take thought for us.


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And he said unto him, Behold now, [there is] in this city a man of God, and [he is] an honorable man; all that he says surely comes to pass; now let us go there; peradventure he can show us our way that we should go.


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Then Saul replied unto his servant, But, behold, [if] we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and we have nothing to present unto the man of God. What do we have?


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And the servant answered Saul again and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver; this will I give to the man of God to tell us our way.


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(Beforetime in Israel when anyone went to enquire of God, he spoke thus, Come, and let us go to the seer, for [he that is] now [called] a Prophet was called a Seer before.)


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Then Saul said to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God [was].


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[And] as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water and said unto them, Is the seer here?


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And they answered them and said, He is; behold, [he is] before you; make haste now, for he came today to the city, for [there is] a sacrifice of the people today in the high place.


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As soon as you are come into the city, ye shall straightway find him before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice, [and] afterwards those that are invited eat. Now therefore go up, for about this time ye shall find him.


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And they went up into the city. [And] when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out before them to go up to the high place.


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Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him [to be] prince over my people Israel that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my people because their cry is come unto me.


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And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spoke to thee of! This same shall reign over my people.


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Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house [is].


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And Samuel answered Saul and said, I [am] the seer; go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let thee go and will tell thee all that [is] in thy heart.


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And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, take no care for them, for they are found. And on whom [is] all the desire of Israel? [Is it] not on thee and on all thy father's house?


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And Saul answered and said, Peradventure am I not of Jemini, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is my family not the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why, therefore, dost thou speak so to me?


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And Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the [banquet] chamber and made them sit at the head among those that were invited, which [were] about thirty persons.


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And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it aside.


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And the cook took up the shoulder and [that] which [was] upon it and set [it] before Saul. And [Samuel] said, Behold that which was reserved! Set [it] before thee [and] eat because for this time it has been kept for thee, since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.


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And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he spoke with Saul upon the top of the house.


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And they arose early about dawn, and Samuel called Saul, who was on the top of the house, saying, Rise up that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.


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[And] as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand thou still a while that I may declare thee the word of God.:


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Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured [it] upon his head and kissed him and said, [Is it] not because the LORD has anointed thee [to be] captain over his inheritance?


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When thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou didst go to seek are found, and thy father has left the care of the asses and sorrows for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?


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Then shalt thou go on forward from there, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and three men going up to God to Bethel shall meet thee, one carrying three kids and another carrying three loaves of bread and another carrying a bottle of wine.


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And they will salute thee and give thee two [loaves] of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.


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After that thou shalt come to the hill of God where the garrison of the Philistines [is], and it shall come to pass when thou art come there to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery and a tambourine and a pipe and a harp before them; and they shall prophesy.


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And the Spirit of the LORD will prosper thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them and shalt be turned into another man.


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And let it be when these signs are come unto thee [that] thou do [according] as thou shalt find at hand, for God [is] with thee.


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And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal, and, behold, I will come down unto thee to offer burnt offerings [and] to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days shalt thou tarry until I come to thee and show thee what thou shalt do.


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And it was [so] that when he had turned his shoulder to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all those signs came to pass that day.


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And when they came there to the hill, behold, the company of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God prospered him, and he prophesied among them.


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And it came to pass when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What has happened to the son of Kish? [Is] Saul also among the prophets?


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And one of the same place answered and said, But who [is] their father? Therefore, it became a proverb, [Is] Saul also among the prophets?


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And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Where went ye? And he said, To seek the asses, and when we saw that [they were] nowhere, we came to Samuel.


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And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he did not tell him.


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and said unto the sons of Israel, Thus hath the LORD God of Israel said, I brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all kingdoms [and] of those that oppressed you.


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But ye have this day rejected your God, who saves you out of all your afflictions and your troubles, and ye have said unto him, [No], but set a king over us. Now, therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.


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When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their lineages, the family of Matri was taken, and [from it] Saul the son of Kish was taken, and when they sought him, he could not be found.


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Therefore, they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come there. And the LORD answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the stuff.


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And they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.


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And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD has chosen, that [there is] none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, [Long] live the king.


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Then Samuel recited unto the people the rights of the kingdom and wrote [it] in a book and laid [it] up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house.


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And Saul also went home to Gibeah, and there went with him [some from] the army, whose hearts God had touched.


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But the sons of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no presents. But he pretended not to notice.:


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Then Nahash, the Ammonite, came up and encamped against Jabeshgilead. And all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.


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And Nahash, the Ammonite, answered them, On this [condition] will I make [a covenant] with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes and lay it [for] a reproach upon all Israel.


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And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the borders of Israel, and then, if [there is] no one to save us, we will come out to thee.


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Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the tidings in the ears of the people, and all the people lifted up their voices and wept.


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And, behold, Saul came after the oxen out of the field, and Saul said, What [ails] the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.


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And the Spirit of God prospered Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.


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And he took a yoke of oxen and hewed them in pieces and sent [them] throughout all the borders of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.


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And when he numbered them in Bezek, the sons of Israel were three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand.


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And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, Tomorrow, by [the time] the sun is hot, ye shall have salvation. And the messengers came and declared [it] to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.


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Therefore the men of Jabesh said, Tomorrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seems good unto you.


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And it was so on the next day that Saul put the people in order in three companies, and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day, and it came to pass that those who remained were scattered so that two of them were not left together.


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Then the people said unto Samuel, Who [were] those that said, Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men, that we may put them to death.


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And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day, for today the LORD has wrought salvation in Israel.


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And all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal, and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.:


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And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me and have made a king over you.


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And now, behold, your king walks before you. I am old and grayheaded, and, behold, my sons [are] with you, and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.


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Behold, here I [am]; witness against me before the LORD and before his anointed. If I have taken anyone's ox or if I have taken anyone's ass or if I have defrauded anyone or if I have oppressed anyone or if I have received [a] bribe from anyone to blind my eyes, I will restore it you.


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And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us; neither hast thou taken anything of any man's hand.


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And he said unto them, The LORD [is] witness against you, and his anointed [is] witness this day that ye have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, [He is] witness.


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Then Samuel said unto the people, The LORD is he who advanced Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.


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Now, therefore, stand still that I may contend with you before the LORD of all the righteousnesses of the LORD which he did to you and to your fathers.


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After Jacob had entered into Egypt and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.


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And when they forgot the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.


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And they cried unto the LORD and said, We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baalim and Ashtaroth, but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.


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Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt safe.


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And when ye saw that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon, came against you, ye said unto me, No, but a king shall reign over us when the LORD your God [was] your king.


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Now, therefore, behold the king whom ye have chosen [and] whom ye have desired! Behold, the LORD has set a king over you.


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If ye will fear the LORD and serve him and hear his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigns over you continue following the LORD your God.


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But if ye will not hear the voice of the LORD but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD shall be against you as [it was] against your fathers.


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[Is it] not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness [is] great which ye have done in the sight of the LORD in asking for a king [over] you.


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So Samuel called unto the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.


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And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God that we not die, for we have added unto all our sins [this] evil, to ask for a king [over] us.


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And Samuel said unto the people, Do not fear. Ye have done all this wickedness, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;


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For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake because it has pleased the LORD to make you his people.


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Moreover as for me, in no wise should I sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way.


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Only fear the LORD and serve him in truth with all your heart, for consider what great [things] he has done with you.


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Saul was as a son of one year when [he began] to reign, and when he had reigned two years over Israel,


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Saul chose three thousand [men] of Israel, [of which] two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and of the rest of the people he sent each one to his tent.


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And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that [was] in Geba, and the Philistines heard [of it]. And Saul caused the shofar to be blown throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.


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And all Israel heard it said [that] Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines and also [that] Israel had become a stench unto the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.


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Then the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and people as the sand which [is] on the sea shore in multitude; and they came up and pitched camp in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.


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When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves and in thickets and in rocks and in high places and in pits.


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And [some of] the Hebrews went over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he [was] yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.


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And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel [had appointed], but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were deserting from him.


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And it came to pass that as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him that he might bless him.


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Then Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were leaving me and [that] thou didst not come within the days appointed and [that] the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash,


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therefore, I said, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD. I forced myself, therefore, and offered a burnt offering.


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Then Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee, for now the LORD would have established thy kingdom over Israel for ever.


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But now thy kingdom shall not stand; the LORD has sought a man after his own heart unto whom the LORD has commanded that he be captain over his people because thou hast not kept [that] which the LORD commanded thee.


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And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people [that were] present with him, about six hundred men.


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And Saul and Jonathan, his son, and the people [that were] present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.


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And three companies came out of the camp of the Philistines to destroy the land. One company turned unto the way [that leads to] Ophrah unto the land of Shual.


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Another company turned the way [to] Bethhoron, and another company turned [to] the way of the border that looks to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.


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Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, Lest peradventure the Hebrews make swords or spears.


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But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen each man his share and his coulter and his axe and his mattock


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and when they had nicks in the mattocks and the coulters and the forks and the axes, or to fix a goad.


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So it came to pass in the day of battle that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that [were] with Saul and Jonathan except with Saul and with Jonathan his son who had them.


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Now it came to pass upon a day that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said unto the young man that bore his armour, Come and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that [is] on the other side. But he did not tell his father.


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And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which [is] in Migron, and the people that [were] with him [were] about six hundred men;


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and Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, was wearing the ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.


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And between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, [there was] a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side; and the name of the one [was] Bozez and the name of the other Seneh.


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The forefront of the one [was] situated northward over against Michmash and the other towards the Negev over against Gibeah.


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And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised; peradventure the LORD will work for us, for it is not difficult for the LORD to save by many or by few.


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And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that [is] in thy heart; go. Behold, I [am] with thee according to thy will.


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If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up unto them.


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But if they say thus, Come up unto us, then we will go up, for the LORD has delivered them into our hand, and this [shall be] a sign unto us.


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And both of them showed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.


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And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. Then Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.


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And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet and his armourbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armourbearer slew after him.


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And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armourbearer made was about twenty men within as it were a half acre of land, [which] a yoke [of oxen might plow].


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And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people of the garrison; and those who had gone out to destroy the land, they also trembled, and the earth quaked, and there was fear of God.


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And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down [one another].


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Then Saul said unto the people that [were] with him, Number now and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer [were] not [there].


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And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel.


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And it came to pass while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that [was] in the host of the Philistines went on and increased. Then Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thy hand.


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And Saul and all the people that [were] with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle; and, behold, each man's sword was against his fellow, [and there was] a very great discomfiture.


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Moreover, the Hebrews [that] had been with the Philistines before that time, who had gone up with them into the camp [from the country] round about, even they also [turned] to be with the Israelites that [were] with Saul and Jonathan.


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Likewise all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim, [when] they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle.


text:
But the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed [be] the man that eats [any] food until evening that I may be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted [any] food.


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And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.


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But Jonathan had not heard when his father charged the people with the oath, therefore, he put forth the end of the rod that [was] in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.


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Then one of the people spoke and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed [be] the man that eats [any] food this day. And the people were faint.


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Then Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land. See, I pray you, how my eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey.


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How much more if haply the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? Would there not have been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?


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Therefore, the people flew upon the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slew [them] on the ground, and the people ate [them] with the blood.


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Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed; roll a great stone unto me this day.


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And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people and tell each one to bring his ox and his sheep here unto me and slay [them] here and eat and do not sin against the LORD in eating with the blood. And of all the people, each one brought his ox with him that night and slew [them] there.


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And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatever seems good unto thee. Then the priest said, Let us draw near unto God here.


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And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day.


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Then Saul said, Bring here all the chief of the people and know and see by whom this sin has been this day.


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For, [as] the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan, my son, he shall surely die. But [there was] not a man among all the people [that] answered him.


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Then he said unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seems good unto thee.


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Therefore, Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Show who is without blemish. And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people went out [free].


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Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that [was] in my hand; must I die for this.


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Then the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great saving health in Israel? No, in no wise: [as] the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan that he did not die.


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So Saul took the kingdom over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab and against the sons of Ammon and against Edom and against the kings of Zobah and against the Philistines; and wherever he turned himself, he troubled [them].


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And he gathered a host and smote Amalek and delivered Israel out of the hands of those that spoiled them.


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Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishui and Melchishua. And the names of his two daughters [were these]: the name of the firstborn Merab and the name of the younger Michal.


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And the name of Saul's wife [was] Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his host [was] Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.


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And there was intense war against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him unto him.:


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And Samuel said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee [to be] king over his people, over Israel; now, therefore, hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.


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Thus hath said the LORD of the hosts, I remember [that] which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid [wait] for him in the way when he came up from Egypt.


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Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare him not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.


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And Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.


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And Saul said unto the Kenite, Go, depart, go out from among those of Amalek lest I destroy you with them, for ye showed mercy to all the sons of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenite departed from among those of Amalek.


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And he took Agag, the king of the Amalekites, alive and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.


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But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings and the lambs and all [that was] good and would not utterly destroy them, but every thing [that was] vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.


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It grieves me that I have set up Saul [to be] king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments. And it incensed Samuel, and he cried unto the LORD all night.


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And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set himself up a monument and is gone about and passed on and gone down to Gilgal.


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And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said unto him, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD; I have performed the commandment of the LORD.


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Then Samuel said, What [means] then this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?


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And Saul said, They have brought them from Amalek, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed.


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Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.


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And Samuel said, When thou [wast] little in thine own sight, [wast] thou not [made] the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?


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And the LORD sent thee on a journey and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners of Amalek and fight against them until they are consumed.


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Why then didst thou not hear the voice of the LORD but didst fly upon the spoil and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?


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And Saul said unto Samuel, But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD and have gone the way which the LORD sent me and have brought Agag, the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.


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But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the firstfruits of the anathema, to sacrifice them unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.


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And Samuel said, Does the LORD have [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in hearing the voice of the LORD? Behold, to hear [is] better than sacrifice [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.


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For rebellion [is] the sin of witchcraft, and to break [the word of the Lord is] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected thee from [being] king.


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Then Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and thy words because I feared the people and consented unto their voice.


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And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected thee from being king over Israel.


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And Samuel said unto him, The LORD has rent the kingdom of Israel from thee today and has given it to a neighbour of thine [that is] better than thou.


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And also the Overcomer of Israel will not lie nor repent concerning this, for he [is] not a man, that he should repent.


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Then he said, I have sinned; [yet] honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people and before Israel and turn again with me that I may worship the LORD thy God.


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Then Samuel said, Bring me Agag, the king of Amalek. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is near.


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And Samuel said, As thy sword has made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. Then Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.


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And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul because the LORD had repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.:


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And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thy horn with oil and go; I will send thee to Jesse of Bethlehem for I have provided me a king among his sons.


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And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul understands [it], he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take a heifer with thee and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.


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And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do, and thou shalt anoint unto me the one whom I name unto thee.


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And Samuel did as the LORD said and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Comest thou peaceably?


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And he said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice.


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And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab and said, Peradventure is the LORD'S anointed before him?


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And the LORD replied unto Samuel, Do not look on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him, for it is not as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.


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Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one.


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Again, Jesse made his seven sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD has not chosen these.


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And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are all [thy] young men here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send for him, for we will not sit down to the table until he comes here.


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And he sent and brought him in. Now he [was] ruddy [and] of a beautiful countenance and handsome. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him, for this [is] he.


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Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him from among his brethren; and the Spirit of the LORD prospered David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.


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Let our lord now command thy servants, [which are] before thee, to seek out a man [who is] a cunning player on a harp, and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand and thou shalt have relief.


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Then one of the servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem, [that is] cunning in playing and a mighty valiant man and a man of war and prudent in speech and handsome, and the LORD [is] with him.


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Therefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse and said, Send me David, thy son, who [is] with the sheep.


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And Jesse took an ass [laden] with bread and a bottle of wine and a kid and sent [them] by David, his son, unto Saul.


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And David came to Saul and stood before him; and he loved him greatly, and he became his armourbearer.


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And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he has found favour in my sight.


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And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was better, and the evil spirit departed from him.:


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Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle and were gathered together at Shochoh, which [belongs] to Judah, and pitched camp between Shochoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim.


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And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched camp by the valley of Elah and ordered the battle against the Philistines.


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And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side; and [there was] a valley between them.


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And a man named Goliath, of Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span, came out of the camp of the Philistines and [stood] between the two [camps].


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And [he had] a helmet of brass upon his head, and he [was] clothed with a coat of mail of scales; and the weight of the coat of mail [was] five thousand shekels of brass.


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And the staff of his spear [was] like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron, and one bearing a shield went before him.


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And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set [your] battle in array? [Am] I not a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose a man from among you, and let him come down to me.


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If he is able to fight with me and to overcome me, then will we be your servants, but if I prevail against him and overcome him, then ye shall be our servants and serve us.


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And the Philistine said, I have dishonoured the ranks of Israel today; give me a man that we may fight together.


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When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.


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And David [was] the son of an Ephrathite man of Bethlehem of Judah, whose name [was] Jesse, and he had eight sons, and this man was old in the days of Saul and of advanced age among men.


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And the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone [and] followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons that went to the battle [were] Eliab, the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab and the third Shammah.


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And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched [grain] and these ten loaves and run to the camp to thy brethren


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and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of [their] thousand and look how thy brethren fare and take their pledge.


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Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel [were] in the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.


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And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took and went with his burden as Jesse had commanded him, and he came to the trench as the host was going forth in battle array, and they had already sounded the alarm for the battle.


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And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage and ran into the army and came and asked about his brethren, if they were well.


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And as he talked with them, behold, there came up that man, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, speaking the same words, and David heard [them].


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And each one of the men of Israel were saying, Have ye seen this man that is come up? He is come up to dishonour Israel. It shall be [that] the king will enrich the man who overcomes him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.


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Then David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that overcomes this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine that he should dishonour the armies of the living God?


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And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that overcomes him.


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And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spoke unto the men, and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why didst thou come down here? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the malice of thy heart, for thou art come down that thou might see the battle.


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And he turned from him toward another and spoke after the same manner, and the people answered him again after the former manner.


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And the words which David had spoken were heard, and they were rehearsed before Saul, and he sent for him.


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And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.


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And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou [art but] a young man, and he a man of war from his youth.


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And David replied unto Saul, Thy servant was the pastor of his father's sheep, and [if] a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,


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I went out after him and smote him and delivered [it] out of his mouth; and if he arose against me, I caught [him] by his beard and smote him and slew him.


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Whether it was a lion or a bear thy servant would kill it, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has dishonoured the armies of the living God.


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David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.


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And Saul clothed David with his clothing, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; he also armed him with a coat of mail.


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And David girded [Saul's] sword upon [Saul's] clothing, and he undertook to go, for he had not proved [them]. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved [them]. And putting them off, David


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took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a provision bag, and with his sling in his hand he drew near to the Philistine.


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And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David, and the man that bore the shield [went] before him.


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And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was [but] a youth and ruddy and of a fair countenance.


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And the Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.


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And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the heaven and to the beasts of the field.


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Then David said to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of the hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast dishonoured.


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This day the LORD will deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee and take thy head from thee, and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the heaven and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.


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And all this congregation shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear, for the battle [is] the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.


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And it came to pass when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David that David hastened and ran to do battle against the Philistine.


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And David put his hand in his bag and took a stone from there and slang [it] and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone remained sunk into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.


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So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and smote the Philistine and slew him, but [there was] no sword in the hand of David.


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Therefore David ran and stood upon the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and slew him and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw their giant was dead, they fled.


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And the men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines unto the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath and unto Ekron.


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And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.


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And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son [is] this youth? And Abner said, [As] thy soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.


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And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.


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And Saul said to him, Whose son [art] thou, young man? And David answered, I [am] the son of thy servant Jesse of Bethlehem.:


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And it came to pass when he had finished speaking unto Saul that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.


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And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that [was] upon him and gave it to David and his garments, even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle.


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And David went out wherever Saul sent him [and] behaved himself prudently, and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.


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And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.


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And the women sang as they played and said, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands.


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And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him, and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed [but] thousands; and [what] can he have more but the kingdom?


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And it came to pass on the next day that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, and David played with his hand as at other times, and [there was] a spear in Saul's hand.


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And Saul cast the spear, saying, I will smite David to the wall [with it]. And David avoided out of his presence twice.


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Therefore, Saul removed him from him and made him captain over a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people.


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And Saul said to David, Behold I will give thee my elder daughter Merab to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles. For Saul said [to himself], My hand shall not be against him, but the hand of the Philistines shall be against him.


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And David said unto Saul, Who [am] I, and what [is] my life [or] my father's family in Israel that I should be son-in-law to the king?


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And it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David that she was given unto Adriel, the Meholathite, to wife.


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And Saul said, I will give her to him that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore, Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law with the other one.


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And Saul commanded his servants, [saying], Speak with David secretly and say, Behold, the king has delight in thee, and all his servants love thee; now, therefore, be the king's son-in-law.


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And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, Does it seem to you [a] light [thing] to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I [am] a poor man and lightly esteemed?


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And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The desire of the king is not in any dowry, but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. For Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.


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And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law, and the days were not expired.


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Therefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men, and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them all to the king that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal, his daughter, to wife.


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[But] Saul, seeing and knowing that the LORD [was] with David and that his daughter Michal loved him,


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Then the princes of the Philistines went forth, and it came to pass after they went forth [that] David behaved himself more prudently than all the servants of Saul so that his name was much set by.:


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But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David, and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul, my father, seeks to kill thee: now, therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning and abide in a secret [place] and hide thyself.


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And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou [art], and I will speak with my father of thee, and what I see, that I will tell thee.


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And Jonathan spoke good of David unto Saul, his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant David, for he has not sinned against thee; on the other hand his works [have been] very good for thee,


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for he put his soul in his hand and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel. Thou didst see [it] and rejoice. Why then wilt thou sin against innocent blood to slay David without a cause?


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And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, [As] the LORD lives, he shall not be slain.


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And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.


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And there was war again, and David went out and fought with the Philistines and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him.


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And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, and David played with [his] hand.


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And Saul sought to smite David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, who smote the spear into the wall; and David fled and escaped that night.


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Saul also sent messengers unto David's house to watch him and to slay him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life tonight tomorrow thou shalt be dead.


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Then Michal took an image and laid [it] in the bed and put a pillow of goats' [hair] at his head and covered [it] with a cloth.


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And Saul sent the messengers [again] to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed that I may slay him.


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And when the messengers were come in, behold, [there was] an image in the bed with a pillow of goats' [hair] at his head.


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And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so and sent away my enemy that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; if not, I shall kill thee.


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So David fled and escaped and came to Samuel in Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.


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And Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying and Samuel standing [as] appointed over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.


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And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.


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Then he also went to Ramah and came to a great well that [is] in Sechu, and he asked and said, Where [are] Samuel and David? And [one] said, Behold, [they are] at Naioth in Ramah.


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And he went there to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.


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And he stripped off his clothes also and prophesied before Samuel in like manner and lay down naked all that day and all that night. From here it was said, [Is] Saul also among the prophets?:


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And David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What [is] my iniquity or what [is] my sin before thy father that he seeks my life?


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And he said unto him, No, in no wise; thou shalt not die. Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me, and why should my father hide this thing from me? It [shall] not [be] so.


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And David swore moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knows that I have found grace in thine eyes, and he [saith in himself], Let Jonathan not know this lest he be grieved; but truly [as] the LORD lives and [as] thy soul lives, [there is] but a step between me and death.


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And David replied unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow [is] the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at food, but thou shalt let me go and hide myself in the field until the evening of the third day.


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If thy father at all misses me, then say, David earnestly asked [leave] of me that he might run to Bethlehem, his city, for all those of his lineage have an anniversary sacrifice.


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If he should say, [It is] well; thy servant shall have peace; but if he is very wroth, [then] be sure that the evil is determined in him.


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Therefore, thou shalt deal in mercy with thy servant, for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee; notwithstanding, if there is iniquity in me, slay me thyself, for why should thou bring me to thy father?


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And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee, for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would I not be obliged to show it to thee?


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And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And both of them went out into the field.


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Then Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I shall have asked my father tomorrow at this time or after tomorrow and, behold, [if there is] good toward David and I then do not send unto thee and show it to thee,


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the LORD do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father [to do] thee evil, then I will show it to thee and send thee away that thou may go in peace; and the LORD be with thee as he has been with my father.


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thou shalt not cut off thy mercy from my house for ever. When the LORD has cut off one by one the enemies of David from the face of the earth, remove [even] Jonathan from thy house [if I fail thee] and require it at the hand of David's enemies.


text:
And Jonathan swore unto David again because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.


text:
Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow [is] the new moon, and thou shalt be missed because thy seat will be empty.


text:
And [when] thou hast stayed three days, [then] thou shalt go down quickly and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the work and shalt remain by the stone Ezel;


text:
And, behold, I will send a lad, [saying], Go, find the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows [are] on this side of thee; take them, then come thou, for [there is] peace unto thee and no hurt, [as] the LORD lives.


text:
But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows [are] beyond thee, then go away, for the LORD has sent thee away.


text:
And [as touching] the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, let the LORD [be] between thee and me for ever.


text:
And the king sat upon his seat as at other times, [even] upon a seat by the wall; and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.


text:
Nevertheless, Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him, he is not clean; surely he [is] not clean.


text:
And it came to pass on the next day, [which was] the second [day] of the new moon, that David's place was empty, and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Why did not the son of Jesse come to food, neither yesterday nor today?


text:
And he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for those of our lineage have a sacrifice in the city, and my brother, he has commanded me [to be there], and now, if I have found grace in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he has not come unto the king's table.


text:
Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious [woman], do I not know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion and unto the confusion of thy mother's shame?


text:
For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the land, thou shalt not be established nor thy kingdom. Therefore, now send and bring him unto me, for he shall surely die.


text:
And Saul cast a spear at him to smite him whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.


text:
So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved for David [and] because his father had done him shame.


text:
And it came to pass in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.


text:
And he said unto his lad, Run and find the arrows which I shoot. [And] as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.


text:
And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, [Is] not the arrow beyond thee?


text:
And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows and came to his master.


text:
[And] as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of [a place] toward the Negev and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times, and they kissed one another and wept one with another, although David exceeded.


text:
And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed, and Jonathan entered into the city.:


text:
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech, the priest, and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David and said unto him, Why [art] thou alone, and no one with thee?


text:
And David said unto Ahimelech, the priest, The king has commanded me a business and has said unto me, Let no one know anything of this business about which I send thee and what I have commanded thee, and I have appointed [my] servants to a certain place.


text:
Now, therefore, what is under thy hand? Give [me] five [loaves of] bread in my hand or what there is present.


text:
And the priest answered David and said, [There is] no common bread under my hand; there is only sacred bread, which I will give thee if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.


text:
And David answered the priest and said unto him, Of a truth women [have been] kept from us since yesterday and the day before yesterday since I came out, and the vessels of the young men were holy although the way is profane; how much more that today it shall be sanctified with the vessels.


text:
So the priest gave him the sacred bread, for there was no bread there but the showbread that had been taken from before the LORD to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.


text:
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul [was] there that day, fulfilling [a vow] before the LORD, and his name [was] Doeg, an Edomite, the principal of the pastors of Saul.


text:
And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand a spear or a sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me because the king's business required haste.


text:
And the priest replied, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou didst overcome in the valley of Elah, behold, it [is here] wrapped in a veil behind the ephod; if thou wilt take that, take [it], for [there is] none other except that here. And David said, [There is] none like that; give it to me.


text:
And the servants of Achish said unto him, [Is] this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands?


text:
And he changed his behaviour before them and feigned himself a fool in their hands and scrabbled on the doors of the gate and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.


text:
Then Achish said unto his servants, Behold, ye see the man is mad; why [then] have ye brought him to me?


text:
Have I need of mad men that ye have brought this [fellow] to play the mad man in my presence? Shall this [fellow] come into my house?:


text:
And David departed from there and escaped to the cave Adullam; and when his brethren and all his father's house heard [it], they went down there to him.


text:
And every one [that was] in distress and every one that [was] in debt and all whose souls were bitter gathered themselves unto him, and he became the captain over them, and there were about four hundred men with him.


text:
And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab, and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth [and be] with you until I know what God will make of me.


text:
And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the fortress.


text:
And the prophet Gad said unto David, do not abide in this fortress; depart, and go into the land of Judah. Then David departed and came into the forest of Hareth.


text:
When Saul heard how David had appeared and the men that [were] with him (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants [were] standing about him),


text:
then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye sons of Jemini, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards [and] make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds


text:
that all of you have conspired against me, and [there is] no one that shows me that my son has made a league with the son of Jesse, and [there is] none of you that is sorry for me or shows unto me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait [against] me, as at this day?


text:
Then Doeg, the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, answered and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub.


text:
And he enquired of the LORD for him and gave him provision and gave him the sword of Goliath, the Philistine.


text:
Then the king sent to call Ahimelech, the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that [were] in Nob; and they all came to the king.


text:
And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread and a sword and hast enquired of God for him that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?


text:
Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, the king's son-in-law, who goes at thy bidding and is honourable in thy house?


text:
Did I begin to enquire of God for him today? Be it far from me; let not the king impute [any] thing unto his servant [nor] to all the house of my father, for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.


text:
Then the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn and slay the priests of the LORD because their hand also [is] with David and because they knew when he fled and did not show it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hands to fall upon the priests of the LORD.


text:
Then the king said to Doeg, Turn thou and fall upon the priests. And Doeg, the Edomite, turned and he fell upon the priests and slew on that day eighty-five men that wore a linen ephod.


text:
And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings and oxen and asses and sheep with the edge of the sword.


text:
And David said unto Abiathar, I knew [it] that day when Doeg, the Edomite, [was] there that he would surely tell Saul. I have given cause [before Saul] against all the persons of thy father's house.


text:
Abide thou with me; do not fear, for he that seeks my life seeks thy life; [it is good] that thou shalt be kept with me.:


text:
Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.


text:
Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go and smite the Philistines and save Keilah.


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[But] David's men said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah, how much more then if we go to Keilah against the army of the Philistines?


text:
Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.


text:
So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.


text:
And it came to pass when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to David to Keilah [that] the ephod came in his hand.


text:
And it was told Saul how David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars.


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But David understood that Saul devised evil against him, and he said to Abiathar, the priest, Bring here the ephod.


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Then David said, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.


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Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as thy servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.


text:
Then David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver [thee] up.


text:
So David and his men, [who were] about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went from one place to another. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, and he forbare to go forth.


text:
And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.


text:
And David, seeing that Saul had come out to seek his soul, [stayed] in the woods in the wilderness of Ziph.


text:
And he said unto him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul, my father, shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and even my father knows this.


text:
And the two made a covenant before the LORD, and David abode in the woods, and Jonathan returned to his house.


text:
Then those of Ziph came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the woods in the hill of Hachilah, which [is] on the right hand side of the wilderness?


text:
Now, therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down, and our part [shall be] to deliver him into the king's hand.


text:
Go, I pray you, prepare yet and know and see his place where he places his foot [and] who has seen him there, for it is told me [that] he deals with great prudence.


text:
See, therefore, and take knowledge of all the hiding places where he hides himself and come again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he is in the land that I will search him out with all the thousands of Judah.


text:
And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul, but David and his men [were] in the wilderness of Maon in the plain on the right hand side of the wilderness.


text:
Saul also and his men went to seek [him]. And they told David, and he came down [from there] into a rock and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard [that], he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.


text:
And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away from the presence of Saul, for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.


text:
But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Make haste and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land.


text:
Saul returned, therefore, from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. For this reason they called that place Selahammahlekoth.


text:
And it came to pass when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David [is] in the wilderness of Engedi.


text:
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.


text:
And he came to a flock of sheep by the way where there was a cave, and Saul went in to cover his feet, and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.


text:
Then the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thy enemy into thy hand that thou may do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose and silently cut off the skirt of Saul's robe.


text:
And he said unto his men, The LORD keep me from doing this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he [is] the anointed of the LORD.


text:
So David stayed his servants with these words and did not allow them to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave and went on [his] way.


text:
David also arose afterward and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth and worshipped.


text:
Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee today into my hand in the cave, and [some] bade [me] kill thee, but I forgave thee, and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he [is] the LORD'S anointed.


text:
Moreover, my father, see; see the skirt of thy robe is even in my hand, for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe and did not kill thee, know thou and see that [there is] neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou doest hunt my life to take it.


text:
The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee, but my hand shall not be upon thee.


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As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked, but my hand shall not be upon thee.


text:
After whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog? After a flea?


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The LORD, therefore, shall judge, and he shall judge between me and thee. Let him see and plead my cause, and defend me from thy hand.


text:
And it came to pass, when David had finished speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, [Is] this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.


text:
And he said to David, Thou [art] more righteous than I, for thou hast repaid me with good, whereas I have repaid thee with evil.


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And thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me; forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thy hand, thou didst not kill me.


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For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe and sound? The LORD reward thee with good for that which thou hast done unto me this day.


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And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be firm and stable in thy hand.


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Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.


text:
And Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and lamented him and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.


text:
And [there was] a man in Maon whose possessions [were] in Carmel, and the man [was] very great, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.


text:
Now the name of the man [was] Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail. And [she was] a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance, but the man [was] hard and evil in his doings, and he was [of the lineage] of Caleb.


text:
And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Climb up to Carmel and go to Nabal and greet him in my name.


text:
And thus shall ye say to him, May thou live and peace [be] unto thee and peace [be] unto thy house and peace [be] unto all that thou hast.


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I have recently heard that thou hast shearers. Now thy shepherds who were with us, we did not hurt them, neither was there anything missing unto them all the while they were in Carmel.


text:
Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Therefore, let the young men find grace in thine eyes, for we come in a good day; give, I pray thee, whatever is in thy hand unto thy servants and to thy son David.


text:
And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David and ceased.


text:
And Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who [is] David? And who [is] the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays that break from their masters.


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Shall I then take my bread and my water and my slaughtered [meat] that I have killed for my shearers and give [it] unto men that I do not know where they are from?


text:
Then David said unto his men, Gird ye on each man his sword. And each one girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword; and about four hundred men went up after David, and they left two hundred with the stuff.


text:
And one of the servants told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to bless our master, and he railed on them.


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But the men [were] very good unto us and never hurt us, neither did we miss anything all the time that we have been conversant with them when we were in the fields.


text:
They were a wall unto us both by night and day all the time that we were feeding the sheep with them.


text:
Now, therefore, know and consider what thou must do, for evil is determined against our master and against all his household, for he [is such] a son of Belial that no one can speak to him.


text:
Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two bottles of wine and five sheep ready dressed and five measures of parched [flour] and one hundred bunches of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs and laid [them] on asses.


text:
And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told nothing to her husband Nabal.


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And it was [so] as she rode on the ass that she came down a secret part of the mountain, and, behold, David and his men came down against her, and she met them.


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Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this [fellow] has in the wilderness so that nothing was missed of all that [pertained] unto him, and he has returned unto me evil for good.


text:
Let God do so and more also unto the enemies of David if I leave of all that [pertain] to him by the morning light any that piss against the wall.


text:
And when Abigail saw David, she hastened and lighted off the ass and fell before David on her face and bowed herself to the ground


text:
and fell at his feet and said, Upon me, my lord, [upon] me [let this] iniquity [be], and let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thy audience; and hear the words of thy handmaid.


text:
Let not my lord, I pray thee, take to heart this man of Belial, [even] Nabal, for as his name [is], so [is] he; Nabal is his name, and folly [is] with him; but I, thy handmaid, did not see the servants of my lord whom thou didst send.


text:
Now, therefore, my lord, [as] the LORD lives and [as] thy soul lives, seeing the LORD has withheld thee from coming to [shed] blood and from avenging thyself with thy own hand, now let thy enemies and those that seek evil to my lord be as Nabal.


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And now this blessing which thy handmaid has brought unto my lord, let it be given unto the servants that follow my lord.


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I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thy handmaid, for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house because my lord fights the battles of the LORD, and evil has not been found in thee [all] thy days.


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Yet a man is risen to pursue thee and to seek thy soul, but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God, and he shall hurl forth the souls of thine enemies [as out] of the middle of a sling.


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And it shall come to pass when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning thee and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel,


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that this shall be no stumblingblock unto thee nor grief of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless or that my lord has avenged himself; but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thy handmaid.


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and blessed [be] thy advice, and blessed [be] thou who hast kept me this day from coming to [shed] blood and from avenging myself with my own hand.


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For in very deed [as] the LORD God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hastened and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that piss against the wall.


text:
So David received of her hand [that] which she had brought him and said unto her, Go up in peace to thy house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice and have accepted thy person.


text:
And Abigail came to Nabal, and, behold, he held a banquet in his house like the banquet of a king; and Nabal's heart [was] merry within him, for he [was] very drunken; therefore, she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.


text:
But it came to pass in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became [as] a stone.


text:
And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed [be] the LORD that judged the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept his servant from evil, for the LORD has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent word unto Abigail to take her to him to wife.


text:
And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke with her, saying, David sent us unto thee to take thee to him to wife.


text:
And she arose and bowed herself on [her] face to the earth and said, Behold, [let] thy handmaid [be] a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.


text:
And Abigail hastened and arose and rode upon an ass with five damsels of hers that went after her, and she went after the messengers of David and became his wife.


text:
For Saul had given Michal, his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Laish, who [was] of Gallim.:


text:
And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does David not hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, [which is] before Jeshimon?


text:
Then Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.


text:
And Saul pitched camp in the hill of Hachilah, which [is] before the wilderness by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he perceived that Saul came after him into the wilderness.


text:
And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched camp, and David beheld the place where Saul lay and Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of his host. And Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.


text:
Then David spoke and said to Ahimelech, the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.


text:
So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench and his spear stuck in the ground at his head, but Abner and the people lay round about him.


text:
Then Abishai said to David, God has delivered thy enemy into thy hand today; now, therefore, let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear [and pin him] to the earth at once, and I will not [need] a second opportunity.


text:
And David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him, for who has stretched forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and remained innocent?


text:
David said furthermore, [As] the LORD lives, if the LORD does not smite him or his day comes to die or he descends into battle and perishes,


text:
the LORD forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the LORD'S anointed; but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that [is] at his head and the cruse of water and let us go.


text:
So David took the spear and the cruse of water that were at Saul's head, and they went, and no one saw [it] nor knew [it] neither awaked, for they [were] all asleep because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them.


text:
Then David went over to the other side and stood out of the way on the top of the mountain, a great space [being] between them;


text:
and David cried to the people and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying, Dost thou not answer, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who [art] thou [that] dost cry to the king?


text:
And David said to Abner, [Art] not thou a man? And who [is there] like unto thee in Israel? Why then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king thy lord.


text:
This thing [is] not good that thou hast done. [As] the LORD lives, ye [are] worthy to die because ye have not kept your master, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear [is] and the cruse of water that [was] at his head.


text:
And Saul knew David's voice and said, [Is] this thy voice, my son David? And David said, [It is] my voice, my lord, O king.


text:
And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?


text:
Now, therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD has stirred thee up against me, let him smell [the fragrance of] an offering, but if [they were] the sons of men, [let] them [be] cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day from joining myself to the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.


text:
Now therefore, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD, for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.


text:
Then Saul said, I have sinned; return, my son David; for I will do no more harm unto thee because my life was precious in thine eyes today. Behold, I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly.


text:
And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! Let one of the servants come over and take it.


text:
The LORD render to each one his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD delivered thee into [my] hand today, but I would not stretch forth my hand against the LORD'S anointed.


text:
And, behold, as thy life has been esteemed today in my eyes, so let my life be esteemed in the eyes of the LORD and let him deliver me out of all affliction.


text:
Then Saul said to David, Blessed [art] thou, my son David; without a doubt thou shalt do great [things] and prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.:


text:
And David said in his heart, In the end I shall be killed some day by the hand of Saul; [there is] nothing better for me than that I should escape once and for all into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more within the borders of Israel; so shall I escape out of his hand.


text:
And David arose, and he went over with the six hundred men that [were] with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.


text:
And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each one with his household, David with his two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel.


text:
And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let me be given a place in one of the cities of the land that I may dwell there, for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?


text:
Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore, Ziklag pertains to the kings of Judah unto this day.


text:
And the number of days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was four months and some days.


text:
And David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites and the Gezrites and the Amalekites, for these had inhabited the land for a long time, from as thou goest unto Shur even unto the land of Egypt.


text:
And David smote the land and left neither man nor woman alive and took away the sheep and the oxen and the asses and the camels and the apparel and returned and came to Achish.


text:
And Achish would say, Where have ye raided today? And David would say, Against the south of Judah and towards the Negev of the Jerahmeelites or towards the Negev of the Kenites.


text:
And David left neither man nor woman alive, to bring [tidings] to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David. And this was his manner all the time he dwelt in the land of the Philistines.


text:
And Achish believed David, saying, He is making himself abominable unto his people of Israel; therefore, he shall be my servant for ever.:


text:
And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight against Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know for certain, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.


text:
And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore, I will make thee keeper of my head all the days.


text:
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah in his own city. And Saul had removed the spiritists and the diviners out of the land.


text:
And the Philistines gathered themselves together and came and pitched camp in Shunem, and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched camp in Gilboa.


text:
And Saul enquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams nor by Urim nor by prophets.


text:
Then Saul said unto his servants, Seek me a woman that is a spiritist that I may go to her and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, [there is] a woman that is a spiritist at Endor.


text:
And Saul disguised himself and put on other clothing, and he went with two men, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by spiritism and bring me [him] up whom I shall name unto thee.


text:
And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul has done, how he has cut off the spiritists and the diviners out of the land; why then dost thou lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?


text:
And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, [As] the LORD lives, no iniquity shall come upon thee for this thing.


text:
And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? For thou [art] Saul.


text:
And the king said unto her, Do not be afraid. What didst thou see? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods rising out of the land.


text:
And he said unto her, What form [is] he of? And she said, An old man comes, and he [is] covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it [was] Samuel, and he stooped with [his] face to the ground and worshipped.


text:
And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me and no longer answers me neither by prophets nor by dreams; therefore, I have called thee that thou may make known unto me what I shall do.


text:
Then Samuel said, Why then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thy enemy?


text:
The LORD, therefore, has done as he spoke by me! For the LORD has rent the kingdom out of thy hand and given it to thy neighbour, [even] to David.


text:
Because thou didst not hearken unto the voice of the LORD nor execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek; therefore, the LORD has done this thing unto thee today.


text:
And the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow [shalt] thou and thy sons [be] with me; the LORD shall also deliver the camp of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.


text:
Then Saul, as great as he was, fell suddenly to the earth and was sore afraid because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all that day nor all that night.


text:
And the woman came unto Saul and saw that he was sore troubled and said unto him, Behold, thy handmaid has heard thy voice, and I have put my soul in my hand and have hearkened unto thy words which thou didst speak unto me.


text:
Now, therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thy handmaid and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou may have strength, and go on thy way.


text:
But he refused and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him, and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the ground and sat upon a bed.


text:
And the woman had a fat calf in the house, and she hastened and killed it and took flour and kneaded [it] and baked unleavened bread with it.


text:
And she brought [it] before Saul and before his servants, and after they ate, they rose up and went away that night.:


text:
Now the Philistines gathered together all their camps to Aphek, and the Israelites pitched camp by a fountain which [is] in Jezreel.


text:
And as the cardinals of the Philistines reviewed their companies of hundreds and of thousands, David and his men were in the rear with Achish.


text:
Then the princes of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing here? And Achish replied unto the princes of the Philistines, [Is] not this David, the servant of Saul, the king of Israel, who has been with me these days or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell [unto me] unto this day?


text:
Then the princes of the Philistines were angry with him, and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him and not come with us to the battle lest in the battle he be an adversary to us, for with what should he return to the good graces of his master than with the heads of these men?


text:
[Is] not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands and David his ten thousands?


text:
Then Achish called David and said unto him, Surely, [as] the LORD lives, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the camp [is] good in my sight; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day; nevertheless, thou art not good in the eyes of the cardinals.


text:
Therefore, now return and go in peace that thou not do evil in the eyes of the cardinals of the Philistines.


text:
And David replied unto Achish, But what have I done? And what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?


text:
And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou [art] good in my sight as an angel of God; notwithstanding, the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.


text:
Therefore, now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee, and as soon as ye are up early in the morning and it is light, depart.


text:
So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.:


text:
And it came to pass when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day that the Amalekites had invaded the Negev and Ziklag and had smitten Ziklag and burned it with fire.


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And [they] had taken the women captives that [were] therein, from the youngest to the oldest; they did not kill any but carried [them] away and went on their way.


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So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, [it was] burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters were taken captives.


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Then David and the people that [were] with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep.


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And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, who [had been] the wife of Nabal of Carmel.


text:
And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was bitter, each one for his sons and for his daughters; but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.


text:
And David said to Abiathar, the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring the ephod here to me. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.


text:
And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake [them] and without fail recover [all].


text:
So David went, he and the six hundred men that [were] with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where some stayed behind.


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But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.


text:
And they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and gave him bread to eat and water to drink,


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and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him, for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk [any] water, three days and three nights.


text:
And David said unto him, To whom [dost] thou [belong] and where [art] thou from? And the young Egyptian said, I am the servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me three days ago because I was sick.


text:
We made an invasion [upon] towards the Negev from the Chereth and upon Judah and towards the Negev from Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.


text:
And David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.


text:
And so he brought him down, and behold, [they were] spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and holding a feast because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines and out of the land of Judah.


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And David smote them from the [morning] twilight even unto the evening of the next day, and none of them escaped except four hundred young men who rode upon camels and fled.


text:
And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great neither sons nor daughters, of the robbery and of all the things that had been taken from them; David recovered it all.


text:
And David took all the sheep and the cows, and bringing them with all the [other] livestock, they said, This [is] David's spoil.


text:
And David came to the two hundred men who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to remain at the brook Besor, and they went forth to meet David and to meet the people that [were] with him, and when David came near to the people, he saluted them with peace.


text:
Then all the wicked men and [men] of Belial, of those that went with David, answered and said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them of the spoil that we have recovered, except to each man his wife and his children, that they may lead [them] away, and depart.


text:
Then David said, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD has given us, who has kept us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.


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For who will hearken unto you in this matter? For as his part [is] that goes down to the battle, so [shall] his part [be] that remains by the stuff; they shall part alike.


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And it was [so] from that day forward that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.


text:
And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, Behold a blessing for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD:


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to [those] who [were] in Bethel and to [those] who [were] in Ramoth towards the Negev and to [those] who [were] in Jattir


text:
and to [those] who [were] in Aroer and to [those] who [were] in Siphmoth and to [those] who [were] in Eshtemoa


text:
and to [those] who [were] in Rachal and to [those] who [were] in the cities of the Jerahmeelites and to [those] who [were] in the cities of the Kenites


text:
and to [those] who [were] in Hormah and to [those] who [were] in Chorashan and to [those] who [were] in Athach


text:
Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa.


text:
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons, and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons.


text:
And the battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was sore afraid of the archers.


text:
Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword and thrust me through with it lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not, for he was sore afraid. Therefore, Saul took his sword and fell upon it.


text:
And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword and died with him.


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And when the men of Israel that [were] on the other side of the valley and [those] that [were] on the other side of the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.


text:
And it came to pass on the next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in Mount Gilboa.


text:
And they cut off his head and stripped off his weapons and sent them into the land of the Philistines round about to publish [it in] the house of their idols and among the people.


text:
And they put his weapons in the house of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.


text:
all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan and came to Jabesh and burnt them there.


text:
Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;


text:
it came to pass on the third day that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent and earth upon his head, and [so] it was when he came to David, that he fell to the earth and did obeisance.


text:
And David said unto him, Where dost thou come from? And he said unto him, I am escaped out of the camp of Israel.


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And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, The people fled from the battle, and many of the people fell and are dead, and Saul and Jonathan, his son, are dead also.


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And David said unto the young man that told him, How dost thou know that Saul and Jonathan, his son, are dead?


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And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear, and the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.


text:
He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me and slay me, for anguish is come upon me, and all my soul [is] yet in me.


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So I stood upon him and slew him because I was sure that he could not live after he was fallen, and I took the crown that [was] upon his head and the bracelet that [was] on his arm and have brought them here unto my lord.


text:
And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel because they had fallen by the sword.


text:
And David said unto the young man that told him, From where [art] thou? And he answered, I [am] the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.


text:
And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?


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Then David called one of the young men and said, Go near [and] fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.


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And David said unto him, Thy blood [be] upon thy head, for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.


text:
(He also bade them teach the sons of Judah [the use of] the bow. Behold, [it is] written in the book of righteousness.)


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Tell [it] not in Gath, publish [it] not in the streets of Askelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.


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Ye mountains of Gilboa, [let there be] no dew, neither [let there be] rain, upon you nor fields of offerings, for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, [as though he had] not [been] anointed with oil.


text:
Without the blood of the slain, without the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan never turned back, and the sword of Saul never returned empty.


text:
Saul and Jonathan [were] loved and desired in their lives, and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.


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Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with [other] delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.


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How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, [thou wast] slain in thine high places.


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I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been unto me; thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.


text:
And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.


text:
So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, who [had been] the wife of Nabal of Carmel.


text:
And David brought up his men that were with him, each one with his household, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.


text:
And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, The men of Jabeshgilead buried Saul.


text:
And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead and said unto them, Blessed [shall ye be] of the LORD that ye have showed this mercy unto your lord, [even] unto Saul and have buried him.


text:
And now the LORD show mercy and truth unto you; and I also will requite you this kindness because ye have done this thing.


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Therefore, now let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.


text:
But Abner, the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim


text:
and made him king over Gilead and over the Ashuri and over Jezreel and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all Israel.


text:
Ishbosheth, Saul's son, [was] forty years old when he began to reign over Israel and reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David.


text:
And the number of days that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.


text:
And Abner, the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.


text:
And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon, and when they met, the one [group] was on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool.


text:
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.


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Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who [pertained] to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.


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And each one caught his fellow by the head and [thrust] his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together; therefore, that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which [is] in Gibeon.


text:
And there was a very severe battle that day where Abner and the men of Israel were overcome before the servants of David.


text:
And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel, and Asahel [was as] light of foot as a wild roe.


text:
And Asahel pursued after Abner, and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.


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Then Abner said to him, Turn aside to thy right hand or to thy left and lay hold on one of the young men and take his spoil. But Asahel would not turn aside from following after him.


text:
And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me; why should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab, thy brother?


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Howbeit he refused to turn aside; therefore, Abner with the butt end of the spear smote him under the fifth [rib] that the spear came out behind him, and he fell down there and died in the same place. And it came to pass [that] as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.


text:
But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah that [lies] before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.


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And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together in one troop with Abner and stood on the top of a hill.


text:
Then Abner called to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? Dost thou not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then before thou bid the people to return from following their brethren?


text:
And Joab replied, As God lives, if thou had not spoken, surely from this morning the people would have left off from following their brothers.


text:
So Joab blew the shofar, and all the people stood still and no longer pursued after Israel, neither did they fight any more.


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And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passing the Jordan, they went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.


text:
Joab also returned from following Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.


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But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin and of Abner's men, [so that] three hundred and sixty men died.


text:
And they took up Asahel and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which [was in] Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at [the] break of day.:


text:
Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.


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and his second, Chileab, of Abigail who [had been] the wife of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom, the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;


text:
And it came to pass while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.


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And Saul had a concubine, whose name [was] Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And [Ishbosheth] said to Abner, Why hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?


text:
Then Abner was very angry for the words of Ishbosheth and said, [Am] I a dog's head in regard to Judah? I have shown mercy this day unto the house of Saul, thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends and have not delivered thee into the hand of David that thou dost charge me today with iniquity concerning this woman?


text:
to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah from Dan even to Beersheba.


text:
And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose [is] the land? And that they should also say, Make thy covenant with me, and, behold, my hand [shall be] with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.


text:
And he said, Good; I will make a covenant with thee, but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.


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After this, David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver [me] my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.


text:
And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then Abner said unto him, Go, return. And he returned.


text:
And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in times past [to be] king over you;


text:
now then do [it], for the LORD has spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and out of the hand of all their enemies.


text:
And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.


text:
So Abner came to David to Hebron and twenty men with him. And David made a banquet for Abner and the men that [were] with him.


text:
And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king that they may make a covenant with thee and that thou may reign over all that thy heart desires. And David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.


text:
And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from [pursuing] a troop and brought in a great spoil with them. But Abner [was not] with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.


text:
When Joab and all the host that [was] with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner, the son of Ner, came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he is gone in peace.


text:
Then Joab came to the king and said, What hast thou done? Behold, Abner came unto thee; why [is] it [that] thou hast let him go?


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Dost thou not know that Abner, the son of Ner, came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in and to know all that thou doest?


text:
And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, who caused him to return from the well of Sirah, but David did not know [it].


text:
And when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly and smote him there under the fifth [rib] that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.


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And afterward when David heard [it], he said, I and my kingdom [are] guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner, the son of Ner.


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Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father's house and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue or that is a leper or that leans on a staff or that dies by the sword or that lacks bread.


text:
So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.


text:
Then David said to Joab and to all the people that [were] with him, Rend your clothes and gird yourselves with sackcloth and mourn before Abner. And King David [himself] followed the bier.


text:
And they buried Abner in Hebron, and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.


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Thy hands [were] not bound nor thy feet put into fetters. Thou didst fall as a man falls before wicked men. And all the people wept again over him.


text:
And when all the people came to cause David to eat food while it was yet day, David swore, saying, So do God to me, and more also if I taste bread or anything else until the sun is down.


text:
And all the people understood, and it pleased them, for whatever the king did pleased all the people.


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For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner, the son of Ner.


text:
Then the king said unto his servants, Do ye not know that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?


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And I [am] this day a tender anointed king, and these men the sons of Zeruiah [are] too hard for me; the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.:


text:
And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.


text:
And Saul's son had two men [that were] captains of companies; the name of the one [was] Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon, a Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin;


text:
And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son [that was] lame of [his] feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and it came to pass as she made haste to flee that he fell, and became lame. And his name [was] Mephibosheth.


text:
And the sons of Rimmon, the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.


text:
And they came there into the midst of the house [as though] they were wheat merchants, and they smote him under the fifth [rib]; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.


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For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him and beheaded him and took his head and walked all night through the plain.


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And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thy enemy, who sought thy life, and the LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed.


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And David answered Rechab and Baanah, his brother, the sons of Rimmon, the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD lives, who has ransomed my soul out of all adversity,


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when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him and slew him in Ziklag as a reward for his tidings.


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How much more unto wicked men who have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? Shall I not, therefore, now require his blood of your hand and remove you from the earth?


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Then David commanded his young men, and they slew them and cut off their hands and their feet and hung [them] up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried [it] in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.:


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Then all the tribes of Israel came unto David in Hebron and spoke, saying, Behold, we [are] thy bone and thy flesh.


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And even yesterday and the day before yesterday, when Saul was king over us, it was thou that didst lead out and bring in Israel; and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.


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So all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel.


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In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.


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Then the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, who dwelt in the land, who spoke unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in here, thinking, David cannot come in here.


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And David said on that day, Who shall go up the waterspout and smite the Jebusites and the lame and the blind, [that are] hated of David's soul? Therefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.


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So David dwelt in the fortress and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.


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And Hiram, king of Tyre, also sent messengers to David, and cedar trees and carpenters and masons, and they built David a house.


text:
And David understood that the LORD had confirmed him as king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.


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And David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem after he had come from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born unto David.


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And these [were] the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,


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But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David, and David heard [of it] and went down to the fortress.


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Then David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up, for I without a doubt will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.


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And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there and said, The LORD has broken forth upon my enemies before me as the breach of waters. Therefore, he called the name of that place Baalperazim.


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And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up, [but] go around behind them and come upon them over against the mulberry trees,


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and when thou hearest thunder going through the tops of the mulberry trees, then thou shalt move, for then the LORD shall go out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.


text:
And David arose and went with all the people that [were] with him from Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God upon which the name of the LORD of the hosts is invoked, who dwells there between the cherubim.


text:
And they set the ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that [was] in Gibeah, and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab drove the new cart.


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And when they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which [was] at Gibeah, with the ark of God, Ahio went before the ark.


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And David and all the house of Israel danced before the LORD with all manner of [instruments made of] fir wood, even on harps and on psalteries and on timbrels and on cornets and on cymbals.


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And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth [his hand] to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook [it].


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And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for [his] effrontery, and there he died by the ark of God.


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And David was grieved because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah, and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.


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So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David, but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom, the Gittite.


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And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.


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And it was told King David, saying, The LORD has blessed the house of Obededom and all that [pertains] unto him because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.


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And it was [so] that when those that bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.


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So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the shofar.


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And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.


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And they brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it, and David offered burnt offerings and peace [offerings] before the LORD.


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And as soon as David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of the hosts.


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And he dealt among all the people, [even] among the whole multitude of Israel, to the men as well to the women, to each one a cake of bread and a good piece of flesh and a flagon [of wine]. So all the people departed each one to his house.


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Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal, the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!


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Then David said unto Michal, [It was] before the LORD, who chose me over thy father and over all his house to appoint me prince over the people of the LORD, over Israel; therefore, I will dance before the LORD.


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And I will yet be more vile than thus and will be base in my own sight and before the maidservants whom thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.


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And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,


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that the king said unto Nathan, the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains.


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Go and tell my servant David, Thus hath the LORD said, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in?


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For I have not dwelt in [any] house since the time that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in [a] tent and in [a] tabernacle.


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In all [the places] in which I have walked with all the sons of Israel did I speak a word in any of the tribes of Israel, unto whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why did ye not build me a house of cedar?


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Now, therefore, so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus hath the LORD of the hosts said, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people, over Israel;


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and I have been with thee wherever thou didst walk and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great [men] that [are] in the earth.


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Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their place and never again be removed; neither shall the sons of iniquity afflict them any more as before,


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since the time that I commanded judges [to be] over my people Israel. And I will cause thee to rest from all thy enemies. Likewise, the LORD makes thee to know that he will make thee a house.


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And when thy days are fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.


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I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men;


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but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took [it] from Saul, whom I took away from before thee.


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And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever.


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Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, O Lord GOD, Who am I and what [is] my house that thou hast brought me thus far?


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And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come and that this shall be the condition of a man, O Lord GOD.


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For thou hast done all these great things by thy word and according to thine own heart to make thy servant know [them].


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Therefore, thou art great, O LORD God, for [there is] none like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.


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And who in the earth is like thy people, like Israel? A Gentile for [the love of] whom God went to ransom as a people to himself and to give him a name and to do with you great and terrible things in thy land because of thy people whom thou didst redeem unto thee from Egypt, [from] the Gentiles and their gods?


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For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel [to be] thy people for ever, and thou, LORD, have become their God.


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And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house, raise [it] up for ever and do as thou hast said.


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For [thus] shall thy name be magnified for ever that it [may] be said, The LORD of the hosts [is] God over Israel and that the house of thy servant David be established before thee.


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For thou, O LORD of the hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore, thy servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer in thy presence.


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And now, O Lord GOD, thou [art] God, and thy words shall be firm, and thou hast spoken this goodness unto thy servant.


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Therefore, now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant that it may continue for ever before thee, for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken [it], and with thy blessing the house of thy servant shall be blessed for ever.:


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And after this it, came to pass that David smote the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.


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He also smote those of Moab and measured them with a line, causing them to lie down on the ground, and he measured them with two lines, [with one] to put to death and the [other] full line to keep alive. And [so] the Moabites became David's servants, bringing presents.


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David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to extend his border to the river Euphrates.


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And David took from him a thousand seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen, and David hamstrung all the chariot [horses] but reserved of them [for] one hundred chariots.


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And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men.


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Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David, bringing presents. And the LORD saved David wherever he went.


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And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.


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Likewise from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of brass.


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then Toi sent Joram, his son, unto king David, to greet him peacefully and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him, for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And [Joram] brought vessels of silver and vessels of gold and vessels of brass in his hand,


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which King David dedicated unto the LORD with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all Gentiles which he subdued


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of the Sirians and of the Moabites and of the sons of Ammon and of the Philistines and of Amalekites and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.


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And David received fame when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt eighteen thousand [men].


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And he put garrisons in Edom; he put garrisons throughout all Edom, and all those of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD saved David wherever he went.


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And David reigned over all Israel, and David executed justice and righteousness unto all his people.


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And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, [was] over the host, and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, [was] the writer of chronicles;


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and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, [were] the priests, and Seraiah [was] the scribe,


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and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, [was over] both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were priests.:


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And [there was] a servant of the house of Saul whose name [was] Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, [Art] thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant [is he].


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And the king said, [Is] there no one left of the house of Saul that I may show the mercy of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, There remains a son of Jonathan, [who is] lame on [his] feet.


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And the king said unto him, Where [is] he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he [is] in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.


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Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face and worshiped. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!


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And David said unto him, Fear not; for I will surely show thee mercy for Jonathan, thy father's sake, and will restore [unto] thee all the land of Saul, thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.


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And he bowed himself and said, Who [is] thy servant, that thou should look upon such a dead dog as I [am]?


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Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.


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Thou, therefore, and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in [the fruits] that thy master's son may have bread to eat, but Mephibosheth, thy master's son, shall eat bread always at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.


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Then Ziba said unto the king, According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, [said the king], he shall eat at my table as one of the king's sons.


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And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name [was] Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba [were] servants unto Mephibosheth.


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So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table and was lame on both his feet.:


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And it came to pass after this that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.


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Then David said, I will show mercy unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed mercy unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon.


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And the princes of the sons of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Does it appear unto thee that David has sent comforters unto thee to honour thy father? Has not David [rather] sent his servants unto thee to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?


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Therefore, Hanun took David's servants and shaved off the one half of their beards and cut off their garments in the middle [even] to their buttocks and sent them away.


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When they told [it] unto David, he sent to meet them because the men were greatly ashamed, and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards are grown and [then] return.


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And when the sons of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.


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And the sons of Ammon came out and ordered their troops at the entering in of the gate, and the Syrians of Zoba and of Rehob and Ishtob and Maacah [were in order] by themselves in the field.


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When Joab saw that there were troops before and behind him, he chose from among the chosen [men] of Israel and put [them] in order against the Syrians.


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[Then] he delivered the rest of the people into the hand of Abishai his brother that he might put [them] in order against the sons of Ammon.


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And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.


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Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God; and let the LORD do that which seems good unto him.


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And Joab drew near and the people that [were] with him, to do battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.


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And when the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they also fled before Abishai and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.


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And Hadarezer sent and brought out the Syrians that [were] beyond the river, and they came to Helam, and Shobach, the captain of the host of Hadarezer, [went] before them.


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And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and passed over the Jordan and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in order against David and fought with him.


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And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew [the men of] seven hundred chariots of the Syrians and forty thousand horsemen and smote Shobach, the captain of their host, who died there.


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And when all the kings [that were] servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the sons of Ammon any more.:


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And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth [to battle], that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.


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And it came to pass one evening, that David arose from off his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman [was] very beautiful to look upon.


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And David sent and enquired after the woman. And [one] said, [Is] not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah, the Hittite?


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And David sent messengers and took her, and she came in unto him, and he lay with her. Then she purified herself from her uncleanness, and she returned unto her house.


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And when Uriah had come unto him, David asked [him] how Joab was and how the people were and how the war prospered.


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And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and royal food was sent unto him.


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But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house.


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And when they had told David, saying, Uriah did not go down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Didst thou not come from [thy] journey? Why [then] didst thou not go down to thy house?


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And Uriah said unto David, The ark and Israel and Judah abide in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? [By thy] life and [by] the life of thy soul, I will not do this thing.


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And David said to Uriah, Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day and the next day.


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And when David had called him, he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord but did not go down to his house.


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And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent [it] by the hand of Uriah.


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And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and retire from him, that he may be smitten and die.


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And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that the most valiant men [were].


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And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and [some] of the people of the servants of David fell, and Uriah the Hittite died also.


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and charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast finished telling the matters of the war unto the king,


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and if the king begins to be angry and he should say unto thee, Why did you approach so near unto the city when ye fought? Did ye not know that which they can throw down from the wall?


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Who smote Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? Then thou shalt say, Thy servant Uriah, the Hittite, is dead also.


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And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us and came out unto us into the field, and we made them retreat unto the entering of the gate.


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And the archers shot from off the wall upon thy servants, and [some] of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah, the Hittite, is dead also.


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Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devours one as well as another; strengthen the battle against the city until it is overthrown and encourage thou him.


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And when the mourning was past, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and gave birth to a son unto him. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.:


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And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich and the other poor.


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but the poor [man] had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up, and it grew up together with him and with his children; it ate of his own food and drank of his own cup and lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter.


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And a traveller came unto the rich man, who did not wish to take of his own sheep and of his own cows to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man's lamb and dressed it for the man that had come to him.


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And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the LORD lives, the man that has done this [thing] is worthy of death,


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Then Nathan said to David, Thou [art] the man. Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul,


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and I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah, and if [that is] too little, I shall add unto thee such and such things.


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Why, therefore, hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah, the Hittite, with the sword and hast taken his wife [to be] thy wife and hast slain him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.


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Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from thy house because thou hast despised me and hast taken the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, to be thy wife.


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Thus hath the LORD said, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house, and I will take thy wives before thy eyes and give [them] unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.


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Then David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also has taken away thy sin; thou shalt not die.


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However, because by this deed, thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme; the son that is born unto thee shall surely die.


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And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had given birth unto David, and it was very sick.


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David, therefore, besought God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth.


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And the elders of his house arose [and went] to him to raise him up from the earth, but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.


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And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice; how much more will it trouble him if we tell him that the child is dead?


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But when David saw that his servants whispered, David understood that the child was dead; therefore, David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.


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Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed [himself] and changed his clothes and came into the house of the LORD and worshipped. Then he came to his own house; and when he asked, they set bread before him, and he ate.


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Then his servants said unto him, What [is] this that thou hast done? Thou didst fast and weep for the child [while it was alive]; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.


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And he replied, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who can tell [whether] GOD will have mercy on me, that the child may live?


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But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.


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And David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and went in unto her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he called his name Solomon; and the LORD loved him.


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Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, I have fought against Rabbah and have taken the city of waters.


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Now, therefore, gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.


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And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight of which [was] a talent of gold with the precious stones, and it was [set] on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.


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And he brought forth the people that [were] therein and put [them] under saws and under harrows of iron and under axes of iron and made them pass through the brickkiln, and thus did he unto all the cities of the sons of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.:


text:
And it came to pass after this that Absalom, the son of David, had a beautiful sister, whose name [was] Tamar, and Amnon, the son of David, loved her.


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And Amnon was so distressed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, for she [was] a virgin, and Amnon thought it difficult for him to do any thing to her.


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But Amnon had a friend, whose name [was] Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, and Jonadab [was] a very astute man.


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And he said unto him, Why [art] thou, [being] the king's son, becoming thinner from day to day? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.


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And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed and pretend to be sick; and when thy father comes to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come and give me food and make the food in my sight that I may see [it] and eat [it] at her hand.


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So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick, and when the king cane to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar, my sister, come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight that I may eat at her hand.


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Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's house and make him something to eat.


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So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, and he was lying down. And she took flour and kneaded [it] and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes.


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Then she took a pan and poured [them] out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Send everyone out from me. And they all went out from him.


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Then Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the food into the chamber that I may eat from thy hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought [them] into the chamber to Amnon, her brother.


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And when she had brought [them] unto him to eat, he took hold of her and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.


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And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not commit this folly.


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And I, where shall I go with my reproach? And as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now, therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king, for he will not withhold me from thee.


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Howbeit, he would not hearken unto her voice, but, being stronger than she, forced her and lay with her.


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Then Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred with which he hated her [was] greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.


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And she said unto him, [There is] no cause; this evil in sending me away [is] greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.


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Then he called his servant that ministered unto him and said, Put now this [woman] out from me and bolt the door after her.


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And [she had] a garment of different colours upon her, for with such robes were the king's daughters [that were] virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her.


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And Tamar put ashes on her head and rent her garment of different colours that [was] on her and laid her hand on her head and went on crying.


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And Absalom, her brother, said unto her, Has Amnon thy brother been with thee? But now remain silent, my sister; he is thy brother; do not regard this thing in thy heart. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.


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And Absalom spoke neither good nor bad unto his brother Amnon, for Absalom hated Amnon because he had forced his sister Tamar.


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And it came to pass after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which [is] beside Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons.


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And Absalom came to the king and said, Behold now, thy servant has sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant.


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And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go lest we be burdensome unto thee. And he pressed him; however, he would not go but blessed him.


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Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?


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Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon, then kill him. Fear not; have I not commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant.


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And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and they all got upon their mules and fled.


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And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that the rumour came to David, saying, Absalom has slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.


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Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.


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And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, Do not let my lord suppose [that] they have slain all the young men, the king's sons, for only Amnon is dead, for by the mouth of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.


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Now, therefore, do not let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead, for only Amnon is dead.


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But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there came many people by the way of the side of the mountain behind him.


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And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very sore.


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But Absalom fled and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And [David] mourned for his son every day.


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And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought an astute woman from there and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner and put on mourning apparel and do not anoint thyself with oil, but be as a woman that has mourned for a long time for someone who is dead


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And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance and said, Save [me], O king.


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And the king said unto her, What ails thee? And she answered, I am a widow woman, and my husband is dead.


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And thy handmaid had two sons, and the two strove together in the field, and [there was] no one to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him.


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And, behold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and we will destroy the heir also. So they shall quench my coal which is left and shall not leave to my husband [neither] name nor remainder upon the earth.


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And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity [be] on me and on my father's house; and the king and his throne [be] guiltless.


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And the king said, Whoever speaks against thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.


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Then she said, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou will not allow the avengers of blood to increase the damage by destroying my son. And he said, As the LORD lives, not one hair of thy son shall fall to the earth.


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Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak [one] word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.


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And the woman said, Why then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? For the king speaks this word as one who is guilty in that the king does not bring home again his banished.


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For it is certain that we die and [are] as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither does God respect [any] person; yet he does devise means that his outcasts not be expelled from him.


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Now, therefore, that I have come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. But thy handmaid said [to herself], I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the word of his handmaid.


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For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man [that would] destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.


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Then thy handmaid said, Let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil; and let the LORD thy God be with thee.


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Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.


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And the king said, [Is not] the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, By the life of thy soul, my lord the king, I can not turn to the right hand or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken; for thy servant Joab, he commanded me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid;


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to bring about this form of speech thy servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord [is] wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know that which is [done] in the earth.


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Then the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing; go, therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.


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And Joab fell to the ground on his face and worshipped and blessed the king, and Joab said, Today thy servant knows that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the word of his servant.


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But the king said, Let him go to his own house and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and did not see the king's face.


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And in all Israel there was no one to be so greatly praised as Absalom for his beauty; from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.


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And when he shaved his head (for it was at every year's end that he shaved [it]: because [the hair] was heavy on him, therefore, he shaved it), the hair of his head weighed two hundred shekels after the king's weight.


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And unto Absalom there were born three sons and one daughter, whose name [was] Tamar, who was a beautiful woman to behold.


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Therefore, Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him; and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.


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Therefore, he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.


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Then Joab arose and came to Absalom unto [his] house and said unto him, Why have thy servants set my field on fire?


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And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I have sent for thee, saying, Come here, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Why have I come from Geshur? [It would have been] better for me [to have been] there still. Now, therefore, let me see the king's face; and if there is [any] iniquity in me, let him kill me.


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So Joab came to the king and told him. Then he called Absalom, who came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.:


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And it came to pass after this that Absalom prepared himself chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him.


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And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate; and when anyone that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto them and said, Of what city [art] thou? And he said, Thy servant [is] of one of the tribes of Israel.


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And Absalom would say unto them, See, thy matters [are] good and just; but [there is] no one [delegated] by the king to hear thee.


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And Absalom would say, Oh, that I were made judge in the land, that everyone who has any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!


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And it was so, that when anyone came near [unto him] to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him.


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And Absalom did according to this manner with all Israel that came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of those of Israel.


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And at the end of [a predetermined period of] forty years, it came to pass that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go to Hebron and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD.


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For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.


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But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the shofar, then ye shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron.


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And two hundred men of Jerusalem went with Absalom, [that were] invited [by him], and they went in their integrity, without knowing anything.


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Absalom also sent for Ahithophel, the Gilonite, of David's counsel, from his city, [even] from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.


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Then David said unto all his servants that [were] with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee, for we shall not [otherwise] escape from Absalom; make speed to depart lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us and smite the city with the edge of the sword.


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And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants [are ready to do] whatever my lord the king shall choose.


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And the king went forth and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, [who were] concubines, to keep the house.


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And all his servants passed to his side, and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come on foot [with him] from Gath, went before the king.


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Then the king said to Ittai, the Gittite, Why dost thou also go also with us? Return to thy place and abide with the king; for thou [art] a stranger and also an exile.


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Whereas thou didst come [but] yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? Seeing I go where I go, return thou and take back thy brethren; mercy and truth [are] in thee.


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And Ittai answered the king and said, As the LORD lives and [as] my lord the king lives, for life or for death, wherever my lord the king shall be, there also will thy servant be.


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Then David said to Ittai, Go, therefore, and pass. And Ittai, the Gittite, passed and all his men and all the little ones that [were] with him.


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And all those of the land wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed the brook Kidron; and then the king also passed, and all the people passed unto the way of the wilderness.


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And behold Zadok also and with him all the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God. And Abiathar went up after all the people had finished leaving the city.


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But the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city; if I shall find grace in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again and show me [both] it and his tabernacle.


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But if he should say, I have no delight in thee; behold, [here] I [am], let him do to me as seems good unto him.


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The king said also unto Zadok, the priest, [Art not] thou a seer? Return into the city in peace and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz, thy son, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar.


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And David went up by the ascent of [Mount] Olivet and wept as he went up and had his head covered, and he went barefoot. And all the people that [were] with him covered each one his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.


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And it was told David, saying, Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom. Then David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into folly.


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And it came to pass that [when] David came to the top [of the mount] to worship God there, behold, Hushai, the Archite came to meet him, with his coat rent and earth upon his head,


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but if thou return to the city and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king [as] I [have been] thy father's servant until now, so [will] I now also [be] thy servant; then thou may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me.


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Are not Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, there with thee? Therefore, it shall be [that] whatever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell [it] to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests.


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Behold, [they have] there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's [son], and Jonathan, Abiathar's [son]; and by them you shall send unto me everything that you hear.


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And when David was a little past the top [of the mountain], behold, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him with a couple of asses saddled and upon them two hundred [loaves] of bread and one hundred bunches of raisins and one hundred of summer fruits and a bottle of wine.


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And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses [are] for the king's household to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit for the servants to eat, and the wine that those that become weary in the wilderness may drink.


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And the king said, And where [is] thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abides at Jerusalem, for he said, Today shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.


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Then the king said to Ziba, Behold, thine [are] all that [pertained] unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba bowed down and said, Let me find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.


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And when King David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of the house of Saul came forth, whose name [was] Shimei, the son of Gera; he came forth cursing


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and casting stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men [were] on his right hand and on his left.


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the LORD has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom, thy son; and, behold, thou [art taken] in thy evil because thou [art] a bloody man.


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Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse, my lord the king? Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.


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And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Why hast thou done so?


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And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth of my bowels, seeks my life; how much more now a son of Jemini? Let him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has bidden him.


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It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.


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And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the side of the mountain over against him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and cast dust.


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And it came to pass when Hushai the Archite, David's special companion, came unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, [Long] live the king, [Long] live the king.


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And Absalom said to Hushai, [Is] this thy mercy to thy friend? Why didst thou not go with thy friend?


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And Hushai said unto Absalom, No, but whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.


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And again, whom should I serve? [Should I] not [serve] in the presence of his son? As I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.


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And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father; then the hands of all that [are] with thee shall be strong.


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So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house, and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.


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And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, [was] as if a man had enquired at the word of God: so [was] all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.:


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Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night,


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and I will come upon him while he [is] weary and weak-handed and will make him afraid, and all the people that [are] with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only.


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Thus will I turn all the people back unto thee, and when they have returned (for that man is whom thou dost seek), all the people shall be in peace.


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And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke unto him, saying, Thus spoke Ahithophel; shall we follow his word or not? Speak thou.


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For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [are] mighty men, and [now] their souls are bitter, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And thy father [is] a man of war and will not lodge with the people.


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Behold, he is hid now in some pit or in some [other] place, and if some of thy [men] are overthrown at the beginning, whoever hears of it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.


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Thus even the valiant, whose heart [is] as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt, for all Israel knows that thy father [is] a mighty man and [those] who [are] with him [are] valiant men.


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Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that [is] by the sea for multitude, and that thou go to battle in thine own person.


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Then we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men that [are] with him, there shall not be left so much as one.


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Moreover, if he goes into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river until not even one small stone is found there.


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Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai, the Archite, [is] better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had given orders to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.


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Then Hushai said unto Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled.


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Now, therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, Do not lodge this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass [the Jordan]; lest the king be swallowed up and all the people that [are] with him.


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Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel, for they could not be seen coming into the city; and a maidservant went and told them, and they went and told king David.


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Nevertheless, a young man saw them and told Absalom, but both of them went away quickly and came to a man's house in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they went down into it.


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And the woman [of the house] took and spread a covering over the well's mouth and spread ground wheat upon it, and the thing was not known.


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And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where [is] Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They have gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find [them], they returned to Jerusalem.


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And it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told king David and said unto David, Arise and pass quickly over the water, for thus has Ahithophel counseled against you.


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Then David arose and all the people that [were] with him, and they passed over the Jordan before the morning light; there lacked not one of them that was not gone over the Jordan.


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And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled [his] ass and arose, and went home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order and hanged himself and died and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.


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And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab; this Amasa was the son of a man of Israel named Ithra, who had gone in to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.


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And it came to pass, when David arrived at Mahanaim, that Shobi, the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the sons of Ammon; and Machir, the son of Ammiel of Lodebar; and Barzillai, the Gileadite of Rogelim,


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brought beds and basins and earthen vessels and wheat and barley and flour and parched [wheat] and beans and lentils and parched [grain]


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and honey and butter and sheep and cheese of cows for David and for the people that [were] with him, to eat, for they said, These people [are] hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.:


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And David numbered the people that [were] with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.


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And David sent forth a third [part] of the people under the hand of Joab and another third under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and the other third under the hand of Ittai, the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.


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But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us; but now [thou art] worth ten thousand of us. Therefore, now [it is] better that thou help us out of the city.


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Then the king said unto them, I will do what seems best unto you. And the king stood beside the gate, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.


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And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, [Deal] gently for my sake with the young man, [even] with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.


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where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand [men].


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For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.


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And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that [was] under him went away.


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And Joab replied unto the man that told him, Behold, when thou didst see [him], why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? I would have given thee ten [shekels] of silver and a girdle.


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And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand [shekels] of silver in my hand, [yet] I would not put forth my hand against the king's son, for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that no one [touch] the young man Absalom.


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Otherwise, I should have wrought falsehood against my own soul (for there is no matter hid from the king), and thou thyself would have set thyself against [me].


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Then Joab answered, I may not tarry thus with thee. And taking three darts in his hand, he thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he [was] yet alive in the midst of the oak.


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Then Joab blew the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people.


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And they took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest and laid a very great heap of stones upon him; and all Israel fled each one to his tent.


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Now Absalom, while he was alive, had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which [is] in the king's valley; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance. And he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.


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Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, Let me now run and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD has vindicated him of his enemies.


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And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings today, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings because the king's son is dead.


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And Joab said to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab and ran.


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Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said yet again unto Joab, Be what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt receive no reward for the tidings?


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But, [said he], let me run, be what may. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain and overran Cushi.


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And David sat between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall and lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold a man running alone.


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And the watchman cried and told the king. And the king said, If he [is] alone, he brings good news. [And while] he kept on drawing near,


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the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called unto the porter and said, Behold [another] man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.


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And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He [is] a good man and comes with good tidings.


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And Ahimaaz called and said unto the king peace. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed [be] the LORD thy God, who has delivered up those men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.


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And the king said, Is the young man Absalom at peace? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and [me] thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what [it was].


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And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king, for the LORD has vindicated thee today of all those that rose up against thee.


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And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom at peace? And Cushi answered, Let the enemies of my lord the king and all that rise against thee for evil, be as [that] young man.


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Then the king was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept; and as he went, he said this: O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! I would rather have died instead of thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!:


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And that day the salvation was [turned] into mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day how the king was grieved for his son.


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And the people entered by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.


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But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!


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And Joab entering into the house of the king, said unto him, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, who this day have saved thy life and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters and the lives of thy wives and the lives of thy concubines,


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by loving those who hate thee and hating thy friends. For thou hast declared this day that thou dost not regard thy princes nor thy servants. For this day I perceive that if Absalom had lived and we had all died today, [then this would be] right in thine eyes.


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Now, therefore, arise, go forth and speak unto the heart of thy servants, for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, not one of them will abide with thee tonight and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that has come upon thee from thy youth until now.


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Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And it was declared unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king sits in the gate. And all the people came before the king, but Israel had fled every man to his tent.


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And all the people were in contention throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land for Absalom.


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And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now, therefore, why are ye silent regarding bringing the king back?


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And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why shall ye be the last to bring the king back to his house? Seeing that the word of all Israel has come to the king, [to return him] to his house.


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Ye [are] my brethren, ye [are] my bones and my flesh; why then are ye the last to bring back the king?


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Likewise say ye to Amasa, [Art] thou not of my bone and of my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the place of Joab.


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And he inclined the heart of all the men of Judah, even as [the heart of] one man, so that they sent [this word] unto the king, Return thou and all thy servants.


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So the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over the Jordan.


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And Shimei, the son of Gera, son of Jemini, who [was] of Bahurim, hastened and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.


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And [there were] a thousand men of Benjamin with him; likewise Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him, who went over the Jordan before the king.


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Then the ferry boat went over to carry over the king's household and to do what he desired. Then Shimei, the son of Gera, fell down before the king, as he was passing the Jordan,


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And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither retain the memory of the wickedness that thy servant did the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should guard it in his heart.


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For I, thy servant, know that I have sinned; therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.


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But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?


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Then David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? Shall anyone be put to death today in Israel? Do I not know that I [am] this day king over Israel?


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Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, also came down to meet the king and had neither washed his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came [again] in peace.


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And after he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said unto him, Why didst thou not go with me, Mephibosheth?


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And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride upon it and go to the king because thy servant [is] lame.


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And he has slandered thy servant unto my lord the king, but my lord the king [is] as an angel of God; do therefore [what is] good in thine eyes.


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For all [of] my father's house were worthy of death before my lord the king; yet thou didst set thy servant among those that eat at thy own table. What righteousness, therefore, have I yet to cry any more unto the king?


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And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more words? I have determined, Thou and Ziba divide the land.


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And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Let him even take it all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.


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Barzillai, the Gileadite, also came down from Rogelim and went over the Jordan with the king to conduct him over the Jordan.


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Now Barzillai was a very aged man, of eighty years, who had provided the king with sustenance while he was at Mahanaim, for he [was] a very great man.


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And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.


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And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?


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I [am] this day eighty years old, [and] shall I tell the difference between the good and the bad? Shall thy servant enjoy what I eat or what I drink? Shall I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?


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Thy servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king, and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?


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Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in my own city [and be buried] by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king, and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.


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And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do with him that which shall seem good unto thee, and whatever thou shalt ask of me, [that] will I do for thee.


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And all the people went over the Jordan. And when the king had also come over, the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned unto his own place.


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Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.


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And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah, stolen thee away and have brought the king and his household and all David's men with him, over the Jordan?


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And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king [is] near of kin to us. Why then are ye angry for this matter? Have we eaten anything at the king's cost? Or has he given us any gift?


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Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more [right] in David than ye; why then did ye not take us into account? Did we not speak first about bringing back our king? But [in the end] the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.:


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And a man of Belial happened to be there, whose name [was] Sheba, the son of Bichri, a man of Jemini, and he blew the shofar, saying, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, O Israel.


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So all the men of Israel went up from after David [and] followed Sheba, the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah cleaved unto their king from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.


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And [when] David came to his house at Jerusalem, the king took the ten women, [his] concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward and fed them, but did not go in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.


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Then the king said to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah for the third day, and be thou here present.


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So Amasa went to assemble [the men of] Judah, but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.


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And David said to Abishai, Now Sheba, the son of Bichri, shall do us more harm than Absalom; take thou thy lord's servants and pursue after him lest he find fenced cities and escape us.


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Then Joab's men went out after him, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba, the son of Bichri.


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When they [were] at the great stone which [is] in Gibeon, Amasa came out and met them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him and upon it a girdle [with] a sword fastened upon his loins in its sheath, and as he went forth, it fell out.


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And Joab said to Amasa, [Art] thou in peace, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.


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But Amasa took no heed of the sword that [was] in Joab's hand; and he smote him with it in the fifth [rib], and shed out his bowels to the ground and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai, his brother, pursued after Sheba, the son of Bichri.


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And one of Joab's servants stood by him, and said, He that favours Joab and he that [is] for David, [let him go] after Joab.


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And Amasa had wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field and cast a garment upon him because he saw that every one that came by him stopped.


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When he was removed out of the highway, all the people that followed Joab passed on, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.


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And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel and to Bethmaachah and all the Berites; and they were gathered together and also went after him.


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And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and [the people] went against the wall; and all the people that [were] with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.


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Then a wise woman cried out in the city, Hear, hear, I pray you, tell Joab to come here, that I may speak with him.


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And when he had come near unto her, the woman said, [Art] thou Joab? And he answered, I [am he]. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thy handmaid. And he answered, I hear.


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Then she spoke, saying, They used to speak in old times, saying, If you have a question ask it at Abel; and so they concluded [the matter].


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I]am one of those that are] peaceable [and] faithful in Israel, and thou seekest to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel; why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?


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The matter [is] not so, but a man of Mount Ephraim, Sheba, the son of Bichri, by name, has lifted up his hand against king David; give only him over, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.


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Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri, and cast [it] out to Joab. And he blew the shofar, and they retired from the city, each one to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.


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So Joab [remained] over all the host of Israel, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, [was] over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites;


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and Adoram [was] over the tribute, and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, [was] writer of the chronicles,


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Then there was a famine in the days of David for three consecutive years, and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, [It is] because of Saul and because of [his] bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.


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And the king called the Gibeonites and said unto them: (now the Gibeonites [were] not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the sons of Israel had sworn unto them, and Saul had sought to slay them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah).


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Therefore, David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make reconciliation that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?


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And the Gibeonites replied unto him, We have no [quarrel] regarding silver nor gold with Saul, nor with his house; neither do we desire that anyone in Israel should die. And he said unto them, What ye shall say [that] will I do for you.


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And they answered the king, The man that consumed us and that devised against us, let us destroy him that nothing [of him] remains in any of the borders of Israel.


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Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will disjoint them, [hanging them from a tree], unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, [whom] the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give [them].


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But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that [was] between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.


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But the king took the two sons of Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, whom she gave birth unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and five sons of Michal, the daughter of Saul, whom she had given birth unto Adriel, the son of Barzillai, the Meholathite;


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and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they disjointed them [hanging them from a tree] in the hill before the LORD; and they fell [all] seven together and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first [days], in the beginning of barley harvest.


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And Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, took sackcloth and spread it upon the rock from the beginning of harvest until water rained upon them out of heaven and allowed neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.


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Then David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan, his son, from the men of Jabeshgilead, who had stolen them from the plaza of Bethshan where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa;


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and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan, his son; and they gathered the bones of those that had been disjointed [by being hanged from a tree],


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and they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan, his son, in the land of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father; and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.


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And the Philistines made war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines; and David became weary.


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And Ishbibenob, who [was] of the sons of the giant, and the weight of whose spear [was] three hundred [shekels] of brass in weight, was girded with a new [sword] and had determined to kill David.


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But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, helped David, and smote the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore unto him, saying, From now on thou shalt not go out with us to battle that thou not quench the light of Israel.


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And after this, there was a second war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbechai, the Hushathite, slew Saph, who [was] of the sons of the giant.


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And there was another war in Gob with the Philistines where Elhanan, the son of Jaareoregim of Bethleham, slew Goliath, the Gittite, the staff of whose spear [was] like a weaver's beam.


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And after that there was another war in Gath where there was a man of [great] stature, that had six fingers on every hand, and six toes on every foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was of the sons of the giant.


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These four were born to the giant in Gath and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.:


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And David spoke the words of this song unto the LORD in the day [that] the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul.


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God is my Strong One; in him will I trust: [he is] my shield and the horn of my saving health; my defence and my refuge; my saviour, who shall save me from violence.


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in my distress I called upon the LORD and cried to my God, who heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry [entered] into his ears.


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Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the heavens were moved and shook because he was wroth.


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Then the springs of the sea appeared and the foundations of the world were uncovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.


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The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has recompensed me.


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For I have all his ordinances before me and am attentive to his statutes; I will not depart from them.


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Therefore, the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness before his eyes.


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Thou wilt save the poor [in spirit]; but thine eyes [are] upon the haughty [that] thou may bring [them] down.


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[As for] God, his way [is] perfect; the word of the LORD [is] purified; he [is] a shield to all those that trust in him.


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For thou hast girded me with strength for the battle; thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.


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Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth; I stamped them as the mire of the street [and] spread them abroad.


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Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of peoples; thou hast kept me [to be] head of the Gentiles; peoples [whom] I did not know have served me.


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who brings me forth from among my enemies; thou hast lifted me up on high from among those that rose up against me; thou hast delivered me from the man of violence.


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He who makes great the saving health of his king and shows mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for ever.:


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Now these [are] the last words of David. David, the son of Jesse, said, and the man [who was] raised up high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet cantor of Israel, said,


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The God of Israel dictated unto me, the strong One of Israel spoke): He that rules over men [must be] just, ruling in the fear of God.


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And as the light of the morning when the sun rises, of a morning shining forth without clouds, [as] the shining forth through light rain [upon the] tender grass of the earth:


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shall not my house be so with God, although all my saving health and my desire shall not be produced yet? For he has made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all [things], and it shall be kept;


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but the one [that] desires to touch them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear, and they are completely burned with fire in their place.


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These [are] the names of the mighty men whom David had: he that sat in the seat of wisdom, chief among the three: Adino, the Eznite, who on one occasion slew eight hundred enemies.


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And after him [was] Eleazar, the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, [one] of the three mighty men who [were] with David, when they defied the Philistines [that] were there gathered together to battle, and those of Israel were gone away.


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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 salvation that day, and the people returned after him only to spoil.


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And after him [was] Shammah, the son of Agee, the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a community, where was an inheritance of land full of lentils, and the people had fled before the Philistines.


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But he stood in the midst of the inheritance and defended it and slew the Philistines, and the LORD wrought a great salvation.


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[These] three, [who were] of the thirty chief, went down and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam, and the camp of the Philistines was pitched in the valley of Rephaim.


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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!


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Then [these] three mighty men broke through the camp 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 of it, but poured it out unto the LORD, saying,


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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? And he would not drink it. These three mighty men did this.


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And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred [and] slew [them] and had [a] name among the three.


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He was the most honourable of the three and captain among them; however, he did not attain unto the [first] three.


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[Then], Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, slew two lions of Moab; he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.


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He also slew an Egyptian, a man of [great] stature, 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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He had more honour than the thirty, but he did not attain to the [first] three. And David put him in his council.


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And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.


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For the king said to Joab, the captain of the host, who [was] with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel from Dan unto Beersheba and number the people that I may know the number of the people.


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And Joab replied unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people one hundredfold to however many there are and that the eyes of my lord the king may see [it], but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?


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Notwithstanding, the king's word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.


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And passing the Jordan, they pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that [lies] in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer.


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After that they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtimhodshi, and they came to Danjaan and about to Zidon.


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Then they came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites, and they went out towards the Negev from Judah, [even] to Beersheba.


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So when they had gone through all the land, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.


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And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king, and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword, and the men of Judah [were] five hundred thousand men.


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And David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in having done this; but now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly.


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And in the morning when David had risen, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,


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Go and say unto David, Thus hath the LORD said, I offer thee three [things]: choose one of them, which I will do unto thee.


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So Gad came to David and told him and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? Or wilt thou flee three months before thy enemies while they pursue thee? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? Now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.


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Then David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait; let us fall now into the hand of the LORD, for his mercies [are] great, and let me not fall into the hand of man.


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So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the time appointed, and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.


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And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD himself repented of that evil and said to the angel that was destroying the people, It is enough; stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingfloor of Araunah, the Jebusite.


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And David spoke unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people and said, I have sinned, I committed the iniquity, but these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me and against my father's house.


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And Gad came that day to David and said unto him, Go up, erect an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah, the Jebusite.


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And Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him, and Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.


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And Araunah said, Why is my lord the king come to his servant? And David answered, To buy this threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.


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And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what [seems] good unto him; behold, [here are] oxen for burnt sacrifice and threshing instruments and [other] instruments of the oxen for wood;


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all these [things] does king Araunah give unto the King. Then Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.


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And the king said unto Araunah, No, but I will surely buy [it] of thee at a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which costs me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.


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And David built there an altar unto the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace [offerings]. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.:


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Now king David was old [and] stricken in years, and they covered him with clothes, but he did not become warm.


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Therefore, his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her stand before the king and let her warm him and let her lie in thy bosom, and she shall warm my lord the king.


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So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the borders of Israel and found Abishag, a Shunammite and brought her to the king.


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And the damsel [was] very fair and warmed the king and ministered to him, but the king knew her not.


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Then Adonijah, the son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying, I will reign, and he prepared chariots and horsemen for himself and fifty men to run before him.


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And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was very handsome; and he had begotten him after Absalom.


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But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan, the prophet, and Shimei and Rei and the mighty men of David did not follow Adonijah.


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And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which [is] by Enrogel, and called all his brethren, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants;


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And Nathan spoke unto Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, reigns without David our lord knowing of it?


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Now, therefore, come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel that thou may deliver thine own life and the life of thy son Solomon.


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Go and enter in unto King David and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thy handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then does Adonijah reign?


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And while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I also will come in after thee and finish thy words.


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And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber; and the king was very old; and Abishag, the Shunammite, ministered unto the king.


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And she said unto him, My lord, thou didst sware by the LORD thy God unto thy handmaid, [saying], Assuredly Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne;


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He has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance and has called all the sons of the king and Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the captain of the host; but he has not invited Solomon, thy servant.


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And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel [are] upon thee that thou should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.


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Otherwise, it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers that I and my son Solomon shall be counted as sinners.


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And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan, the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.


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And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?


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For today he has gone down and has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance and has called all the king's sons and the captains of the host and Abiathar, the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him and say, [Long] live King Adonijah.


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But he did not invite me, thy servant, nor Zadok, the priest, nor Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, nor thy servant Solomon.


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Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not declared unto thy servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?


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Then King David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence and stood before the king.


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even as I swore unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.


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Then Bathsheba bowed with [her] face to the earth and did reverence to the king and said, Let my lord King David live for ever.


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And King David said, Call me Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. And they entered into the presence of the king.


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And the king said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord and cause Solomon my son to ride upon my own mule and bring him down to Gihon.


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And let Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, anoint him there king over Israel; and ye shall blow the shofar and say, [Long] live king Solomon.


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[Afterward] ye shall come up after him that he may come and sit upon my throne, for he shall reign in my stead, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.


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Then Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answered the king and said, Amen. Let the LORD God of my lord the king say so [too].


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As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so let him be with Solomon and let him make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.


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So Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and caused Solomon to ride upon King David's mule and brought him to Gihon.


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And Zadok, the priest, took the horn of the oil of the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the shofar, and all the people said, [Long] live king Solomon.


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[Afterward] all the people came up following him, and the people sang with flutes and rejoiced with great joy so [that it seemed] the earth rent with the sound of them.


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And Adonijah and all the guests that [were] with him heard [it] when they had finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the shofar, he said, Why [is this] noise of the city being in an uproar?


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And while he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, the priest, came; and Adonijah said unto him, Come in, for thou [art] a valiant man and bringest good tidings.


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And the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule;


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and Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, have anointed him king in Gihon; and they are come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This [is] the noise that ye have heard.


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And moreover, the king's servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king worshipped upon the bed.


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And also thus said the king, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Israel, who has given [one] to sit on my throne today, mine eyes even seeing [it].


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And Adonijah, fearing the presence of Solomon, arose and went and caught hold on the horns of the altar.


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And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for he has caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon swear unto me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword.


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And Solomon said, If he will show himself virtuous, there shall not one hair of him fall to the ground, but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.


text:
So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to King Solomon. And Solomon said unto him, Go to thy house.:


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Keep the charge of the LORD thy God, walking in his ways, keeping his statutes and his commandments and his rights and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou may have understanding in all that thou doest and in everything that thou dost undertake,


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that the LORD may confirm the word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If thy sons take heed to their way, walking before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.


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Moreover thou knowest also what Joab, the son of Zeruiah, did to me [and] what he did to the two captains of the host of Israel, unto Abner, the son of Ner and unto Amasa, the son of Jether, whom he slew, shedding the blood of war in peace and putting the blood of war upon his girdle that [was] about his loins and in his shoes that [were] on his feet.


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But show mercy unto the sons of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table, for they came thus unto me when I fled because of Absalom, thy brother.


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And, behold, [thou hast] with thee Shimei, the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.


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Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for thou [art] a wise man and knowest what thou should do with him, but thou shalt bring his hoar head down to Sheol with blood.


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The days that David reigned over Israel [were] forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.


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Then Adonijah, the son of Haggith, came to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.


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And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine and [that] all Israel had set their faces on me that I should reign, but the kingdom is turned about and is become my brother's, for by the LORD it was his.


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Then he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king (for he will not deny thee) that he give me Abishag, the Shunammite to wife.


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Bathsheba, therefore, went unto King Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed himself unto her and sat down on his throne and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand.


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Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; [I pray thee], do not deny me. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not deny thee.


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And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag, the Shunammite, for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he [is] my elder brother and he also has Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the son of Zeruiah.


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Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life.


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Now, therefore, [as] the LORD lives, who has confirmed me, and set me on the throne of David, my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today.


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Then King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.


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And unto Abiathar, the priest, the king said, Go to Anathoth, unto thine own inheritance, for thou [art] worthy of death; but I will not put thee to death today because thou didst bare the ark of the Lord GOD before David, my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.


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So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.


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And the news came to Joab, for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he had not turned after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD and caught hold on the horns of the altar.


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And it was told King Solomon that Joab had fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD and that he was by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.


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And Benaiah entered into the tabernacle of the LORD and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, No, but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.


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And the king said unto him, Do as he has said and fall upon him and bury him that thou may take away from me and from the house of my father the blood which Joab shed without a cause.


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And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and slew them with the sword without my father David knowing of it: Abner, the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa, the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.


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Their blood shall, therefore, return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever; but upon David and upon his seed and upon his house and upon his throne shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.


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So Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up and fell upon him and slew him, and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.


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And the king put Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, in his place over the host; and Zadok, the priest, the king put in the place of Abiathar.


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[Afterward] the king sent and called for Shimei and said unto him, Build thee a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go forth from there anywhere.


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For it shall be [that] on the day thou goest out and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die; thy blood shall be upon thine own head.


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And Shimei said unto the king, The word [is] good as my lord the king has said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.


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But it came to pass at the end of three years that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish, son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants [are] in Gath.


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And Shimei arose and saddled his ass and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants. Shimei went, therefore, and brought his servants from Gath.


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Then the king sent and called for Shimei and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD and protested unto thee, saying, Know for certain, on the day thou goest out and walkest abroad anywhere that thou shalt surely die? And thou didst say unto me, The word [that] I have heard [is] good.


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The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thy heart knoweth well that thou didst to David my father; therefore, the LORD has turned thy wickedness upon thine own head;


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and King Solomon [shall be] blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.


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Then the king commanded Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who went out and fell upon him that he died. And the kingdom was confirmed in the hand of Solomon.:


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And Solomon became a relative of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, for he took Pharaoh's daughter [to wife] and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the LORD and the wall of Jerusalem round about.


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Until then the people sacrificed in high places because there was [still] no house built unto the name of the LORD until those days.


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And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David, his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.


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And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that [was] the great high place; a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.


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In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, Ask what [you wish that] I shall give thee.


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And Solomon said, Thou hast shown unto thy servant David, my father, great mercy, according to the way he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great mercy that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as [it is] this day.


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And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a tender young man; I do not know [how] to go out or come in.


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And thy servant [is] in the midst of thy people whom thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.


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Give, therefore, thy servant a hearing heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this thy so great a people?


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And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked for thyself long life neither hast asked riches for thyself nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to hear judgment,


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behold, I have done according to thy words: behold, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.


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And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and glory so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee in all thy days.


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And if thou wilt walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments as thy father David walked, then I will lengthen thy days.


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And when Solomon awoke, he beheld [it was] a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace [offerings] and made a banquet for all his servants.


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And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.


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And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered that this woman was delivered also and we [were] together; [there was] no stranger with us in the house, except the two of us in the house.


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And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom.


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And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I had given birth to.


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And the other woman said, No, but my son is alive, and thy son is dead. And this one said, No, but thy son is dead, and my son is alive. Thus they spoke before the king.


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Then said the king, The one saith, This [is] my son that is alive, and thy son [is] dead. And the other saith, No; but thy son [is] dead, and my son [is] alive.


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Then the woman, of whom the living child [was], spoke unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, [but] divide [it].


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Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it, for she [is] its mother.


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And all Israel heard of that judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God]was] in him, to judge.:


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Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes, Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, writer of the chronicles;


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Azariah, the son of Nathan, [was] over the officers; and Zabud, the son of Nathan, [was] the priest [and] special companion of the king;


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And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who maintained the king and his household. Each one of them made provision for one month in the year.


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Baana, the son of Ahilud; [to him pertained] Taanach and Megiddo and all Bethshean, which [is] by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, [even] unto [the place that is] beyond Jokneam;


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the son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him [pertained] the towns of Jair, the son of Manasseh, which [were] in Gilead; to him [also pertained] the region of Argob, which [is] in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and brasen bars;


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Geber, the son of Uri, [was] in the land of Gilead, [in] the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and of Og, king of Bashan; and [in addition to these there was] an officer over all the land.


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Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.


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And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines and unto the border of Egypt, and they brought presents and served Solomon all the days of his life.


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ten fat oxen and twenty oxen out of the pastures and one hundred sheep beside harts and roebucks and fallowdeer and fatted fowl.


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For he had dominion over all [the region] on the other side of the river [and] from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on the other side the river, and he had peace on all sides round about him.


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And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.


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And these officers maintained King Solomon and all that came unto king Solomon's table, each one in his month; they made [sure] nothing was lacking.


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They also brought barley and straw for the horses and beasts of burden unto the place where he was, each one according to his charge.


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And God gave Solomon exceedingly great wisdom and intelligence and magnanimity of heart, even as the sand that [is] on the sea shore.


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And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of the Egyptians.


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For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan, the Ezrahite, and Heman and Chalcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and he was named in all nations round about.


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And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that [is] in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springs out of the wall. He also spoke of animals and of fowl and of serpents and of fishes.


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And they came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.:


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Hiram, king of Tyre, also sent his servants unto Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father; for Hiram had always loved David.


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Thou knowest how David, my father, could not build a house unto the name of the LORD his God, for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put [his enemies] under the soles of his feet.


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Now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side [so that there is] neither adversary nor evil encounter.


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And, therefore, I have determined to build a house unto the name of the LORD my God as the LORD spoke unto David, my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy place, he shall build a house unto my name.


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Command, therefore, now that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon, and my servants shall be with thy servants, and I will give thee for thy servants the hire that thou shalt appoint, for thou knowest that [there is] no one among us with the skill to hew timber like the Sidonians.


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And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed [be] the LORD this day, who has given unto David a wise son over this great people.


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And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have heard that which thou didst send [to tell] me, [and] I will do all thy desire concerning the timber of cedar and concerning the timber of fir.


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My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon unto the sea, and I will convey them by sea in rafts unto the place that thou shalt appoint me and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive [them]; and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.


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And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat [for] food to his household and twenty [thousand] measures of pure oil; this gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.


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And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two made a covenant together.


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whom he sent to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses; they were a month in Lebanon [and] two months at home; and Adoniram [was] over the levy.


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besides Solomon's chief officers who [were] over the work, there were three thousand three hundred who ruled over the people that did the work.


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And the king commanded that they bring great stones, costly stones, for the foundation of the house, [and] hewed stones.


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And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders hewed [them], and the stonesquarers; so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.:


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And it came to pass in the year four hundred and eighty after the sons of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of the beginning of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which [is] the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.


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And the house which King Solomon built for the LORD, was sixty cubits long and twenty [cubits] wide and thirty cubits high.


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And the porch before the temple of the house was twenty cubits long, according to the width of the house; [and] and its width was ten cubits before the house.


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And against the wall of the house, he built wings round about, [against] the walls of the house round about, [both] of the temple and of the oracle; and he made chambers round about.


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The lower wing [was] five cubits wide, and the middle [was] six cubits wide, and the third [was] seven cubits wide, for without [in the wall] of the house, he had made narrowed rests round about, that [the beams] should not be fastened in the walls of the house.


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And the house, when it was built, was put together of perfect stones [made ready] before they were brought there; so that there was no hammer nor axe [nor] any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was being built.


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The door for the middle wing [was] in the right side of the house; and they went up with winding stairs into the middle [wing] and out of the middle into the third.


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And [then] he built the wing against all the house, five cubits high; and they rested on the house [with] timber of cedar.


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[Concerning] this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes and execute my rights and keep all my commandments to walk in them, then I will perform my word with thee, which I spoke unto David thy father;


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And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house and the walls of the ceiling; [and] he covered [them] on the inside with wood and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.


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And he built twenty cubits on the end of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar; and he built an oracle in the house, which is the holy of holies.


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And the cedar of the house within [was] carved with wild gourds and open flowers. All [was] cedar; no stone was seen.


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And the oracle in the forepart [was] twenty cubits in length and twenty cubits wide and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold and likewise covered the altar [which was of] cedar.


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So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold, and he closed the door the oracle with chains of gold, and he overlaid it with gold.


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And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house; also the whole altar that [was] in front of the oracle he overlaid with gold.


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And one wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub five cubits; from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other [were] ten cubits.


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Likewise, the other cherub [was] ten cubits, for both the cherubims [were] of one measure and one size.


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And he set the cherubims within the inner house, and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the [one] wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.


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And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.


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And at the entrance of the oracle he made doors [of] olive wood; the lintel [and] side posts had five sides.


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The two doors [were of] olive wood, and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers and overlaid [them] with gold and covered the cherubims and the palm trees with gold.


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The two doors [were of] fir; the two sides of the one door [were] rounded, and the two leaves of the other door [were] rounded.


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And he carved [thereon] cherubims and palm trees and open flowers and covered [them] with gold fitted upon the carved work.


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And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which [is] the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts and with everything necessary. So he was seven years in building it.:


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He also built the house of the forest of Lebanon, which was one hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.


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And [it was] covered with cedar above upon the beams that [lay] on forty-five pillars, fifteen [in] a row.


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And all the doors and posts [were] square, with some windows opposite the other windows in three orders.


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And he made a porch of pillars, which was fifty cubits long and thirty cubits wide, and the porch [was] before those others, with its corresponding pillars and thick beams.


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Then he made a porch for the throne where he was to judge, [even] the porch of judgment; and [it was] covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.


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And his house where he dwelt [had] another court within the porch, [which] was of like work. Solomon also made a house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken [to wife], like unto this porch.


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All these [works were of] costly stones, cut and sawed with saws according to the measurements, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and [so] on the outside unto the great court.


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And the foundation [was of] costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits.


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And the great court round about had three orders of hewed stones and an order of cedar beams, and [likewise] the inner court of the house of the LORD and the porch of the house.


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who was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father had been of Tyre. A worker in brass, full of wisdom and intelligence and knowledge in all work of brass. And he came to King Solomon and did all his work.


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He made two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece, and a line of twelve cubits did compass each of them about.


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And he made two chapiters [of] molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of the one chapiter [was] five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter [was] five cubits.


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[And] nets of checker work and wreaths of chain work for the chapiters which [were to be placed] upon the top of the pillars, seven for the one chapiter and seven for the other chapiter.


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And when he had made the pillars, he also made two orders [of pomegranates] round about upon the network to cover the chapiters that [were] upon the heads [of the pillars] with the pomegranates, and so did he for the other chapiter.


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And the chapiters that [were] upon the top of the pillars were in the form of lilies [like those seen] in the porch, for four cubits.


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And the chapiters upon the two pillars had two hundred pomegranates in two orders round about in each chapiter, on top of the belly of the chapiter, this belly being in front of the network.


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And he stood up the pillars in the porch of the temple. And when he had set up the right pillar, he called the name of it Jachin; and in standing up the left pillar, he called its name Boaz.


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Likewise, he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other; [it was] perfectly round, and its height [was] five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.


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And under the brim of it round about [there were] knops like gourds compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about in two orders, which were made when it was cast.


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It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north and three looking toward the west and three looking toward the Negev and three looking toward the east; and upon them the sea rested, and all their hinder parts [were] inward.


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And it [was] a hand breadth thick, and its lip was made like the lip of a cup, with flowers of lilies; it contained two thousand baths.


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He also made ten bases of brass; four cubits [was] the length of each base and four cubits the width and three cubits the height.


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And the work of the bases was like this: they had borders, and the borders [were] between mouldings;


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and upon the borders that [were] between the mouldings [were] lions, oxen, and cherubim; and upon the mouldings of the base, above and beneath the lions and oxen [were] certain additions made of bevelled work.


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And each base had four brasen wheels and cardinals of brass, and in its four corners it had shoulderpieces, which were molten at the side of each addition, to be under the laver.


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Its mouth entered into the chapiter ([in the joint that came out of the base]) one cubit above, and its mouth was rounded like the workmanship ([of the same joint]) in the base, of a cubit and a half. There were also engravings upon the mouth of it with their borders, which were square, not round.


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And under the borders [were] the four wheels, and the axletrees of the wheels [came forth] from the same base. The height of each wheel [was] one and a half cubits.


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And the workmanship of the wheels [was] like the workmanship of a chariot wheel, their axletrees and their rims and their spokes and their hubs [were] all molten.


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Likewise, the four shoulderpieces to the four corners of each base, [and] the shoulderpieces [were] of the very base itself.


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And in the top of the base [there was] a rounded compass of half a cubit high and on the top of the base, its mouldings and borders [which were] part of it.


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For on the tables of the mouldings and on the borders thereof, he made cherubim, lions, and palm trees, in front of the additions of each one round about.


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After this [manner] he made ten bases cast in the same manner, of the same size and of the same shape.


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Then he also made ten lavers of brass; each laver contained forty baths, [and] each laver measured four cubits; [and he set] a laver upon each one of the ten bases.


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And he put five bases on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house, and he set the sea on the right side of the house to the east towards the Negev.


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Hiram made the lavers and the shovels and the basins likewise. So Hiram finished all the work that he made King Solomon for the house of the LORD:


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[That is], the two pillars and the [two] bowls of the chapiters that [were] on the top of the two pillars and the two networks, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which [were] upon the head of the pillars,


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and four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, [even] two orders of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that [were] upon the heads of the pillars,


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and the pots and the shovels and the basins and all the [other] vessels, which Hiram made to King Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright brass.


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And the king caused them all to be cast in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.


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And Solomon did not inquire the weight of the brass of all the vessels because they were exceeding many.


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And Solomon made all the vessels that [pertained] unto the house of the LORD: an altar of gold, and a table upon which the showbread [was], also of gold,


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and the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right hand, and five on the left, in front of the oracle, with the flowers and the lamps and the tongs [of] gold,


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likewise the bowls and the snuffers and the basins and the spoons and the censers [of] pure gold, also the hinges of gold, [both] for the doors of the inner house, the holy of holies, [and] for the doors of the house of the temple.


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So all the work that King Solomon made for the house of the LORD was complete. And Solomon brought in the things which David, his father, had dedicated, [even] the silver and the gold and the vessels, and he kept it [all] in the treasury of the house of the LORD.:


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Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the families of the sons of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which [is] Zion.


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And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto King Solomon in the month Ethanim, which [is] the seventh month, on the solemn day.


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And they brought up the ark of the LORD and the tabernacle of the testimony and all the holy vessels that [were] in the tabernacle, which the priests and the Levites carried.


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And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him [were] with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude.


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And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, in the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim.


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For the cherubim had their wings extended over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its staves from above.


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And they drew out the staves so that the ends of the staves could be seen out in the holy [place] in front of the oracle, but they could not be seen from outside, and thus they remained until today.


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[There was] nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD cut a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.


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And the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.


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And the king turned his face about and blessed all the congregation of Israel, and all the congregation of Israel were standing.


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And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth unto David my father, and with his hand has fulfilled [it], saying,


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Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, but I chose David to be over my people Israel.


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And it was in the heart of David, my father, to build a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.


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But the LORD said unto David, my father, Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart;


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nevertheless, thou shalt not build the house, but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build [a] house unto my name.


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And the LORD has established his word that he spoke, and I have risen up in the place of David, my father, and sit on the throne of Israel as the LORD had said and have built a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.


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And I have set there a place for the ark, in which [is] the covenant of the LORD, which he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.


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And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and extending his hands toward heaven,


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he said, LORD God of Israel, [there is] no God like thee, in the heavens above or on earth beneath, who keeps the covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart,


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who hast kept unto thy servant David, my father, what thou didst declare unto him; thou didst say it with thy mouth and hast fulfilled [it] with thy hand, as [we see] this day.


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Therefore, now, LORD God of Israel, fulfill unto thy servant David, my father, what thou didst promise him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if thy sons keep their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.


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And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be made firm, which thou didst speak unto thy servant David, my father.


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But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens, the heavens of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built?


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Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prays before thee today,


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that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, [even] toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there that thou may hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make in this place.


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Therefore, thou shalt hearken unto the supplication of thy servant and of thy people Israel when they shall pray in this place and hear in thy dwelling place, from the heavens; please hear and forgive.


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When anyone shall have sinned against his neighbour, and an oath is laid upon him to cause him to swear and the oath comes before thy altar in this house,


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thou shalt hear from heaven and do and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.


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When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against thee and shall turn again to thee and confess thy name and pray and make supplication with humility unto thee in this house,


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then thou shalt hear in the heavens and forgive the sin of thy people Israel and bring them again unto the land which thou didst give unto their fathers.


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When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray in this place and confess thy name and turn from their sin when thou hast afflicted them,


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then thou shalt hear in the heavens and forgive the sin of thy servants and of thy people Israel, teaching them the good way in which they should walk and shalt give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.


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When there is famine in the land or pestilence or blasting or mildew or locusts or caterpillars, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness [there is],


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every prayer and every supplication made by any man or by all thy people Israel, when anyone knows the plague of his own heart and spreads forth his hands toward this house,


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then thou shalt hear in the heavens, in the habitation of thy dwelling place, and forgive and do and give to each one according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou, [even] thou only, knowest the hearts of all the sons of men),


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that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou didst give unto our fathers.


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Likewise concerning a stranger, that [is] not of thy people Israel, but comes out of a far country for thy name's sake


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(for they shall have heard of thy great name and of thy strong hand and of thy stretched out arm), when he shall come to pray in this house,


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thou shalt hear in the heavens, in the habitation of thy dwelling place, and do according to all that for which the stranger shall have called unto thee, that all peoples of the earth may know thy name and fear thee as [do] thy people Israel and that they may know that thy name is invoked upon this house, which I have built.


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If thy people go out to battle against their enemies by the way which thou shalt send them and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen and [toward] the house that I have built for thy name,


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If they have sinned against thee (for [there is] no man that does not sin) and thou should be angry with them and deliver them to the enemy so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near,


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and they return unto their heart in the land where they were carried captives and return and make supplication unto thee in the land of those that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned and have done iniquity, we have committed wickedness;


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and [so] convert themselves unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who led them away captive and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou didst give unto their fathers, [toward] the city which thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for thy name,


