# verses

text:
His first son was named Joel, and his second son was named Abijah. Joel and Abijah were judges in Beersheba [in the Negev to the extreme south].


text:
But Samuel’s sons did not ·live as he did [walk/follow in his ways]. They ·tried to get money dishonestly [were greedy; wandered after money], and they accepted ·money secretly [bribes] ·to make wrong judgments [and perverted justice/made biased decisions].


text:
They said to him, “You’re old, and your sons don’t ·live as you do [walk/follow in your ways]. Give us a king to ·rule over [judge] us like all the other nations [].”


text:
When the elders said, “Give us [Appoint; Now, set for us] a king to ·rule over [judge] us,” ·Samuel was not pleased [it was evil/wrong in the eyes of Samuel]. So he prayed to the Lord,


text:
and the Lord told Samuel, “Listen to ·whatever [the voice of] the people [regarding what they] say to you. They have not rejected you. They have rejected me from being their king.


text:
They are doing as they have always done. When I ·took them out of [brought them up from] Egypt, they ·left [abandoned; deserted; forsook] me and ·served [followed] other gods. They are doing the same to you.


text:
Now ·listen to the people [listen to their voice; do as they ask], but [solemnly] warn them ·what the king who rules over them will do [about the way/manner/custom in which he will rule/reign over them].”


text:
So Samuel told those who had asked him for a king ·what [everything; all the words] the Lord had said.


text:
Samuel said, “If you have a king ·ruling [reigning] over you, ·this is what he will do [he will act this way; this will be the way/manner/custom in which he will rule/reign over you]: He will ·take [draft] your sons and make them serve with his chariots and his ·horses [or charioteers; horsemen], and they will run in front of the king’s chariot.


text:
He will make some of your sons commanders over thousands or over fifties. He will make some of your other sons plow his ·ground [fields] and ·reap his harvest [harvest his crops]. He will take others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.


text:
He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves and give them to his ·servants [officials; attendants].


text:
He will take ·one-tenth [a tithe] of your ·grain [crops; seed] and ·grapes [vineyards] and give it to his officers and ·servants [officials; attendants].


text:
He will take your male and female servants, your best cattle, and your donkeys and use them all for his own work.


text:
He will take ·one-tenth [a tithe] of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his ·slaves [servants].


text:
·When that time comes [In that day], you will cry out because of the king you ·chose [selected]. But the Lord will not ·answer [help] you then.”


text:
But the people ·would not [refused to] listen to [the voice of] Samuel. They said, “No! We ·want [are determined to have] a king to rule over us.


text:
Then we will be the same as all the other nations. Our king will ·judge for [govern; rule over] us and go ·with [before] us and fight our battles.”


text:
After Samuel ·heard [listened to] all that the people said, he repeated their words ·to the Lord [in the Lord’s hearing/ears].


text:
The Lord answered, “You must ·listen to them [do as they say]. ·Give [Appoint] them a king.” Then Samuel told the people of Israel, “Go back [each of you] to your ·towns [own town/city].”


text:
Saul Looks for His Father’s Donkeys Kish, son of Abiel from the tribe of Benjamin, was an ·important man [man of wealth/rank/standing/valor]. (Abiel was the son of Zeror, who was the son of Becorath, who was the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.)


text:
Kish had a son named Saul, who was a ·fine [handsome] young man. There was no Israelite ·better [more handsome] than he. Saul stood ·a head [head and shoulders] taller than any other man in Israel.


text:
Now the donkeys of Saul’s father, Kish, were lost. So Kish said to Saul, his son, “Take one of the servants, and go and look for the donkeys.”


text:
Saul went through the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim and the ·land [area; territory] of Shalisha, but he and the servant could not find the donkeys. They went into the ·land [area; territory] of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. They went through the ·land [area; territory] of Benjamin, but they still did not find them.


text:
When they arrived in the area of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Let’s go back or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and will start worrying about us.”


text:
But the servant answered, “A man of God [a title for a prophet] is in this town. People ·respect [honor] him because everything he says comes true. Let’s go ·into the town now [there]. Maybe he can tell us ·something about the journey we have taken [or what way to go].”


text:
Saul said to his servant, “If we go into the town, what can we give him? The ·food [bread] in our bags is gone. We have no gift to give him. ·Do we have anything [What do we have]?”


text:
Again the servant answered Saul. “Look, I have ·one-tenth of an ounce [a quarter of a shekel] of silver. ·Give [or I will give] it to the man of God. Then he will tell us ·about our journey [what to do/way to go].”


text:
(In ·the past [those days], if someone in Israel wanted to ·ask something from [inquire of] God, he would say, “Let’s go to the seer.” We call the person a prophet today, but in ·the past [those days] he was called a seer.)


text:
Saul said to his servant, “·That’s a good idea [Well said]. Come, let’s go.” So they went toward the town where the man of God was.


text:
As Saul and the servant were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to ·get [draw] water. Saul and the servant asked them, “Is the seer here?”


text:
The young women answered, “Yes, he’s here. He’s ahead of you. Hurry now. He has just come to our town today, because the people will offer a sacrifice at the ·place of worship [high place].


text:
As soon as you enter the town, you ·will [can] find him before he goes up to the ·place of worship [high place] to eat. The people will not begin eating until the seer comes, because he must bless the sacrifice. After that, the guests will eat. Go now, and you should find him [quickly; at once].”


text:
Saul Meets Samuel Saul and the servant went up to the town. Just as they ·entered it [arrived in the midst of the town], they saw Samuel coming toward them on his way up to the ·place of worship [high place].


text:
“About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the ·land [territory] of Benjamin. ·Appoint [Anoint] him ·to lead [ruler/prince over] my people Israel. He will ·save [rescue; deliver] my people from the [hand of the] Philistines. I have seen ·the suffering of my people, and I have listened to their cry [my people because their cry has reached me].”


text:
When Samuel first saw Saul, the Lord said to Samuel, “This is the man I told you about. He will ·organize [rule over; govern] my people.”


text:
Samuel answered, “I am the seer. Go ·with [ahead of] me to the ·place of worship [high place]. Today you and your servant are to eat with me. Tomorrow morning I will ·answer all your questions [tell you all that is in your heart/mind] and send you home.


text:
Don’t worry about the donkeys you lost three days ago, because they have been found. Soon all the ·wealth [desires] of Israel will ·belong to [be focused/fixed on; turn to] you and your family.”


text:
Saul answered, “·But I am [Am I not…?] from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel. And ·my family group is [is not my family/clan…?] the ·smallest [least] in the tribe of Benjamin. Why are you ·saying such things [talking this way to me]?”


text:
Then Samuel took Saul and his servant into ·a large room [the hall] and ·gave them a choice place at [placed them at the head of] the table. About thirty guests were there.


text:
So the cook took the thigh and put it on the table in front of Saul. Samuel said, “This is the meat saved for you. Eat it, because it was set aside for you for this ·special [appointed] time. ·As I said, ‘I had invited the people.’ [or … even before I invited these others].” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.


text:
After they finished eating, they came down from the ·place of worship [high place] and went to the town. Then Samuel ·talked with [or prepared a bed for] Saul on the roof of his house [the flat roofs of Israelite houses served as living space].


text:
At dawn they got up, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof. He said, “Get up, and I will send you on your way.” So Saul got up and went out of the house with Samuel.


text:
As Saul, his servant, and Samuel were getting near the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay, ·because I have a message from [so I may give/proclaim the word of] God for you.”


text:
Samuel Appoints Saul Samuel took a ·jar [flask; vial] of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “The Lord has ·appointed [anointed] you ·to lead [ruler; prince over] his ·people [special possession; inheritance].


text:
After you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah []. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you were looking for have been found. But now your father has stopped thinking about his donkeys and is ·worrying [anxious] about you. He is asking, “What will I do about my son?” ’


text:
“Then you will go on until you reach the ·big [oak] tree at Tabor. Three men ·on their way to worship [going up to] God at Bethel will meet you there. One man will be carrying three ·goats [kids]. Another will be carrying three loaves of bread. And the third will have a ·leather bag [skin] full of wine.


text:
Then you will go to ·Gibeah [or the hill] of God, where a Philistine ·camp [garrison] is. When you approach this town, a group of prophets will come down from the ·place of worship [high place]. They will be playing harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.


text:
Then the Spirit of the Lord will ·rush upon [come on; seize; possess] you with power. You will prophesy with them, and you will be changed into a different man.


text:
After these signs happen, do ·whatever you find to do [what must be done; what you see fit to do; what your hand finds to do], because God ·will help [is with] you [Saul was supposed to attack the garrison, but he did not do so].


text:
“Go ahead of me to Gilgal. I will come down to you to offer whole burnt offerings [] and to sacrifice ·fellowship [peace; well-being] offerings []. But you must wait seven days. Then I will come and ·tell [show; reveal to] you what to do [Saul did not do this either].”


text:
Saul Made King When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God ·changed Saul’s [gave Saul a new/another] heart. All these signs ·came true [were fulfilled; occurred] that day.


text:
When they arrived at Gibeah, Saul met a ·group [band; procession] of prophets. The Spirit of God ·rushed upon [overwhelmed; seized; possessed] him, and he prophesied with the prophets.


text:
When people who had known Saul before saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What has happened to Kish’s son? Is even Saul ·one of [among] the prophets?”


text:
A man who lived there ·said [answered; retorted], “Who is the father of these prophets [Saul’s prophesying amazed and confused him]?” So this became a ·famous saying [proverb]: “Is ·even Saul one of [Saul also among] the prophets?”


text:
Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?” Saul said, “We were looking for the donkeys. When we couldn’t find them, we went to talk to Samuel.”


text:
Saul answered, “He told us the donkeys had already been found.” But Saul did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about ·his becoming king [the kingdom; Saul should have announced publicly that he was king].


text:
He said [to the sons of Israel], “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I ·led [brought up] Israel out of Egypt. I ·saved [rescued; delivered] you from Egypt’s ·control [hand] and from [the hand of] other kingdoms that were ·troubling [oppressing] you.’


text:
But ·now [today] you have rejected your God. He ·saves [rescues; delivers] you from all your ·troubles [calamities; disasters; miseries] and ·problems [distresses], but you said, ‘No! ·We want [Appoint; Set] a king to rule over us.’ Now come, ·stand [present yourselves] before the Lord in your tribes and ·family groups [clans].”


text:
When Samuel ·gathered [brought forward] ·all [each of] the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin was ·picked [chosen/taken by lot].


text:
Samuel had ·them [the tribe of Benjamin] pass by in ·family groups [clans], and Matri’s family was ·picked [chosen/taken by lot]. Then he had each man of Matri’s family pass by, and Saul son of Kish was ·picked [chosen/taken by lot]. But when they looked for Saul, ·they could not find him [he had disappeared].


text:
They ·asked [inquired further of] the Lord, “Has ·Saul [the man] come here yet?” The Lord said, “Yes. He’s hiding ·behind [among] the baggage.”


text:
So they ran and brought him out. When Saul stood among the people, he was ·a head [head and shoulders] taller than anyone else.


text:
Then Samuel said to the people, “See the man the Lord has chosen. ·There is no one like him [He has no equal] among all the people.” Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!”


text:
Samuel explained the ·rights and duties [ordinances; customs] of the king and then wrote them ·in a book [on a scroll] and put it before the Lord. Then he told the people to go to their homes.


text:
Saul also went to his home in Gibeah. ·God touched the hearts of certain brave men who went along with him […accompanied by warriors/valiant men whose hearts God had touched].


text:
But some ·troublemakers [scoundrels; worthless men] said, “How can this man ·save [rescue; deliver] us?” They ·disapproved of [scorned; despised] Saul and refused to bring gifts to him. But Saul kept ·quiet [silent; held his peace; ignored them].


text:
Nahash Troubles Jabesh Gilead About a month later Nahash the Ammonite and his army ·surrounded [attacked and besieged] the city of Jabesh in Gilead. All the people of Jabesh said to Nahash, “·Make [Cut] a ·treaty [covenant] with us, and we will ·serve [be subject to] you.”


text:
But Nahash the Ammonite answered, “I will ·make a treaty [cut] with you only if I’m allowed to ·poke [gouge] out the right eye of each of you. Then all Israel will be ·ashamed [disgraced]!”


text:
The elders of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Give us seven days to send messengers through all [the borders/territories of] Israel. If no one comes to ·help [rescue; deliver] us, we will ·give ourselves up [surrender] to you.”


text:
When the messengers came to Gibeah where Saul lived and told the people the news, they ·cried loudly [raised their voices and wept].


text:
Saul was coming home from plowing the fields with his oxen when he heard the people crying. He asked, “What’s wrong with the people that they are crying?” Then they told Saul what the ·messengers [men] from Jabesh had said.


text:
When Saul heard their words, God’s Spirit ·rushed upon him with power [came mightily/powerfully on Saul], and he ·became very angry [burned with anger].


text:
So he took a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. Then he gave the pieces of the oxen to messengers and ordered them to carry them through all the land of Israel [a ritual to curse an enemy]. The messengers said, “This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who does not ·follow [march with; into battle] Saul and Samuel.” So the ·people became very afraid of the Lord [terror/dread of the Lord fell on the people]. They all ·came together [marched out] as if they were one person.


text:
Saul ·gathered [mobilized; mustered] the people together at Bezek. There were three hundred thousand men from Israel and thirty thousand men from Judah.


text:
They said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the people at Jabesh Gilead this: ‘·Before the day warms up tomorrow [By the time the sun is hot], you will be ·saved [rescued; delivered].’” So the messengers went and reported this to the people at Jabesh, and they were ·very happy [elated; overjoyed].


text:
The people said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Tomorrow we will ·come out to meet [surrender to] you. Then you can do ·anything you want to us [to us whatever seems good to you].”


text:
The next morning Saul divided his soldiers into three ·groups [companies; divisions]. At dawn they entered the Ammonite camp and defeated them ·before [until] the heat of the day. The Ammonites who ·escaped [survived] were scattered; no two of them were still together.


text:
Then the people said to Samuel, “Who ·didn’t want Saul as king [was it that questioned, ‘Will Saul rule/reign over us]?’ Bring them here and we will kill them!”


text:
But Saul said, “No! No one will be put to death today. Today the Lord has ·saved [rescued; delivered] Israel!”


text:
Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal. There we will ·again promise to obey the king [renew the kingdom].”


text:
So all the people went to Gilgal, and there, before the Lord, the people made Saul king. They offered ·fellowship [peace; communion] offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites ·had a great celebration [rejoiced greatly].


text:
Samuel’s Farewell Speech Samuel said to all Israel, “I have ·done everything you wanted me to do [listened to everything you said] and have ·put [appointed] a king over you.


text:
Now you have a king ·to lead [walking before/in front of] you. I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have ·been your leader [walked before/in front of you] since I was young [until this day].


text:
Here I am. ·If I have done anything wrong, you must testify [Bear witness] against me before the Lord and his ·appointed king [anointed]. Did I steal anyone’s ox or donkey? Did I ·hurt [oppress] or cheat anyone? Did I ever secretly accept a bribe to ·look the other way [close my eyes]? If I did any of these things, I will make ·it right [amends].”


text:
The Israelites answered, “You have not cheated us, or ·hurt [oppressed] us, or taken anything ·unfairly from anyone [from anyone’s hand].”


text:
Samuel said to them, “The Lord is a witness ·to what you have said [against you]. His ·appointed [anointed] king is also a witness today that you did not find anything ·wrong in me [in my hand].” “He is our witness,” they said.


text:
Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who ·chose [appointed; made] Moses and Aaron and brought your ·ancestors [fathers] out of Egypt.


text:
Now, ·stand there [or take your stand], and I will ·remind you of [plead with you/confront you concerning] all the ·good things [righteous/saving acts] the Lord did for you and your ·ancestors [fathers].


text:
“After Jacob [the Israelites] ·entered [went to; arrived in] Egypt, ·his descendants [they] cried to the Lord for help. So the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who took your ·ancestors [fathers] out of Egypt and ·brought them to live [settled them] in this place.


text:
“But they forgot the Lord their God. So he ·handed them over as slaves [sold them] to Sisera [], the commander of the army of Hazor, and ·as slaves to [into the hand of] the Philistines [] and the king of Moab. ·They all […all of whom had] fought against your ·ancestors [fathers].


text:
Then your ancestors cried to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned. We have ·left [turned away from; forsaken] the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths [gods and goddesses of the Canaanites]. But now ·save [rescue; deliver] us from [the hand of] our enemies, and we will ·serve [worship] you.’


text:
So the Lord sent ·Gideon [Jerubbaal; another name for Gideon; ], ·Barak [Bedan; ], Jephthah [], and Samuel. He ·saved [rescued; delivered] you from [the hands of] your enemies around you, and you lived in ·safety [security].


text:
But when you saw Nahash king of the ·Ammonites [sons of Ammon] ·coming [marching] against you, you said, ‘No! We want a king to ·rule [reign] over us!’—even though the Lord your God was your king.


text:
·Now [All right; So] here is the king you chose, the one you asked for. The Lord has ·put [set; appointed] him over you.


text:
·You must [If you…] ·honor [fear] the Lord and ·serve [worship] him. You must ·obey [listen to] his ·word [voice] and not ·turn [rebel] against ·his commands [the mouth of the Lord]. Both you and the king ·ruling [reigning] over you must follow the Lord your God. If you do, it will be well with you.


text:
But if you don’t ·obey [listen to the voice of] the Lord, and if you ·turn [rebel] against ·his commands [the mouth of the Lord], ·he [the hand of the Lord] will be ·against [heavy on] you. ·He will do to you what he did to […as it was on] your ·ancestors [fathers].


text:
“Now stand ·still [where you are] and see the ·great thing [wonder; thing] the Lord will do before your eyes.


text:
·It is [Is it not…?] now the time of the wheat harvest [the dry season]. I will pray for the Lord to send thunder and rain [the rain would destroy the wheat harvest]. Then you will know what an ·evil [wicked] thing you did ·against [in the eyes/sight of] the Lord when you ·asked for [demanded] a king.”


text:
Then Samuel ·prayed [called] to the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So the people were ·very afraid [in awe] of the Lord and Samuel.


text:
·They [All the people] said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us, your servants! Don’t let us die! We’ve added to all our sins the evil of ·asking for [demanding] a king.”


text:
Samuel answered [the people], “Don’t be afraid. It’s true that you did ·wrong [evil], but don’t turn away from the Lord. ·Serve [Worship] the Lord with all your heart.


text:
·Idols [Futile things] are of no use, so don’t worship them. They can’t help you or ·save [rescue; deliver] you. They are ·useless [futile]!


text:
For his own [name’s] sake, the Lord won’t ·leave [abandon; reject; desert] his people. ·Instead, [For; Because] he was pleased to make you his own people.


text:
[As for me,] ·I will surely not [Far be it from me to] stop praying for you, because that would be sinning against the Lord. I will ·teach [instruct] you ·what [in the way that] is good and right.


text:
·You must honor [Fear only] the Lord and ·truly serve [worship] him with all your heart. ·Remember [Keep in mind; Consider] the ·wonderful [great] things he did for you!


text:
Saul was thirty years old when he ·became king [began to reign/rule], and he ·was king [reigned; ruled] over Israel forty-two years.


text:
Saul chose three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand men stayed with him at Micmash in the ·mountains [hill country] of Bethel, and one thousand men stayed with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul sent the other men in the army back ·home [to their tents].


text:
Jonathan ·attacked [struck] the Philistine ·camp [garrison] in Geba, and the other Philistines heard about it. Saul said, “Let the Hebrews hear what happened.” So he told the men to blow ·trumpets [ram’s horns] through all the land of Israel.


text:
All the Israelites heard the news. The men said, “Saul has ·defeated [struck] the Philistine camp [garrison; Saul receives credit for Jonathan’s victory]. Now ·the Philistines will really hate us [Israel will stink among the Philistines]!” Then the Israelites were called to join Saul at Gilgal.


text:
The Philistines gathered to fight Israel with three thousand chariots and six thousand ·men to ride in them [horsemen; charioteers]. Their soldiers were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. The Philistines went and camped at Micmash, which is east of Beth Aven.


text:
When the Israelites saw that they were in ·trouble [a tight spot; desperate straits], they went to hide in caves and ·bushes [thickets; or holes], among the ·rocks [cliffs; crevices], and in ·pits [cellars; tombs; vaults] and ·wells [cisterns].


text:
Some Hebrews even went across the Jordan River to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul stayed at Gilgal, and all the men in his army were ·shaking with fear [trembling; quaking].


text:
Saul waited seven days, ·because Samuel had said he would meet him then [the period/time Samuel had set; as a priest, Samuel had to offer sacrifices before battle]. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the soldiers began to ·leave [scatter; slip away].


text:
So Saul said, “Bring me the whole burnt offering and the ·fellowship [peace; communion] offerings.” Then Saul ·offered [sacrificed] the whole burnt offering.


text:
Samuel asked, “What have you ·done [been doing]?” Saul answered, “I saw the soldiers ·leaving [scattering from] me, and you were not here ·when you said you would be [at the set/appointed time]. The Philistines were gathering at Micmash.


text:
Then I thought, ‘The Philistines will come against me at Gilgal, and I haven’t asked for the Lord’s ·approval [help; favor].’ So I ·forced myself [felt compelled/it necessary] to offer the whole burnt offering.”


text:
Samuel said, “You acted foolishly [only priests could legitimately offer sacrifices]! You haven’t ·obeyed [kept] the command of the Lord your God [frightened troops should have been allowed to leave; ]. If you had obeyed him, the Lord would have ·made your kingdom continue [established your kingdom] ·in [over] Israel always [Saul rather than David would have had a dynasty],


text:
but now your kingdom will not ·continue [last; endure]. The Lord has ·looked for the kind of man he wants [sought a man after his own heart; ]. He has appointed him to ·rule [be prince over] his people, because you haven’t ·obeyed his [kept the Lord’s] command.”


text:
Then Samuel left Gilgal and went to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the men who were still with him, and there were about six hundred.


text:
Hard Times for Israel Saul and his son Jonathan and the soldiers with him stayed in Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. The Philistines made their camp at Micmash.


text:
Three ·groups [raiding parties] went out from the Philistine camp to make raids. One ·group [company] went on the Ophrah road in the land of Shual.


text:
The second group went on the Beth Horon road. The third group went on the border road that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the ·desert [wilderness].


text:
The whole land of Israel had no blacksmith because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews ·might [must not] make swords and spears.”


text:
So all the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines to have their plows, hoes, axes, and sickles sharpened.


text:
The Philistine blacksmiths charged ·about one-fourth of an ounce of silver [two-thirds of a shekel] for sharpening plows and hoes. And they charged ·one-eighth of an ounce of silver [one-third of a shekel] for sharpening picks, axes, and the ·sticks used to guide oxen [goads].


text:
So when the battle came, the ·soldiers [people] with Saul and Jonathan had no swords or spears [in their hands]. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.


text:
Israel Defeats the Philistines A ·group from [unit/detachment of] the Philistine army had gone out to the pass at Micmash.


text:
One day Jonathan, Saul’s son, said to ·the officer who carried his armor [his armor bearer], “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine ·camp [outpost] on the other side.” But Jonathan did not tell his father.


text:
Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree at ·the threshing floor [or Migron] near Gibeah. He had about six hundred men with him.


text:
One man was Ahijah who was wearing the ·holy vest [ephod; ]. (Ahijah was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub. Ichabod was the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh.) No one knew Jonathan had left.


text:
There was a ·steep slope [rocky crag/cliff] on each side of the pass that Jonathan planned to go through to reach the Philistine ·camp [outpost]. The cliff on one side was named Bozez, and the cliff on the other side was named Seneh.


text:
Jonathan said to his ·officer who carried his armor [armor bearer], “Come. Let’s go to the ·camp [outpost] of those men who are not circumcised [Philistines were among the few Near Eastern people of the day who did not practice circumcision; it had special significance in Israel; ]. Maybe the Lord will ·help [act/work something for] us. The Lord ·can give us victory if [is able to save/rescue whether] we have many people, or just a few.”


text:
·The officer who carried Jonathan’s armor [His armor bearer] said to him, “Do whatever you think is best. Go ahead. ·I’m with you [Our hearts/minds are one].”


text:
If they say to us, ‘Stay there until we come to you [in order to kill them],’ we will stay where we are. We won’t go up to them.


text:
But if they say, ‘Come up to us [in order to fight],’ we will climb up, and the Lord will ·let us defeat them [give them into our hands]. This will be the sign for us.”


text:
When they both let the Philistines see them, the Philistines said, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in!”


text:
The Philistines in the ·camp [outpost] shouted to Jonathan and his officer, “Come up to us. ·We’ll teach you a lesson [or We have something to tell/show you]!” Jonathan said to his ·officer [armor bearer], “Climb up behind me, because the Lord has given the Philistines ·to [into the hands of] Israel!”


text:
So Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, and his ·officer [armor bearer] climbed just behind him. ·Jonathan struck down the Philistines [And they fell before Jonathan] as he went, and his ·officer [armor bearer] killed ·them as he followed [those who came from] behind him.


text:
In that first ·fight [attack; slaughter] Jonathan and his officer killed about twenty Philistines over a ·half acre [yoke] of ground.


text:
All the Philistine soldiers panicked—those in the ·camp [outpost] and those in the raiding party. ·The ground itself shook [An earthquake struck]! God had caused the panic.


text:
Saul’s ·guards [watchmen] were at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin when they saw the ·Philistine soldiers [vast army; multitude] ·running in every direction [melting away, here and there].


text:
Saul said to his army, “·Check to see who has left our camp [Call the roll and see who has left us].” When they ·checked [called the roll], they learned that Jonathan and his ·officer [armor bearer] were gone.


text:
So Saul said to Ahijah the priest, “Bring the ·Ark of God [or ephod; see text note; both are means of discerning God’s will].” (At that time ·it was with [or he was wearing it in front of] the Israelites.)


text:
While Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp was growing. Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Put your hand down! [to stop the inquiry of God]”


text:
Then Saul ·gathered his army [assembled; gathered] and entered the battle. They found the Philistines [totally; greatly] confused, striking each other with their swords!


text:
Earlier, there were Hebrews who had ·served [defected/gone over to] the Philistines and had stayed in their camp, but now they ·joined [went over to] the Israelites with Saul and Jonathan.


text:
When all the Israelites hidden in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim heard that the Philistine soldiers were running away, they also joined the battle ·and chased the Philistines [in hot pursuit].


text:
So the Lord ·saved [rescued; delivered] the Israelites that day, and the battle ·moved on past [spread beyond] Beth Aven.


text:
Saul Makes Another Mistake The men of Israel were ·miserable [exhausted; hard pressed] that day because Saul had ·made an oath for all of them [put them under an oath]. He had said, “No one should eat food before evening and before I ·finish defeating [have had revenge on] my enemies. If he does, he will be cursed!” So no Israelite soldier ate food.


text:
·They came upon some ·honey [honeycomb], but no one ·took any [put his hand to his mouth] because they were afraid of the oath.


text:
[But] Jonathan had not heard ·the oath Saul had put on the army [that Saul had bound the people with a vow], so he dipped the end of his ·stick [staff] into the honey and lifted some out and ·ate it [put his hand to his mouth]. Then ·he felt better [his eyes brightened].


text:
Then one of the soldiers told Jonathan, “Your father ·made an oath for all the soldiers [bound the people with a strict oath/vow]. He said any man who eats today will be cursed! That’s why they are so ·weak [weary; faint].”


text:
Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the land! See how ·much better I feel [my eyes have brightened] after just tasting a little of this honey!


text:
It would have been much better for the men to eat the ·food [plunder; spoil] they took from their enemies today. We could have ·killed [slaughtered] many more Philistines!”


text:
That day the Israelites ·defeated [attacked; struck down] the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon. After that, they were very ·tired [weary; faint].


text:
They ·had taken [rushed to the plunder, taking] sheep, ·cattle [oxen], and calves from the Philistines. Now they were so hungry they ·killed [butchered] the animals on the ground and ate them, ·without draining the blood from them [with the blood]!


text:
Someone said to Saul, “Look! The men are sinning against the Lord. ·They’re eating meat without draining the blood from it […by eating with the blood; ; ]!” Saul said, “You ·have sinned [acted treacherously; broken faith]! Roll a large stone over here now!”


text:
Then he said, “·Go [Disperse yourselves] ·to [among] the men and tell them that each person must bring his ox and sheep to me and ·kill [slaughter] it here and eat it. Don’t sin against the Lord by eating ·meat without draining the blood from it [with the blood].” That night everyone brought his ·animals [oxen] and ·killed [slaughtered] them there.


text:
Saul said, “Let’s go after the Philistines ·tonight [after dark] and ·rob [plunder; despoil] them. We won’t ·let any of them live [leave one of them]!” The men answered, “Do whatever you think is best.” But the priest said, “Let’s ·ask [approach; draw near to] God [by making inquiry through the sacred lots or ephod].”


text:
So Saul asked God, “Should I ·chase [go down after] the Philistines? Will you ·let us defeat them [give them into Israel’s hand]?” But God did not answer Saul ·at that time [that day].


text:
·Then [So] Saul said to all the ·leaders [commanders] of his army, “Come here. Let’s find out what sin has been ·done [committed] today [Saul believed God had not answered him because of a sin].


text:
As surely as the Lord lives who has ·saved [rescued; delivered] Israel, even if my son Jonathan did the sin, he must die.” But no one ·in the army [of all the people] spoke.


text:
Then Saul said to all the Israelites, “You stand on this side. I and my son Jonathan will stand on the other side.” The men answered, “Do whatever you think is best.”


text:
Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, “·Give me the right answer [Let the sacred lots reveal the answer; Give Thummim; Saul is making inquiry through the sacred lots (the Urim and Thummim) as to who sinned; ].” And Saul and Jonathan were picked; the ·other men went free [people were cleared/went free/escaped blame].


text:
Saul said, “Now ·let us discover if it is I or Jonathan my son who is guilty [cast sacred lots between me and Jonathan].” And Jonathan was ·picked [taken].


text:
Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told Saul, “I only tasted a little honey from the end of my ·stick [staff]. ·And must I die now [Does that deserve death; or I am ready to die.]?”


text:
Saul said, “Jonathan, if you don’t die, may God ·punish me terribly [do the same to me, and even more].”


text:
But the ·soldiers [people] said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die? Never! He is responsible for ·saving [rescuing; delivering; this great victory in] Israel today! As surely as the Lord lives, not even a hair of his head will fall to the ground! ·Today Jonathan fought against the Philistines with God’s help […for he has worked with God today]!” So the ·army [people] ·saved [rescued; redeemed] Jonathan, and he did not die.


text:
Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines, and they [the Philistines] went back to their own ·land [territory; place].


text:
Saul Fights Israel’s Enemies When Saul ·became king [had secured/consolidated his rule/kingship] over Israel, he fought against Israel’s enemies ·all around [on every side]. He fought Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the ·king [or kings] of Zobah, and the Philistines. Everywhere Saul ·went [turned] he ·defeated [punished; routed] Israel’s enemies.


text:
He ·fought bravely [performed valiantly] and ·defeated [struck] the Amalekites. He ·saved [rescued; delivered] the Israelites from ·their enemies who had robbed [the hand of those who plundered/pillaged] them.


text:
Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. His ·older [firstborn] daughter was named Merab, and his younger daughter was named Michal.


text:
Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.


text:
All Saul’s life ·he fought hard against [there was bitter/fierce warfare with] the Philistines. When he saw strong or brave men, he ·took [drafted] them into his ·army [service; ].


text:
Saul Rejected as King Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to ·appoint [anoint] you king over [his people] Israel. Now listen to ·his message [the words of the Lord].


text:
This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: ‘When the Israelites came out of Egypt, the Amalekites ·tried to stop them from going to Canaan [opposed/laid a trap for them; ]. So I will ·punish [settle accounts with] them [].


text:
Now go, ·attack [crush; strike] the Amalekites and ·completely destroy everything they own as an offering devoted to the Lord [devote to destruction; Israel was commanded to kill all the inhabitants of the land; ]. Don’t ·let anything live [spare anything]. Put to death men and women, children and small babies, ·cattle [ox] and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”


text:
So Saul ·called [mobilized] the army together at Telaim and ·counted [reviewed] them. There were two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah.


text:
He said to the Kenites [; ; ; ], “·Go [Move] away. Leave the Amalekites ·so that I won’t [or I will] destroy you with them, because you showed ·kindness [lovingkindness; treaty faithfulness] to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.


text:
Then Saul ·defeated [struck] the Amalekites. He fought them all the way from Havilah to Shur, ·at the border [east] of Egypt.


text:
He ·took [captured] King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he ·killed all of Agag’s army [totally destroyed all the people; ] with the sword.


text:
Saul and the ·army let Agag live [people spared Agag], along with the best sheep, [oxen,] fat cattle, and lambs. They let every ·good [valuable] animal live, because they did not want to ·destroy them [devote them to destruction; ]. But when they found an animal that was ·weak [despised] or useless, they ·killed it [devoted it to destruction].


text:
“I ·am sorry [regret] I made Saul king, because he has ·stopped [turned away from] following me and has not ·obeyed [carried out] my commands.” Samuel was ·upset [distressed; angry; deeply moved], and he cried out to the Lord all night long.


text:
Early the next morning Samuel got up and went to ·meet [find] Saul. But the people told Samuel, “Saul has gone to Carmel, where he has put up a monument ·in his own honor [to himself]. Now he has gone down to Gilgal.”


text:
When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said, “May the Lord bless you! I have ·obeyed [carried out; upheld] the Lord’s commands.”


text:
Saul answered, “The ·soldiers [people] took them from the Amalekites. They saved the best sheep and cattle to offer as sacrifices to the Lord your God, but we ·destroyed [devoted to destruction; ] all the other animals.”


text:
Samuel said to Saul, “·Stop [Enough]! Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Saul answered, “·Tell me [Speak].”


text:
Samuel said, “·Once [Although] you ·didn’t think much of yourself [are/were little/small in your own eyes], but now you have become the ·leader [head] of the tribes of Israel. The Lord ·appointed [anointed] you to be king over Israel.


text:
And he sent you on a mission. He said, ‘Go and ·destroy [devote to destruction; ] those ·evil people [sinners], the Amalekites. Make war on them until all of them are ·dead [wiped out; exterminated; consumed].’


text:
Why didn’t you obey the [the voice of the] Lord? Why did you ·take the best things [rush for/pounce on the plunder/spoils]? Why did you do what ·the Lord said was wrong [was evil in the Lord’s sight/eyes]?”


text:
Saul said [to Samuel], “But I did obey [the voice of] the Lord. I ·did what the Lord told [went on the mission the Lord gave] me to do. I ·destroyed [devoted to destruction; ] all the Amalekites, and I brought back Agag their king.


text:
The ·soldiers [people] took [from the plunder/spoil] the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”


text:
But Samuel answered, “What pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to his voice? ·It is better to obey [Obedience is better] than ·to sacrifice [sacrifice]. ·It is better to listen to God than to offer [Submission/Heeding is better than] the fat of ·sheep [rams].


text:
·Disobedience [Rebellion] is as bad as the sin of ·sorcery [witchcraft; divination]. ·Pride [Stubbornness; Arrogance; Presumption; Insubordination] is as bad as ·the sin of worshiping idols [idolatry]. You have rejected the Lord’s ·command [word]. Now he rejects you as king.”


text:
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I ·didn’t obey [broke; violated; transgressed] the Lord’s commands and your ·words [instructions]. I was afraid of the people, and I ·did what they said [listened to their voice].


text:
But Samuel said to Saul, “I won’t go back with you. You rejected the Lord’s ·command [word], and now he rejects you as king of Israel.”


text:
Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors [David; ] who is better than you.


text:
The Lord is the ·Eternal One [or Glory] of Israel. He does not lie or change his mind. He is not a ·human being [mortal], so he does not change his mind.”


text:
Saul answered, “I have sinned. But please ·honor [respect] me in front of the elders of my people and in front of the Israelites. Come back with me so that I can worship the Lord your God.”


text:
Then Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of the Amalekites.” Agag came to Samuel ·in chains [or cheerfully; hopefully; or haltingly], but Agag thought, “Surely the ·threat [bitterness] of death has passed. [or Surely, death is bitter].”


text:
Samuel said to him, “Your sword made other mothers ·lose their children [childless]. Now your mother will ·have no children [be childless].” And Samuel ·cut Agag to pieces [butchered Agag] before the Lord at Gilgal.


text:
And Samuel never saw Saul again ·the rest of his life [until the day of his death], but he ·was sad [mourned; grieved] for Saul. And the Lord ·was very sorry [regretted] he had made Saul king of Israel.


text:
Samuel Goes to Bethlehem The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you ·continue to feel sorry [mourn; grieve] for Saul? I have rejected him as king of Israel. Fill your ·container [flask; horn] with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse who lives in Bethlehem, because I have ·chosen [selected; found myself] one of his sons to be king.”


text:
But Samuel said, “·If [How can…?] I go, Saul will hear the news and will try to kill me.” The Lord said, “Take a ·young calf [heifer] with you. Say, ‘I have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.’


text:
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice. Then I will tell you what to do. You must ·appoint [anoint] the one I ·show you [indicate; designate; name; tell you].”


text:
Samuel did what the Lord told him to do. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of Bethlehem ·shook with fear [trembled]. They met him and asked, “Are you coming in peace?”


text:
Samuel answered, “Yes, I come in peace. I have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. ·Set yourselves apart to the Lord [Consecrate/Purify/Sanctify yourselves] and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he ·set Jesse and his sons apart to the Lord, [consecrated/purified/sanctified Jesse and his sons] and he invited them to come to the sacrifice.


text:
When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab, and he thought, “Surely, here stands before me the Lord’s ·appointed [anointed].”


text:
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t look at ·how handsome Eliab is [his appearance] or ·how tall he is [his height], because I have ·not chosen [rejected] him. God does not see ·the same way [as] people see. People look at ·the outside of a person [appearances; the outward appearance], but the Lord looks ·at [on] the heart.”


text:
Then Jesse called Abinadab and told him to ·pass by [walk in front of] Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this man either.”


text:
Jesse had seven of his sons ·pass by [presented to] Samuel. But Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”


text:
Then he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse answered, “I still have the youngest son. He is out taking care of the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him. We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”


text:
So Jesse sent and had his youngest son brought in. He was ·a fine boy, tanned [dark; ruddy], [with beautiful eyes] and handsome. The Lord said to Samuel, “·Go [Rise], ·appoint [anoint] him, because he is the one.”


text:
So Samuel took the ·container [flask; horn] of olive oil and ·poured it on Jesse’s youngest son to appoint [anointed] him in front of his brothers. From that day on, the Lord’s Spirit ·worked in [came powerfully upon] David. Samuel then went back to Ramah.


text:
David Serves Saul But the Lord’s Spirit ·had left [departed from] Saul, and an ·evil [tormenting] spirit from the Lord ·troubled [terrorized; afflicted] him.


text:
Saul’s servants said to him, “See, an ·evil [tormenting] spirit from God is ·troubling [terrorizing; afflicting] you.


text:
Give ·us [your servants] the command to look for someone who can play the ·harp [lyre]. When the ·evil [tormenting] spirit from God ·troubles [terrorizes; afflicts] you, he will play, and you will ·feel better [be well].”


text:
One of the servants said, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem play the ·harp [lyre]. He is brave and ·courageous [a warrior]. He ·is a good speaker [or has good judgment] and handsome, and the Lord is with him.”


text:
Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send me your son David, ·who is with the sheep [the shepherd].”


text:
So Jesse loaded a donkey with bread, a ·leather bag [wineskin] full of wine, and a young goat, and he sent them with his son David to Saul.


text:
When David came to Saul, he ·began to serve him [entered his service; stood before him]. Saul ·liked David [loved David very much] and made him ·the officer who carried his armor [his armor bearer].


text:
Saul sent a message to Jesse, saying, “Let David ·stay and serve me [remain in my service] because ·I like him [I am pleased with him; he has found grace/favor in my sight].”


text:
When the ·evil [tormenting] spirit from God ·troubled [terrorized; afflicted] Saul, David would take his ·harp [lyre] and play. Then the ·evil [tormenting] spirit would leave him, and Saul would feel ·better [refreshed; soothed].


text:
David and Goliath The Philistines ·gathered [assembled; mustered] their armies for ·war [battle]. They ·met [gathered; assembled; mustered] at Socoh in Judah and camped at Ephes Dammim between Socoh and Azekah.


text:
Saul and the Israelites ·gathered [assembled; mustered] in the Valley of Elah and camped there and ·took their positions [drew up their battle line] to fight the Philistines.


text:
The Philistines ·controlled [occupied; stood on] one hill while the Israelites ·controlled [occupied; stood on] another. The valley was between them.


text:
The Philistines had a champion fighter from Gath named Goliath. He was ·about nine feet, four inches tall [six cubits and a span]. He came out of the Philistine camp


text:
with a bronze helmet on his head and a coat of bronze ·armor [mail; scale-armor] that weighed ·about one hundred twenty-five pounds [five thousand shekels].


text:
He wore bronze ·protectors [greaves] on his legs, and he had a bronze spear ·on his back [across his shoulders].


text:
The wooden part of his larger spear was like a weaver’s ·rod [beam], and its ·blade [head] weighed ·about fifteen pounds [six hundred shekels of iron]. The ·officer who carried his shield [shield bearer] walked in front of him.


text:
Goliath stood and shouted to the ·Israelite soldiers [ranks of Israel], “Why have you ·taken positions [lined up] for battle? ·I am [Am I not…?] a Philistine, and you are Saul’s servants! Choose a man and send him to fight me.


text:
If he can fight and kill me, we will be your ·servants [slaves]. But if I can kill him, you will be our ·servants [slaves] [and serve us].”


text:
Then he said, “Today I stand and ·dare [defy; challenge] the ·army [ranks] of Israel! ·Send one of your men [Give me a man] to fight me!”


text:
When Saul and the Israelites heard the Philistine’s words, they were ·very scared [dismayed and terrified].


text:
Now David was the son of Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons. In Saul’s time Jesse was an old man [].


text:
His three oldest sons followed Saul to the war. The ·first [firstborn] son was Eliab, the second was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.


text:
For forty days the Philistine came out every morning and evening and ·stood before the Israelite army [took his stand].


text:
Jesse said to his son David, “Take [quickly] this ·half bushel [epah] of ·cooked [roasted] grain and ten loaves of bread to your brothers in the camp.


text:
Also take ten ·pieces [cuts] of cheese to the commander [of thousands]. See how your brothers are and bring back some ·proof to show me that they are all right [news/token/assurance of them].


text:
Early in the morning David left the sheep with ·another shepherd [a keeper]. He took the food and left as Jesse had ·told [directed; ordered] him. When David arrived at the camp, the army was going out to their battle positions, shouting their war cry.


text:
The Israelites and Philistines were lining up their men ·to face each other in battle [army against army].


text:
David left ·the food [his baggage/bundle/things] with the man who kept the supplies and ran to the battle line to ·talk to [greet; inquire about the welfare of] his brothers.


text:
While he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out [from the Philistine ranks]. He shouted things against Israel as usual, and David heard him.


text:
They said, “·Look at [Have you seen…?] this man! He keeps coming out to ·challenge [defy] Israel. The king will give ·much money [a great reward; great wealth] to whoever kills him. He will also let whoever kills him marry his daughter. And his father’s family will ·not have to pay taxes [be made free] in Israel.”


text:
David asked the men who stood near him, “What will be done to reward the man who kills this Philistine and takes away ·the shame [this disgrace/reproach] from Israel? Who does this ·uncircumcised [pagan] Philistine think he is? Does he think he can ·speak against [taunt; defy; challenge] the armies of the living God?”


text:
When David’s oldest brother Eliab heard David talking with the ·soldiers [men], ·he was angry with [his anger burned against] David. He asked David, “Why did you come here? Who’s taking care of those few sheep of yours in the ·desert [wilderness]? I know you are ·proud [insolent; impudent] and ·wicked at heart [deceitful]. You came down here just to watch the battle.”


text:
When he turned [away] to other people and asked the same questions, they gave him the same answer as before.


text:
David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone ·be discouraged [lose heart because of him]. I, your servant, will go and fight this Philistine!”


text:
Saul answered, “You can’t go out against this Philistine and fight him. You’re only a ·boy [youth]. Goliath has been a warrior since ·he was a young man [his youth].”


text:
But David said to Saul, “I, your servant, have been keeping my father’s sheep. When a lion or bear came and ·took [carried off; stole] a ·sheep [lamb] from the flock,


text:
I would chase it. I would ·attack [strike] it and ·save [rescue] the sheep from its ·mouth [jaws]. ·When [If] it ·attacked [turned on] me, I caught it by its ·fur [or jaw] and hit [struck] it and killed it.


text:
I, your servant, have ·killed [struck] both ·a [the] lion and ·a [the] bear! This ·uncircumcised [pagan] Philistine will be like them, because he has ·spoken against [taunted; defied; challenged] the armies of the living God.


text:
The Lord who ·saved [rescued; delivered] me from a lion and a bear will ·save [rescue; deliver] me from this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”


text:
Saul put his own ·clothes [tunic] on David. He put a bronze helmet on his head and dressed him in ·armor [mail; a breastplate].


text:
David put on Saul’s sword [over it] and tried to walk around, but he was not used to all the armor Saul had put on him. He said to Saul, “I can’t go in this, because I’m not used to ·it [them].” Then David took it all off.


text:
He took his ·stick [staff] in his hand and chose five smooth stones from a ·stream [wadi]. He put them in his shepherd’s bag and grabbed his sling. Then he ·went to meet [walked toward; approached] the Philistine.


text:
At the same time, the Philistine was ·coming closer to [approaching] David. ·The man who held his shield [His shield bearer] walked in front of him.


text:
When Goliath looked at David and saw that he was only a ·boy [youth], ·tanned [ruddy] and handsome, he looked down on David with ·disgust [contempt; scorn; disdain].


text:
The Philistine said to David, “·Do you think I am [Am I] a dog, that you come at me with a ·stick [staff]?” He used his gods’ names to curse David.


text:
He said to David, “Come here. I’ll ·feed your body [give your flesh] to the birds of the air and the wild animals [of the field]!”


text:
But David said to ·him [the Philistine], “You come to me using a sword ·and two spears [a spear and a javelin]. But I come to you in the name of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], the God of the armies of Israel! You have ·spoken against [taunted; defied; challenged] him.


text:
Today the Lord will ·hand you over to me [deliver you into my hands], and I’ll ·kill you [strike you down] and cut off your head. Today I’ll feed the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds of the air and the wild animals. Then all the ·world [earth] will know there is a God in Israel!


text:
Everyone ·gathered here [in this assembly/crowd] will know the Lord does not need swords or spears to ·save [rescue; deliver] people []. The battle ·belongs to him [is the Lord’s], and he will ·hand you over to us [give you into our hands].”


text:
As ·Goliath [the Philistine] came ·near [closer] to attack him, David ran quickly [toward the battle line] to meet him.


text:
He took a stone from his bag, put it into his sling, and slung it. The stone hit the Philistine and went deep into his forehead, and Goliath fell facedown on the ground.


text:
So David ·defeated [triumphed/prevailed over] the Philistine with only a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. He did not even have a sword in his hand.


text:
Then David ran and stood ·beside [over] him. He took Goliath’s sword out of its ·holder [sheath] and killed him ·by cutting [or and then cut] off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ·ran [fled].


text:
The men of Israel and Judah ·shouted [surged forward with a shout] and chased the Philistines all the way to the entrance of the city of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. The Philistines’ bodies lay on the Shaaraim road as far as Gath and Ekron.


text:
The ·Israelites [sons/children of Israel] returned after chasing the Philistines and ·robbed [sacked; plundered] their camp.


text:
When Saul saw David go out to ·meet [fight] Goliath, Saul asked Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, ·who is that young man’s father [whose son is that young boy]?” Abner answered, “·As surely as you live [By your life/soul], my king, I don’t know.”


text:
When David came back from ·killing [striking] ·Goliath [the Philistine], Abner brought him to Saul. David was still holding ·Goliath’s [the Philistine’s] head.


text:
Saul asked him, “Young man, ·who is your father [whose son are you]?” David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”


text:
Saul Fears David When David finished talking with Saul, ·Jonathan felt very close to David [the life/soul of Jonathan was knit/bound to the life/soul of David]. He loved David as much as ·he loved himself [his own life/soul].


text:
Jonathan made an ·agreement [covenant; solemn pact; treaty] with David, because he loved David as much as ·himself [his own life/soul].


text:
He took off his ·coat [robe; perhaps a royal robe] and gave it to David, along with his ·armor [tunic], including his sword, bow, and belt [an expression of loyalty to David and perhaps even giving him the future kingship].


text:
[Wherever] Saul sent David ·to fight in different battles, and David [out, he] was very successful. Then Saul put David ·over [in command of] the soldiers, which pleased Saul’s ·officers [servants] and all the other people.


text:
After David had ·killed [struck] the Philistine, he and the men returned home. Women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul. They sang songs of joy, danced, and played tambourines and ·stringed [musical] instruments.


text:
As they played, they sang, “Saul has ·killed thousands of his enemies [slain his thousands], ·but [and] David has ·killed [slain his] tens of thousands.”


text:
The women’s ·song upset [refrain/saying displeased/was evil in the eyes/sight of] Saul, and he became very angry. He thought, “The women ·say David has killed [credit/ascribe to David] tens of thousands, but they ·say I have killed [credit/ascribe to me] only thousands. The only thing left for him to have is the kingdom!”


text:
The next day an ·evil [tormenting] spirit from God ·rushed upon [overwhelmed; seized; possessed] Saul, and he ·prophesied [or raved madly] in his house. David was playing the harp as he usually did, but Saul had a spear in his hand.


text:
Saul threw the spear, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David ·escaped from [eluded] him twice.


text:
The Lord was with David but had ·left [departed/withdrawn/turned away from] Saul. So Saul was afraid of David.


text:
He sent David away and made him commander of a thousand soldiers. So David led them ·in battle [out and back in].


text:
When Saul saw that David ·was very successful [greatly prospered], he ·feared [dreaded; was in awe of] David even more.


text:
But all the people of Israel and Judah loved David because he led them ·well in battle [out and back in].


text:
Saul’s Daughter Marries David Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will ·let you marry her [give her to you as a wife]. ·All I ask is that you remain [or But first you must show yourself] brave [for me] and fight the Lord’s battles.” Saul thought, “I won’t ·have to kill David [raise a hand against him]. The Philistines will do that.”


text:
But David answered Saul, saying, “Who am I? ·My family is not important enough [What is my father’s family in Israel…?] for me to become the king’s son-in-law.”


text:
So, when the time ·came [should have come] for Saul’s daughter Merab to marry David, Saul gave her instead to Adriel of Meholah [as a wife].


text:
Now Saul’s other daughter, Michal, loved David. When they told Saul, ·he was pleased [the matter was right in his eyes].


text:
He thought, “I will ·let her marry [give her to] David. ·Then […so that] she will be a ·trap [snare] for him, and the ·Philistines will defeat him [hand of the Philistines will be against him].” So Saul said to David ·a second time, “You may [You have a second chance to] become my son-in-law.”


text:
And Saul ordered his servants to talk with David ·in private [secretly] and say, “Look, the king ·likes [is delighted with] you. His servants love you. You should ·be [become] his son-in-law.”


text:
Saul’s servants said these words ·to [in the ears of] David, but David answered, “Do you think it is ·easy [a small/trivial thing] to become the king’s son-in-law? I am poor and ·unimportant [have no position/reputation; David cannot afford to pay the expected dowry].”


text:
Saul said, “Tell David, ‘The king doesn’t want ·money [a dowry/bride price] for the bride. All he wants is a hundred Philistine foreskins to get ·even with [revenge on] his enemies.’” Saul planned to let ·the Philistines kill David [David fall at the hands of the Philistines].


text:
When Saul’s servants told this to David, ·he was pleased [he was happy/delighted; the thing was right in the eyes of David] to become the king’s son-in-law. [So before the days were expired/fulfilled…]


text:
He and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. David brought all their foreskins [and counted them out] to ·Saul [the king] so he could be the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal for his wife.


text:
Saul ·saw [realized; saw and knew] that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David.


text:
So he grew even more afraid of David, and he was David’s enemy ·all his life [from then on; all the days].


text:
The Philistine commanders continued to go out to fight the Israelites, but every time, David was more ·skillful [successful; wise] than Saul’s officers. So he became ·famous [highly esteemed; his name became extremely valuable].


text:
Saul Tries to Kill David Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David, but Jonathan ·liked [delighted in] David very much.


text:
So he warned David, “My father Saul is ·looking for a chance [seeking] to kill you. ·Watch out [Be on guard] in the morning. Hide in a secret place.


text:
I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are hiding, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll let you know what I find out.”


text:
When Jonathan talked to Saul his father, he ·said good things about [spoke well of] David. Jonathan said, “The king should ·do no wrong to [not harm/sin against] your servant David since he has ·done nothing wrong to [not harmed/sinned against] you. What he has done has ·helped [benefited; served] you greatly.


text:
·David risked his life [He took his life in his hand] when he ·killed Goliath the Philistine [struck the Philistine], and the Lord won a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and ·were happy [rejoiced]. Why would you ·do wrong against David? He’s innocent [… sin against innocent blood?]. There’s no reason to kill him!”


text:
Saul listened to Jonathan and then ·made this promise [vowed; swore]: “As surely as the Lord lives, David won’t be put to death.”


text:
·So [Afterward] Jonathan called to David and told him everything that had been said. He brought David to Saul, and David ·was with [served] Saul as before.


text:
When war broke out again, David went out to ·fight [strike] the Philistines. He ·defeated them [attacked them with great force], and they ran away from him.


text:
But once again an ·evil [tormenting] spirit from the Lord ·rushed upon [overwhelmed; seized; possessed] Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. David was playing the ·harp [lyre].


text:
Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear, but David ·jumped out of the way [slipped away; eluded him]. So Saul’s spear ·went into [stuck in] the wall, and David ·ran away [escaped] that night.


text:
Saul sent ·messengers [agents; soldiers] to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, saying, “Tonight you must ·run for [save] your life. If you don’t, you will be dead in the morning.”


text:
Then Michal took an ·idol [household image; teraphim; probably household gods; ], laid it on the bed, covered it with ·clothes [blankets], and put goats’ hair at its head.


text:
Saul sent ·them [messengers; agents; soldiers] back to see David, saying, “Bring him to me on his bed so I can kill him.”


text:
When the ·messengers [agents; soldiers] entered David’s house, they found just an ·idol [household image; ] on the bed with goats’ hair on its head.


text:
Saul said to Michal, “Why did ·you trick [deceive; betray] me this way? You let my enemy go so he could ·run away [escape]!” Michal answered Saul, “David told me ·if I did not help him escape, he would kill me [“Let me go. Why should I kill you?].”


text:
After David had [fled and] escaped from Saul, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then David and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.


text:
So he sent ·messengers [agents; soldiers] to capture him. But they met a group of prophets ·prophesying [in a frenzy], with Samuel standing there ·leading [in charge of] them. So the Spirit of God ·entered [came upon] Saul’s men, and they also ·prophesied [fell into a frenzy].


text:
When Saul heard the news, he sent more ·messengers [agents; soldiers], but they also ·prophesied [fell into a frenzy]. Then he sent ·messengers [agents; soldiers] a third time, but they also ·prophesied [fell into a frenzy].


text:
Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah, to the [large; great] well at Secu. He asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” The people answered, “In Naioth at Ramah.”


text:
When Saul went to Naioth at Ramah, the Spirit of God also ·rushed upon [overwhelmed; seized; possessed] him. And he walked on, ·prophesying [in a frenzy,] until he came to Naioth at Ramah.


text:
He ·took [tore; stripped] off his ·robes [clothes] and prophesied in front of Samuel. He lay ·that way [naked] all day and all night. That is why people ask, “Is ·even [also] Saul one of the prophets?”


text:
Jonathan Helps David Then David ·ran away [fled] from Naioth in Ramah. He went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my ·crime [guilt; iniquity]? How did I ·sin against [offend; wrong] your father? Why is he ·trying to kill me [seeking my life]?”


text:
Jonathan answered, “·No [Never; Far from it]! You won’t die! See, my father doesn’t do anything ·great or small [important or unimportant] without first ·telling [confiding in] me. Why would he ·keep [hide] this from me? It’s not true!”


text:
But David ·took an oath [vowed; swore], saying, “Your father knows very well that ·you like me [I have found favor in your sight]. He says to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know about it, or he will be ·upset [hurt; grieved].’ As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I am only a step away from death!”


text:
So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon festival [; ; ; ]. I am supposed to eat with the king, but let me hide in the field until the ·third evening [evening of the third day].


text:
If your father notices I am gone, tell him, ‘David begged ·me to let him go [to hurry/run] to his hometown of Bethlehem. Every year at this time his ·family group [whole clan] offers a sacrifice.’


text:
If your father says, ‘·Fine [Very well; Good],’ ·I am safe [your servant is well]. But if he becomes angry, you will know that he ·wants to hurt me [is determined to harm me; has an evil plan].


text:
Jonathan, ·be loyal [show kindness/faithful love] to me, your servant. You have made an ·agreement [covenant; solemn pact] with me before the Lord. If I ·am guilty [have sinned], you may kill me yourself! Why ·hand me over [betray me] to your father?”


text:
Jonathan answered, “·No, never [Far be it from you]! If I learn that my father ·plans to hurt you [decided on evil], ·I will warn you [wouldn’t I tell you?]!”


text:
Then Jonathan said [to David], “Come, let’s go out into the field.” So the two of them went out into the field.


text:
Jonathan said to David, “·I promise this before [By] the Lord, the God of Israel: ·At [By] this same time ·the day after tomorrow [or tomorrow or the next day], I will ·find out how my father feels [sound out my father]. If he feels good toward you, I will send word to you and let you know.


text:
But if my father plans to ·hurt [harm; kill] you, I will let you know and send you away safely. May the Lord ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse,] if I don’t do this. And may the Lord be with you as he ·has been [used to be] with my father.


text:
·But show me the kindness of the Lord as long as I live so that I may not die [or If I am still alive, show me the faithful love/loyalty of the Lord. But if I die…] .


text:
You must never ·stop showing [cut off] your ·kindness [faithful love/loyalty] to my ·family [house], even when the Lord has ·destroyed [exterminated; cut off] all your enemies from the [face of the] earth.”


text:
So Jonathan ·made [cut] an ·agreement [covenant; solemn pact] with David. He said, “May the Lord ·hold David’s enemies responsible [or destroy David’s enemies].”


text:
And Jonathan asked David to repeat his ·promise [vow; oath] of love for him, because he loved David as much as he loved ·himself [his own life/soul].


text:
Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon festival []. Your ·seat [place] will be empty, so my father will miss you.


text:
·On the third day [The day after tomorrow] go to the place where you hid when this trouble began. Wait by the ·rock Ezel [stone pile; mound of rock].


text:
Then I will send a boy to find the arrows. If I say to him, ‘The arrows are ·near you [on this side]; bring them here,’ you may come out of hiding. You are safe. As the Lord lives, there is no ·danger [trouble; harm].


text:
But if I say to the ·boy [youngster], ‘Look, the arrows are ·beyond you [further on],’ you must go, because the Lord is sending you away.


text:
Remember ·what we talked about [the promise we made]. The Lord is a witness between you and me forever.”


text:
He sat where he ·always [usually; customarily] sat, near the wall. Jonathan sat ·across from [facing] him, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.


text:
That day Saul said nothing. He thought, “Maybe something has happened to David so that he is unclean. [Yes, surely he is unclean; ritually unclean so he could not participate in a religious ceremony; ]


text:
But the next day was the second day of the month, and David’s place was still empty. So Saul said to Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the ·feast [meal] yesterday or today?”


text:
He said, ‘Let me go, because our ·family [whole clan] has a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has ·ordered [commanded] me to be there. Now if I ·am your friend [have found favor in your sight/eyes], please let me go to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”


text:
Then Saul ·became very angry with [burned with anger against] Jonathan. He said, “You son of a ·wicked, worthless woman [whore; rebellious slut]! ·I [Do I not…?] know you are on the side of David son of Jesse! ·You bring shame on yourself and on your mother who gave birth to you […to your own shame and the shame of your mother’s nakedness].


text:
As long as Jesse’s son lives [on this earth], ·you will never be king or have a kingdom [neither you nor your kingdom will be established]. Now send for David and bring him to me. He ·must [deserves to] die!”


text:
Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan, ·trying to kill [to strike] him. So Jonathan knew that his father ·really wanted [was determined] to kill David.


text:
Jonathan ·was very angry [rose in fierce anger] and left the table. That second day of the ·month [or New Moon festival] he refused to eat. He ·was ashamed of his father and upset over David [grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David; or grieved for David and because his father had disgraced/insulted/dishonored him].


text:
The next morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David as they had agreed. He had a young boy with him.


text:
Jonathan said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” When he ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.


text:
The boy ran to the place where Jonathan’s arrow fell, but Jonathan called, “The arrow is ·beyond [further ahead of] you!”


text:
Then he shouted [to the boy], “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t ·stop [stay; linger]!” The boy picked up the arrow and brought it back to his master.


text:
(The boy ·knew nothing about what this meant [suspected nothing]; only Jonathan and David ·knew [understood].)


text:
When the boy left, David came out from the south side of the rock. He bowed facedown on the ground ·before Jonathan three [three] times. Then David and Jonathan kissed each other and cried together, but David cried the more.


text:
Jonathan said to David, “Go in ·peace [safety]. We have ·promised [vowed; sworn] by the [name of the] Lord ·that we will be friends [to each other]. We said, ‘The Lord will ·be a witness [be] between you and me, and between our descendants always.’” Then ·David [he got up and] left, and Jonathan went back to town.


text:
David Goes to See Ahimelech David went to Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech ·shook with fear [trembled; perhaps rumors of Saul’s displeasure were circulating] when he saw David, and he asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”


text:
David answered him, “The king ·gave me a special order [sent me on a mission; commissioned me]. He told me, ‘No one must know ·what I am sending you to do or what I told you to do [about the mission I am sending you on].’ I told my [young] men ·where to meet me [to meet me at a certain place].


text:
Now, what ·food do you have with you [is at hand]? Give me five loaves of bread or anything you find.”


text:
The priest said to David, “I don’t have any ·plain [ordinary; regular] bread here, but I do have some ·holy [consecrated; holy] bread [from the Table of Presence; ]. You may eat it if your men have ·kept themselves from [not recently slept with] women [sexual relations rendered a man ritually unclean; ].”


text:
David answered [the priest and said to him], “No women have been near us ·for days [or as usual on a campaign]. My men always keep ·themselves [their bodies/vessels] holy, even ·when we do ordinary work [on an ordinary/common journey]. And this is especially true when the ·work [journey] is holy.”


text:
So the priest gave David the ·holy [consecrated] bread ·from the presence of God [—the bread of the Presence—] because there was no other. Each day the holy bread was replaced with ·hot [fresh] bread.


text:
One of Saul’s servants happened to be there that day. He had been ·held there [detained] before the Lord [for some unspecified ritual purpose]. He was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s shepherds.


text:
David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword here? The king’s business was very ·important [urgent], so I ·left without [brought neither…nor] my sword or any other weapon.”


text:
The priest answered, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, the one you ·killed [struck] in the Valley of Elah [], is here. It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ·holy vest [ephod; ]. If you want it, you may take it. There’s no other sword here but that one.” David said, “There is ·no other sword [none] like it. Give it to me.”


text:
David Goes to Gath That day David ·ran away [fled] from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath [a major Philistine town].


text:
But the servants of Achish said to him, “·This is [Isn’t this…?] David, the king of the ·Israelites [land]. ·He’s [Isn’t he…?] the man they dance and sing about, saying: ‘Saul has ·killed thousands of his enemies [slain his thousands], ·but [and] David has ·killed [slain his] tens of thousands [].’”


text:
David ·paid attention to [took to heart] these words and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.


text:
So he ·pretended to be crazy in front of Achish and his servants [changed his behavior in their eyes/presence]. ·While he was with them [In their hands], he acted like a madman and ·clawed [scratched; scribbled] on the doors of the gate and ·let spit run [drooled] down his beard.


text:
·I [Don’t I…?] have enough madmen. I don’t need you to bring him here to act like this in front of me! ·Don’t let him in [Must this one come into…?] my house!”


text:
David at Adullam and Mizpah David ·left Gath [went from there] and ·escaped to [took refuge in] the cave of Adullam [in the lowlands of Judah, southwest of Jerusalem]. When his brothers and ·other relatives [his father’s household] heard that he was there, they went to ·see him [join him; him].


text:
Everyone who was in ·trouble [distress], or ·who owed money [in debt], or who was ·unsatisfied [discontented; had a grievance] gathered around David, and he became their ·leader [captain; commander]. About four hundred men were with him.


text:
From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and spoke to the king of Moab. He said, “Please let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God ·is going [intends] to do for me.”


text:
So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was hiding in the stronghold.


text:
But the prophet Gad said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. ·Go [Return] to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.


text:
Saul Destroys Ahimelech’s Family Saul heard that David and his men had been ·seen [discovered; located]. Saul was sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, and all his officers were standing around him. He had a spear in his hand.


text:
Saul said to them, “·Listen [Hear now], men of Benjamin! Do you think the son of Jesse will give all of you fields and vineyards? Will David make you commanders over thousands of men or hundreds of men?


text:
·You have all made plans [Is that why you have all conspired…?] against me! No one tells me when my son makes an ·agreement [covenant; solemn pact; treaty] with the son of Jesse! No one ·cares about [feels sorry/pity for] me! No one tells me when my son has ·encouraged [stirred up; incited] my servant to ·ambush [lie in wait for] me this very day!”


text:
Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul’s ·officers [officials; servants], said, “I saw the son of Jesse. He came to see Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.


text:
Ahimelech ·prayed to [consulted; inquired of] the Lord for David and gave him ·food [provisions] and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”


text:
Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and for all of ·Ahimelech’s relatives [his father’s household] who were priests at Nob. And they all came to the king.


text:
Saul said to Ahimelech, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” Ahimelech answered, “·Yes, master [Here I am, my lord/king].”


text:
Saul said, “Why ·are [have] you and Jesse’s son [conspired] against me? You gave him bread and a sword! You ·prayed to [consulted; inquired of] God for him. David has ·turned [rebelled; conspired; risen up] against me and is ·waiting [lying in wait/ambush] ·to attack [for] me even now!”


text:
Ahimelech answered [the king], “·You have no other servant who [Who of all your servants…?] is as ·loyal [faithful] as David, your own son-in-law and captain of your bodyguards. Everyone in your house ·respects [honors] him.


text:
·That was not [Was today…?] the first time I ·prayed to [consulted; inquired of] God for David. Don’t ·blame [accuse; charge] me or any of my relatives. I, your servant, know nothing about ·what is going on [all this; this whole affair].”


text:
But the king said, “Ahimelech, you and all your ·relatives [father’s household] ·must [will surely] die!”


text:
Then he told the ·guards [or bodyguard] at his side, “·Go [Turn; Forward] and kill the priests of the Lord, because ·they are on David’s side [their hand is with David]. They knew he was running away, but they didn’t ·tell [warn] me.” But the king’s ·officers [servants] refused to ·kill [attack; raise a hand against] the priests of the Lord.


text:
Then the king ordered Doeg, “·Go [Turn; Forward] and ·kill [attack; strike] the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite ·went [turned] and ·killed [attacked; struck] the priests. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ·holy vest [ephod; a distinctively priestly garment; ].


text:
He also ·killed [struck; put to the sword] the people of Nob, the city of the priests. With the sword he killed men, women, children, babies, ·cattle [oxen], donkeys, and sheep.


text:
But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech, who was the son of Ahitub, escaped. He ·ran away [fled] and joined David.


text:
Then David told him, “Doeg the Edomite was there at Nob that day. I knew he would surely tell Saul. So I ·am responsible for [caused] the death of all your father’s ·family [household].


text:
Stay with me. Don’t be afraid. The man who ·wants to kill you [seeks your life] also ·wants to kill me [seeks my life]. You will be safe with me.”


text:
David Saves the People of Keilah ·Someone told [News came to; They told] David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting ·against [at] Keilah and ·stealing grain from [robbing; plundering; looting] the threshing floors.”


text:
David ·asked [inquired of] the Lord, “Should I go and ·fight [attack; strike] these Philistines?” The Lord answered him, “Go. ·Attack [Strike] the Philistines, and ·save [rescue; deliver] Keilah.”


text:
But David’s men said to him, “We’re afraid here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah ·where the Philistine army is [against the ranks of the Philistines].”


text:
David ·again asked [inquired again of] the Lord, and the Lord [again] answered, “Go down to Keilah. I will ·help you defeat [give into your hand] the Philistines.”


text:
So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines and took their cattle. David ·killed [slaughtered] many Philistines and ·saved [rescued; delivered] the people of Keilah.


text:
(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ·holy vest [ephod] ·with him [in his hand] when he came to David at Keilah [the ephod probably held the Urim and Thummim used to determine God’s will; ].)


text:
Saul Chases David Someone told Saul that David was now at Keilah. Saul said, “God has ·handed David over to me [made a stranger of him into my hand; the Hebrew is obscure]! He has ·trapped [imprisoned] himself, because he has entered a town with gates and bars [Saul could lay siege to such a town].”


text:
Saul called all his army together for battle, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to ·attack [besiege] David and his men.


text:
David learned Saul was ·making evil plans [plotting evil] against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ·holy vest [ephod].”


text:
David prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, ·I have [your servant has] heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah to destroy the town because ·of me [I am here].


text:
Will the ·leaders [citizens; men] of Keilah ·hand me over [surrender/betray me] to Saul? Will Saul come down to Keilah, as I heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell me, your servant!” The Lord answered, “Saul will come down.”


text:
Again David asked, “Will the ·leaders [citizens; men] of Keilah ·hand [surrender; betray] me and my men over to Saul?” The Lord answered, “They will [surrender/betray you].”


text:
So David and his six hundred men left Keilah and ·kept moving from place to place [went/roamed wherever they could]. When Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he ·did not go there [gave up pursuit/the campaign].


text:
David stayed in the ·desert [wilderness] ·hideouts [strongholds] and in the hills of the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Ziph. Every day Saul looked for David, but the Lord did not ·surrender David to him [give David into his hand].


text:
While David was at Horesh in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Ziph, he learned that Saul was coming to kill him.


text:
But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and ·strengthened his faith [encouraged him; strengthened his hand] in God.


text:
Jonathan told him, “Don’t be afraid, because [the hand of] my father Saul won’t ·touch [find] you. You will be king of Israel, and I will be ·second [next] to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”


text:
The two of them ·made [cut] an ·agreement [covenant; solemn pact] before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.


text:
The people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David is hiding in our land. He’s at the ·hideouts [strongholds] of Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, ·south of [in the southern part of] Jeshimon.


text:
Now, our king, come down ·anytime you want [whenever you’re ready]. It’s our duty to hand David over to you.”


text:
Go and ·learn more about him [make sure]. ·Find out [Investigate] where he is staying and who has seen him there. I have heard that he is ·clever [very cunning/crafty].


text:
Find all the hiding places he uses, and come back ·and tell me everything [when you are sure; with definite information]. Then I’ll go with you. If David is in the ·area [land], I will ·track him down [search him out] among all the ·families [clans; or thousands] in Judah.”


text:
So they went back to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon in the ·desert [wilderness] area south of Jeshimon.


text:
Saul and his men went to look for David, but David heard about it and went down to ·a [the great] rock and stayed in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon. When Saul heard that, he ·followed [pursued] David into the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon.


text:
Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul, because Saul and his men were ·closing in on [surrounding] them.


text:
But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are ·attacking [raiding] our land!”


text:
So Saul stopped chasing David and went to ·challenge [meet; oppose] the Philistines. That is why people call this place Rock of ·Parting [Escape; or Separations].


text:
David also left the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon and stayed in the ·hideouts [strongholds] of En Gedi.


text:
David Shames Saul After Saul returned from chasing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of En Gedi.”


text:
So he took three thousand ·chosen men [elite soldiers] from all Israel and began looking for David and his men near the ·Rocks [Crags] of the ·Wild [Mountain] Goats.


text:
Saul came to the sheep ·pens [folds] ·beside the road [along the way]. A cave was there, and he went in to ·relieve himself [cover his feet]. Now David and his men were hiding ·far back in [in the inner recesses of] the cave.


text:
The men said to David, “Today is the day the Lord spoke of when he said, ‘I will give your enemy ·over to you [into your hand]. ·Do anything you want with him [Deal with him as you wish/as is good in your eyes].’” Then David crept up to Saul and ·quietly [secretly; stealthily] cut off ·a corner [the border/edge/hem] of Saul’s robe.


text:
Later ·David felt guilty [David’s conscience bothered him; the heart/mind of David struck him] because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.


text:
He said to his men, “May the Lord ·keep [forbid; preserve] me from doing such a thing to my master! Saul is the Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed]. I should not ·do anything [raise/send my hand] against him, because he is the Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed]!”


text:
David used these words to ·stop [restrain; persuade; rebuke; scold] his men; he did not let them attack Saul. Then Saul left the cave and went his way.


text:
When David came out of the cave, he ·shouted [called] to Saul, “My ·master [lord] ·and [the] king!” Saul looked back, and David bowed ·facedown [prostrate] on the ground.


text:
You have seen ·something with [with] your own eyes today. ·The […how the] Lord ·put you in my power [gave you into my hand] in the cave. ·They [Some] said I should kill you, but I ·was merciful [pitied/spared you]. I said, ‘I won’t ·harm [raise/send my hand against] my master, because he is the Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed].’


text:
My father, look at this ·piece [border; edge; hem] of your robe in my hand! I cut off the ·corner [border; edge; hem] of your robe, but I didn’t kill you. ·Now understand and know [This proves] ·I am not planning any evil [there is no wrong or rebellion/treason] against you. I ·did nothing wrong to [have not sinned against] you, but you are hunting me to ·kill me [take my life].


text:
May the Lord judge between us, and may he ·punish [avenge me on] you for the wrong you have done to me! But I ·am not against you [will not harm you/lay a hand on you].


text:
There is an old ·saying [proverb]: ‘Evil ·things [deeds] come ·from [out of] evil people.’ ·But [So] I ·am not [will not harm/raise my hand] against you.


text:
Whom is the king of Israel ·coming out against [attacking]? Whom are you ·chasing [pursuing]? ·It’s as if you are chasing a [A…?] dead dog or a flea.


text:
May the Lord be our judge and decide ·between you and me [which of us is right]. May he ·support me [consider/see me] and ·show that I am right [uphold/plead my cause]. May he ·save [rescue; deliver] me from ·you [your hand/power]!”


text:
When David finished saying these words, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he cried loudly.


text:
He said, “You are ·a better man [more righteous] than I am. You have ·been good [behaved well; repaid good] to me, but I have ·done wrong [behaved badly; repaid evil] to you.


text:
You [have just] told me what good things you did [to me]. The Lord handed me over to you, but you did not kill me.


text:
·People don’t normally let an enemy get away like this, do they [For who has found his enemy and sends him on his way safely]? May the Lord reward you ·because you were good to [or with good for what you have done for] me today.


text:
I [now] know you will surely be king, and ·you will rule [in your hand will be established] the kingdom of Israel.


text:
Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not ·kill [cut off] my ·descendants [seed] and that you won’t wipe out my name from my father’s ·family [household; by killing all Saul’s children].”


text:
So David ·made the promise [swore] to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to their ·hideout [stronghold].


text:
Nabal Insults David Now Samuel died, and all the Israelites ·met [gathered; assembled] and ·had a time of sadness [mourned] for him. Then they buried him at his home in Ramah. David moved to the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon.


text:
A man in Maon who had ·land [business] at Carmel was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was ·cutting the wool off his sheep [having his sheep shorn] at Carmel.


text:
His name was Nabal [meaning “Fool” in Hebrew], and he was a descendant of Caleb [, ; , , ; ; ; ]. His wife was named Abigail. She was ·wise [intelligent; clever; sensible] and beautiful, but Nabal was ·cruel [harsh; crude; surly] and mean. He was a Calebite.


text:
While David was in the ·desert [wilderness], he heard that Nabal was ·cutting the wool from [shearing] his sheep.


text:
Say to Nabal, ‘May you and your ·family [house] and all who belong to you have ·good health [long life; peace; prosperity]!


text:
I have heard that you are ·cutting the wool from [shearing] your sheep. When your shepherds were with us, we did not ·harm [mistreat] them. All the time your shepherds were at Carmel, ·we stole nothing from them [they missed/lost nothing].


text:
Ask your ·servants [young men], and they will tell you. We come at a ·happy time [feast day; festive time], so ·be kind [show favor] to my young men. Please give anything [provisions] you ·can find [have at hand] for them and for your son David.’”


text:
When David’s men arrived, they gave the message to Nabal [in David’s name], ·but Nabal insulted them [and then waited].


text:
He answered them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many ·slaves [servants] are running away from their masters ·today [these days]!


text:
I have bread and water, and I have meat that I ·killed [slaughtered] for my ·servants who cut the wool [shearers]. ·But I won’t give it to men I don’t know [Why should I give it to men from who knows where?].”


text:
Then David said to them, “·Put [Strap; Buckle; Gird] on your swords!” So they ·put [strapped; buckled; girded] on their swords, and David put [strapped; buckled; girded] on his also. About four hundred men went with David, but two hundred men stayed with the ·supplies [equipment; baggage].


text:
One of Nabal’s ·servants [young men] said to Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the ·desert [wilderness] to greet our master, but Nabal ·insulted [scorned] them.


text:
These men were very good to us. They did not ·harm [mistreat] us. ·They stole nothing from us [Nothing was missing] during all the time we were out in the field with them.


text:
Night and day they ·protected us. They were […were] like a wall around us while we were with them ·caring for [tending; minding] the sheep.


text:
Now ·think about it [make up your mind], and ·decide [consider] what you ·can [should] do. ·Terrible trouble is coming to [Disaster is certain for; Evil is fated for] our master and all his ·family [household]. Nabal is such a ·wicked [ill-tempered; quarrelsome] man that no one can even talk to him.”


text:
Abigail hurried. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two ·leather bags [wineskins] full of wine, five ·cooked [prepared; slaughtered] sheep, ·a bushel [five measures/seahs] of ·cooked [roasted] grain, a hundred ·cakes [clusters] of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs and ·put [loaded] all these on donkeys.


text:
Then she told her ·servants [young men], “Go on [ahead]. I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.


text:
Abigail rode her donkey and came down toward ·the [a] mountain ·hideout [ravine]. There she met David and his men coming down toward her.


text:
David had just said, “·It’s been useless! [In vain have ] I ·watched over [guarded; protected] Nabal’s property in the ·desert [wilderness]. I made sure ·none of his sheep was missing [nothing was stolen]. I did good to him, but he has paid me back with evil.


text:
May God punish ·me [David] even more than my enemies if I leave even one of Nabal’s ·men [one who urinates against a wall] alive until morning.


text:
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and ·bowed facedown on the ground [prostrated herself] before him.


text:
She fell at David’s feet and said, “My ·master [lord], let the ·blame [guilt] be on me! Please let ·me [your maidservant] talk to you. Listen to what ·I [your maidservant has to] say.


text:
My ·master [lord], [please] don’t ·pay attention to [set your heart/mind on] this worthless man Nabal. He is like his name. His name means ·‘fool’ [‘brute’], and he is truly a ·fool [brute]. But I, your servant, didn’t see the men you sent.


text:
The Lord has kept you from killing and ·punishing anyone [taking revenge/vengeance by your own hand]. As surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you live, may your enemies [and those who seek to harm my lord] become like Nabal!


text:
Please forgive ·my [your maidservant’s] ·wrong [offense; transgression]. The Lord will certainly ·let your family have many kings [make a lasting/enduring dynasty/house for my lord; ], because you fight ·his [the Lord’s] battles. As long as you live, ·may you do nothing bad [no evil/wrong will be found in you].


text:
Should someone try to chase you to ·kill you [seek your life], the Lord your God will ·keep you alive [wrap/bind you up with the living]. He will ·throw [sling; hurl; fling] away your enemies’ lives as ·he would throw a stone from [the pocket of] a sling.


text:
When the Lord has done all the good he promised, he will make you ·leader [ruler; prince] over Israel.


text:
Then you won’t feel ·guilty [grieved; anxious] or ·troubled [remorse] because you ·killed innocent people and punished them [shed blood without cause and avenged yourself]. Please remember ·me [your maidservant] when the Lord ·brings you success [has done well by you].”


text:
David answered Abigail, “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today.


text:
May you be blessed for your ·wisdom [good sense/judgment; discernment]. You have kept me from ·killing [bloodshed] or ·punishing people [avenging myself with my own hand] today.


text:
As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, he has kept me from ·hurting [harming] you. If you hadn’t come quickly to meet me, not one of Nabal’s ·men [those who urinate against a wall] would ·have lived until [still be alive in the] morning.”


text:
Then David ·accepted Abigail’s gifts [received from her hand that which she had brought]. He told her, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words, and ·I will do what you have asked [granted your request/petition].”


text:
Nabal’s Death When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was in the house, ·eating [feasting; drinking] like a king. He was very drunk and in ·a good mood [high spirits]. So she told him nothing until ·the next morning [daybreak; dawn].


text:
In the morning when ·he was not drunk [the wine had left him], his wife told him everything. ·His heart stopped [He had a stroke], and he became like stone.


text:
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord! Nabal insulted me, but the Lord has ·supported me [avenged me; pleaded/judged my case; upheld my cause]! He has kept ·me [his servant] from doing ·wrong [evil]. The Lord has ·punished Nabal for his wrong [returned Nabal’s evildoing on his own head].” Then David sent a ·message [proposal] to Abigail, asking her to be his wife.


text:
His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David sent us to take you so you can become his wife.”


text:
Abigail ·bowed facedown [prostrated herself] on the ground and said, “·I am [Your maidservant is] your ·servant [slave]. I’m ready to serve you and to wash the feet of my ·master’s [lord’s] servants.”


text:
Abigail quickly got on a donkey and went with David’s messengers, with her five ·maids [servant-girls] following her. And she became David’s wife.


text:
Saul’s daughter Michal was also David’s wife [], but Saul had given her to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.


text:
David Shames Saul Again The people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and said to him, “David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah ·opposite [overlooking; facing] ·Jeshimon [or the wasteland].”


text:
So Saul went down to the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Ziph with three thousand ·chosen men [elite soldiers] of Israel to look for David ·there [in the Desert/Wilderness of Ziph].


text:
Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah ·opposite [overlooking; facing] ·Jeshimon [or the wasteland], but David stayed in the ·desert [wilderness]. When he heard Saul had followed him [into the desert/wilderness],


text:
Then David went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, were sleeping. Saul was sleeping ·in [within] the ·middle [circle; ring] of the camp with all the army around him.


text:
David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into Saul’s camp with me?” Abishai answered, “I’ll go with you.”


text:
So that night David and Abishai went ·into Saul’s camp [amidst the army]. Saul was asleep ·in [within] the ·middle [circle; ring] of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the army were sleeping around Saul.


text:
Abishai said to David, “Today God has ·handed [delivered] your enemy ·over to you [into your hand]. Let me pin Saul to the ground with my spear. I’ll only have to do it once. I won’t need to ·hit [strike] him twice.”


text:
But David said to Abishai, “Don’t ·kill [destroy] Saul! ·No one [Who…?] can ·harm [raise a hand against] the Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed] and still be ·innocent [without guilt]!


text:
As surely as the Lord lives, the Lord himself will ·punish Saul [strike him]. ·Maybe Saul will die naturally [His day to die will come], or maybe he will go into battle and be killed.


text:
But may the Lord ·keep me from [forbid my] ·harming [raising my hand against] his ·appointed king [anointed]! Take the spear and water jug that are near Saul’s head. Then let’s go.”


text:
So David took the spear and water jug that were near Saul’s head, and they left. No one saw them or knew about it or woke up, because ·the Lord had put them sound asleep [a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them].


text:
David crossed over to the other side of the hill and stood on top of the mountain far from Saul’s camp. They were a long way away from each other.


text:
David ·shouted [called] to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Won’t you answer me, Abner?” Abner answered, “Who is calling for the king? Who are you [that calls on the king]?”


text:
David said, “You’re ·the greatest man [a man unlike any] in Israel. Isn’t that true? Why didn’t you ·guard [protect] your ·master [lord] the king? Someone came into your camp to kill your ·master [lord] the king!


text:
·You have not done well [This thing you’ve done is not good]. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men ·should [must] die. You haven’t guarded your ·master [lord], the Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed]. Look! Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?”


text:
Saul ·knew [recognized] David’s voice. He said, “Is that your voice, David my son?” David answered, “Yes, it is [my voice], my ·master [lord] and king.”


text:
David also said, “Why are you ·chasing me [pursuing your servant], my ·master [lord]? What wrong have I done? What ·evil [crime] ·am I guilty of [is in my hand]?


text:
My ·master [lord] and king, listen to me. If the Lord ·made you angry with [stirred you up/incited you against] me, let him accept an offering. But if people did it, may the Lord curse them! They have ·made me leave [driven me out today from] ·the land the Lord gave me [my share in the Lord’s inheritance/heritage]. They have told me, ‘Go and ·serve [worship] other gods.’


text:
Now don’t let ·me die [my blood fall to the ground so] far away from the Lord’s presence. The king of Israel has come out looking for a [single] flea! You’re just hunting a ·bird [partridge] in the mountains!”


text:
Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Today you ·respected [valued; considered precious] my life, so I will not try to hurt you. I have been very ·stupid [wrong; mistaken] and foolish.”


text:
David answered, “·Here is [Behold] your spear [O king]. Let one of your young men come here and get it.


text:
The Lord ·rewards us for the things we do right [repays each one for his righteousness] and for our ·loyalty [faithfulness] to him. The Lord ·handed you over to me [placed you in my hand] today, but I wouldn’t ·harm [raise a hand against] the Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed].


text:
As I ·respected [valued; considered precious] your life today, may the Lord also ·respect [value; consider precious] my life and ·save [rescue; deliver] me from all ·trouble [tribulation].”


text:
Then Saul said to David, “·You are [May you be] blessed, my son David. You will do great things and ·succeed [surely prevail/triumph].” So David went on his way, and Saul went back home.


text:
David Lives with the Philistines But David ·thought to himself [said in his heart], “·Saul will catch me someday [Eventually I will die/perish at Saul’s hands]. The best thing I can do is escape to the land of the Philistines. Then he will give up looking for me in Israel, and I can ·get away from him [escape from his hand].”


text:
So David and his six hundred men ·left Israel and went [crossed over] to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath.


text:
David, his men, and their ·families [households] made their home in Gath with Achish. David had his two wives with him—Ahinoam of Jezreel [] and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal [].


text:
Then David said to Achish, “If ·you are pleased with me [I have found favor in your eyes/sight], give me a place in one of the country towns where I can live. ·I don’t need to [Why should your servant…?] live in the royal city with you.”


text:
That day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag, and Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah ·ever since [to this day].


text:
David and his men raided the people of Geshur, Girzi, and Amalek. (These people had lived ·for a long time [since ancient times] in the land ·that reached to [near] Shur ·in the direction of [or as far as] Egypt.)


text:
When David ·fought [attacked; struck] them, he ·killed [did not let live] all the men and women and took their sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.


text:
Achish would ask David, “Where did you go raiding today?” And David would tell him ·that he had gone to the southern part [against the Negev] of Judah, or [against the Negev of] Jerahmeel, or ·to the land [against the Negev] of the Kenites.


text:
David never brought a man or woman alive to Gath. He thought, “If we bring people alive, they may tell Achish, ‘This is what David really did.’” David did this all the time he lived in the Philistine land.


text:
So Achish trusted David and said to himself, “·David’s own people, the Israelites, now hate him very much [He has made himself detested/abhorrent/odious to his people Israel]. He will ·serve me [be my servant] forever.”


text:
Saul and the Medium of Endor ·Later [In those days], the Philistines ·gathered [mobilized; mustered] their armies [for war] to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You understand that you and your men must ·join [go out with; accompany] my army.”


text:
David answered, “You will see for yourself what I, your servant, can do!” Achish said, “Fine, I’ll make you my ·permanent [lifelong] ·bodyguard [protector/guard of my head].”


text:
Now Samuel was dead, and all the Israelites had ·shown their sadness [mourned; lamented] for him. They had buried Samuel in his hometown of Ramah. And Saul had ·forced out [removed; banned] the mediums and ·fortune-tellers [wizards; spiritists] from the land [; ].


text:
The Philistines ·came together [assembled; mobilized] and made camp at Shunem. Saul gathered all the Israelites and made camp at Gilboa.


text:
When he saw the Philistine army, he was afraid, and his heart ·pounded with fear [trembled violently].


text:
He ·prayed to [inquired of] the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him through dreams, Urim [devices carried by the High Priest to inquire of God; ], or prophets.


text:
Then Saul said to his ·servants [advisers; attendants], “Find me a woman who ·is a medium [is a necromancer; has a familiar spirit] so I may go and ·ask her what will happen [inquire of/consult her].” His servants answered, “There is a ·medium [a necromancer; woman with a familiar spirit] in Endor.”


text:
Then Saul put on other clothes to disguise himself, and at night he and two of his men went to see the woman. Saul said to her, “·Talk to [Consult] a spirit for me. ·Bring [Conjure] up the person I name.”


text:
But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has ·forced [outlawed; cut off] the mediums and ·fortune-tellers [wizards; spiritists] from the land. ·You are [Why are you…?] trying to trap me and get me killed.”


text:
Saul made a ·promise [vow; oath] to the woman in the name of the Lord. He said, “As surely as the Lord lives, you won’t be ·punished [blamed] for this.”


text:
The woman asked, “Whom do you want me to ·bring up [conjure]?” He answered, “·Bring [Conjure] up Samuel.”


text:
When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, “Why have you ·tricked [deceived] me? You are Saul!”


text:
The king said to the woman, “Don’t be afraid! What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a ·spirit [ghost; god; divine being] coming up out of the ·ground [earth].”


text:
Saul asked, “What ·does he look like [is his appearance/form]?” The woman answered, “An old man wearing a ·coat [robe; cloak] is coming up.” Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground [and paid homage/did obeisance].


text:
Samuel asked Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by ·bringing [conjuring] me up?” Saul said, “I am ·greatly troubled [in great trouble/distress]. The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has ·left [abandoned; departed/turned away from] me. He won’t answer me anymore, either by prophets or in dreams. That’s why I ·called for [summoned] you. Tell me what to do.”


text:
Samuel said, “The Lord has ·left [abandoned; departed/turned away from] you and has become your enemy. So why do you ·call on [ask; consult] me?


text:
He has done what he ·said he would do [predicted; foretold]—the things he said ·through me [by my hand; ]. He has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors, David [].


text:
You did not obey the [voice of the] Lord; you did not ·show the Amalekites how angry he was with them [carry out/execute his fierce anger/wrath on Amalek; ]. That’s why he has done this to you today.


text:
The Lord will hand over both Israel and you ·to [into the hands of] the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines.”


text:
Saul ·quickly [immediately] fell flat on the ground and was ·afraid [terrified] of what Samuel had said. ·He was also very weak [And his strength was gone] because he had eaten nothing all that day and night.


text:
Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was really ·frightened [terrified; shaken; distraught]. She said, “Look, I, your servant, have obeyed you. I have ·risked my life [taken my life in my hands] and ·done [listened to] what you told me to do.


text:
Now please also listen to me. Let me give you some ·food [bread] so you may eat and have enough strength to go on your way.”


text:
But Saul refused, saying, “I won’t eat.” His servants joined the woman in ·asking [urging] him to eat, and he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the ·bed [couch].


text:
At the house the woman had a fat calf, which she quickly ·killed [slaughtered]. She took some flour and kneaded dough with her hands. Then she baked some ·bread without yeast [unleavened bread].


text:
David Goes Back to Ziklag The Philistines ·gathered [mobilized; mustered] all their soldiers at Aphek. Israel camped by the spring at Jezreel.


text:
The Philistine ·kings [rulers; lords] were marching with their groups of ·a hundred [hundreds] and ·a thousand men [thousands]. David and his men were marching ·behind [or at the rear with] Achish.


text:
The Philistine commanders asked, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” Achish told them, “·This is David. He [Is this not David who…?] served Saul king of Israel, but he has been with me for ·over a year now [days and years]. I have found nothing wrong in David since the time he ·left Saul [deserted until today].”


text:
But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send David back to the ·city you gave him [place you assigned him]. He cannot go with us into battle. If he does, ·we’ll have an enemy in our own camp [he may become an adversary to us]. He could ·please [make himself acceptable to/reconcile himself to] his king ·by killing our own [with the heads of these] men.


text:
·David is [Is not David…?] the one the Israelites dance and sing about, saying: “‘Saul has ·killed thousands of his enemies [slain his thousands], ·but [and] David has ·killed [slain his] tens of thousands [].’”


text:
So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you ·are loyal [have been trustworthy/reliable/honest]. I would be pleased to have you ·serve in my army [march into battle]. Since the day you came to me [until the present], I have found no ·wrong [fault; evil] in you. But the other ·kings [rulers; lords] don’t ·trust [approve of] you.


text:
Go back in peace. Don’t do anything ·to displease [evil in the eyes/sight of] the Philistine ·kings [rulers; lords].”


text:
David asked, “What ·wrong have [have] I done? What ·evil have [have] you found in ·me [your servant] from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go fight your enemies, my lord ·and [the] king?”


text:
Achish answered, “I know you are as ·good [pleasing to me] as an angel from God. But the Philistine commanders have said, ‘David must not go with us into battle.’


text:
Early in the morning you and your master’s servants should leave. Get up as soon as it is light and go.”


text:
So David and his men got up early in the morning and went back to the country of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.


text:
David’s War with the Amalekites ·On the third day [Three days later], when David and his men arrived at Ziklag, he found that the Amalekites had raided ·southern Judah [the Negev] and Ziklag, ·attacking [crushing; sacking; striking] Ziklag and burning it.


text:
They captured the women and everyone, ·young and old [small and great], but they had not killed anyone. They had only ·taken [carried] them away.


text:
When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found the town had been burned and their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken ·as prisoners [captive].


text:
David’s two wives had also been taken—Ahinoam of Jezreel [] and Abigail the widow of Nabal from Carmel [].


text:
The men in the army ·were threatening to kill David with stones [talked of stoning him], which greatly ·upset [endangered] David. Each man was ·sad and angry [embittered] because his sons and daughters had been captured, but David found ·strength [courage] in the Lord his God.


text:
David said to Abiathar the priest [the son of Ahimelech], “Bring me the ·holy vest [ephod; ].” So Abiathar brought the ephod [the ephod contained the means to inquiry of God; ].


text:
Then David asked the Lord, “Should I ·chase the people who took our families [pursue them]? Will I ·catch [overtake] them?” The Lord answered, “·Chase [Pursue] them. You will catch them, and you will ·succeed in saving your families [certainly rescue them all].”


text:
David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor ·Ravine [Valley; Wadi; Brook], where some of the men stayed [behind].


text:
David and four hundred men kept up the chase. The other two hundred men stayed behind because they were too ·tired [exhausted] to cross the ·ravine [valley].


text:
They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave the Egyptian some water to drink and some ·food [bread] to eat.


text:
And they gave him a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. Then ·he felt better [he revived; his spirit returned to him], because he had not eaten any ·food [bread] or drunk any water for three days and nights.


text:
David asked him, “Who ·is your master [do you belong to]? Where do you come from?” He answered, “I’m an [young] Egyptian, the ·slave [servant] of an Amalekite. Three days ago my master ·left [abandoned] me, because I was sick.


text:
We had raided the ·southern area [Negev] of the Kerethites, the ·land [territory] of Judah, and the ·southern area [Negev] of Caleb. We burned Ziklag, as well.”


text:
David asked him, “Can you lead me to ·the people who took our families [this band of raiders]?” He answered, “·Yes, if you promise me [Swear; Take an oath] before God that you won’t kill me or ·give [hand] me back to my master. Then I will take you to ·them [this band of raiders].”


text:
So the Egyptian led David to the Amalekites. They were ·lying around [spread out] on the ground, eating and drinking and ·celebrating [dancing] with the ·things [great plunder/spoil] they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah.


text:
David ·fought [slaughtered; struck] them from ·sunset [twilight; dusk] until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode off on their camels.


text:
David ·got his two wives back [rescued his two wives] and [recovered] everything the Amalekites had taken.


text:
Nothing was missing. David brought back everyone, ·young and old [great and small], sons and daughters. He ·recovered [brought back] the ·valuable things [plunder; spoil] and everything the Amalekites had taken.


text:
David took all the sheep and cattle, and his men made these animals go in front, saying, “They are David’s ·prize [plunder; spoil].”


text:
Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too ·tired [exhausted] to follow him, who had stayed at the Besor ·Ravine [Valley; Wadi; Brook]. They came out to meet David and the people with him. When he came near, David greeted the men at the ravine.


text:
But the ·evil men [rogues; corrupt] and ·troublemakers [scoundrels; worthless] among those who followed David said, “Since these two hundred men didn’t go with us, we shouldn’t give them any of the ·things we recovered [plunder; spoil]. Just let each man take his wife and children and ·go [be off/gone].”


text:
David answered, “No, my brothers. Don’t do that after what the Lord has given us. He has ·protected [preserved; kept] us and ·given [handed over to] us the ·enemy [raiders] who attacked us.


text:
Who will listen ·to what you say [when you speak this way]? The share will be the same for the one who stayed with the ·supplies [equipment; baggage] as for the one who went into battle. All will share alike.”


text:
David made this an ·order [statute; ordinance; requirement] and ·rule [regulation] for Israel, which continues even today.


text:
When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the ·things he had taken from the Amalekites [plunder; spoil] to his friends, the ·leaders [elders] of Judah. He said, “Here is a ·present [gift] for you from the ·things [plunder; spoil] we took from the Lord’s enemies.”


text:
David also sent some things to the leaders in Bethel, Ramoth in the ·southern part of Judah [Negev], Jattir,


text:
The Death of Saul The Philistines fought against Israel, and the ·Israelites [men of Israel] ·ran away from [fled before] them. Many Israelites ·were killed [fell slain] on Mount Gilboa.


text:
The Philistines ·fought hard against [overtook; closed in/bore down on] Saul and his sons, killing his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.


text:
The fighting was ·heavy [fierce] around Saul. The archers ·shot [found] him, and he was ·badly [severely; critically] wounded.


text:
He said to ·the officer who carried his armor [his armor bearer], “·Pull out [Draw] your sword and ·kill me [run me through]. Then those ·uncircumcised men [pagans] won’t ·make fun of [taunt; abuse] me and ·kill me [run me through].” But Saul’s ·officer [armor bearer] refused, because he was ·afraid [terrified]. So Saul took his own sword and ·threw himself [fell] on it.


text:
When ·the officer [his armor bearer] saw that Saul was dead, he ·threw himself [fell] on his own sword, and he died with Saul.


text:
So Saul, his three sons, ·and the officer who carried his armor [his armor bearer] and all his men died together that day.


text:
When the Israelites who lived across the Jezreel Valley and those who lived across the Jordan River saw how the Israelite army had ·run away [fled], and that Saul and his sons were dead, they ·left [abandoned] their cities and ran away. Then the Philistines came and ·lived there [occupied them].


text:
The next day when the Philistines came to ·take all the valuable things from the dead soldiers [strip the dead/corpses], they found Saul and his three sons ·dead [fallen; lying] on Mount Gilboa.


text:
They cut off Saul’s head and ·took [stripped] off his armor. Then they sent messengers through all the land of the Philistines to tell the [good] news in the ·temple [houses] of their idols and to their people.


text:
They put Saul’s armor in the ·temple [house] of the Ashtoreths [or Astarte; a pagan deity] and ·hung [fastened] his body on the wall of Beth Shan.


text:
the ·brave men [valiant/mighty warriors] of Jabesh ·marched [walked; traveled] all night and came to Beth Shan. They ·removed [took] the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and brought them to Jabesh. There they burned the bodies.


text:
They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh. Then the people of Jabesh fasted for seven days.


text:
David Learns About Saul’s Death Now Saul was dead. After David had ·defeated [slaughtered; been victorious over] the Amalekites, he returned to Ziklag and stayed there two days.


text:
On the third day a young man from Saul’s camp came to Ziklag. ·To show his sadness, […and] his clothes were torn and he had dirt on his head. He came and ·bowed facedown on the ground [fell to the ground and prostrated himself] before David.


text:
David asked him, “·What happened [How did things go]? Please tell me!” The man answered, “The ·people [army; men] have ·run away [fled] from the battle, and many of them have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also.”


text:
The young man answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa. There I saw Saul leaning on his spear. The Philistine chariots and the ·men riding in them [charioteers; or horsemen; cavalry] were ·coming closer to Saul [closing in on him].


text:
“Then Saul said to me, ‘Please come here and ·kill me [put me out of my misery]. I am ·badly hurt [in the throes of death; convulsions have seized me] and ·am almost dead already [yet my life still lingers].’


text:
“So I ·went over [stood beside/over him] and killed him. He had ·been hurt so badly [fallen and] I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took the crown from his head and the ·bracelet [band] from his arm, and I have brought them here to you, my ·master [lord].”


text:
They ·were very sad [mourned] and cried and fasted until evening. They cried for Saul and his son Jonathan and for all the people of the Lord and for all the ·Israelites [house of Israel] who had ·died in the battle [had fallen by the sword].


text:
David Orders the Amalekite Killed David asked the young man who brought the report, “Where are you from?” The young man answered, “I am the son of a ·foreigner [resident alien], an Amalekite.”


text:
David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to ·kill [lift your hand and destroy] the Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed]?”


text:
Then David called one of his [young] men and told him, “·Go! Kill the Amalekite [Come, strike him down]!” So the Israelite ·killed him [struck him down and he died].


text:
David had said to the Amalekite, “·You are responsible for your own death [Your blood is/be on your own head]. ·You confessed [Your own mouth has testified against you] by saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed].’”


text:
David’s Song About Saul and Jonathan David ·sang [chanted; intoned; or composed] a ·funeral song [lament] ·about [over] Saul and his son Jonathan,


text:
and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this song. It is called “The Bow,” and it is written in the Book of Jashar [an ancient record of heroic deeds, now lost; ]:


text:
“Israel, your ·leaders [glorious/beautiful/proud ones; or gazelle; a metaphor for a leader] have been killed on ·the hills [your heights]. How the mighty have ·fallen in battle [fallen]!


text:
Don’t ·tell [announce; speak of] it in Gath. Don’t ·announce [proclaim; broadcast] it in the streets of Ashkelon. If you do, the Philistine ·women [daughters] will ·be happy [rejoice]. The daughters of the ·Philistines [pagans; uncircumcised] will ·rejoice [gloat; exult].


text:
“May there be no dew or rain on the mountains of Gilboa, and may their fields produce no [offerings of] grain, because there the mighty warrior’s shield was ·dishonored [defiled; despised]. Saul’s shield will no longer be ·rubbed [anointed] with oil.


text:
Jonathan’s bow did not ·fail [turn back] ·to kill many soldiers [from shedding the blood of the slain]. Saul’s sword did not ·fail [return empty] ·to wound many strong men [from the fat/bodies of the mighty].


text:
“We loved Saul and Jonathan and ·enjoyed [admired] them ·while they lived [in life]. They ·are together [were not parted] even in death. They were ·faster [swifter] than eagles. They were stronger than lions.


text:
“You daughters of Israel, ·cry for [weep over] Saul. Saul clothed you with ·red dresses [luxurious scarlet/crimson] and put gold ·decorations [ornaments/jewelry] on them.


text:
I ·cry [grieve; am desolate/distressed] for you, my brother Jonathan. ·I enjoyed your friendship so much [You were greatly loved by me]. Your love to me was wonderful, ·better than [surpassing; deeper than] the love of women.


text:
David Is Made King of Judah Later, David ·prayed to [consulted; inquired of] the Lord, saying, “Should I ·go up [move back; return] to any of the ·cities [or towns] of Judah?” The Lord said to David, “·Go [Move back; Return].” David asked, “·Where [To which town] should I go?” The Lord answered, “To Hebron [in the heartland of Judah, David’s tribe].”


text:
So David went up to Hebron with his two wives: Ahinoam from Jezreel [] and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel [].


text:
David also brought his men and their ·families [households], and they all ·made their homes in the cities of [settled in the villages near] Hebron.


text:
Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and ·appointed [anointed] David king over [the people/house of] Judah. They told David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul [].


text:
So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead and said to them, “The Lord bless you. You have shown ·loyalty [kindness; faithful love] to your master Saul by burying him.


text:
May the Lord now ·be loyal [show kindness/faithful love] and ·true [faithfulness] to you. I will also ·treat you well [show this goodness to you; reward you] because you have done this.


text:
Now ·be [let your hands be] strong and ·brave [valiant]. Saul your ·master [lord] is dead, and the ·people [house] of Judah have appointed me their king.”


text:
War Between Judah and Israel Abner son of Ner was the commander of Saul’s army [; ; ]. Abner took Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth [“man of shame”] to Mahanaim


text:
Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he ·ruled [reigned] two years. But the ·people [house] of Judah followed David.


text:
Abner son of Ner and the ·servants [soldiers; men] of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.


text:
Joab son of Zeruiah [David’s general] and David’s men also went there and met Abner and Ish-Bosheth’s men at the pool of Gibeon. Abner’s group sat on one side of the pool; Joab’s group sat on the other.


text:
Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men ·have a contest [perform; sport; play] ·here [before us].” Joab said, “Yes, let them ·have a contest [come forward].”


text:
Then the men got up and were counted—twelve from the people of Benjamin for Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from David’s men.


text:
Each man grabbed the one opposite him by the ·head [hair] and stabbed him in the side with a ·knife [dagger; sword]. So the men fell down together. For that reason, that place in Gibeon is called the Field of ·Knives [Daggers; Swords; or Sides].


text:
That day there was a ·terrible [fierce] battle, and David’s ·men [servants] defeated Abner and the Israelites.


text:
Abner Kills Asahel Zeruiah’s three sons, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, were there. Now Asahel was ·a fast runner, as fast as a deer [as fleet-footed as a gazelle] in the field.


text:
Then Abner said to Asahel, “·Turn to your right or left [Go elsewhere] and catch one of the young men and ·take his armor [strip him of his weapons; take his spoil].” But Asahel refused to ·stop [turn away from] chasing him.


text:
Abner again said to Asahel, “·Stop chasing me [Turn another way]! ·If you don’t stop, I’ll have to kill you! [Why should I strike you down?] Then ·I won’t be able to [how could I…?] face your brother Joab again!”


text:
But Asahel refused to ·stop chasing Abner [turn aside/back]. So using the ·back [butt] end of his spear, Abner ·stabbed [struck] Asahel in the stomach, and the spear came out of his back. Asahel [fell/stumbled and] died right there, and everyone ·stopped [stood still] when they came to the place where Asahel’s body lay.


text:
But Joab and Abishai ·continued chasing [took up the pursuit of] Abner. As the sun was going down, they arrived at the hill of Ammah, ·near [in front of] Giah on the way to the ·desert [wilderness] near Gibeon.


text:
The men of Benjamin [part of Abner’s troops] came to Abner, and ·all stood together [regrouped; reunited] at the top of the hill.


text:
Abner shouted to Joab, “Must the sword ·kill [devour] forever? Surely you must know this will only end in ·sadness [bitterness]! ·Tell [How long before you tell…?] the people to stop chasing their own brothers!”


text:
Then Joab said, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said anything, the people would have chased their brothers until morning.”


text:
Then Joab blew a ·trumpet [ram’s horn], and his people stopped chasing ·the Israelites [Israel]. They did not fight them anymore.


text:
Abner and his men marched all night through the ·Jordan Valley [Arabah]. They crossed the Jordan River, and after marching all ·day [morning], arrived at Mahanaim.


text:
After he had stopped chasing Abner, Joab came back and gathered the people together. Asahel and nineteen of David’s ·men [soldiers; servants] were missing.


text:
But David’s ·men [servants] had ·killed [struck] three hundred sixty Benjaminites who had followed Abner.


text:
David’s men took Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night. ·The sun came up as [At daybreak] they reached Hebron.


text:
There was a long war between the ·people who supported Saul’s family [the house of Saul] and ·those who supported David’s family [the house of David]. ·The supporters of David’s family [David] became stronger and stronger, but the ·supporters of Saul’s family [house of Saul] became weaker and weaker.


text:
David’s Sons Sons were born to David at Hebron. The first was Amnon [], whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel [].


text:
The second son was Kileab, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel []. The third son was Absalom [], whose mother was Maacah daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur.


text:
The fourth son was Adonijah [], whose mother was Haggith. The fifth son was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.


text:
The sixth son was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, David’s wife. These sons were born to David at Hebron.


text:
Abner Joins David During the war between the ·supporters of Saul’s family [house of Saul] and the ·supporters of David’s family [house of David], Abner made himself ·a main leader [strong] ·among the supporters [in the house] of Saul.


text:
Saul once had a ·slave woman [concubine; a secondary wife of lower status than a primary wife, but higher than a common servant] named Rizpah, who was the daughter of Aiah. Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why ·did you have sexual relations with [have you gone in to] my father’s ·slave woman [concubine]?”


text:
Abner was ·very angry [furious; in a rage] because of what Ish-Bosheth said, and he replied, “I have ·been loyal [shown kindness/faithful love] to [the house of your father] Saul and his ·family [brothers] and friends! I didn’t hand you over to David. ·I am not a traitor working for Judah! [Am I a Judean dog/dog’s head for Judah?] But now you are ·saying I did something wrong with [finding fault with me/charging me with wrong regarding] this woman!


text:
May God ·help [deal severely with] me if I don’t ·join David! I will make sure that what the Lord promised does happen […accomplish for David everything the Lord has promised him]!


text:
I will ·take [transfer] the kingdom from the ·family [the house] of Saul and ·make David king of [establish the throne of David over] Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba [in the far north and south of Israel]!”


text:
Then Abner sent messengers to ask David [on his own behalf; or at his place], “·Who is going to rule the land [Whose land is it]? Make an ·agreement [treaty; covenant] with me, and ·I will help you unite [my hand will be with you to bring over to you] all Israel.”


text:
David answered, “Good! I will make an ·agreement [treaty; covenant] with you, but I ·ask [demand/require of] you one thing. I will not ·meet with you [allow you to see my face/in my presence] unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal to me [when you come; to strengthen his claim to the throne; ].”


text:
Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth, saying, “Give me my wife Michal. She was ·promised [engaged; betrothed] to me, ·and I killed a hundred Philistines to get her [for one hundred Philistine foreskins].”


text:
Michal’s husband went with her, crying as he followed her ·to [as far as] Bahurim. But Abner said to Paltiel, “Go back home.” So he went home.


text:
Abner ·sent this message to [consulted/conferred with] the elders of Israel: “[For some time now] You have been wanting to make David your king.


text:
Now do it! The Lord said of David, ‘·Through [By the hand of] my servant David, I will ·save [rescue; deliver] my people Israel from the [hand of the] Philistines and all their enemies.’”


text:
Abner also said these things to the people of Benjamin. He then went to Hebron to tell David what the Benjaminites and Israel ·wanted [agreed] to do.


text:
Abner said to David, “·I will [Let me] go and ·bring all the Israelites [gather all Israel] to my ·master [lord] and king. Then they will make an ·agreement [treaty; covenant] with you so you will rule over all ·Israel as you wanted [that your soul desires].” So David let Abner go, and he left in peace.


text:
Abner’s Death Just then Joab and David’s ·men [servants] came from a ·battle [raid], bringing ·many valuable things they had taken from the enemy [much plunder/spoil with them]. David had let Abner leave in peace, so he was not with David at Hebron.


text:
When Joab and all his army arrived at Hebron, the army said to Joab, “Abner son of Ner came to King David, and David let him leave in peace.”


text:
Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he’s gone.


text:
You know Abner son of Ner! He came to ·trick [deceive] you! He came to learn about [your movements/coming and going and] everything you are doing!”


text:
After Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the ·well [cistern] of Sirah. But David did not know this.


text:
When Abner arrived at Hebron, Joab took him aside into ·the gateway [an inner chamber]. He acted as though he wanted to talk with Abner in private, but Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and Abner died. ·Abner had killed Joab’s brother Asahel, so Joab killed Abner to pay him back […on account of/to revenge the blood/killing of Asahel his brother].


text:
Later when David heard the news, he said, “My kingdom and I are innocent before the Lord forever of the ·death [blood] of Abner son of Ner.


text:
·Joab and his family are responsible for this. [May it/the guilt fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house.] May his family always have someone with [running] sores or ·with a skin disease [leprosy; the term covers a variety of skin diseases that would render a person ritually unclean; ]. May they always have someone who must lean on a crutch. May ·some of his family be killed in war [someone always fall by the sword]. May they always have someone without food to eat.”


text:
(Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon [].)


text:
Then David said to Joab and to all the people with Joab, “Tear your clothes and put on ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap; a sign of mourning or distress]. ·Cry […lament; mourn] for Abner.” King David himself followed the ·body of Abner [bier].


text:
King David ·sang [chanted; intoned; or composed] this ·funeral song [lament] for Abner. “·Did [Should] Abner ·die [have died] like a fool?


text:
·His [Your] hands were not tied. ·His [Your] feet were not ·in chains [fettered]. ·He [You] fell ·at the hands of [as one falls before] evil men.” Then all the people cried again for Abner.


text:
They came to ·encourage [persuade] David to eat while it was still day. But he made a ·promise [vow], saying, “May God ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me] if I ·eat [taste] bread or anything else before the sun sets!”


text:
All the people ·saw what happened [took note], and ·they agreed with what the king was doing [it pleased them; it was good in their eyes], just as they ·agreed [were pleased] with everything ·he [the king] did.


text:
That day all the ·people of Judah [people; likely a reference to the people of Judah] and Israel understood that David ·did not order [had no part in] the killing of Abner son of Ner.


text:
David said to his ·officers [servants], “[Don’t…?] You know that a [prince and a] great man died today in Israel.


text:
Even though I am the ·appointed [anointed] king, I ·feel empty [am weak/powerless]. These sons of Zeruiah are too ·much [strong; difficult] for me. May the Lord ·give them the punishment they should have [repay the evildoer as his evil deserves].”


text:
Ish-Bosheth’s Death When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died at Hebron, ·he was shocked [he lost his courage; his hands grew limp] and all Israel ·became frightened [was alarmed/dismayed].


text:
·Two men who were captains in Saul’s army came to Ish-Bosheth [Saul’s son had two leaders of raiding parties]. One was named Baanah, and the other was named Recab. They were the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, who was a Benjaminite. (The town Beeroth belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.


text:
The people of Beeroth ran away to Gittaim, and they still live there as ·foreigners [resident aliens] today.)


text:
(Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was ·crippled [lame] in both feet. He was five years old when the ·news [report] came from Jezreel ·that Saul and Jonathan were dead [about Saul and Jonathan]. Mephibosheth’s nurse had picked him up and run away. But as she hurried to leave, she dropped him, and now he was lame.)


text:
Recab and Baanah, sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, went to Ish-Bosheth’s house in the ·afternoon [heat of the day] while he was taking ·a nap [his midday rest].


text:
They went into the middle of the house as if to get some wheat. Ish-Bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom. Then Recab and Baanah ·stabbed [struck] him in the stomach, killed him, cut off his head, and took it with them. They escaped and traveled all night through the ·Jordan Valley [Arabah].


text:
When they arrived at Hebron, they ·gave [brought] his head to David and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy. He ·tried to kill you [sought your life]! Today the Lord has ·paid back [given my lord the king revenge on] Saul and his ·family [offspring; descendants; seed] for what they did to you!”


text:
David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, “As surely as the Lord lives, he has ·saved [ransomed; redeemed] me from all ·trouble [danger; adversity; or my enemies]!


text:
Once a man thought he was bringing me good news. When he told me, ‘Saul is dead!’ I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news []!


text:
·So even more I must [How much more must I…?] put you evil men to death because you have killed an ·innocent [righteous] man on his own bed in his own house!”


text:
So David commanded his men to kill Recab and Baanah. They cut off the hands and feet of Recab and Baanah and hung ·them [their bodies] ·over [beside] the pool of Hebron. Then they took Ish-Bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s ·tomb [grave] at Hebron.


text:
David Is Made King of Israel Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said to him, “Look, we are your own ·family [flesh and blood; bone and flesh].


text:
·Even [In the past] when Saul was [our] king, you were the one who led Israel ·in battle [out and in]. The Lord said to you, ‘You will be a shepherd for my people Israel. You will be their ·leader [ruler].’”


text:
So all the elders of Israel came to King David at Hebron, and he ·made [cut] an ·agreement [treaty; covenant] with them in Hebron in the presence of the Lord. Then they ·poured oil on [anointed] David to make him king ·over [of] Israel.


text:
David Captures Jerusalem David was thirty years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] forty years.


text:
He was king over Judah ·in [at; from] Hebron for seven years and six months, and he was king over all Israel and Judah ·in [at; from] Jerusalem for thirty-three years.


text:
When the king and his men went to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites who lived there, the Jebusites said to David, “You can’t ·get inside our city [come in here]. Even the blind and the ·crippled can stop you [lame can hold you off/turn you away].” They thought David could not enter their city.


text:
But David did ·take the city of Jerusalem with its strong walls [capture the stronghold/fortress of Zion], and it ·became [is] the City of David [it did not belong to a specific tribe; David made it the national capital].


text:
That day David said to his men, “To ·defeat [strike] the Jebusites you must go through the water tunnel. ·Then you can reach [or David hates] those ·‘crippled’ [lame] and ‘blind’ enemies. This is why people say, ‘The blind and the ·crippled [lame] may not enter the ·palace [house; or Temple].’”


text:
So David lived in the ·strong, walled city [stronghold; fortress] and called it the City of David. David built more buildings around it, ·beginning where the land was filled in. He also built more buildings inside the city […from the Millo/terraces inward; Millo may refer to earth-filled terraces that allowed the expansion of the city].


text:
He became ·stronger and stronger [more and more powerful/great], because the Lord God ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] was with him.


text:
David Consolidates His Kingdom Hiram king of the city of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and ·stonecutters [stonemasons]. They built a ·palace [house] for David.


text:
Then David ·knew [realized] that the Lord really had ·made [confirmed; established] him king ·of [over] Israel and that the Lord had ·made his kingdom great [blessed/exalted his kingdom] ·because the Lord loved [for the sake of] his people Israel.


text:
After he came from Hebron, David took for himself more ·slave women [concubines; a secondary wife; ] and wives in Jerusalem. More sons and daughters were born to David.


text:
David Defeats the Philistines When the Philistines heard that David had been ·made [anointed] king over Israel, all the Philistines went to ·look for [seek; search for] him. But when David heard the news, he went down to the stronghold.


text:
David ·asked [consulted; inquired of] the Lord [through the Urim and Thummim; ; ], “Should I ·attack [go up against] the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord said to David, “Go [up]! I will ·certainly [surely] hand them over to you.”


text:
So David went to Baal Perazim and ·defeated [struck] the Philistines there. David said, “Like a flood of water, the Lord has broken through my enemies in front of me.” So David named the place Baal Perazim [“the Lord breaks through”].


text:
The Philistines ·left their idols behind [abandoned their idols] at Baal Perazim, so David and his men carried them away.


text:
When David ·prayed to [consulted; inquired of] the Lord, he answered, “Don’t ·attack the Philistines from the front [go up]. Instead, go around and attack them ·in front of [across from; near] the balsam trees.


text:
When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, ·act quickly [be alert]. I, the Lord, will have gone ahead of you to ·defeat [strike] the Philistine army.”


text:
So David did what the Lord commanded. He ·defeated the Philistines and chased them [struck the Philistines] all the way from ·Gibeon [Giba] to Gezer.


text:
The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem David again gathered all the ·chosen men [elite troops] of Israel—thirty thousand of them.


text:
Then he and all his people went to Baalah in Judah [another name for Kiriath Jearim] to bring back the Ark of God [; ]. The Ark is called by the Name, the name of the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], ·whose throne is [who is enthroned] ·between [or above; or on] the ·gold creatures with wings [cherubim; ].


text:
They put the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, ·led [guided; drove] the new cart


text:
David and all the Israelites were celebrating in the presence of the Lord. They were playing wooden instruments: lyres, harps, tambourines, ·rattles [castanets], and cymbals.


text:
When David’s men came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen ·stumbled [or made it tilt]. So Uzzah reached out ·to steady [and took hold of] the Ark of God.


text:
The ·Lord was angry with [Lord’s anger burned against] Uzzah and [he] ·killed him [struck him down there] because of what he did. So Uzzah died there beside the Ark of God.


text:
David ·was angry because the Lord had killed [resented the Lord’s outburst of anger against] Uzzah. ·Now [To this day] that place is called ·the Punishment of Uzzah [Outburst upon/against Uzzah; Perez-uzzah].


text:
David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the Ark of the Lord come ·to me [into my care] now?”


text:
So David ·would not [was unwilling to] move the Ark of the Lord to be with him in ·Jerusalem [the City of David]. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom, ·a man from Gath [the Gittite].


text:
The Ark of the Lord stayed in Obed-Edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his ·family [household].


text:
The people told David, “The Lord has blessed the ·family [household] of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because the Ark of God is there.” So David went and brought it up from Obed-Edom’s house to Jerusalem with ·joy [gladness; a great celebration].


text:
When the men carrying the Ark of the Lord had walked six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a ·fat calf [fat sheep; fatling].


text:
David and all the Israelites shouted with joy and blew the ·trumpets [ram’s horns] as they brought the Ark of the Lord to the city.


text:
As the Ark of the Lord came into the city [of David], Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw David ·jumping [leaping] and ·dancing [whirling] in the presence of the Lord, she ·hated him [despised/had contempt for him in her heart].


text:
David put up a tent for the Ark of the Lord, and then the Israelites put it in its place inside the tent. David offered whole burnt offerings and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [] before the Lord.


text:
When David finished offering the whole burnt offerings and the ·fellowship [peace; well-being] offerings [], he blessed the people in the name of the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts].


text:
David gave a loaf of bread, a ·cake [cluster] of dates, and a ·cake [cluster] of raisins to ·every Israelite [the whole multitude/crowd of Israel], both men and women. Then all the people went home.


text:
David went back to bless ·the people in his home [his household/family], but Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, “·With what honor [How] the king of Israel ·acted [distinguished himself] today! You ·took off your clothes [exposed/uncovered/displayed yourself] in front of the servant girls of your officers like ·one who takes off his clothes without shame [any vulgar/foolish/shameless fellow might do]!”


text:
Then David said to Michal, “I did it ·in the presence of [before] the Lord. The Lord chose me, ·not [over; above] your father ·or anyone from Saul’s family [and all his house]. The Lord appointed me ·to be [ruler; leader; prince] over Israel. So I will celebrate ·in the presence of [before] the Lord.


text:
Maybe I will ·lose even more honor [become even more lightly esteemed/contemptible/undignified], and maybe I will be ·brought down in my own opinion [humbled in my own eyes], but the ·girls [maids; servant girls] you talk about will honor me!”


text:
David Wants to Build a Temple King David was living in his ·palace [house], and the Lord had given him ·peace [rest] from all his enemies ·around [sur-rounding] him [; apparently a sign that the conquest of Canaan was complete and the Temple should be built].


text:
Then David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a ·palace [house] made of cedar wood, but the Ark of God ·is [stays; dwells] in a tent!”


text:
Nathan said to the king, “Go and do what you ·really want to do [have in your mind/heart], because the Lord is with you.”


text:
“Go and tell my servant David, ‘·This is what the Lord says: ·Will you [Are you the one to] build a house for me to ·live [dwell] in?


text:
From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until ·now [this day] I have not ·lived [dwelt] in a house. I have been moving around all this time with a tent ·as my home [or and a tabernacle].


text:
As I have moved with the Israelites, ·I have never [have I ever] said to ·the tribes [any of the tribal leaders], whom I commanded to ·take care of [shepherd] my people Israel, “Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?” ’


text:
“You must tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: I took you from the pasture and from ·tending [following] the sheep and made you ·leader [ruler; prince] of my people Israel.


text:
I have been with you everywhere you have gone and have ·defeated [destroyed; cut off] your enemies for you. I will make ·you as famous [for you a name as great] as any of the great people on the earth.


text:
Also I will ·choose [appoint; provide] a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them ·so they can live in their own homes [to dwell in their own place]. They will not be bothered anymore. Wicked people will no longer ·bother [afflict; oppress] them as they have in the past


text:
when I ·chose [appointed; commanded; instituted] judges for my people Israel. But I will give you ·peace [rest] from all your enemies. ·I also tell you [The Lord also declares] that ·I [the Lord] will ·make your descendants kings of Israel after [establish a house/dynasty for] you.


text:
“‘When ·you die [your days are complete/fulfilled/over] and ·join [you lie down/are buried with] your ancestors, I will ·make one of your sons the next king [raise up your descendant/offspring after you; Solomon; ], and I will ·set up [establish] his kingdom.


text:
He will build a house [the Temple; ] for ·me [my name], and I will ·let his kingdom rule always [establish the throne of his kingdom forever].


text:
I will be his father, and he will be my son []. When he ·sins [does wrong], I ·will use other people to punish him. They will be my whips […correct/discipline him with the rod of/used by men and the whippings/blows used by humans].


text:
I took away my ·love [favor; faithful love] from Saul, whom I removed before you, but I will never stop loving your son.


text:
But your ·family [house] and your kingdom will ·continue [endure] always before me. Your throne will ·last [be established/secure] forever.’”


text:
David Prays to God Then King David went in and sat ·in front of [before; in the presence of] the Lord. David said, “Lord God, who am I? What is my ·family [house]? Why did you bring me ·to this point [this far]?


text:
But even this ·is not enough for you [was a small thing in your eyes], Lord God. You have also ·made promises about my future family [spoken about the future of my house]. ·This is extraordinary [So it is with humanity; or This is a decree/instruction/charter for the people/humanity], Lord God.


text:
You have done ·this great thing [all this greatness] ·because you said you would [for the sake of your word/promise] and ·because you wanted to [according to your will/heart], and you have ·let me know about it [made it known to your servant].


text:
This is why you are great, Lord God! There is no one like you. There is no God except you. ·We have heard all this ourselves […that we have ever heard of]!


text:
·There is no nation like [What other nation/people is like…?] your people Israel. ·They are the only [What other…?] people on earth ·that God chose [did God choose] to be his own []. ·You made your name well known. You did great and wonderful miracles for them […to make a name for himself by doing great and awesome things/miracles/wonders on their behalf?]. You went ahead of them and ·forced [drove] other nations and their gods out of the land. You ·freed [redeemed; ransomed] your people from ·slavery in Egypt [Egypt].


text:
You ·made [established] the people of Israel your very own people forever, and, Lord, you ·are [have become] their God.


text:
“Now, Lord God, keep the ·promise forever that you made [word you have spoken] about my ·family [house] and me, your servant. Do what you have said [promised].


text:
Then ·you [your name] will be ·honored [magnified] ·always [forever], ·and people will say […by people saying], ‘The Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] is God over Israel!’ And ·the family [may the house] of your servant David will ·continue [be established/secure] before you.


text:
“Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], the God of Israel, you have ·said to me [revealed this to me, saying], ‘I will ·make your family great [build a house/dynasty for you].’ So I, your servant, am ·brave [bold; courageous] enough to pray to you.


text:
Lord God, you are God, and your words are ·true [truth; trustworthy]. And you have promised these good things to me, your servant.


text:
Please, bless ·my family [the house of your servant]. Let it ·continue [remain] before you always. Lord God, you have ·said so [spoken]. With your blessing let ·my family [the house of your servant] always be blessed.”


text:
David Wins Many Battles Later, David ·defeated [struck] the Philistines, ·conquered [subdued] them, and took ·the city of Metheg Ammah [or a city of importance; perhaps a reference to Gath ()].


text:
He also ·defeated [struck] the people of Moab. He made them lie on the ground, and then he used a rope to measure them. ·Those who were measured within two rope lengths were killed, but those who were within the next rope length were allowed to live [He put to death two measured groups for every one measured group he allowed to live]. So the people of Moab became ·servants [subjects] of David and ·gave him the payment he demanded [paid/brought him tribute].


text:
David also ·defeated [struck] Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to ·take control again at [extend his power/rule/hand over; or restore his monument at] the Euphrates River.


text:
David captured ·one thousand chariots, seven thousand men who rode in chariots [or 1,700 charioteers], and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He ·crippled [hamstrung] all but a hundred of the chariot horses.


text:
·Arameans [Syrians] from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David ·killed [struck] twenty-two thousand of them.


text:
Then David put ·groups [garrisons] of soldiers in Damascus in Aram. The ·Arameans [Syrians] became David’s ·servants [subjects] and ·gave him the payment he demanded [paid/brought him tribute]. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.


text:
David took the shields of gold that had belonged to Hadadezer’s ·officers [servants] and brought them to Jerusalem.


text:
David also took many things made of bronze from Tebah and Berothai, which had been cities under Hadadezer’s control.


text:
So Toi sent his son Joram to greet and ·congratulate [bless] King David for defeating Hadadezer. (Hadadezer had been at war with Toi.) Joram brought ·items [objects; articles] made of silver, gold, and bronze.


text:
King David ·gave [dedicated; consecrated] them to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had ·defeated [subdued; subjugated].


text:
These nations were ·Edom [Aram; the Hebrew has Aram (Syria), but the context suggests Edom], Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek. David also gave the Lord ·what he had taken from [the spoil/plunder of] Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.


text:
David ·was famous [made a name for himself] after he returned from ·defeating [or killing; striking] eighteen thousand ·Arameans [or Edomites; ; ] in the Valley of Salt.


text:
He put ·groups [garrisons] of soldiers all over Edom, and all the Edomites became his ·servants [subjects]. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.


text:
David ·was king [reigned] over all Israel, and he did what was ·fair [just] and ·right [equitable] for all his people.


text:
Joab son of Zeruiah was commander over the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the ·recorder [royal historian].


text:
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites [foreign mercenaries who served as the king’s bodyguards]. And David’s sons were ·priests [or important officials; “priests” is the more likely reading, but uncertain because only Levites were supposed to be priests].


text:
David Helps Saul’s Family David asked, “Is anyone still left in Saul’s ·family [house]? I want to show ·kindness [loyalty] to that person for Jonathan’s sake []!”


text:
Now there was a servant named Ziba from Saul’s ·family [house]. So David’s servants ·called [summoned] Ziba to him. King David said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He answered, “·Yes, I am your servant [At your service].”


text:
The king asked, “Is anyone left in Saul’s ·family [house]? I want to show God’s kindness to that person.” Ziba answered the king, “Jonathan has a son still living who is ·crippled [lame] in both feet.”


text:
The king asked Ziba, “Where is this son?” Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”


text:
Then King David had servants bring Jonathan’s son from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.


text:
Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, came before David and bowed facedown ·on the floor [and prostrated himself]. David said, “Mephibosheth!” Mephibosheth said, “·I am your servant [At your service].”


text:
David said to him, “Don’t be afraid. I will be kind to you for your father Jonathan’s sake. I will ·give you back [restore to you] all the ·land [property] of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table [the king will provide for his provisions].”


text:
Mephibosheth ·bowed [prostrated himself] to David again and said, “·You are being very kind to me, your servant! And I am no better than a dead dog! [What is your servant, that you should show kindness/favor to a dead dog like me?]”


text:
Then King David called Saul’s servant Ziba. David said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his ·family [house].


text:
You, your sons, and your servants will farm the land and harvest the crops. ·Then your family […so your master’s household] will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)


text:
Ziba said to King David, “I, your servant, will do everything my ·master [lord], the king, commands me.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as if he were one of the king’s sons.


text:
Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. Everyone in Ziba’s ·family [household] became Mephibosheth’s servants.


text:
Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table. And he was ·crippled [lame] in both feet.


text:
War with the Ammonites and Arameans When Nahash king of the ·Ammonites [sons/descendants of Ammon] died, his son Hanun became king after him.


text:
David said, “Nahash ·was loyal [showed kindness; kept treaty obligations] to me, so I will ·be loyal [show kindness] to his son Hanun.” So David sent his ·messengers [servants] to ·comfort [console; express sympathy/condolences to] Hanun about his father’s death. David’s ·officers [servants] went to the land of the ·Ammonites [sons/descendants of Ammon].


text:
But the ·Ammonite leaders [princes/commanders of the sons/descendants of Ammon] said to Hanun, their master, “Do you think David wants to honor your father by sending men to ·comfort [console; sympathize with] you? No! David sent them to ·study [explore; search] the city and spy it out and ·capture [overthrow] it!”


text:
So Hanun ·arrested [seized] David’s ·officers [servants]. To shame them he shaved off half their beards and cut off their clothes at the ·hips [buttocks]. Then he sent them away.


text:
When the people told David, he sent messengers to meet ·his officers [the men] because they were ·very ashamed [humiliated]. King David said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back. Then come home.”


text:
·The Ammonites knew that they had insulted David. So [When the sons/descendants of Ammon realized they had become odious to/greatly offended David,] they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah. They also hired the king of Maacah with a thousand men and twelve thousand men from Tob.


text:
The ·Ammonites [sons/descendants of Ammon] came out and ·prepared for battle [drew up in battle formations] at the city gate. The ·Arameans [Syrians] from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah were out in the field by themselves.


text:
Joab saw that there were ·enemies [battle lines] both in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the ·best soldiers [elite troops] of Israel and ·sent them out to fight [deployed them against] the ·Arameans [Syrians].


text:
Joab put the rest of the army under the command of Abishai, his brother. Then he ·sent them out to fight [deployed them against] the ·Ammonites [sons/descendants of Ammon].


text:
Joab said to Abishai, “If the ·Arameans [Syrians] are too strong for me, you must help me. Or, if the ·Ammonites [sons/descendants of Ammon] are too strong for you, I will help you.


text:
Be strong. ·We must fight bravely [Let us show ourselves courageous] for our people and the cities of our God. ·The Lord will [May the Lord] do what he thinks is right.”


text:
Then Joab and the army with him ·went [advanced] to attack the ·Arameans [Syrians], and the ·Arameans [Syrians] ·ran away [fled before him].


text:
When the ·Ammonites [sons/descendants of Ammon] saw that the ·Arameans [Syrians] were ·running away [fleeing], they also ·ran away [fled] from Abishai and ·went back [retreated] to their city. So Joab returned from the battle with the ·Ammonites [sons/descendants of Ammon] and came to Jerusalem.


text:
When the ·Arameans [Syrians] saw that Israel had defeated them, they came together into one big army.


text:
Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the ·Arameans [Syrians] from ·east of the Euphrates River [beyond the river], and they went to Helam. Their leader was Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army.


text:
When David heard about this, he gathered all the Israelites together. They crossed over the Jordan River and went to Helam. There the ·Arameans [Syrians] ·prepared for battle [drew up in battle formations] and attacked him.


text:
But the ·Arameans [Syrians] ·ran away [fled] from the Israelites. David killed seven hundred Aramean chariot drivers and forty thousand Aramean ·horsemen [or foot soldiers]. He also killed Shobach, the commander of the Aramean army.


text:
When the kings who ·served [were allied with; were the servants of] Hadadezer saw that the Israelites had defeated them, they ·made peace with [surrendered to] the Israelites and served them. And the ·Arameans [Syrians] were afraid to help the ·Ammonites [sons/descendants of Ammon] again.


text:
David Sins with Bathsheba In the spring, when the kings normally went out to war, David sent out Joab, his ·servants [officers; army], and all the Israelites. They ·destroyed [massacred; ravaged] the Ammonites and ·attacked [besieged] the city of Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem.


text:
One ·evening [afternoon] David got up from his ·bed [midday rest] and walked around on the roof [the flat roofs of Israelite houses were used for living space] of ·his palace [the king’s house]. While he was on the roof, he saw a woman bathing. She was very beautiful.


text:
So David sent his servants to find out who she was. A servant answered, “That woman is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam. She is the wife of Uriah the Hittite [Hittites were foreigners, but he joined the Israelite cause].”


text:
So David sent messengers to bring Bathsheba to him. When she came to him, he ·had sexual relations [lay] with her. (Now Bathsheba had purified herself from her ·monthly period [uncleanness; ].) Then she went back to her house.


text:
When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were, and how the war was going.


text:
Then David said to Uriah, “Go home and ·rest [wash your feet; perhaps a euphemism for sex].” So Uriah left the ·palace [king’s house], and the king sent a gift to him.


text:
But Uriah did not go home. Instead, he slept outside the door of the palace as all the king’s ·officers [guard; servants] did.


text:
The officers told David, “Uriah did not go home.” Then David said to Uriah, “You came from a long trip. Why didn’t you go home?”


text:
Uriah said to him, “The Ark and the soldiers of Israel and Judah are staying in ·tents [booths; temporary shelters]. My ·master [lord; commander] Joab and his officers are camping out in the fields. ·It isn’t right for me to [How can I…?] go home to eat and drink and ·have sexual relations [lie] with my wife [thus rendering himself ritually unclean and unable to go into the presence of the Ark; ]!”


text:
David said to Uriah, “Stay here today. Tomorrow I’ll send you back to the battle.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.


text:
Then David called Uriah to come to see him, so Uriah ate and drank with David. David made Uriah drunk, but he still did not go home. That evening Uriah again slept with the king’s ·officers [guard; servants].


text:
In the letter David wrote, “Put Uriah on the front lines where the fighting is ·worst [fiercest; hardest] and ·leave him there alone [then pull back/withdraw]. Let him be ·killed in battle [struck down and die].”


text:
Joab ·watched [or besieged] the city and saw where its ·strongest defenders [valiant men] were and put Uriah there.


text:
When the men of the city came out to fight against Joab, some of David’s men ·were killed [fell]. And Uriah the Hittite was one of them.


text:
After you finish, the king may be angry and ask, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the city wall?


text:
Do you remember who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth [another name for Gideon]? It was a woman on the city wall. She threw a large stone for grinding grain on Abimelech and killed him there in Thebez []. Why did you go so near the wall?’ If King David asks that, tell him, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.’”


text:
The messenger told David, “The men of Ammon were ·winning [gaining an advantage over us]. They came out and attacked us in the field, but we ·fought [drove; chased] them back to the city gate.


text:
The archers on the city wall shot at your servants, and some of ·your men [the king’s servants] were killed. Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.”


text:
David said to the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t be ·upset [discouraged; troubled] about this. The sword ·kills everyone the same [devours first one and then another]. ·Make a stronger attack [Fight harder; Press your attack] against the city and capture it.’ Encourage Joab with these words.”


text:
After she finished her time of ·sadness [mourning], David sent servants to bring her to his house. She became David’s wife and gave birth to his son, but the Lord was displeased with what David had done.


text:
David’s Son Dies The Lord sent Nathan [a prophet who was in the king’s court; ] to David. When he came to David, he said, “There were two men in a city. One was rich, but the other was poor.


text:
But the poor man had nothing except one little ·female [ewe] lamb he had bought. The poor man fed the lamb, and it grew up with him and his children. It ·shared his food [ate from his plate] and drank from his cup and slept in his ·arms [bosom]. The lamb was like a daughter to him.


text:
“Then a traveler stopped to visit the rich man. The rich man wanted to feed the traveler, but he ·didn’t want [was unwilling/loath] to take one ·of his own sheep or cattle [from his own flock or herd]. Instead, he took the lamb from the poor man and ·cooked [prepared] it for his visitor.”


text:
David ·became very angry at [burned with anger against] the rich man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this ·should [deserves to] die!


text:
He must ·pay for the lamb four times [repay four lambs] for doing such a thing []. He had no ·mercy [pity; compassion]!”


text:
Then Nathan said to David, “You are ·the [that] man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I ·appointed [anointed] you king of Israel and [I] ·saved [rescued; delivered] you from [the hand of] Saul.


text:
I gave you ·his kingdom [your master’s house] and his wives [into your arms/bosom]. And I ·made you king [gave you the house] of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you ·even [much] more.


text:
So why did you ·ignore the Lord’s command [despise the word of the Lord]? Why did you do what ·he says is wrong [is evil in his sight/eyes]? You ·killed [struck down] Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and took his wife to be your wife!


text:
·Now [Therefore] ·there will always be people in your family who will die by a sword [the sword will never depart from your house], because you ·did not respect [have despised] me; you took the wife of Uriah the Hittite for yourself!’


text:
“This is what the Lord says: ‘I am ·bringing trouble to [raising up evil against] you from your own ·family [house]. ·While you watch [Before your eyes], I will take your wives from you and give them to ·someone who is very close to you [your neighbor]. He will ·have sexual relations [lie] with your wives, ·and everyone will know it [in broad daylight].


text:
You ·had sexual relations with Bathsheba [did it] in secret, but I will do this ·so all the people of Israel can see it [before all Israel in broad daylight; ].’”


text:
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan answered, “The Lord has ·taken away [forgiven] your sin. You will not die [].


text:
But what you did ·caused the Lord’s enemies to lose all respect for him [or has shown utter contempt/scorn for the Lord]. For this reason the ·son [child] who was born to you will die.”


text:
Then Nathan went home. And the Lord ·caused the son [struck the child] of David and Bathsheba, Uriah’s widow, ·to be [and he became] very sick.


text:
David ·prayed to [pleaded with; begged; inquired of] God for the baby. David fasted and went into his house and stayed there, lying on the ground all night.


text:
The elders of David’s ·family [house] ·came to [stood around] him and tried to pull him up from the ground, but he refused to get up or to eat food with them.


text:
On the seventh day the baby died. David’s ·servants [advisers] were afraid to tell him that the baby was dead. They said, “Look, we tried to talk to David while the baby was alive, but he refused to listen to ·us [reason]. If we tell him the baby is dead, he may do ·something awful [something desperate; himself harm].”


text:
When David saw his ·servants [advisers] whispering, he knew that the baby was dead. So he asked them, “Is the ·baby [child] dead?” They answered, “Yes, he is dead.”


text:
Then David got up from the ·floor [ground], washed himself, ·put lotions on [anointed himself], and changed his clothes. Then he went into ·the Lord’s house [the Tabernacle; his house] to worship. After that, he went home and asked for something to eat. His servants gave him some food, and he ate.


text:
David’s ·servants [advisers] said to him, “Why are you ·doing [behaving like] this? When the ·baby [child] was still alive, you fasted and you cried. Now that the ·baby [child] is dead, you get up and eat food.”


text:
David said, “While the ·baby [child] was still alive, I fasted, and I cried. I thought, ‘Who knows? Maybe the Lord will ·feel sorry for [be gracious to] me and let the ·baby [child] live.’


text:
But now that the ·baby [child] is dead, why should I fast? ·I can’t [Can I…?] bring him back to life. Someday I will go to him, but he cannot come back to me.”


text:
Then David ·comforted [consoled] Bathsheba his wife. He ·slept with [went in to] her and ·had sexual relations [lay] with her. She ·became pregnant again [conceived] and ·had another [gave birth to a] son, whom ·David [or she; they] named Solomon. The Lord loved Solomon.


text:
The Lord sent word through Nathan the prophet to name the baby Jedidiah [“loved by the Lord”], ·because the Lord loved the child [for the Lord’s sake].


text:
David Captures Rabbah Joab fought against Rabbah, a royal city of the Ammonites, and he was about to capture it.


text:
Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured ·its water supply [or the City of Waters].


text:
Now bring the ·other soldiers [rest of the army] together and attack this city. Capture it before I capture it myself and it is ·called by my name [named after me]!”


text:
So David gathered all the army and went to Rabbah and ·fought against [attacked] it and captured it.


text:
David took the crown ·off their king’s [or of Milcom from his] head [Milcom was their main god] and had it placed on his own head. That gold crown weighed ·about seventy-five pounds [a talent], and ·it had valuable gems in it [was set with precious stones]. And David took ·many valuable things [great amounts of plunder/spoil] from the city.


text:
He also brought out the people of the city and forced them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. He also ·made them build with bricks [sent them to the brick kilns]. David did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his army returned to Jerusalem.


text:
Amnon and Tamar [Sometime later; After this] David had a son named Absalom and a son named Amnon. Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon loved her.


text:
Tamar was a virgin. Amnon made himself sick ·just thinking about her [by his obsession/frustration with her], because ·he could not find any chance to be alone with her [it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her; it appeared he could never have her].


text:
Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very ·clever [shrewd; crafty; wise] man.


text:
He asked Amnon, “Son of the king, why do you look so ·sad [depressed; dejected] ·day after day [morning after morning]? Tell me what’s wrong!” Amnon told him, “I love Tamar, the sister of my ·half-brother [brother] Absalom.”


text:
Jonadab said to Amnon, “Go to bed and ·act as if you are [pretend to be] sick. ·Then [When…] your father will come to see you. Tell him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in and give me food to eat. Let her make the food in front of me so I can watch and eat it from her hand.’”


text:
So Amnon went to bed and acted sick. When King David came in to see him, Amnon said to him, “Please let my sister Tamar come in. Let her make ·two of her special cakes [some special bread] for me while I watch. Then I will eat them from her hands.”


text:
David sent for Tamar in the palace, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and make some food for him.”


text:
So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was ·in bed [lying down]. Tamar took some dough and ·pressed it together with her hands [kneaded it]. She made some special ·cakes [bread] while Amnon watched. Then she baked them.


text:
Next she took the pan and ·served him [dished/poured them out before him], but he refused to eat. He said to his servants, “·All of you, leave me alone [Everyone get out of here]!” So they all ·left him alone [got out].


text:
Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the ·bedroom [inner room] so I may eat from your hand.” Tamar took the ·cakes [bread] she had made and brought them to her brother Amnon in the ·bedroom [inner room].


text:
She went to him so he could eat from her hands, but Amnon grabbed her. He said, “Sister, come and ·have sexual relations [lie] with me.”


text:
Tamar said to him, “No, [my] brother! Don’t ·force [violate; rape; humiliate] me! This ·should never be [isn’t] done in Israel! Don’t do this ·shameful [disgraceful; wicked; vile] thing!


text:
·I could never [Where could I…?] get rid of my shame! And you will be ·like the shameful [one of the greatest] ·fools [scoundrels] in Israel! Please talk with the king, and he will ·let you marry [not refuse your marrying] me.”


text:
But Amnon refused to listen to her. He was stronger than she was, so he ·forced her to have sexual relations with him [raped/humiliated her and lay with her].


text:
After that, Amnon hated Tamar [intensely; with a great hatred]. He hated her more than he had loved her before. Amnon said to her, “Get ·up and leave [out]!”


text:
Tamar said to him, “No! Sending me away would be ·worse [a greater wrong] than what you’ve already done [to me]!” But he refused to listen to her.


text:
He called his young ·servant [man] back in and said, “Get this woman out of here and away from me! Lock the door ·after [behind] her.”


text:
So his servant led her out of the room and bolted the door ·after [behind] her. Tamar was wearing a special robe with long sleeves, because the king’s virgin daughters wore this kind of robe.


text:
Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her special robe [a sign of mourning or distress]. ·Putting her hand on her head [or with her face in her hands], she went away, crying loudly.


text:
Absalom, Tamar’s brother, said to her, “Has Amnon, your brother, ·forced you to have sexual relations with him [been with you]? For now, sister, ·be quiet [keep silent]. He is your half-brother. Don’t ·let this upset you so much [worry about this; take this to heart]!” So Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house and was ·sad and lonely [desolate and inconsolable].


text:
Absalom did not say a word, good or bad, to Amnon. But he hated Amnon for ·disgracing [violating; raping; humiliating] his sister Tamar.


text:
Absalom’s Revenge Two years later Absalom had some men come to Baal Hazor, near Ephraim, to cut the wool from his sheep. Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come also [for a feast].


text:
Absalom went to the king and said, “I have men coming to cut the wool. Please come with your ·officers [attendants; servants] and join ·me [your servant].”


text:
King David said to Absalom, “No, my son. We won’t all go, because it would be too much ·trouble [of a burden] for you.” Although Absalom ·begged [urged; pressed] David, he would not go, but he did give his blessing.


text:
Absalom said, “If you don’t want to come, then please let my brother Amnon come with us.” King David asked, “Why should he go with you?”


text:
Absalom kept ·begging [urging; pressing] David until he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with Absalom.


text:
Then Absalom instructed his ·servants [men], “Watch Amnon. When ·he is drunk [he’s in high spirits; his heart is merry with wine], I will tell you, ‘·Kill [Strike] Amnon.’ Right then, kill him! Don’t be afraid, because I have ·commanded [ordered] you! Be ·strong [courageous] and ·brave [valiant]!”


text:
So Absalom’s ·young men [servants] killed Amnon as Absalom ·commanded [ordered], ·but [then] all of David’s other sons got on their mules and ·escaped [fled].


text:
While the king’s sons were on their way [back to Jerusalem], the news came to David, “Absalom has ·killed [struck down] all of the king’s sons! Not one of them is left alive!”


text:
King David [got up,] tore his clothes [a sign of mourning or distress] and ·lay [threw himself] on the ground. All his ·servants [officers; attendants] standing nearby tore their clothes also.


text:
Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said to David, “Don’t ·think [believe; suppose] all the young men, your sons, are killed. No, only Amnon is dead! Absalom has ·planned [plotted; been determined to do] this ever since Amnon ·forced his sister Tamar to have sexual relations with him [raped/violated/humiliated his sister Tamar].


text:
My ·master and [lord the] king, don’t ·think [imagine; take to heart] that all of the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead!”


text:
In the meantime Absalom had run away. A ·guard [watchman] standing on the city wall saw many people coming [on the road] from the other side of the hill.


text:
So Jonadab said to King David, “Look, ·I was right [just as your servant said]! The king’s sons are coming!”


text:
As soon as Jonadab had said this, the king’s sons arrived, ·crying [wailing] loudly. David and all his servants began ·crying [wailing] also.


text:
David ·cried [mourned] for his son ·every day [many days]. But Absalom ran away to Talmai [his grandfather] son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.


text:
When King David ·got over [was reconciled to/comforted about/consoled over] Amnon’s death, he ·missed [longed/yearned for] Absalom greatly.


text:
Joab Sends a Wise Woman to David Joab son of Zeruiah knew that ·King David missed Absalom very much [David’s heart longed for/mind was on Absalom].


text:
So Joab sent messengers to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He said to her, “Pretend ·to be very sad [you are in mourning]. Put on ·funeral [mourning] clothes and don’t put ·lotion [perfume; anointing oil] on yourself. Act like a woman who has been ·crying [mourning] many days for someone who died.


text:
Then go to the king and say these words.” Then Joab ·told her what to say [put the words in her mouth].


text:
·So [When…] the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king. She bowed facedown on the ground ·to show respect [and prostrated herself] and said, “My king, help me!”


text:
King David asked her, “What is ·the matter [troubling you]?” The woman said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead.


text:
I had two sons. They were out in the field fighting, and no one was there to ·stop [separate] them. So one ·son [struck and] killed the other son.


text:
Now ·all the family group [the whole family/clan] ·is [has risen] against me. They said to me, ‘·Bring [Hand over; Give up] the son who ·killed [struck] his brother so we may ·kill [execute] him for ·killing [murdering; taking the life of] his brother. That way we will ·also get rid of the one who would receive what belonged to his father [destroy the heir as well; so he doesn’t profit from his crime].’ ·My son is like the last spark of a fire. He is all [They want to extinguish/quench the only coal/ember] I have left. ·If they kill him, my [My] husband’s name and ·property [or family; descendents; remnant] will be gone from the ·earth [face of the earth].”


text:
Then the king said to the woman, “Go home. I will ·take care of this for [give orders concerning] you.”


text:
The woman of Tekoa said to him, “Let the ·blame [guilt] be on me and my father’s family. My ·master and [lord the] king, you and your throne are ·innocent [guiltless].”


text:
King David said, “Bring me anyone who ·says anything bad to [threatens; criticizes] you. Then he won’t ·bother [touch] you again.”


text:
The woman said, “Please ·promise in the name of [swear by; remember; keep in mind] the Lord your God. Then ·my relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer [my near-relative; the avenger of blood; a relative obligated to execute the murderer; , ] won’t ·add to [continue] the destruction by killing my son.” David said, “As surely as the Lord lives, ·no one will hurt your son [not one hair from his head will fall to the ground].”


text:
The woman said, “Let me say something to you, my ·master and [lord the] king.” The king said, “Speak.”


text:
Then the woman said, “Why have you ·decided this way against [acted/planned to the harm/detriment of] the people of God? When you ·judge [decide; speak] this way, you ·show that you are guilty [convict yourself] for not bringing back your son who was ·forced to leave home [banished].


text:
We will all die someday. We’re like water spilled on the ground; no one can ·gather it back [collect it together]. But God doesn’t ·take away [discard] life. Instead, he plans ways that ·those who have been sent away will not have to stay away from him [will bring back/home the banished]!


text:
My ·master and [lord the] king, I came to say this to you because the people have ·made me afraid [threatened/intimidated me]! I thought, ‘Let me talk to the king. Maybe he will ·do [grant] what I ask.


text:
Maybe he will listen. Perhaps he will ·save [rescue; deliver] me from ·those who want to keep both me and my son from getting what God gave us [the hand of the man who would cut me and my son from God’s inheritance/heritage].’


text:
“Now I say, ‘May the words of my ·master [lord] the king give me ·rest [comfort; peace]. Like an angel of God, you ·know [discern; understand] what is good and what is ·bad [evil]. May the Lord your God be with you!’”


text:
Then King David said, “Do not ·hide [evade] the truth. Answer me one question.” The woman said, “My ·master [lord] the king, please ·ask your question [speak].”


text:
The king said, “·Did Joab tell you to say [Is Joab’s hand with you in] all these things?” The woman answered, “As you live, my ·master [lord] the king, no one ·could avoid that question [can fool/mislead you; turn to the right or left concerning what you’ve said]. You are right. Your servant Joab ·did tell me to say these things [commanded me and put all these words in my mouth].


text:
Joab did it ·so you would see things differently [to change the look of things]. My ·master [lord], you are wise like an angel of God who knows ·everything that happens [all things] on earth.”


text:
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem The king said to Joab, “Look, I ·will do what I promised [grant this request]. Bring back the young man Absalom.”


text:
Joab bowed facedown on the ground [and prostrated himself] and blessed the king. Then he said, “Today I know ·you are pleased with me [I have found favor in your sight/eyes], because you have done what I asked.”


text:
But King David said, “Absalom must go to his own house. He may not ·come to see me [see my face].” So Absalom went to his own house and did not ·go to see the king [see the king’s face].


text:
Absalom was greatly praised for his ·handsome appearance [beauty]. No man in Israel was as handsome as he. No ·blemish [flaw; defect] was on him from his head to his foot.


text:
At the end of every year, Absalom would cut his hair, because it became too heavy. When he weighed it, it would weigh ·about five pounds by the royal measure [200 shekels by the king’s standard].


text:
Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was also Tamar, and she was a beautiful woman.


text:
Then Absalom sent for Joab so he could send him to the king [to intercede for him], but Joab would not come. Absalom sent a message a second time, but Joab still refused to come.


text:
Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go burn it.” So Absalom’s servants set fire to Joab’s field.


text:
Absalom said to Joab, “I sent a message to you, asking you to come here. I wanted to send you to the king to ask him why ·he brought me home [I have come] from Geshur. It would have been better for me to stay there! Now let me see the ·king [king’s face]. If I have ·sinned [guilt/iniquity in me], he can put me to death!”


text:
So Joab went to the king and told him Absalom’s words. Then the king called for Absalom. Absalom came and ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground before the king, and the king kissed him.


text:
Absalom Plans to Take David’s Kingdom After this, Absalom got a chariot and horses for himself and fifty men to run before him [to signal his power and claim of heir to the throne].


text:
Absalom would get up early and stand near the city gate [the hub of the town for judicial, business, and social interaction]. Anyone who had a ·problem [suit; petition; case] for the king to ·settle [judge] would come here. When someone came, Absalom would call out and say, “What city are you from?” The person would answer, “·I’m [Your servant is] from one of the tribes of Israel.”


text:
Then Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are ·right [sound/valid and just], but the king has no ·one [representative; deputy] to listen to you.”


text:
Absalom would also say, “I wish someone would ·make [appoint] me judge in this land! Then people with ·problems [any suit/complaint/case or cause] could come to me, and I ·could help them get [would give them] justice.”


text:
People would come near Absalom to ·bow to [prostrate themselves before] him. When they did, Absalom would reach out his hand and take hold of them and kiss them [to show he treated them as his equals].


text:
Absalom did that to all the Israelites who came to King David for ·decisions [judgment]. In this way, Absalom stole the hearts of all Israel.


text:
After four years Absalom said to King David, “Please let me go to Hebron. I want to carry out my ·promise [vow] that I made to the Lord


text:
while ·I [your servant] was living in Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will ·worship [offer devotion/a sacrifice to] him in Hebron.’”


text:
But he sent ·secret messengers [spies; or runners] through all the tribes of Israel. They told the people, “When you hear the trumpets, say this: ‘Absalom is the king ·at [in] Hebron!’”


text:
Absalom ·had invited [took] two hundred men to go with him. So they went from Jerusalem with him [innocently], ·but they didn’t know [not knowing] what he was planning.


text:
While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, ·one of the people who advised David [David’s counselor], to come from his hometown of Giloh. So ·Absalom’s plans were working very well [the conspiracy grew stronger]. More and more people began to support him.


text:
A messenger came to David, saying, “The ·Israelites are giving their loyalty to [hearts of the people/Israelites are with] Absalom.”


text:
Then David said to all his ·officers [officials; servants] who were with him in Jerusalem, “We must ·leave [flee] quickly! If we don’t, we won’t be able to ·get away from [escape] Absalom. We must hurry before he ·catches [overtakes] us and ·destroys us and kills the people of Jerusalem [brings disaster and puts the city to the sword].”


text:
The king’s ·officers [officials; servants] said to him, “We will do anything you ·say [decide; choose].”


text:
The king set out with everyone in his house, but he left ten ·slave women [concubines; secondary wives; ] to take care of the palace.


text:
The king left [on foot] with all his people following him, and they stopped at ·a house far away [the last house].


text:
All the king’s ·servants [men; officers; officials] passed by him—the Kerethites and Pelethites [foreign mercenaries who served as the king’s bodyguards], ·all those from Gath, and the six hundred men who had followed him [or and the six hundred men from Gath].


text:
The king said to Ittai, a man from Gath, “Why are you also going with us? Turn back and stay with ·King Absalom [the king] because you are a foreigner. ·This is not […—an exile from] your homeland.


text:
You joined me only ·a short time ago [yesterday]. Should I make you wander with us when I don’t even know where I’m going? Turn back and take your ·brothers [kinsmen; people] with you. May ·kindness [faithful love] and ·loyalty [faithfulness; truth] be shown to you.”


text:
But Ittai said to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as ·you live [my lord the king lives], I will ·stay with you [go wherever my lord the king goes], whether it means life or death.”


text:
David said to Ittai, “Go, march on.” So Ittai from Gath and all his people with their ·children [families] marched on.


text:
All the people ·cried loudly [wept out loud] as ·everyone [the people] passed by. King David crossed the Kidron Valley, and then all the people went on to the ·desert [wilderness].


text:
Zadok and all the Levites with him carried the Ark of the ·Agreement with God [Covenant/Treaty of God]. They set it down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had ·left [marched out of] the city.


text:
The king said to Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back into the city. If ·the Lord is pleased with me [I find favor in the Lord’s sight/eyes], he will bring me back and will let me see both it and ·Jerusalem [its dwelling place/tent/Tabernacle] again.


text:
But if the Lord says ·he is not pleased with me [“I take no delight in you”], ·I am ready [here I am]. He can do ·what he wants with me [to me what is good in his sight/eyes].”


text:
The king also said to Zadok the priest, “·Aren’t you a seer [or Do you understand]? Go back to the city ·in peace [quietly] and take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan with you.


text:
I will wait near the ·crossings into the desert [fords in the wilderness; shallow crossing points of the Jordan River] until I hear from you.”


text:
David went up the ·Mount [Ascent] of Olives, crying as he went. He covered his head and went barefoot [signs of mourning]. All the people with David covered their heads also and cried as they went.


text:
Someone told David, “Ahithophel is one of the ·people with Absalom who made secret plans against you [conspirators with Absalom].” So David prayed, “Lord, please ·make [turn] Ahithophel’s ·advice foolish [counsel into foolishness].”


text:
When David reached the top of the mountain where people ·used to worship [worshiped] God, Hushai the Arkite came to meet him. Hushai’s coat was torn, and there was dirt on his head [a sign of mourning or distress].


text:
David said to Hushai, “If you go with me, you will be ·just one more person for me to take care of [a burden].


text:
But if you return to the city, you can ·make Ahithophel’s advice useless [thwart/frustrate/counter Ahithophel’s counsel]. Tell Absalom, ‘I am your servant, my king. In the past I served your father, but now I will serve you.’


text:
The priests Zadok and Abiathar will [they not…?] be with you. Tell them everything you hear in the royal palace.


text:
Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan are with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear.”


text:
Ziba Meets David When David had passed a short way ·over the top of the Mount of Olives [beyond the summit], Ziba, Mephibosheth’s [Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson; ] servant, met him. Ziba had a ·row [string; or couple] of donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred ·cakes [or clusters] of raisins, one hundred ·cakes of figs [bunches of summer fruits], and ·leather bags full [skins] of wine.


text:
The king asked Ziba, “What are these things for?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for your ·family [household] to ride. The bread and ·cakes of figs [summer fruit] are for the ·servants [men; soldiers] to eat. And the wine is for anyone to drink who might become ·weak [exhausted; faint] in the ·desert [wilderness].”


text:
The king asked, “Where is ·Mephibosheth [your master’s son/grandson]?” Ziba answered him, “Mephibosheth is staying in Jerusalem because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will ·give [restore] my father’s kingdom back to me!’”


text:
Then the king said to Ziba, “All right. Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth, I now give to you!” Ziba said, “I ·bow to you [prostrate myself]. ·I hope I will always be able to please you [May I find favor in your sight/eyes, my lord the king].”


text:
Shimei Curses David As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out ·and cursed him [cursing at them]. He was from ·Saul’s family group [the clan of the house of Saul], and his name was Shimei son of Gera.


text:
He threw stones at David and his ·officers [officials; servants], but the people and soldiers gathered ·all around David [to his right and left].


text:
Shimei cursed David, saying, “Get out, get out, you ·murderer [man of blood], you ·troublemaker [scoundrel].


text:
The Lord is ·punishing [repaying] you for ·the people in Saul’s family you killed [all the bloodshed of the house of Saul]! You ·took [reigned in] Saul’s place as king, but now the Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom! Now you are ·ruined [caught in your own evil] because you are a ·murderer [man of blood]!”


text:
Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse you, the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”


text:
But the king answered, “·This does not concern you [What have I to do with you], sons of Zeruiah! If ·he is cursing me because the Lord told him to [the Lord has told him, “Curse David”] , who can ·question him [say, “Why have you done so”]?”


text:
David also said to Abishai and all his ·officers [officials; servants], “My own ·son [flesh and blood] is trying to kill me! ·This man is a Benjaminite and has more right to kill me [How much more reason has this Benjaminite; as a member of Saul’s clan]! Leave him alone and let him ·curse me [curse], ·because [or if] the Lord told him to do this.


text:
Maybe the Lord will see ·my misery [my affliction/distress; or that I am being wronged] and repay me with ·something good [blessing] for Shimei’s curses today!”


text:
So David and his men went on down the road, ·but [while] Shimei ·followed [went along] on the nearby hillside. He kept cursing David and throwing stones and ·dirt [flinging dust] at him.


text:
Meanwhile, Absalom, Ahithophel, and all the ·Israelites [people/army of Israel] arrived at Jerusalem.


text:
David’s friend Hushai the Arkite came to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”


text:
Absalom asked, “·Why are you not loyal [Is this the love/loyalty you show] to your friend David? Why didn’t you leave Jerusalem with your friend?”


text:
Hushai said, “I belong to the one chosen by the Lord and by these people and everyone in Israel. I will stay with ·you [him].


text:
In the past I served your father. So whom should I serve now? David’s son! I will serve you as I served him.”


text:
Ahithophel said, “Your father left behind some of his ·slave women [concubines; secondary wives; ] to take care of the palace. ·Have sexual relations with [Sleep with; Go into] them. Then all Israel will hear that ·your father is your enemy [you have gravely insulted/made yourself odious to your father], and all ·your people [Israel; or those who support you] will be ·encouraged to give you more [stronger in their] support.”


text:
So they put up a tent for Absalom on the roof [the flat roofs of Israelite houses were used for living space] of ·his palace [the king’s house] where everyone in Israel could see it. And Absalom ·had sexual relations with [slept with; went in to] his father’s ·slave women [concubines].


text:
At that time people thought Ahithophel’s advice was as ·reliable as God’s own word [if one consulted a word/message/oracle from God]. Both David and Absalom thought ·it was that reliable [so].


text:
I’ll catch him while he is tired and ·weak [discouraged], and I’ll ·frighten [terrorize] him so all his ·people [troops] will run away. But I’ll ·kill [strike down] only King David.


text:
Then I’ll bring everyone back to you [as a bride returns to her husband]. ·If the man you are looking for is dead [Since you seek the life of only one man], everyone else will ·return safely [be at peace].”


text:
When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “This is the plan Ahithophel gave. Should we follow it? If not, ·tell us [give us your view].”


text:
Hushai added, “You know your father and his men are ·strong [mighty fighters/warriors]. They are as ·angry [fierce] as a bear that is robbed of its cubs. Your father is a ·skilled [experienced; expert] ·fighter [in war]. He won’t stay all night with the ·army [troops].


text:
He is probably already hiding in a cave or ·some other place [pit; hollow]. ·If the first attack fails [When some of our men fall at the first attack], people will hear the news and think, ‘Absalom’s followers are ·losing [being slaughtered]!’


text:
Then even the men who are ·as brave as lions [valiant, with the heart of a lion] will ·be frightened [melt/be paralyzed with fear], because all the Israelites know your father is a ·fighter [mighty warrior]. They know his men are brave!


text:
“This is what I ·suggest [advise; counsel]: Gather all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba [in the far north and south of Israel]. There will be as many people as grains of sand by the sea. Then you ·yourself must go [personally lead them] into the battle.


text:
We will ·go to [attack; come at] David wherever he is hiding. We will fall on him as dew falls on the ground. ·We will kill him and all of his men so that no one [Neither he nor any of his men] will be left alive.


text:
If David ·escapes [withdraws] into a city, all the Israelites will bring ropes to that city and pull it into the valley. Not ·a stone will be left [a pebble will be found there]!”


text:
Absalom and all the Israelites said, “The ·advice [counsel] of Hushai the Arkite is better than ·that [the counsel] of Ahithophel.” (The Lord had ·planned [determined; resolved; ordained] to ·destroy [thwart; defeat; frustrate] the good ·advice [counsel] of Ahithophel so the Lord could bring ·disaster [calamity; ruin] on Absalom.)


text:
Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had ·suggested [advised; counseled] to Absalom and the elders of Israel. He also reported to them what he himself had ·suggested [advised; counseled]. Hushai said,


text:
“Quickly! Send a message to David. Tell him not to stay tonight at the ·crossings into the desert [fords in the wilderness] but to cross over the Jordan River at once. ·If he crosses the river, he and all his people won’t be destroyed [Otherwise the king and everyone with him will be swallowed up].”


text:
Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En Rogel. They did not want to ·be [risk being] seen going into the city, so a servant girl would go out to them and give them messages. Then Jonathan and Ahimaaz would go and tell King David.


text:
But a ·boy [lad; young man] saw Jonathan and Ahimaaz and told Absalom. So Jonathan and Ahimaaz left quickly and went to a man’s house in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it.


text:
The man’s wife spread a ·sheet [covering] over the opening of the well and ·covered [scattered] it with grain. ·No one could tell that anyone was hiding there [Nothing was known].


text:
Absalom’s ·servants [men] came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” She said to them, “They have already crossed the brook.” Absalom’s ·servants [men] then went to ·look [search] for Jonathan and Ahimaaz, but they could not find them. So they went back to Jerusalem.


text:
After ·Absalom’s servants [they] left, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well and went to tell King David. They said, “Hurry, cross over the ·river [water]! Ahithophel has ·said [advised; counseled] these things against you!”


text:
When Ahithophel saw that the Israelites did not ·accept his advice [follow his counsel], he saddled his donkey and went to his hometown. He ·left orders for his family and property [set his affairs/house in order], and then he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father’s tomb.


text:
War Between David and Absalom David arrived at Mahanaim. And Absalom and all ·his Israelites [the men/army of Israel] crossed over the Jordan River.


text:
Absalom had made Amasa ·captain [commander; head] of the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named ·Jether [or Ithra] the Ishmaelite. Amasa’s mother was Abigail daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.


text:
Shobi, Makir, and Barzillai were at Mahanaim when David arrived. Shobi son of Nahash was from the Ammonite town of Rabbah. Makir son of Ammiel was from Lo Debar, and Barzillai was from Rogelim in Gilead.


text:
They brought beds, bowls, clay pots, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, ·small peas [lentils],


text:
honey, milk curds, sheep, and cheese made from ·cows’ milk [the herd] for David and his people. They said, “The people are hungry and tired and thirsty in the ·desert [wilderness].”


text:
David ·counted [mustered; reviewed] his men and placed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.


text:
He sent the troops out in three groups. Joab commanded one-third of the men. Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah commanded another third. And Ittai from Gath commanded the last third. King David said to them, “I will also go with you.”


text:
But the men said, “You must not go ·with us [out]! If we ·run away in the battle [flee], Absalom’s men won’t care. Even if half of us are killed, Absalom’s men won’t care. But you’re worth ten thousand of us! ·You can help us most by staying in the city [It is better that you support us from the city].”


text:
The king said to his people, “I will do what ·you think is best [is good in your sight/eyes].” So the king stood at the side of the gate as the army went out in groups of a hundred and a thousand.


text:
The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Be gentle with young Absalom for my sake.” Everyone heard the king’s orders to the commanders about Absalom.


text:
David’s army went out into the field against ·Absalom’s Israelites [Israel], and they fought in the forest of Ephraim.


text:
There David’s army defeated the Israelites. ·Many died [The slaughter was/casualties were great] that day—twenty thousand men.


text:
The battle spread through all the ·country [countryside], but that day more men ·died [were devoured/swallowed up] in the forest than ·in the fighting [by the sword].


text:
Absalom Dies Then Absalom happened to ·meet [run into; come upon] David’s ·troops [servants]. As Absalom was riding his mule, it went under the thick branches of a large oak tree. Absalom’s head got caught in the tree, and his mule ran out from under him. So Absalom was left hanging ·above the ground [between heaven and earth].


text:
When one of the men saw it happen, he told Joab, “I saw Absalom ·hanging [dangling] in an oak tree!”


text:
Joab said to him, “You saw him? Why didn’t you ·kill him and let him fall to [strike him to] the ground? I would have given you a belt and ·four ounces [ten pieces] of silver!”


text:
The man answered, “I wouldn’t ·touch [raise my hand against] the king’s son even if ·you gave me [I felt in my hand the weight of] ·twenty-five pounds [a thousand pieces] of silver. We heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘·Be careful not to hurt [For my sake protect/spare] young Absalom.’


text:
If I had ·killed him [betrayed the king by killing his son], ·the king would have found out [and there is nothing hidden from the king], and you would ·not have protected [have kept your distance/aloof from] me!”


text:
Joab said, “I won’t waste time here with you!” Absalom was still alive in the oak tree, so Joab took three spears and stabbed him in the heart.


text:
Then Joab’s men took Absalom’s body and threw it into a ·large [deep] pit in the forest and ·filled the pit with [piled over him] many stones. All the Israelites ·ran away [fled] to their homes.


text:
When Absalom was alive, he had ·set up a pillar for [built a monument to] himself in the King’s Valley. He said, “I have no son to keep my name alive.” So he named the ·pillar [monument] after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument even today.


text:
Ahimaaz son of Zadok said to Joab, “Let me run and take the news to King David. I’ll tell him the Lord has ·saved [rescued; delivered] him from his enemies.”


text:
Joab answered Ahimaaz, “No, you are not the one to take the news today. You may do it another time, but do not take it today, because the king’s son is dead.”


text:
Then Joab said to a man from Cush, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran to tell David.


text:
But Ahimaaz son of Zadok begged Joab again, “No matter what happens, please let me ·go along [run] with the Cushite!” Joab said, “Son, why do you want to ·carry the news [run]? You won’t get any reward.”


text:
Ahimaaz answered, “No matter what happens, I will run.” So Joab said to Ahimaaz, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the ·Jordan Valley [plain] and ·passed [outran] the Cushite.


text:
David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the city. The watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the walls, and as he looked up, he saw a man running alone.


text:
He shouted the news to the king. The king said, “If he is alone, he ·is bringing good news [has news to give/in his mouth]!” The man came nearer and nearer to the city.


text:
Then the watchman saw another man running, and he called to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!” The king said, “He is also bringing ·good news [news]!”


text:
The watchman said, “I think the first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” The king said, “Ahimaaz is a good man. He must be bringing good news!”


text:
Then Ahimaaz called a greeting to the king. He ·bowed facedown on the ground [prostrated himself] before the king and said, “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord your God! The Lord has ·defeated [handed over] those who ·were [raised their hand] against ·you, my [my lord the] king.”


text:
The king asked, “Is young Absalom ·all right [well]?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent me, I saw some great ·excitement [commotion; confusion], but I don’t know what it was.”


text:
Then the Cushite arrived. He said, “·Master and [My Lord the] king, hear the good news! Today the Lord has ·punished [rescued/delivered you from] those who ·were [rebelled; rose up] against you!”


text:
The king asked the Cushite, “Is young Absalom ·all right [well]?” The Cushite answered, “May your enemies and all who ·come to hurt you [rise up to do you harm] ·be like [share the fate of] that young man!”


text:
Then the king was ·very upset [overcome with emotion], and he went to the room over the city gate and cried. As he went, he cried out, “My son Absalom, my son Absalom! ·I wish [Would that] I had died and not you. Absalom, my son, my son!”


text:
Joab Scolds David People told Joab, “Look, the king is ·sad [mourning] and crying ·because of [for] Absalom.”


text:
David’s army had won the battle that day. But ·it became a very sad day for all the people [the victory that day turned to mourning], because they heard that the king was ·very sad [grieving] for his son.


text:
The ·people [men; soldiers] ·came into the city quietly [stole/crept into the city] that day. They were like an army that had been ·defeated in battle and had run away [shamed for fleeing in battle].


text:
Joab went into the king’s house and said, “Today you have ·shamed [humiliated] all your men. They ·saved [rescued; delivered] your life and the lives of your sons, daughters, wives, and ·slave women [concubines; secondary wives; ].


text:
You have shamed them because you love those who hate you, and you hate those who love you. Today you have made it clear that your commanders and men mean nothing to you. What if Absalom had lived and all of us were dead? I can see you would be ·pleased [content].


text:
Now go out and ·encourage [reassure; speak kindly to] your servants. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, ·no man will be left with you by tonight [not one man will stay with you tonight]! That will be worse than ·all the troubles [any disaster/evil] you have had from your youth until today.”


text:
So the king went to the city gate [a place where public meetings and court cases were held; ]. When the news spread that the king was at the gate, ·everyone [all the soldiers] came to see him. David Goes Back to Jerusalem ·All the Israelites who had followed Absalom [Israel] had run away to their ·homes [tents].


text:
People in all the tribes of Israel began to argue, saying, “The king ·saved [rescued; delivered] us from the Philistines and our other enemies, but he ·left [fled] the country because of Absalom.


text:
We ·appointed [anointed] Absalom to rule us, but now he has died in battle. ·We should make [Why do you say nothing about making…?] David the king again.”


text:
King David sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, that said, “Speak to the elders of Judah. Say, ‘Even in my house ·I have heard what all the Israelites are saying [the talk of Israel has reached the king]. So why are you the last tribe to bring the king back to his ·palace [house; even David’s own tribe was wavering in their support]?


text:
You are my ·brothers [relatives; kin], my own ·family [bone and flesh]. Why are you the last tribe to ·bring [welcome] back the king?’


text:
And say to Amasa, ‘·You are part of my own family [Are you not my bone and flesh?]. May God punish me terribly if I don’t make you commander of the army [from now on; for life] in Joab’s place!’”


text:
·David [or Amasa; He] ·touched [turned; swayed] the hearts of all the people of Judah ·at once [as one]. They sent a message to the king that said, “Return with all ·your men [who serve you].”


text:
Then the king returned as far as the Jordan River. The men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and to ·bring [escort] him across the Jordan.


text:
Shimei son of Gera, a Benjaminite who lived in Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.


text:
With Shimei came a thousand Benjaminites. Ziba, the servant from Saul’s family, also came, bringing his fifteen sons and twenty servants with him. They all hurried to the Jordan River ·to meet [arriving before] the king.


text:
The people went across the ·Jordan [ford] to help ·bring [escort] the king’s family back to Judah and to do whatever the king wanted. As the king was crossing the river, Shimei son of Gera came to him and ·bowed facedown on the ground [prostrated himself] in front of the king.


text:
He said to the king, “My master, don’t hold me guilty. ·Don’t remember [Forget] the wrong ·I [your servant] did when you left Jerusalem! ·Don’t hold it against me [Put it out of your mind].


text:
I know I have sinned. That is why I am the first person from Joseph’s ·family [house; that is, the first Israelite] to come down and meet you today, my master and king!”


text:
But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “·Shimei should die [Should not Shimei die…?] because he cursed you, the Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed; ]!”


text:
David said, “·This does not concern [What does this have to do with…?] you, sons of Zeruiah! Today you’re ·against me [my adversary]! No one will be put to death in Israel today. Today I know I am king over Israel!”


text:
Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet King David. Mephibosheth had not cared for his feet, cut his beard, or washed his clothes from the time the king had left Jerusalem until he returned ·safely [in peace; demonstrating his concern for David’s welfare].


text:
When Mephibosheth came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Mephibosheth, why didn’t you go with me?”


text:
He answered, “My master, my servant [Ziba] tricked me! I am crippled, so ·I [your servant] said to ·Ziba [him], ‘Saddle a donkey. Then I will ride it so I can go with the king.’


text:
But he ·lied about [slandered] ·me [your servant] to you []. You, my master and king, are like an angel from God. Do what ·you think is good [is right in your eyes].


text:
·You could have killed all my grandfather’s family [My father’s household were doomed to death/as good as dead before my lord the king]. ·Instead [Yet], you put ·me [your servant] with those people who eat at your own table. So I don’t have a right to ask anything more from the king!”


text:
The king said to him, “Don’t say anything more. I have decided that you and Ziba will divide the land.”


text:
Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let Ziba take ·all the land [everything] now that my master the king has arrived safely home.”


text:
Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He had ·taken care of [provided food for] the king when David was staying at Mahanaim, because Barzillai was a very rich man [].


text:
David said to Barzillai, “Cross the river with me. Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will ·take care of [provide for] you.”


text:
But Barzillai answered the king, “·Do you know how old I am [How long do I have to live]? Do you think I can go with you to Jerusalem?


text:
I am eighty years old! Can your servant tell the difference between what is ·good [pleasant] and ·bad [unpleasant]? ·I am too old to [Can I…?] taste what I eat or drink. ·I am too old to [Can I …?] hear the voices of men and women singers. Why should you be ·bothered [burdened] with ·me [your servant]?


text:
·I am not worthy of a reward from you, but I will cross [Why should the king reward me for merely going across…?] the Jordan River with you.


text:
·Then [Please] let ·me [your servant] go back so I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and mother. But here is Kimham, your servant. Let him go with you, my master and king. Do with him whatever ·you want [seems good to you/in your eyes; ].”


text:
The king answered, “Kimham will go with me. I will do for him anything ·you wish [that seems good to you/in your eyes], and I will do anything for you that you wish.”


text:
The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him. Then Barzillai returned home, and the king and all the people crossed the Jordan.


text:
When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham went with him. All the ·troops [people] of Judah and half the ·troops [people] of Israel ·led [escorted; accompanied] David across [the river Jordan].


text:
Soon all the Israelites came to the king and said to him, “Why did our ·relatives [brothers], the people of Judah, steal you away? Why did they bring you and your family across the Jordan River ·with [along with all] your men?”


text:
All the people of Judah answered the Israelites, “We did this because the king is our ·close relative [kin]. Why are you angry about it? ·We have not [Have we…?] eaten food at the king’s expense or ·taken anything [received any favors/gifts] for ourselves!”


text:
The Israelites answered the people of Judah, “We have ten ·tribes [shares] in the ·kingdom [king], so we have more ·right to [claim on] David than you do! ·But you ignored us! [Why did you treat us with contempt?] ·We were [Weren’t we…?] the first ones to talk about bringing our king back!” But the people of Judah spoke even more ·unkindly [harshly; fiercely] than the people of Israel.


text:
Sheba Leads Israel Away from David It happened that a ·troublemaker [scoundrel; worthless fellow] named Sheba son of Bicri from the tribe of Benjamin was there. He blew the ·trumpet [ram’s horn] and said: “We have no ·share [interest; portion] in David! We have no ·part [inheritance; heritage] in the son of Jesse! People of Israel, ·let’s go home [everyone to your tents]!”


text:
So all the Israelites ·left [deserted; withdrew from] David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the people of Judah ·stayed with [faithfully followed; clung to] their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.


text:
David came back to his ·palace [house] in Jerusalem. He had left ten of his ·slave women [concubines; secondary wives; ] there to take care of the ·palace [house; ]. Now he put them in a ·locked [guarded] house. He ·gave them food [provided for them], but he did not ·have sexual relations with [go in to] them. So they [were shut up/confined and] lived like widows until they died.


text:
The king said to Amasa, “·Tell the men [Mobilize the army] of Judah to meet with me ·in [within] three days, and you must also be here.”


text:
So Amasa went to ·call [summon] the men of Judah together, but he ·took more time [delayed longer] than the king had said.


text:
David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri ·is more dangerous to us than Absalom was [will do us more harm than Absalom]. Take ·my men [the servants of your master] and chase him before he finds ·walled [fortified] cities and escapes from ·us [our sight].”


text:
So Joab’s men, the Kerethites and the Pelethites [foreign mercenaries who served as the king’s bodyguards], and all the ·soldiers [mighty warriors] went with Abishai. They went out from Jerusalem to ·chase [pursue] Sheba son of Bicri.


text:
When Joab and the army came to the great rock at Gibeon, Amasa came out to meet them. Joab was wearing his ·uniform [military tunic], and at his waist he wore a belt that held his ·sword [dagger] in its ·case [sheath]. As Joab stepped forward, his ·sword [dagger] fell out of its ·case [sheath].


text:
Joab asked Amasa, “·Brother [term of endearment, but Amasa is also his cousin], is everything all right with you?” Then with his right hand he took Amasa by the beard to kiss him.


text:
Amasa ·was not watching [did not notice; wasn’t on guard against] the ·sword [dagger] in Joab’s hand. So Joab ·pushed the sword into Amasa’s [struck him in the] stomach, causing Amasa’s insides to ·spill [pour; gush] onto the ground. Joab did not have to stab Amasa again; he was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai continued to ·chase [pursue] Sheba son of Bicri.


text:
One of Joab’s young men stood by Amasa’s body and ·said [shouted], “Everyone who ·is for [favors] Joab and [is for] David should follow Joab!”


text:
Amasa lay in the middle of the road, ·covered with [wallowing in] his own blood. When the young man saw that everyone was ·stopping to look at the body [stopping], he dragged it from the road, laid it in a field, and put a ·cloth [cloak; garment] over it.


text:
After Amasa’s body was taken off the road, all the men followed Joab to ·chase [pursue] Sheba son of Bicri.


text:
Sheba ·went [traveled; passed] through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah [a town in the extreme north of Israel]. All the ·Berites [or Bicrites; Sheba’s own tribe] also came together and followed him.


text:
So Joab and his men came to Abel Beth Maacah and ·surrounded [besieged] it. They ·piled dirt up [built a siege ramp] against the city wall, and they began ·hacking at [battering; undermining] the walls to bring them down.


text:
But a wise woman shouted out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk to him!”


text:
So Joab came near her. She asked him, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “Yes, I am.” Then she said, “Listen to ·what I say [the words of your maidservant].” Joab said, “I’m listening.”


text:
Then the woman said, “In the past people would say, ‘·Ask for advice [Let them inquire] at Abel,’ and the problem would be solved.


text:
I am one of the peaceful, ·loyal [faithful] people of Israel. You are trying to destroy ·an important city of [a city that is a mother in] Israel. Why must you ·destroy what belongs to [devour/swallow up the inheritance/heritage of] the Lord?”


text:
That is not ·what I want [the case]. But there is a man here from the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim, who is named Sheba son of Bicri. He has ·turned [lifted his hand] against King David. If you ·bring him to me [hand him over], I will leave the city alone.” The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown over the wall to you.”


text:
Then the woman spoke very wisely to all the people of the city. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it over the wall to Joab. So he blew the ·trumpet [ram’s horn], and the army left the city. Every man returned ·home [to his tent], and Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.


text:
Joab was commander of all the army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada led the Kerethites and Pelethites [].


text:
Adoniram was in charge of the ·men who were forced to do hard work [forced/slave labor; or labor force]. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the ·recorder [royal historian].


text:
The Gibeonites Punish Saul’s Family During the time David was king, there was a ·shortage of food [famine] that lasted for three years. So David ·prayed to [inquired of; consulted; sought the face/presence of] the Lord. The Lord answered, “Saul and his ·family of murderers [bloody house] are the reason for this shortage, because he ·killed [murdered] the Gibeonites.”


text:
(Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites; they were ·a group of Amorites who were left alive [the remnant of the Amorites]. The Israelites had ·promised [sworn; vowed; ] not to hurt the Gibeonites, but Saul had tried to ·kill [annihilate; exterminate] them, because ·he was eager to help [of his zeal for] the people of Israel and Judah.) King David called the Gibeonites together and spoke to them.


text:
He asked, “What can I do for you? How can I make ·up [amends; expiation; atonement] for the harm done so you can bless the Lord’s ·people [inheritance]?”


text:
The Gibeonites said to David, “We cannot ·demand [settle this with] silver or gold from Saul or his ·family [house]. And ·we don’t have the right [it’s not for us] to kill anyone in Israel.” Then David asked, “·What do you want me to do for you [Tell me what to do and I will do it]?”


text:
The Gibeonites said, “·Saul [The man] ·made plans against [destroyed; consumed] us and ·tried to destroy [planned to annihilate/exterminate] all our people ·who are [so we would have no place] left in the land of Israel.


text:
So bring seven of his sons to us. Then we will ·kill them and hang them on stakes [impale/execute them] in the presence of the Lord at Gibeah, the hometown of Saul, the Lord’s chosen king.” The king said, “I will give them to you.”


text:
But the king ·protected [spared] Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the ·promise [oath] he had made to Jonathan in the Lord’s name [].


text:
The king did take Armoni and Mephibosheth [not Jonathan’s son, but another person with the same name], sons of Rizpah and Saul []. (Rizpah was the daughter of Aiah.) And the king took the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab [; ]. (Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite was the father of Merab’s five sons.)


text:
David gave these seven sons to the Gibeonites. Then the Gibeonites ·killed them and hung them on stakes on a hill [impaled/executed them] in the presence of the Lord. All seven sons ·died [fell] together. They were put to death during the first days of the harvest season at the beginning of barley harvest.


text:
Aiah’s daughter Rizpah took ·the rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth; a sign of mourning or distress] and put it on a rock for herself. She stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until the rain fell on ·her sons’ bodies [them from the heavens/sky]. During the day she did not let the ·birds of the sky [scavenger birds] touch her sons’ bodies, and during the night she did not let the wild animals touch them.


text:
People told David what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s ·slave woman [concubine; a secondary wife; ], was doing.


text:
Then David took the bones of Saul and Jonathan from the men of Jabesh Gilead. (The Philistines had hung the bodies of Saul and Jonathan in the public square of Beth Shan after they had killed Saul at Gilboa. Later the men of Jabesh Gilead ·had secretly taken [stole] them from there [].)


text:
David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from Gilead. Then the people gathered the ·bodies of Saul’s seven sons who were hanged on stakes [bones of those who had been impaled/executed].


text:
The people buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan at Zela in Benjamin in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. The people did everything the king commanded. Then God ·answered the prayers for [took pity on] the land.


text:
Wars with the Philistines Again there was war between the Philistines and Israel. David and his ·men [servants] went out to fight the Philistines, ·but [and] David ·became tired [grew weary/exhausted].


text:
Ishbi-Benob, one of the ·sons of Rapha [or descendants of the giants], had a bronze ·spearhead [spear] weighing ·about seven and one-half pounds [three hundred shekels] and [was armed with] a new sword. He ·planned [was about] to kill David,


text:
but Abishai son of Zeruiah ·killed the Philistine and saved David’s life [came to help him and struck down the Philistine]. Then David’s men ·made a promise [swore; vowed] to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle. ·If you were killed, Israel would lose its greatest leader […so that you do not extinguish the lamp/light of Israel].”


text:
Later, at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, another ·one of the sons of Rapha [or descendant of the giants].


text:
Later, there was another battle at Gob with the Philistines. Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim from Bethlehem killed Goliath from Gath [see where he is called Lahmi, the brother of Goliath]. His spear was as large as a weaver’s ·rod [beam].


text:
At Gath another battle took place. A huge man was there; he had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four fingers and toes in all. This man also was ·one of the sons of Rapha [or descended from the giants].


text:
These four ·sons of Rapha [or descendants of giants] from Gath were killed by David and his ·men [servants].


text:
David’s Song of Praise David sang [the words of] this song [see the close parallel to the following song in ] to the Lord when the Lord ·saved [rescued; delivered] him from Saul and all his other enemies.


text:
My God is my rock. ·I can run to him for safety [In whom I find protection/take refuge]. He is my shield and ·my saving strength [the horn of my salvation; symbolizes strength based on an animal lifting its head triumphantly], my ·defender [stronghold] and my ·place of safety [refuge]. The Lord saves me from ·those who want to harm me [violence].


text:
I ·will call to [call upon] the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I ·will be [or am] saved from my enemies.


text:
“The waves of death ·came around [swirled about; encompassed] me; the ·deadly rivers [floods/torrents of destruction] overwhelmed me.


text:
The ·ropes of death [cords of the grave/Sheol] ·wrapped around [entangled; coiled around] me. The ·traps [snares] of death ·were before [confronted; lay ahead of] me.


text:
In my ·trouble [distress; anguish] I ·called [cried out] to the Lord; I ·cried out [called] to my God. From his ·temple [sanctuary] he heard my voice; my ·call for help [cry] reached his ears.


text:
“The earth ·trembled [reeled; quaked] and ·shook [rocked]. The foundations of heaven began to ·shake [shudder]. They ·trembled [reeled; quaked] because the Lord was angry.


text:
Smoke ·came out of his nose [poured/rose from his nostrils], and ·burning [devouring] fire came out of his mouth. Burning coals ·went before [blazed/flamed out from] him.


text:
He ·tore open [parted; bowed] the ·sky [heavens] and came down with ·dark clouds [storm clouds; thick darkness] under his feet.


text:
He rode a ·creature with wings [cherub; a mighty spiritual being/angel; ] and flew. ·He raced […soaring] on the wings of the wind.


text:
Out of the brightness ·of his presence [before him] ·came [blazed; flamed] ·flashes of lightning [fiery coals].


text:
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies. His bolts of lightning ·confused them with fear [routed them].


text:
·The wind blew from his nose [At the blast of breath from his nostrils…] when he spoke. Then the ·valleys [floor; channels] of the sea ·appeared [were exposed], and the foundations of the earth were ·seen [laid bare].


text:
“The Lord reached down from ·above [heaven; on high] and ·took [rescued] me; he ·pulled me from the deep water [drew me out of mighty waters].


text:
He ·saved [rescued; delivered] me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me.


text:
They ·attacked [confronted] me ·at my time of trouble [in the day of my distress/calamity/disaster], but the Lord ·supported me [was my stay].


text:
He took me to a ·safe [spacious; open; broad] place. Because he delights in me, he ·saved [rescued; delivered] me.


text:
“The Lord ·spared [rewarded] me ·because I did what was right [according to my righteousness]. Because ·I have not done evil [of my innocence; of the cleanness of my hands], he has ·rewarded [restored] me.


text:
I have ·followed [obeyed; kept; guarded] the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God.


text:
I ·remember [follow; have before me] all his ·laws [regulations] and have not ·broken [abandoned; turned from] his ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements].


text:
The Lord ·rewarded [repaid] me ·because I did what was right [according to my righteousness], ·because I did what the Lord said was right [according to my cleanness/purity in his sight].


text:
“Lord, you ·are [show yourself] ·loyal [faithful; kind] to those who are loyal [faithful; kind], and you are good to those who are good.


text:
You ·are [show yourself] ·pure [sincere] to those who are pure [sincere], but you ·are [show yourself] ·against [hostile/shrewd/cunning/perverse to] those who are ·evil [perverse; devious; crooked].


text:
You ·save [rescue; deliver] the ·humble [afflicted], but you ·bring down [watch and humiliate] ·those who are proud [the haughty].


text:
Lord, you ·give light to [are] my lamp. The Lord ·brightens the darkness around me [lights up/illuminates my darkness].


text:
“The ·ways [way; path] of God are ·without fault [blameless; perfect]; the Lord’s ·words [promises] are ·pure [tested; flawless; proven true]. He is a shield to those who ·trust [seek protection/take refuge in] him.


text:
God ·is my protection [is my strong fortress; or girds me with strength]. He makes my way ·free from fault [perfect; secure; a wide path].


text:
He makes ·me [my feet] like a deer [surefooted]; he ·helps me stand [sets me] on the ·steep mountains [heights].


text:
You ·protect me with your saving shield [have given me the shield of your salvation/victory]. ·You have stooped to make [Your help makes] me great.


text:
You ·give me a better way to live [broaden my path; widen my steps beneath me] so ·I live as you want me to [my feet do not slip/ankles do not weaken].


text:
I ·chased [pursued] my enemies and ·destroyed [exterminated] them. I did not ·quit [turn back] till they were ·destroyed [annihilated; consumed].


text:
I ·destroyed [devoured; consumed] and ·crushed them [shattered them; struck them down] so they couldn’t ·rise [get] up again. They fell beneath my feet.


text:
You ·gave me [armed/girded me with] strength ·in [for] battle. You ·made my enemies bow [humbled/subdued my enemies] ·before me [under my feet].


text:
You made my enemies ·turn back [turn their backs; retreat], and I destroyed ·those who hated me [my foes].


text:
They ·called for help [looked around], but no one came to ·save [rescue] them. They ·called [looked] to the Lord, but he did not answer them.


text:
I ·beat my enemies into pieces [ground/pulverized them], like dust ·on the ground [of the earth]. I ·poured them out and walked [crushed and stamped] on them like ·mud [mire] in the streets.


text:
“You ·saved [rescued; delivered] me when my people ·attacked me [quarreled; fought]. You kept me as the ·leader [ruler; head] of nations. People I never knew serve me.


text:
They all ·become afraid [lose heart/their courage] and ·tremble in [come trembling from] their ·hiding places [fortresses; strongholds].


text:
“The Lord lives! May my Rock be ·praised [blessed]! Praise God, the Rock, ·who saves me […of my salvation]!


text:
God gives me ·victory [revenge; vengeance] over my enemies and brings ·people [the nations] under ·my rule [me].


text:
He frees me from my enemies. “You ·set me over those who hate me [exalt/lift me above my enemies]. You ·saved [rescued; delivered] me from violent people.


text:
The Lord ·gives great victories [is a tower of salvation] to his king. He ·is loyal [shows kindness/faithful love] to his ·appointed king [anointed], to David and his descendants forever.”


text:
David’s Last Words These are the last words of David. This is the ·message [declaration; oracle; inspired words] of David son of Jesse. The man ·made great by the Most High God [raised high/exalted by God] speaks. He is the ·appointed king of [anointed by] the God of Jacob; he is the sweet ·singer [psalmist; or hero] of Israel:


text:
The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘Whoever rules ·fairly [justly; righteously] over people, who rules ·with respect for [in fear of] God [],


text:
is like the morning light at ·dawn [sunrise], like a morning without clouds. He is like sunshine after a rain that makes the grass ·sprout from the ground [of the earth sparkle/gleam].’


text:
“·This is how God has cared for my family [Is it not so with my house and God?]. God made a lasting ·agreement [treaty; covenant] with me [], ·right [ordered; arranged] and ·sure [secured; guaranteed; assured] in ·every way [all things]. ·He will [Will he not…?] ·accomplish [ensure] my ·salvation [safety] and ·satisfy [fufill; bring about/to fruition] all my desires.


text:
“But all ·evil [worthless; godless] people will be thrown away like thorns that cannot be held in a hand.


text:
No one can touch them except with a tool of iron or ·wood [the shaft of a spear]. They will be ·thrown in [consumed by] the fire and burned where they lie.”


text:
David’s Army These are the names of David’s warriors: Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite, was ·head of the Three [chief of the captains; David’s most prestigious soldiers; ]. He ·used [wielded; brandished] his spear and killed eight hundred men at one time.


text:
Next was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. Eleazar was one of the three ·soldiers [warriors; champions; mighty men] who were with David when they ·challenged [defied; taunted] the Philistines. The Philistines were gathered for battle, and the Israelites ·drew back [had fled/disbanded].


text:
But Eleazar ·stayed where he was [stood his ground] and ·fought [killed; struck] the Philistines until ·he was so tired his hand [his hand was so stiff that it] stuck to his sword. The Lord ·gave [brought about] a great victory for the Israelites that day. The troops came back after Eleazar had won the battle, but only to ·take weapons and armor from the enemy [plunder].


text:
Next there was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines came together to fight in a ·vegetable [lentil] field. Israel’s troops ·ran away [fled] from the Philistines,


text:
but Shammah stood in the middle of the field and ·fought for [defended] it and ·killed [struck] the Philistines. And the Lord ·gave [brought about] a great victory.


text:
Once, three of the Thirty, David’s chief ·soldiers [warriors], came down to him at the cave of Adullam during harvest. The Philistine army had camped in the Valley of Rephaim.


text:
At that time David was in the stronghold, and ·some [a detachment/garrison] of the Philistines were in Bethlehem.


text:
David had a ·strong desire for some water [craving; longing]. He said, “·Oh, I wish [If only] someone would get me water from the well near the city gate of Bethlehem!”


text:
So the three warriors broke through the Philistine ·army [lines; camp] and ·took [drew] water from the well near the city gate of Bethlehem. Then they brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out before [as an offering to] the Lord,


text:
saying, “·May the Lord keep me from drinking this water [The Lord forbid that I should do this]! It would be like drinking the blood of the men who risked their lives!” So David refused to drink it. ·These [Such] were the ·brave things [exploits; deeds] that the three ·warriors [champions] did.


text:
Abishai, brother of Joab son of Zeruiah, was ·captain [leader; chief] of the Three. Abishai fought three hundred soldiers with his spear and killed them. He ·became as famous as [won/earned a name among] the Three


text:
and was ·more honored than the Three [or the most honored of the Thirty; the Hebrew text has “Three”; the Syriac text has “Thirty” and fits the context better]. He became their commander even though he was not one of ·them [the Three].


text:
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a ·brave [valiant] fighter from Kabzeel who ·did mighty things [performed great/heroic exploits]. He killed two ·of the best warriors [or sons of Ariel] from Moab. He also went down into a ·pit [storage well] and killed a lion on a snowy day.


text:
Benaiah killed a ·large [impressive; or handsome] Egyptian who had a spear in his hand. Benaiah had a club, but he grabbed the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.


text:
These were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. He ·was as famous as [had a name among] the Three.


text:
He ·received more honor than [was honored among] the Thirty, but ·he did not become a member of [was not equal to] the Three. David ·made him leader [put him in charge/command] of his bodyguards.


text:
The Thirty Chief Soldiers The following men were among the Thirty: Asahel brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;


text:
David Counts His Army The ·Lord was angry with [anger of the Lord burned against; compare ] Israel again, and he ·caused [incited] David to turn against the Israelites. He said, “Go, ·count [number; take a census of] the people of Israel and Judah.”


text:
So King David said to Joab, the commander of the army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba [the far north and south of Israel], and ·count [take a census of; register; number] the people. Then I will know how many there are.”


text:
But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God give you a hundred times more ·people [soldiers], and may my master the king live to see this happen. ·Why do you [But why does my lord the king] want to do this?”


text:
But the ·king commanded [king’s word overruled/prevailed against] Joab and the commanders of the army, so they left the king to ·count [take a census of; register; number] the Israelites [taking the census indicates David’s ungodly dependence on the number of his troops].


text:
After crossing the Jordan River, they camped near Aroer on the south side of the city in the ·ravine [valley]. They went through Gad and on to Jazer.


text:
They went to the ·strong, walled city [fortress] of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went to ·southern [the Negev of] Judah, to Beersheba.


text:
After nine months and twenty days, they had gone through all the land. Then they came back to Jerusalem.


text:
Joab ·gave the list of the people [reported the number of soldiers] to the king. There were eight hundred thousand men in Israel who could ·use [draw; handle] the sword and five hundred thousand men in Judah.


text:
·David felt ashamed [David’s heart/conscience troubled him] after he had ·counted [taken a census of; registered; numbered] the people. He said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly by what I have done. Lord, I beg you to ·forgive me, [take away the guilt/iniquity of] your servant, because I have been very foolish.”


text:
When David got up in the morning, the ·Lord spoke his word [word of the Lord came] to Gad, who was a prophet and David’s seer.


text:
The Lord told Gad, “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I offer you three ·choices [options; things]. Choose one of them and I will ·do it to [inflict it on] you.’”


text:
So Gad [] went to David and said to him, “Should ·three [so ; the Hebrew text has “seven”] years of ·hunger [famine] come to you and your land? Or should ·your enemies chase you [you flee from your pursuing enemies] for three months? Or should there be three days of ·disease [epidemics; pestilence; plagues] in your land? Think about it. Then decide ·which of these things [what answer] I should ·tell [give] the Lord who sent me.”


text:
David said to Gad, “I am in ·great [deep] ·trouble [distress]. Let ·the Lord punish us [us fall into the hands of the Lord], because ·the Lord is very merciful [his mercy is great]. Don’t let ·my punishment come from human beings [me fall into human hands]!”


text:
So the Lord sent a ·terrible disease [epidemic; pestilence; plague] on Israel. It began in the morning and continued until the ·chosen time to stop [appointed time]. From Dan to Beersheba [from the far north and the far south of Israel] seventy thousand people died.


text:
When the angel raised his ·arm [hand] toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord ·felt very sorry about the terrible things that had happened [relented about the calamity/disaster]. He said to the angel who was ·destroying [afflicting] the people, “That is enough! ·Put down [Stay; Withdraw] your ·arm [hand]!” The angel of the Lord was ·then [at that moment] by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.


text:
When David saw the angel that ·killed [was striking down/ravaging] the people, he said to the Lord, “I am the one who sinned and did wrong. ·These people only followed me like sheep. They did nothing wrong [What have these sheep done?]. Please ·punish me and my family [let your hand fall on me and my father’s house].”


text:
That day Gad came to David and said, “Go and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”


text:
Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming to him. So he went out and ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground before the king.


text:
He said, “Why has my ·master [lord] the king come to ·me [his servant]?” David answered, “To buy the threshing floor from you so I can build an altar to the Lord. Then the ·terrible disease [epidemic; pestilence; plague] will ·stop [be averted/lifted/withheld from the people].”


text:
Araunah said to David, “My ·master [lord] and king, you may take anything you want for a ·sacrifice [offering]. Here are some oxen for the whole burnt offering and the threshing ·boards [sledges] and the yokes for the wood.


text:
My king, I give ·everything [all this] to you.” Araunah also said to the king, “May the Lord your God ·be pleased with [respond favorably to; accept] you.”


text:
But the king answered Araunah, “No, I ·will pay you for [insist on buying] the land. I won’t ·offer [sacrifice] to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for ·one and one-fourth pounds [fifty shekels] of silver.


text:
He built an altar to the Lord there and ·offered [sacrificed] whole burnt offerings and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being; ] offerings [this site is the later location of the temple; ]. Then the Lord ·answered his [was moved by/felt pity from this] prayer for the country, and the ·disease [epidemic; pestilence; plague] in Israel ·stopped [was averted/lifted/withheld].


text:
Adonijah Tries to Become King At this time King David was ·very old [old and advanced in years], and although his servants covered him with ·blankets [bedclothes], he could not keep warm.


text:
They said to him, “·We will look for [Let us find] a young woman to ·care for you [serve/wait on my lord the king]. She will lie ·close to you [in your bosom] and keep you warm.”


text:
After searching everywhere in Israel for a beautiful young woman, they found a girl named Abishag from Shunam and brought her to the king.


text:
The girl was very beautiful, and she cared for the king and served him. But the king did not have sexual relations with her.


text:
Adonijah was the son of King David and Haggith, and he ·was very proud [began boasting; exalted himself]. “I will be the king,” he said. So he got chariots and ·horses [or horsemen; charioteers] for himself and fifty men ·for his personal bodyguard [to run ahead of him].


text:
Now David had never ·interfered with [disciplined; crossed; rebuked] Adonijah by ·questioning what he did [asking, “Why are you doing that?”]. Born next after Absalom, Adonijah was a very handsome man.


text:
Adonijah ·spoke [conferred] with Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest, and they agreed to ·help [support] him.


text:
But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and King David’s ·special guard [mighty men] did not join Adonijah.


text:
Then Adonijah killed some sheep, ·cows [oxen], and fat calves for sacrifices at the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the other sons of King David, to come, as well as all the men of Judah.


text:
But Adonijah did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, ·his father’s special guard [the mighty men], or his brother Solomon.


text:
When Nathan heard about this, he went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you heard that Adonijah, Haggith’s son, has ·made himself [become] king?” Nathan asked. “Our ·real king, [lord] David, does not know it.


text:
Go to King David and tell him, ‘My master and king, ·you promised [didn’t you promise/vow/swear…?] that my son Solomon would be king and would rule on your throne after you. Why then has Adonijah become king?’


text:
While you are still talking to the king, I will come in and ·tell him that what you have said about Adonijah is true [confirm your words].”


text:
So Bathsheba went in to see the aged king in his bedroom, where Abishag, the girl from Shunam, was caring for him.


text:
She answered, “My master, you ·made a promise [vowed; swore] to me in the name of the Lord your God. You said, ‘Your son Solomon will surely become king after me, and he will ·rule [sit] on my throne.’


text:
He has killed many ·cows [oxen], fat calves, and sheep for sacrifices. And he has invited all your sons, as well as Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite Solomon, who serves you.


text:
My master and king, ·all the Israelites are watching you [the eyes of Israel are on you], waiting for you to decide who will ·be [sit on the throne of my lord the] king after you.


text:
Otherwise, as soon as ·you die [my lord the king sleeps with his fathers/ancestors], Solomon and I will be treated as ·criminals [offenders].”


text:
The servants told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So Nathan went to the king and ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground before him.


text:
Nathan said, “My ·master and [lord the] king, have you ·said [decreed] that Adonijah will be the king after you and that he will ·rule [sit] on your throne?


text:
Today he has sacrificed many ·cows [oxen], fat calves, and sheep, and he has invited all ·your other [the king’s] sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him. They are saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’


text:
But he did not invite me, your own servant, or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your ·son [servant] Solomon.


text:
Did ·you [the lord my king] do this? Since we are your servants, why didn’t you tell us who should ·be [sit on the throne of the lord my] king after you?”


text:
David Makes Solomon King Then the king said, “Tell Bathsheba to come in!” So she came in and stood before the king.


text:
Then the king ·made this promise [vowed; swore this oath], “The Lord has ·saved [rescued; delivered] me from all ·trouble [adversity; danger; distress]. As surely as he lives,


text:
I will do today what I have ·promised [vowed/sworn to] you ·in the name of [by] the Lord, the God of Israel. I ·promised [vowed/swore to] that your son Solomon would be king after me and ·rule [sit] on my throne in my place.”


text:
Then Bathsheba ·bowed facedown [prostrated herself] on the ground and knelt before the king and said, “·Long live [Live forever] my ·master [lord] King David!”


text:
Then King David said, “Tell Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada to come in.” When they came before the king,


text:
he said to them, “Take my servants with you and put my son Solomon on my own mule. Take him down to ·the spring called Gihon [Gihon].


text:
There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet should ·pour olive oil on [anoint] him and make him king over Israel. Blow the ·trumpet [ram’s horn] and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’


text:
Then come back up here with him. He will sit on my throne and ·rule [be king] in my place, because he is the one I have ·chosen [appointed] to be the ruler over Israel and Judah.”


text:
Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “·Amen [So be it]! This is what the Lord, the God of my ·master [lord], has ·declared [decreed; ordained]!


text:
The Lord has always ·helped [been with] you, our king. May he also ·help [be with] Solomon and make King Solomon’s throne an even greater throne than ·yours [the throne of my lord King David].”


text:
So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada left with the Kerethites and Pelethites [king’s bodyguard]. They put Solomon on King David’s mule and took him to the spring called Gihon.


text:
Zadok the priest took the ·container [flask; horn] of olive oil from the ·Holy Tent [sacred tent; tent] and ·poured the oil on Solomon’s head to show he was the king [anointed Solomon]. Then they blew the ·trumpet [ram’s horn], and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!”


text:
All the people followed Solomon into the city. Playing flutes and ·shouting for joy [rejoicing with great joy], they made so much noise the ·ground [earth] shook.


text:
At this time Adonijah and all the guests with him ·were [heard it while] finishing their meal. When he heard the sound from the ·trumpet [ram’s horn], Joab asked, “·What does all that noise from the city mean [Why is the city in such an uproar]?”


text:
While Joab was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in! You are an ·important [worthy; honest; valiant] man, so you must be bringing good news.”


text:
King David sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and all the Kerethites and Pelethites [king’s bodyguard] with him, and they have put Solomon on the king’s own mule.


text:
Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet ·poured olive oil on [anointed] Solomon at Gihon to make him king. After that they went into the city, shouting with joy. Now the whole city is ·excited [celebrating; in an uproar], and that is the noise you hear.


text:
All the ·king’s officers [royal officials/servants] have come to ·tell King David that he has done a good thing [congratulate/bless our lord King David]. They are saying, ‘May your God make ·Solomon [Solomon’s name] even more famous than ·you [your name] and ·an even greater king than you [his throne/reign greater than your throne/reign].’” Jonathan continued, “And King David bowed down on his ·bed to worship God [bed],


text:
saying, ‘Bless the Lord, the God of Israel. Today he has ·made one of my sons the king [granted one to sit on my throne] and allowed me to see it.’”


text:
Then all of Adonijah’s guests were ·afraid [terrified; panicked], and they left quickly and scattered.


text:
Adonijah was also afraid of Solomon, so he went and took hold of the ·corners [horns; ] of the altar [in hopes that he would not be killed in a sacred place].


text:
Then someone told Solomon, “Adonijah is afraid of you, so he is at the altar, holding on to its ·corners [horns]. He says, ‘Tell King Solomon to promise me today that he will not ·kill me [put his servant to death with the sword].’”


text:
So Solomon answered, “·Adonijah must show that he is a man of honor. If he does that, I promise [If he is loyal/honorable/worthy,] he will not lose even a single hair from his head. But if ·he does anything wrong [he makes trouble; evil is found in him], he will die.”


text:
Then King Solomon sent some men to get Adonijah. When he was brought from the altar, he came before King Solomon and ·bowed down [prostrated himself]. Solomon told him, “Go home.”


text:
The Death of David ·Since it was almost time [As the time approached] for David to die, he gave ·his son Solomon his last commands [this charge to Solomon].


text:
David said, “·My time to die is near [I am going the way of all the earth]. Be ·a good and strong leader [strong and show yourself a man].


text:
·Obey [Observe the injunctions/requirements of] the Lord your God. ·Follow him [Walk in his ways] by obeying his demands, his ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements], his laws, and his ·rules [regulations] that are written in the ·teachings [Law; Torah] of Moses. If you do these things, you will ·be successful [prosper] in all you do and wherever you ·go [turn].


text:
And if you obey the Lord, he will ·keep the promise he made to [fulfill the word he spoke concerning] me. He said: ‘If your descendants ·live as I tell them [are careful of their way] and ·have complete faith in me [walk in truth/faith before me], ·a man from your family will always be king over the people [they will never fail to have a man on the throne] of Israel.’


text:
“Also, you remember what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me. He killed the two commanders of Israel’s armies: Abner son of Ner [] and Amasa son of Jether []. ·He did this as if he and they were at war, although it was a time of peace [or…retaliating in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war]. He ·put their blood on [stained with their blood] the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.


text:
·Punish him in [Act] the way you think is wisest, but do not let him ·die peacefully of old age [go to Sheol/the grave in peace; the place of the dead].


text:
“·Be kind [Show love] to the children of Barzillai of Gilead, and allow them to eat at your table. They ·welcomed [cared for; stood by] me when I ·ran away [fled] from your brother Absalom.


text:
“And remember, Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite, is here with you. He cursed ·me [me violently/with a terrible curse] the day I went to Mahanaim []. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I ·promised [vowed/swore to] him before the Lord, ‘Shimei, I will not ·kill you [put you to death by the sword; ].’


text:
But you should not ·leave him unpunished [consider him innocent/guiltless]. You are a wise man, and you will know what to do to him, ·but you must be sure he is killed [and will bring his bloody gray head to Sheol/the grave; ].”


text:
Then David ·died [lay down/slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David [Jerusalem].


text:
He had ·ruled [reigned] over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.


text:
Solomon ·became king after [sat on the throne of] David, his father, and ·he was in firm control of [firmly established] his ·kingdom [rule].


text:
Solomon’s Reign Begins At this time Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Do you come in peace?” Bathsheba asked. “Yes, ·this is a peaceful visit [in peace],” Adonijah answered.


text:
“You ·remember [know] that at one time the kingdom was mine,” Adonijah said. “All the people of Israel ·recognized [wanted; looked to; expected] me as their king, but ·things have changed [the kingdom has turned]. Now my brother is the king, because ·the Lord chose him [it was his from the Lord].


text:
Now I have one ·thing [request; favor] to ask you; please do not refuse me.” Bathsheba answered, “What do you want?”


text:
“I know King Solomon will ·do anything you ask him [not refuse you],” Adonijah continued. “Please ask him to give me Abishag the Shunammite [] to be my wife.”


text:
So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. When Solomon saw her, he stood up to meet her, then bowed down, and sat on the throne. He told some servants to bring another throne for his mother. Then she sat down at his right ·side [hand].


text:
Bathsheba said, “I have one small thing to ask you. Please do not ·refuse me [turn me down].” “Ask, mother,” the king answered. “I will not ·refuse you [turn you down].”


text:
King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask me to give him Abishag? ·Why don’t you also [You may as well] ask for him to become the king since he is my older brother? Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah ·would support him [are on his side]!”


text:
Then King Solomon ·swore [vowed; promised] by the name of the Lord, saying, “May God ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; do to me, and even more] if ·this doesn’t cost Adonijah [Adonijah doesn’t pay for this request/word with] his life!


text:
By the Lord who has ·given me [established/confirmed me on] the throne that belonged to my father David and who has kept his promise and ·given the kingdom to me and my people [established my dynasty; made me a house; ], Adonijah will die today!”


text:
Then King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went and ·killed [struck down] Adonijah.


text:
King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “·I should kill you too [You deserve to die], but ·I will allow you to go back [go] to your fields in Anathoth. I will not kill you at this time, because you helped carry the Ark of the Lord God ·while marching with [for; before] my father David. And I know you shared in all the hard times with him.”


text:
Then Solomon ·removed [dismissed; banished] Abiathar from being the Lord’s priest. ·This happened as the Lord had said it would […in order to fulfill the word of the Lord], when he was speaking in Shiloh about the priest Eli and his ·descendants [house; ].


text:
When Joab heard about what had happened, he was afraid. He had supported Adonijah but not Absalom. So Joab ·ran [fled] to the Tent of the Lord [in which the Ark was kept] and took hold of the ·corners [horns; ] of the altar.


text:
Someone told King Solomon that Joab had run to the Tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah to go and kill him.


text:
Benaiah went into the Tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But Joab answered, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah went back to the king and told him what Joab had said.


text:
Then the king ordered Benaiah, “Do as he says! Kill him there and bury him. Then my ·family [father’s house] and I will ·be free of the guilt of Joab, who has killed innocent people [have taken away the blood Joab shed without cause].


text:
Without my father knowing it, he killed two men who were ·much [more righteous and] better than he was—Abner son of Ner, the commander of Israel’s army [], and Amasa son of Jether, the commander of Judah’s army []. So the Lord will ·pay him back [bring his blood on his own head] for those deaths.


text:
Joab and his ·family [descendants] will ·be forever guilty for their deaths [have their blood on their heads forever], but there will be peace from the Lord for David, his descendants, his ·family [house], and his throne forever.”


text:
So Benaiah son of Jehoiada killed Joab, and he was buried near his home in the ·desert [wilderness].


text:
The king then ·made [appointed] Benaiah son of Jehoiada commander of the army in Joab’s place. He also ·made [appointed] Zadok the new high priest in Abiathar’s place.


text:
Next the king sent for Shimei. Solomon said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there. Don’t leave the city.


text:
The very day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley [bordering Jerusalem], ·someone will kill you [you will surely die], and ·it will be your own fault [your blood will be on your own head].”


text:
So Shimei answered the king, “·I agree with what you say [Your sentence/demand/word is fair]. I will do what you say, my master and king.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem ·for a long time [many days].


text:
But three years later two of Shimei’s ·slaves [servants] ran away to Achish king of Gath, who was the son of Maacah. Shimei heard that his ·slaves [servants] were in Gath,


text:
so he put his saddle on his donkey and went to Achish at Gath to find them. Then he brought them back from Gath.


text:
So Solomon sent for Shimei and said, “I made you ·promise [vow; swear] in the name of the Lord not to leave Jerusalem. I warned you ·if you went out anywhere you would [that on the day you left you would surely] die, and you ·agreed to what I said [said, “The sentence/demand/word is fair”].


text:
The king also said, “You know the ·many wrong [evil; wicked] things you did to my father David, so now the Lord will ·punish you for those wrongs [return your evil on your own head].


text:
But the Lord will bless ·me [King Solomon] and ·make the rule of David safe [establish/secure the throne of David] before the Lord forever.”


text:
Then the king ordered Benaiah to kill Shimei, and he did. Now ·Solomon was in full control of his kingdom [the kingdom was established/secured in Solomon’s hands].


text:
Solomon Asks for Wisdom Solomon made an ·agreement [alliance] with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, by marrying his daughter and bringing her to the City of David [Jerusalem]. At this time Solomon was still building his ·palace [house] and the ·Temple [house] of the Lord, as well as a wall around Jerusalem.


text:
The ·Temple [house] for the ·worship [name] of the Lord had not yet been finished, so people were still sacrificing at ·altars in many places of worship [the high places; worship sites that became associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God].


text:
Solomon showed he loved the Lord by following the commands his father David had given him, except ·many other places of worship were still used to offer sacrifices and to burn incense [he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places; ].


text:
King Solomon went to Gibeon to offer a sacrifice, because it was the most important ·place of worship [high place; ]. He offered a thousand burnt offerings [] on that altar.


text:
While he was at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to him in a dream during the night. God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”


text:
Solomon answered, “You ·were very kind [showed faithful love/great lovingkindness] to your servant, my father David. He ·obeyed you, and he was honest and lived right [walked before you in truth/faithfulness and righteousness and integrity of heart]. You showed ·great kindness [faithful love; lovingkindness] to him when you allowed his son to ·be king [sit on his throne] after him.


text:
Lord my God, now you have made me, your servant, king in place of my father David. But I am like a little child; I don’t know how to ·do what must be done [go out or come in].


text:
I ask that you give me a heart that ·understands [discerns; listens], so I can ·rule [govern] the people in the right way and will ·know the difference between right and wrong [discern between good and evil]. ·Otherwise, it is impossible to rule this great people of yours [For who is capable of governing this great people?].”


text:
So God said to him, “You did not ask for a long life, or riches for yourself, or the ·death [life] of your enemies. Since you asked for ·wisdom to make the right decisions [understanding to discern what is right/just],


text:
I will do what you asked. I will give you ·wisdom and understanding [a wise and discerning/listening heart] that ·is greater than anyone has had in the past or will have in [will make you unlike anyone in the past or in] the future.


text:
I will also give you what you did not ask for: riches and ·honor [fame]. During your life no other king will be as great as you.


text:
If you ·follow me [walk in my ways] and obey my ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and commands, as your father David did, I will also give you a long life.”


text:
After Solomon woke up ·from the [and realized it had been a] dream, he went to Jerusalem. He stood before the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; ] with the Lord, where he made burnt offerings [] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings []. After that, he gave a ·feast [banquet] for all his ·leaders and officers [servants].


text:
Solomon Makes a Wise Decision One day two women who were ·prostitutes [harlots] came to Solomon. As they stood before him,


text:
one of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was there with me.


text:
Three days later this woman also gave birth to a baby. No one else was in the house with us; it was just the two of us.


text:
So she took my son from my bed during the night while ·I [your servant] was asleep, and she ·carried him to her bed [laid him at her breast]. Then she ·put the dead baby in my bed [laid her dead son at my breast].


text:
The next morning when I got up to ·feed my baby [nurse my son], I saw that he was dead! When I looked at him more ·closely [carefully in the morning light], I realized he was not my son.”


text:
“No!” the other woman cried. “The living baby is my son, and the dead baby is yours!” But the first woman said, “No! The dead baby is yours, and the living ·one [son] is mine!” So the two women argued before the king.


text:
Then King Solomon said, “One of you says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead.’ Then the other one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and my son is alive.’”


text:
The real mother of the living child was ·full of love [filled with compassion; deeply moved] for her son. So she said to the king, “Please, my ·master [lord], don’t kill him! Give the baby to her!” But the other woman said, “Neither of us will have him. ·Cut him into two pieces [Divide him]!”


text:
Then King Solomon said, “Don’t kill him. Give the baby to the first woman, because she is the real mother.”


text:
When the people of Israel heard about King Solomon’s ·decision [judgment; verdict], they ·respected him very much [were in awe of/feared the king]. They saw he had wisdom from God to ·make the right decisions [render/administer justice].


text:
These are the names of his ·leading officers [chief officials]: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest;


text:
Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, ·recorded what happened in the courts [were court secretaries]; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud ·recorded the history of the people [was recorder/royal historian];


text:
Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors; Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and ·adviser [friend] to the king;


text:
Ahishar was ·responsible for everything in the palace [manager of the household]; Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of ·the labor force [or forced labor].


text:
Solomon placed twelve ·governors [deputies; administrators] over the districts of Israel, who gathered ·food from their districts [provisions] for the king and his ·family [household]. Each ·governor [deputy; administrator] was responsible for bringing food to the king one month of each year.


text:
These are the names of the twelve ·governors [deputies; administrators]: Ben-Hur was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of the ·mountain [hill] country of Ephraim.


text:
Ben-Deker was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Bethhanan.


text:
Ben-Abinadab was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Naphoth Dor. (He was married to Taphath, Solomon’s daughter.)


text:
Baana son of Ahilud was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Taanach, Megiddo, and all of Beth Shan next to ·Zarethan. This was below Jezreel [Zarethan below Jezreel, and] from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah ·across from [and over to] Jokmeam.


text:
Ben-Geber was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Ramoth in Gilead. (He was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of all the towns of Jair in Gilead. Jair was the son of Manasseh. Ben-Geber was also over the district of Argob in Bashan, which had sixty large, walled cities with bronze bars on their gates.)


text:
Ahimaaz was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath, Solomon’s daughter.)


text:
Geber son of Uri was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Gilead. Gilead had been the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. ·But Geber was the only governor over this district [In addition, there was one governor/deputy/adminstrator over the land of Judah].


text:
Solomon’s Kingdom There were as many people in Judah and Israel as grains of sand on the seashore [; ]. The people ate, drank, and were ·happy [content; rejoicing].


text:
Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought Solomon ·the payments he demanded [tribute], and they ·were under his control [served him] all his life.


text:
·Solomon needed much food each day to feed himself and all the people who ate at his table: Solomon’s daily provisions were one hundred ninety-five bushels [thirty cors] of fine flour, three hundred ninety bushels [sixty cors] of ·grain [meal],


text:
ten ·cows that were fed on good grain [fat oxen], twenty ·cows [oxen] that were raised in the fields, one hundred sheep, deer, gazelles, and roe deer, and ·fattened birds [choice poultry].


text:
Solomon ·controlled [ruled; had dominion over] all the countries west of the ·Euphrates River [River]—the land from Tiphsah to Gaza. And he had peace on all ·sides of his kingdom [his borders/frontiers].


text:
During Solomon’s life Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba [the extreme north to the extreme south], also lived in ·peace [safety]; all of his people were able to sit under their own fig trees and grapevines.


text:
Solomon had four thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand ·horses [or horsemen; cavalry].


text:
Each month one of the ·district governors [deputies; administrators] ·gave King Solomon all the food he needed [provided for King Solomon]—enough for every person who ate at the king’s table. The ·governors [deputies; administrators] made sure ·he had everything he needed [that nothing was lacking].


text:
They also brought enough barley and straw for Solomon’s ·chariot [swift steeds] and work horses; each person ·brought this grain to the right place [according to his duty/charge].


text:
Solomon’s Wisdom God gave Solomon great wisdom ·so he could understand many things [and great discernment/understanding]. His [breadth/width of] ·wisdom [mind; heart] was ·as hard to measure as [or as vast as; like] the grains of sand on the seashore.


text:
He was wiser than ·anyone on earth [all mankind]. He was even wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite [see ], as well as Heman [see ], Calcol, and Darda—the three sons of Mahol. King Solomon became famous in all the surrounding ·countries [nations].


text:
During his life he spoke three thousand ·wise sayings [proverbs] and also wrote one thousand five songs.


text:
He taught about many kinds of plants—everything from the great cedar trees of Lebanon to the ·weeds [hyssop] that grow out of the walls. He also taught about animals, birds, ·crawling things [reptiles], and fish.


text:
People from all nations came to listen to King Solomon’s wisdom. The kings of all nations sent them to him, ·because they had heard of [or to listen to] Solomon’s wisdom.


text:
Preparing to Build the Temple Hiram, the king of Tyre, had always been David’s friend. When Hiram heard that Solomon had been ·made [anointed] king in ·David’s [his father’s] place, he sent his ·messengers [ambassadors; servants] to Solomon.


text:
“You ·remember [know] my father David had to fight many wars with ·the countries around [enemies surrounding] him, so he was never able to build a ·temple for worshiping [house for the name of] the Lord his God. David was waiting until the Lord ·allowed him to defeat all his enemies [put them under the soles of his feet].


text:
But now the Lord my God has given me ·peace [rest] on all sides of my country. I have no enemies now, and no ·danger threatens my people [adversity; calamity; misfortune].


text:
“The Lord ·promised [told] my father David, ‘I will ·make your son king after you [put your son on the throne in your place], and he will build ·a temple for worshiping me [the house/temple for my name].’ Now, I plan to build ·that temple for worshiping [a house for the name of] the Lord my God.


text:
So ·send your men [command them] to cut down cedar trees for me from Lebanon. My servants will work with yours, and I will pay them whatever wages you decide. We don’t have anyone who can cut down ·trees [timber] as well as the people of Sidon.”


text:
When Hiram heard what Solomon asked, he ·was very happy [rejoiced greatly]. He said, “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord today! He has given David a wise son to rule over this great ·nation [people]!”


text:
Then Hiram sent back this message to Solomon: “I ·received [heard] the message you sent, and I will ·give you [supply] all the cedar and ·pine trees [cypress; juniper] you ·want [need].


text:
My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. There I will ·tie them together [make them into rafts] and ·float them along the shore [go by sea] to the place you choose. Then I will separate the logs there, and you can take them away. ·In return it is my wish that you give [And you shall meet my needs/desire by providing] food to ·all those who live with me [my household].”


text:
And Solomon gave Hiram about ·one hundred twenty-five thousand bushels [twenty thousand cors] of wheat each year ·to feed the people who lived with him [for his household]. Solomon also gave him ·about one hundred fifteen thousand gallons [twenty cors] of pure olive oil every year.


text:
The Lord gave Solomon wisdom as he had promised. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; these two kings made a ·treaty between themselves [covenant; alliance].


text:
He sent ·a group [shifts; relays] of ten thousand men each month to Lebanon. Each group worked in Lebanon one month, then went home for two months. A man named Adoniram was in ·charge [charge of the forced labor/or this labor force].


text:
Solomon ·forced [had] eighty thousand men to work in the hill country, cutting stone, and he had seventy thousand ·men to carry the stones [common laborers].


text:
King Solomon commanded them to cut large blocks of ·fine [costly; high-quality] stone to ·be used for the foundation of the Temple [lay the foundation of the house with dressed/cut stone].


text:
Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders and the ·men from Byblos [Gebalites; Gebal was a Phoenician city the Greeks called Byblos] carved the stones and prepared the stones and the ·logs [timber] for building the ·Temple [house].


text:
Solomon Builds the Temple Solomon began to build the ·Temple [house of the Lord] four hundred eighty years after the people of Israel ·had left [came out of the land of] Egypt. This was during the fourth year of King Solomon’s ·rule [reign] over Israel. It was the second month, the month of Ziv [midspring].


text:
The ·Temple [house that Solomon built for the Lord] was ·ninety feet [sixty cubits] long, ·thirty feet [twenty cubits] wide, and ·forty-five feet [thirty cubits] high.


text:
The ·porch [entry room; portico; vestibule] in front of the ·main room [main hall; nave] of the ·Temple [house] was ·fifteen feet [ten cubits] deep and ·thirty feet [twenty cubits] wide. This room ·ran along [projected from] the front of the ·Temple [house] itself. Its width was equal to that of the ·Temple [house].


text:
Solomon also built ·some [a complex of] side ·rooms [chambers] against the walls of the ·main room [main hall; nave] and the inner room of the ·Temple [house]. He built rooms all around.


text:
The rooms on the bottom floor were ·seven and one-half feet [five cubits] wide. Those on the middle floor were ·nine feet [six cubits] wide, and the rooms above them were ·ten and one-half feet [seven cubits] wide. The ·Temple [house] wall that formed the side of each room ·was thinner than the wall in the room below [had offset ledges]. These rooms were pushed against the ·Temple wall [house], but they did not have their ·main [support] beams built into this wall.


text:
The stones used to build the ·Temple [house] were ·prepared [finished; shaped] at the quarry. So there was no noise of hammers, axes, or any other iron tools at the ·Temple [house].


text:
The entrance to the lower rooms beside the ·Temple [house] was on the south side. From there, [winding] stairs went up to the second-floor rooms. And from there, stairs went on to the third-floor rooms.


text:
Solomon put a ·roof [ceiling] made from beams and cedar boards on the ·Temple [house]. So he finished building the Temple [house]


text:
as well as the bottom floor that was beside the ·Temple [house]. This bottom floor was ·seven and one-half feet [five cubits] high and was attached to the ·Temple [house] by cedar beams.


text:
“If you ·obey [follow; walk in] all my laws and commands, I will ·do for you [fulfill] what I promised your father David.


text:
I will ·live [dwell; make my home] among the Israelites in this Temple, and I will never ·leave [abandon; forsake] my people Israel.”


text:
The inside walls were ·covered [paneled] from floor to ceiling with cedar boards. The floor was made from ·pine [cypress; juniper] boards.


text:
A room ·thirty feet [twenty cubits] long was built in the back part of the ·Temple [house]. This room, called the ·Most Holy Place [Holy of Holies], was an inner ·room [sanctuary] ·separated from the rest of the Temple by [or paneled with] cedar boards which reached from floor to ·ceiling [rafters].


text:
The ·main room [main hall; nave], the one in front of ·the Most Holy Place [it], was ·sixty feet [forty cubits] long.


text:
Everything inside the ·Temple [house] was covered with cedar, which was carved with pictures of flowers and ·plants [open flowers]. A person could not see the stones of the wall, only the cedar.


text:
Solomon prepared the inner ·room [sanctuary] ·at the back of [within] the ·Temple [house] to keep the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; ] with the Lord.


text:
This inner ·room [sanctuary] was ·thirty feet [twenty cubits] long, ·thirty feet [twenty cubits] wide, and ·thirty feet [twenty cubits] high.


text:
So all the inside of the ·Temple [house], as well as the altar of the ·Most Holy Place [inner sanctuary], was covered with gold.


text:
Solomon made two ·creatures [cherubim; particularly powerful spiritual beings] from olive wood and placed them in the ·Most Holy Place [inner sanctuary]. ·Each creature [The cherub] was ·fifteen feet [ten cubits] tall


text:
and had two wings. Each wing was ·seven and one-half feet [five cubits] long, so it was ·fifteen feet [ten cubits] from the end of one wing to the end of the other.


text:
·The creatures [The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim] were the same size and shape;


text:
These ·creatures [cherubim; ] were put beside each other in the ·Most Holy Place [inner house] with their wings spread out. One creature’s wing touched one wall, and the other creature’s wing touched the other wall with their wings touching each other in the middle of the room.


text:
All the walls around the ·Temple [house] were carved with ·pictures [engravings] of ·creatures with wings [cherubim; ], as well as palm trees and open flowers. ·This was true for both the main room and the inner room […both the inner and the outer (rooms)].


text:
Doors made from olive wood were placed at the entrance to the ·Most Holy Place [inner sanctuary]. These doors had five-sided ·frames [doorposts].


text:
·Creatures with wings [Cherubim; ], as well as palm trees and open flowers, were also carved on the two olive wood doors that were ·covered [overlaid] with gold. The ·creatures [cherubim; ] and the palm trees on the doors were ·covered [overlaid] with gold as well.


text:
At the entrance to the ·main room [main hall; nave] there ·was a square door frame [were four-sided doorposts] made of olive wood.


text:
Two doors were made from ·pine [cypress; juniper]. Each door had two parts so the doors ·folded [turned on pivots].


text:
The doors were ·covered with pictures of creatures with wings [carved with cherubim; ], as well as palm trees and open flowers. All of the carvings were covered with gold, which was evenly ·spread [hammered; applied] over them.


text:
The inner courtyard was enclosed by walls, which were made of three rows of ·cut [finished; dressed] stones ·and one [for each] row of cedar ·boards [beams].


text:
·Work began on [The foundation was laid of] the ·Temple [house of the Lord] in Ziv, the second month, during the fourth ·year Solomon was king over Israel [year].


text:
The ·Temple [house] was finished during the eleventh ·year he was king [year], in the eighth month, the month of Bul. It was ·built exactly as it was planned [finished according to all its parts and according to all its plans]. Solomon had spent seven years building it.


text:
Solomon’s Palace King Solomon also built a ·palace [house] for himself; it took him thirteen years to finish it.


text:
·Built of cedars from [He built the House/Palace of] the Forest of Lebanon, it was ·one hundred fifty feet [one hundred cubits] long, ·seventy-five feet [fifty cubits] wide, and ·forty-five feet [thirty cubits] high. It had four rows of cedar columns which supported the cedar beams.


text:
There were forty-five beams on the roof, with fifteen beams in each row, and the ceiling was ·covered [paneled] with cedar above the beams.


text:
All the doors ·were square [had rectangular frames], and the three ·doors [or windows] at each end faced each other.


text:
Solomon also built the ·porch that had pillars [Hall of Pillars; Colonnade]. This porch was ·seventy-five feet [fifty cubits] long and ·forty-five feet [thirty cubits] wide. Along the front of the porch was a ·roof [cornice; canopy] supported by pillars.


text:
Solomon also built a throne room where he ·judged people [dispensed justice/judgment; decided legal matters], called the Hall of ·Justice [or Judgment]. This room was ·covered [paneled] with cedar from floor to ·ceiling [beams; rafters; or floor].


text:
The ·palace [house] where Solomon lived was built like the Hall of Justice, and it was behind this hall. Solomon also built the same kind of ·palace [house] for his wife, who was the daughter of ·the king of Egypt [Pharaoh].


text:
All these buildings were made with blocks of ·fine [costly, high-grade] stone. First they were ·carefully cut [cut to measure/size]. Then they were trimmed with a saw in the front and back. These fine stones went from the foundations of the buildings to the ·top of the walls [eaves; coping]. ·Even the courtyard was made with blocks of stone […and all the way to the courtyard].


text:
The foundations were made with large blocks of ·fine [costly; high-grade] stone, some as long as ·fifteen feet [ten cubits]. Others were ·twelve feet [eight cubits] long.


text:
On top of these foundation stones were other blocks of ·fine [costly; high-grade] stone and cedar beams [cut to measure/size].


text:
The ·palace courtyard [great court], the courtyard inside the ·Temple [house], and the porch of the ·Temple [house] were surrounded by walls. All of these walls had three ·rows [layers] of stone blocks ·and one row [for each layer] of cedar beams.


text:
The Temple Is Completed Inside King Solomon sent to Tyre and had ·Huram [Hiram; a variant spelling of Huram (; ); this craftsman is to be distinguished from the king of the same name ()] brought to him.


text:
·Huram’s mother was [He was the son of] a widow from the tribe of Naphtali. His father was from Tyre and had been ·skilled in making things from [a craftsman/artisan in] bronze. ·Huram [He] was also very skilled and ·experienced [knowledgeable; wise] in bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all ·the bronze [his] work.


text:
He made two bronze pillars, each one ·twenty-seven feet [eighteen cubits] tall and ·eighteen feet [twelve cubits] ·around [in circumference].


text:
He also made two bronze capitals that were ·seven and one-half feet [five cubits] tall, and he put them on top of the pillars.


text:
Then he made a net of seven ·chains [sets of filigree/latticework] for each capital, which covered the capitals on top of the two pillars.


text:
He made two rows of bronze pomegranates to go ·on [around] the nets. These covered the capitals at the top of the pillars.


text:
The capitals on top of the pillars in the porch were shaped like lilies, and they were ·six feet [four cubits] tall.


text:
The capitals were on top of both pillars, above the ·bowl-shaped [round] section and next to the nets. At that place there were two hundred pomegranates in rows all around the capitals.


text:
·Huram [He] put these two bronze pillars at the ·porch [portico; entrance] of the ·Temple [house]. He named the ·south [right-hand] pillar ·He Establishes [Jachin] and the ·north [left-hand] pillar ·In Him Is Strength [Boaz].


text:
The capitals on top of the pillars were shaped like lilies. So the work on the pillars was finished [pillars represent establishment].


text:
Then ·Huram [he] made from bronze a large round bowl, which was called the Sea [symbol of chaos subdued]. It was ·forty-five feet [thirty cubits] around, ·fifteen feet [ten cubits] across, and ·seven and one-half feet [five cubits] deep.


text:
Around the outer edge of the bowl was a rim. Under this rim were two rows of ·bronze plants [gourds] which surrounded the ·bowl [Sea]. There were ten ·plants [gourds] every ·eighteen inches [cubit], and these ·plants [gourds] were made in one piece with the bowl.


text:
The ·bowl [Sea] rested on the backs of twelve ·bronze bulls [oxen] that faced outward from the center of the bowl. Three bulls faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east.


text:
The sides of the bowl were ·four inches [a hand’s breadth] thick, and it held ·about eleven thousand gallons [two thousand baths]. The rim of the bowl was like the rim of a cup or like a lily blossom.


text:
Then ·Huram [he] made ten bronze ·stands [water carts], each one ·six feet [four cubits] long, ·six feet [four cubits] wide, and ·four and one-half feet [three cubits] high.


text:
The ·stands [water carts] were made from ·square sides, which were put on frames [or side panels braced with crossbars/uprights].


text:
On the sides were bronze lions, ·bulls [oxen], and ·creatures with wings [cherubim]. On the ·frames [panels] above and below the lions and ·bulls [oxen] were ·designs of flowers [wreaths] hammered into the bronze.


text:
Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. At the corners there were bronze supports for a ·large bowl [basin], and the supports had ·designs of flowers [wreaths].


text:
There was a frame on top of the bowls, ·eighteen inches [one cubit] high above the bowls. The opening of the bowl was round, ·twenty-seven inches [one and one-half cubits] deep. ·Designs [Engravings] were carved into the bronze on the frame, which was square, not round.


text:
The four wheels, placed under the frame, were ·twenty-seven inches [one and one-half cubits] high. The axles between the wheels were ·made as one piece with [within; attached to] the stand.


text:
The wheels were like a chariot’s wheels. Everything on the wheels—the axles, rims, spokes, and hubs—were ·made [cast] of bronze.


text:
The four supports were on the four corners of each stand. They were made as one piece with the stand.


text:
A ·strip of bronze [rim; band] around the top of each stand was ·nine inches [one-half cubit] deep. ·It was [The corner supports were] also made as one piece with the stand.


text:
·Wherever there was room [According to the space of each], the sides of the stand and the frames were ·covered with carvings of [engraved with] ·creatures with wings [cherubim; ], as well as lions, palm trees, and ·flowers [wreaths].


text:
This is the way ·Huram [he; ] made the ten ·stands [water carts]. ·The bronze for each stand [Each] was melted and poured into a mold, ·so all the stands were [all] the same size and shape.


text:
·Huram [He] also made ten bronze ·bowls [basins], one ·bowl [basin] for each of the ten ·stands [water carts]. Each bowl was ·six feet [four cubits] across and could hold ·about two hundred thirty gallons [forty baths].


text:
·Huram [Hiram] put five stands on the ·south [right] side of the ·Temple [house] and five on the ·north [left] side. He put the ·large bowl [Sea on the right] in the southeast corner of the ·Temple [house].


text:
·Huram [Hiram] also made ·bowls [washbasins; pots], shovels, and small bowls. So ·Huram [Hiram; ] finished all his work for King Solomon on the ·Temple [house] of the Lord:


text:
two pillars; two ·large bowls for the [bowl-shaped] capitals on top of the pillars; two ·nets [sets of latticework/filigree] to cover the two large bowls for the capitals on top of the pillars;


text:
four hundred pomegranates for the two ·nets [sets of latticework/filigree] (there were two rows of pomegranates for each ·net [set of latticework/filigree] covering the bowls for the capitals on top of the pillars);


text:
the ·pots [pails; ash buckets], shovels, small bowls, and all the utensils for the ·Temple [house] of the Lord. ·Huram [Hiram] made everything King Solomon wanted from ·polished [burnished] bronze.


text:
The king had these things ·poured [cast] into clay molds that were made in the plain of the Jordan River between Succoth and Zarethan.


text:
Solomon never weighed the bronze used to make these things, because there ·was too much to weigh [were so many]. So the total weight of all the bronze was never ·known [calculated].


text:
Solomon also made all the items for the ·Temple [house] of the Lord: the golden altar; the golden table which held the bread ·that shows God’s people are in his presence [of the Presence];


text:
the lampstands of pure gold (five on the right side and five on the left side in front of the inner ·room [house], the ·Most Holy Place [Holy of Holies]); the flowers, lamps, and tongs—all of gold;


text:
the pure gold bowls, wick ·trimmers [snuffers], small bowls, pans, and ·dishes used to carry coals [firepans; incense burners]; the gold hinges for the doors of the inner ·room [house], the ·Most Holy Place [Holy of Holies] and the ·main room [main hall; nave] of the ·Temple [house].


text:
·Finally [Thus] the work King Solomon did for the ·Temple [house] of the Lord was finished. Solomon brought in everything his father David had ·set apart [dedicated; consecrated] for the ·Temple [house]—silver, gold, and ·other articles [the various utensils]. He put everything in the treasuries of the ·Temple [house] of the Lord.


text:
The Ark Is Brought into the Temple King Solomon ·called for [assembled; summoned] the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the ·families [ancestral houses] to come to him in Jerusalem. He wanted them to bring the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; ] with the Lord from the ·older part of the city [city of David, also known as Zion].


text:
So all the Israelites ·came together with [assembled before] King Solomon during the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.


text:
They ·carried [brought] the Ark of the Lord, the Meeting Tent, and the holy ·utensils [vessels; items]; the priests and the Levites brought them up.


text:
King Solomon and all the ·Israelites [congregation/community/assembly of Israel] gathered before the Ark and sacrificed so many sheep and ·cattle [oxen] no one could count or number them all.


text:
Then the priests ·put [brought; carried] the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; ] with the Lord ·in [to] its place inside the inner ·room [sanctuary] in the ·Temple [house], the ·Most Holy Place [Holy of Holies], under the wings of the ·golden creatures [cherubim; ].


text:
The wings of ·these creatures [the cherubim] were spread out over the place ·for [of] the Ark, ·covering [forming a canopy over] it and its carrying poles.


text:
The carrying poles were so long that anyone standing in the Holy Place in front of the ·Most Holy Place [inner sanctuary] could see the ends of the poles, but no one could see them from outside the Holy Place. The poles are still there today.


text:
The only things inside the Ark were two stone tablets [on which were the Ten Commandments] that Moses had put in the Ark at ·Mount Sinai [Horeb; ]. That was where the Lord made his ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with the Israelites after they came out of [the land of] Egypt.


text:
When the priests ·left [came/withdrew from] the Holy Place, a cloud filled the ·Temple [house] of the Lord.


text:
The priests could not continue their ·work [service; duties], because the ·Temple [house] was filled with the glory of the Lord.


text:
Solomon Speaks to the People Then Solomon said, “The Lord said he would live in a ·dark [thick; dense] cloud.


text:
Lord, I have truly built a ·wonderful [exalted; glorious; magnificent] ·Temple [house] for you—a place for you to ·live [dwell] forever.”


text:
While all the ·Israelites [congregation/community/assembly of Israel] were standing there, King Solomon turned to them and blessed them.


text:
Then he said, “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord, the God of Israel. He has ·done [fulfilled] what he promised [with his mouth] to my father David. The Lord said,


text:
‘Since the ·time [day] I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel where a ·temple [house] will be built ·for me [to honor my name; for my name to be there]. But I have chosen David to ·lead [rule over] my people Israel.’


text:
“My father David ·wanted [had it in his heart/mind] to build a ·temple [house] for the Lord, the God of Israel.


text:
But the Lord said to my father David, ‘It was good that you ·wanted [had it in your heart/mind] to build a ·temple [house] for me.


text:
But you are not the one to build it. Your son, who ·comes from your own body [will be born from you], is the one who will build my ·temple [house] ·for my name [to honor my name; ].’


text:
“Now the Lord has ·kept [fulfilled] his promise. I ·am the king now [have risen] in place of David my father. Now I ·rule [sit on the throne of] Israel as the Lord promised, and I have built the ·Temple [house] ·for [to honor; for the name of] the Lord, the God of Israel.


text:
I have ·made [prepared; provided] a place there for the Ark, in which is the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; ] the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”


text:
Solomon’s Prayer Then Solomon stood ·facing [before] the Lord’s altar, and all the ·Israelites [congregation/community/assembly of Israel] were standing behind him. He spread out his hands toward the sky


text:
and said: “Lord, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep your ·agreement [treaty; covenant] ·of love [and steadfast love/lovingkindness] with your servants who ·truly follow you [walk before you with all their heart].


text:
You have kept the ·promise [covenant; solemn pact] you made to your servant David, my father. You spoke it with your own mouth and ·finished [fulfilled] it with your hands today.


text:
Now Lord, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant David, my father. You said, ‘If your sons are careful to ·obey [walk before] me as you have ·obeyed me [walked], ·there will always be someone from your family [you will never lack a man] ·ruling [to sit on the throne of] Israel [].’


text:
Now, God of Israel, ·please continue to keep that promise [confirm the word] you made to your servant David, my father.


text:
“But, God, ·can [will] you really ·live [dwell] here on the earth? [Look; Behold] ·The sky [Even heaven] and the highest ·place in heaven [heavens] cannot contain you. Surely this ·house [Temple] which I have built cannot contain you.


text:
But please ·listen to [regard] my prayer and my ·request [plea; supplication], because I am your servant. Lord my God, hear this prayer your servant prays to you today.


text:
Night and day please watch over this ·Temple [house] where you have said, ‘·I will be worshiped [My name will be] there.’ Hear the prayer I pray facing this ·Temple [house].


text:
Hear my ·prayers [pleas; supplications] and the prayers of your people Israel when we pray ·facing [toward] this place. Hear from your home in heaven, and when you hear, forgive us.


text:
“If someone ·wrongs another person [sins against a neighbor], he will be brought to the altar in this ·Temple [house]. If he swears an oath that he is not guilty,


text:
then hear in heaven. ·Judge the case [Act and judge between your servants], ·punish [condemn] the guilty ·as they deserve [by bringing his conduct on his own head], but ·declare that the innocent person is not guilty [acquit/vindicate the righteous/innocent in accordance with their righteousness/innocence].


text:
“When your people, the Israelites, sin against you, their enemies will defeat them. But if they ·come back [turn] to you and ·praise you [confess your name] and pray and ·plead [make supplication] to you in this ·Temple [house],


text:
then hear them in heaven. Forgive the ·sins [or sin] of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.


text:
“When they sin against you, ·you will stop the rain from falling on their land [the heavens will be shut and there will be no rain]. Then they will pray, facing this place and ·praising you [confess your name]; they will stop sinning when you ·make them suffer [afflict them].


text:
·When this happens [Then], please hear their prayer in heaven, and forgive the ·sins [or sin] of your servants, ·the Israelites [your people Israel]. Teach them ·to do what is right [the good way they should walk]. Then please send rain to this land you have given ·particularly to them [your people for an inheritence].


text:
“·At times the land will become so dry that no food will grow [If there is a famine in the land], or ·a great sickness will spread among the people [pestilence]. ·Sometimes all the crops will be destroyed by […or blight or mildew or] locusts or grasshoppers. ·Your people will be attacked in […or the people are besieged in the land of] their cities by their enemy or ·will become sick [struck by plague or sickness…].


text:
When any of these things happen, ·the people will become truly sorry [each will know the affliction of his own heart]. ·If your people spread their hands in prayer […and spread his hands] toward this ·Temple [house],


text:
then hear their prayers from your ·home [dwelling place] in heaven. Forgive and ·treat [act and give to] each person ·as he should be treated [according to his ways/conduct] because you know what is in a person’s heart. Only you know what is in everyone’s heart.


text:
Then your people will ·respect [fear] you ·as long as [all the days] they live in this land you gave to our ancestors.


text:
“People who are not Israelites, ·foreigners [resident aliens] from other lands, will hear about your ·greatness and power [great name and mighty hand and outstretched arm]. They will come from far away [because of your name] to pray ·at [or toward] this ·Temple [house].


text:
Then hear from your ·home [dwelling place] in heaven, and do ·whatever they ask you [all they call for to you]. Then people everywhere will know you and ·respect [fear] you, just as your people in Israel do. Then everyone will know I built this ·Temple [house] as a place ·to worship you [that bears your name].


text:
“When your people go out to fight their enemies ·along some [by whatever] road on which you send them, your people will pray to you, facing the city which you have chosen and the ·Temple [house] I have built for ·you [your name].


text:
Then hear in heaven their prayer and their ·plea [supplication], and ·do what is right [uphold/maintain their cause].


text:
“When ·your people [they] sin against you (for there is no one who does not sin), you will become angry with them and ·hand them over [abandon/give them] to their enemies. Their enemies will capture them and take them away to their countries far or near.


text:
But if they ·become sorry for their sins [or come to their senses; or have a change of heart; return to their heart] and ·are sorry [repent] and ·pray [plead; make supplications] to you in the land ·where they are held as prisoners [of their captors], saying, ‘We have sinned; we have ·done wrong [committed iniquity] and acted wickedly.’


text:
If they ·truly turn back to you [repent with all their heart and all their soul] in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive and pray to you, ·facing this [toward their] land you gave their ancestors, this city you have chosen, and the ·Temple [house] I have built for ·you [your name],


text:
then hear their prayers and their ·requests [pleas; supplications] from your ·home [dwelling place] in heaven, and ·do what is right [act with justice/judgment; or uphold/maintain their cause].


text:
Forgive your people of all their sins and for ·turning [all their transgressions/offenses they have committed] against you. Make those who have captured them show them ·mercy [compassion].


text:
Remember, they are your ·special people [inheritance]. You brought them out of Egypt, ·as if you were pulling them out of a blazing [from the midst of the iron-smelting] furnace.


text:
“·Give your attention to my prayers and [May your eyes be open to] the ·prayers [pleas; requests; supplications] of your people Israel. Listen to them anytime they ·ask you for help [call/cry out to you].


text:
You ·chose them [set them apart; separated them; singled them out] from all the ·nations [peoples] on earth to be your ·very own people [inheritance]. This is what you ·promised [spoke] through Moses your servant when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, Lord God.”


text:
Solomon prayed this prayer and ·plea [request; supplication] to the Lord, kneeling in front of the altar with his ·arms raised [hands spread] toward heaven. When he finished praying, he got up.


text:
Then, in a loud voice, he stood and blessed ·all the people [the whole assembly/congregation] of Israel, saying:


text:
“·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord! He promised he would give rest to his people Israel, and he has given us rest. ·The Lord has kept [Not one word has failed/fallen of] all the ·good [wonderful] promises he gave through his servant Moses.


text:
May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors. May he never leave or ·abandon [forsake] us,


text:
and may he ·turn us [incline/stretch out our hearts/desires] to himself so we will ·follow him [walk in his ways]. Let us obey all the ·laws [commandments], ·rules [statutes; decrees] and ·commands [regulations; judgments] he gave our ancestors.


text:
May the Lord our God ·remember [keep near] ·this prayer [these words of mine that I have prayed/pleaded] day and night and ·do what is right [act with justice/judgment; or uphold/maintain their cause] for his servant and his people Israel ·day by day [according to the needs of each day].


text:
Then all the people of the ·world [earth] will know the Lord is ·the only true God [God and there is no one else].


text:
·You must fully obey [Devote your heart completely to] the Lord our God and ·follow all his laws [walk in his statutes/decrees] and [keep his] commands. ·Continue to obey in the future as you do now […as to this day].”


text:
Solomon killed twenty-two thousand ·cattle [oxen] and one hundred twenty thousand sheep as ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings []. So the king and all the people ·gave [dedicated] the ·Temple [house] to the Lord.


text:
On that day King Solomon ·made holy [consecrated] the middle part of the courtyard which is in front of the ·Temple [house] of the Lord. There he offered whole burnt offerings [], grain [gift; tribute] offerings [], and the fat of the ·fellowship [peace; well-being] offerings []. He offered them in the courtyard, because the bronze altar before the Lord was too small to hold all the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the ·fellowship [peace] offerings.


text:
Solomon and all the Israelites ·celebrated the other festival [observed the feast; the Feast of Shelters; ] that came at that time. People came from as far away as Lebo Hamath [in the north] and the brook of Egypt [in the south]. A great many people celebrated before the Lord for seven days, then seven more days, for a total of fourteen days.


text:
On the ·following [eighth] day Solomon sent the people home. They blessed the king as they went, happy because of all the ·good things [goodness] the Lord had ·done [shown] for his servant David and his people Israel.


text:
The Lord Appears to Solomon Again Solomon finished building the ·Temple [house] of the Lord and ·his royal palace [the king’s house] and everything he wanted to build.


text:
The Lord said to him: “I have heard your prayer and ·what you have asked me to do [pleas/requests/supplications that you made before me]. I have ·made this Temple holy [consecrated this house] that you built, and I ·will be worshiped there [have put my name there] forever. ·I will watch over it and protect it always [My eyes and my heart will be there all the days].


text:
“But you must ·serve [walk before; follow] me as your father David did; ·he was fair and sincere […with integrity of heart and godliness/uprightness]. You must obey all I have commanded and keep my ·laws [statutes; decrees] and ·rules [regulations; judgments].


text:
If you do, I will ·make your kingdom strong [establish the throne of your kingdom]. This is the promise I made to your father David—·that someone from his family would always rule [you will never lack a man/successor on the throne of] Israel [].


text:
“But if you and your children do not follow me and obey the laws and ·commands [decrees] I have given you, and if you serve ·or [and] worship other gods,


text:
I will ·force Israel to leave [banish/cut off Israel from] the land I have given them, and I will ·leave [reject; disown; remove from my sight] this ·Temple [house] that I have ·made holy [consecrated for my name]. ·All the nations will make fun of Israel and speak evil about them [Israel will become a byword/proverb among the nations/peoples].


text:
If the ·Temple is destroyed [house becomes a heap of rubble], everyone who passes by will be ·shocked [astonished; appalled]. They will ·make fun of you [scoff; hiss] and ask, ‘Why did the Lord do this terrible thing to this land and this ·Temple [house]?’


text:
People will answer, ‘This happened because they ·left [abandoned; deserted; forsook] the Lord their God. This was the God who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, but they ·decided to follow [embraced; adopted] other gods. They worshiped and served those gods, so the Lord brought all this ·disaster [adversity; calamity] on them.’”


text:
Solomon’s Other Achievements By the end of twenty years, King Solomon had built two buildings—the ·Temple [house] of the Lord and the ·royal palace [king’s house].


text:
At that time King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had helped with the buildings. Hiram had given Solomon all the cedar, ·pine [juniper; cypress timber], and gold he wanted.


text:
So Hiram traveled from Tyre to see the towns Solomon had given him, but when he saw them, he was not pleased.


text:
He asked, “What ·good are these towns [kinds of towns have] you have given me, my brother?” So he named them the Land of ·Cabul [meaning “worthless”], and they are still called that today.


text:
This is the account of the forced labor Solomon ·used [conscripted] to build the ·Temple [house] and ·the palace [his own house]. He had them fill in the ·land [terraces; the Millo; a fortification of uncertain type] and build the ·wall [fortifications] around Jerusalem. He also had them rebuild the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.


text:
(In the past Pharaoh, king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. After burning it, he killed the Canaanites who lived there. Then he gave it as a ·wedding present [dowry] to his daughter, who married Solomon.


text:
King Solomon also built ·cities for storing grain and supplies [supply centers/cities/towns] and ·cities for [towns to station] his chariots and horses. He built whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and everywhere he ruled.


text:
There were other people in the land who were not ·Israelites [sons/children of Israel]—Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.


text:
They were descendants of people that the ·Israelites [sons/children of Israel] had ·not destroyed [been unable to completely exterminate]. Solomon ·forced them to work for him as slaves [conscripted them for forced/slave labor], as is still true today.


text:
But Solomon did not ·make slaves of [conscript] the Israelites. They were his soldiers, government ·leaders [officials], officers, captains, chariot commanders, and ·drivers [charioteers].


text:
These were his ·most important officers [chief officials] over the work. There were five hundred fifty supervisors over the people who did the work on Solomon’s projects.


text:
The daughter of ·the king of Egypt [Pharaoh] moved from the old part of the City of David [Jerusalem] to the ·palace [house] that Solomon had built for her. Then Solomon ·filled in the surrounding land [built the terraces/Millo; ].


text:
Three times each year Solomon offered whole burnt offerings and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [] on the altar he had built for the Lord. He also burned incense before the Lord. So he finished the ·work on the Temple [house].


text:
King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, a town near Elath on the shore of the ·Red Sea [or Sea of Reeds; ], in the land of Edom.


text:
Hiram sent ·skilled sailors [seamen who knew the sea] to serve in these ships with Solomon’s ·men [servants].


text:
The ships sailed to Ophir and brought back ·about thirty-two thousand pounds [420 talents] of gold to King Solomon.


text:
The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon When the queen of Sheba heard ·about [the reports about; or the fame of] Solomon ·because of [for; to] the ·reputation [name] of the Lord, she came to test him with ·hard questions [riddles].


text:
She traveled to Jerusalem with a ·large group of servants [caravan; retinue] and camels carrying spices, ·jewels [precious stones], and ·much [immense quantities of] gold. When she came to Solomon, she talked with him about all she had in ·mind [her heart],


text:
and Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was ·too hard for [hidden from; too obscure for] him to explain to her.


text:
The queen of Sheba ·learned [perceived; observed; realized] that Solomon was very wise. She saw the ·palace [house] he had built,


text:
the food on his table, the ·accommodations [seating; organization] of his many ·officers [officials; servants], the ·palace [attending of his] servants, and their ·good clothes [robes]. She saw ·the servants who served him at feasts [his cupbearers] and the whole burnt offerings [] he made in the ·Temple [house] of the Lord. All these things ·amazed [overwhelmed; took the spirit from] her.


text:
So she said to King Solomon, “What I heard in my own country about your ·achievements [or words] and wisdom is true.


text:
I could not believe it then, but now I have come and seen it with my own eyes. I was not told even half of it! Your wisdom and wealth are much greater than I had heard.


text:
Your ·men and officers [or wives and servants] are very ·lucky [blessed; happy], because in always ·serving [standing before] you, they ·are able to hear [listen to] your wisdom.


text:
·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord your God, who ·was pleased to make you king [delighted in you and set you on the throne] of Israel. The Lord has ·constant [eternal; everlasting] love for Israel, so he made you king to ·keep [maintain; execute; administer] justice and ·to rule fairly [righteousness].”


text:
Then she gave the king ·about nine thousand pounds [one hundred and twenty talents] of gold and many spices and ·jewels [precious stones]. No one since that time has brought more spices than the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.


text:
(Moreover, Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir, as well as much ·juniper wood [almug; red sandalwood] and ·jewels [precious stones].


text:
Solomon used the ·juniper wood [almug; red sandalwood] to build supports for the ·Temple [house] of the Lord and the ·palace [king’s house], and to make harps and lyres for the ·musicians [singers]. Such fine ·juniper wood [almug; red sandalwood] has not been brought in or been seen since that time.)


text:
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and asked for, in addition to what he had already given her ·of his wealth [according to his royal bounty; or out of his royal treasury]. Then she and her ·servants [attendants; retinue] returned to her own country.


text:
Solomon’s Wealth ·Every [or In one] year King Solomon received ·about fifty thousand pounds [666 talents] of gold.


text:
Besides that, he also received gold from the traders and merchants, as well as from the kings of Arabia and governors of the ·land [territories; provinces].


text:
King Solomon made two hundred large shields of ·hammered [beaten] gold, each of which contained ·about seven and one-half pounds [six hundred shekels] of gold.


text:
He also made three hundred smaller shields of ·hammered [beaten] gold, each of which contained ·about four pounds [three minas] of gold. The king put them in the ·Palace [House] of the Forest of Lebanon.


text:
The throne had six steps on it, and its back was round at the top. There were armrests on both sides of the chair, and each armrest had a lion beside it.


text:
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any other kingdom.


text:
All of Solomon’s drinking ·cups [goblets; vessels], as well as the ·dishes [utensils; vessels] in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon, were made of pure gold. Nothing was made from silver, because silver was ·not valuable [considered worthless/nothing] in Solomon’s time.


text:
King Solomon also had ·many trading ships [a fleet of ships of Tarshish] at sea, along with Hiram’s ships. Every three years the ·ships [fleet of Tarshish] returned, bringing back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and ·baboons [or peacocks].


text:
·People everywhere wanted [The whole earth sought] to see King Solomon and listen to the wisdom God had ·given him [put into his heart/mind].


text:
Every ·year [or one of] those who came brought gifts of silver and gold, ·clothes [robes; garments], weapons, spices, horses, and mules.


text:
Solomon had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand ·horses [or horsemen; charioteers]. He ·kept [stationed] some in special cities for the chariots, and others he kept with him in Jerusalem.


text:
In Jerusalem Solomon made silver as common as stones and cedar trees as ·common [plentiful] as the ·fig [sycamore] trees on the ·western hills [or lowlands].


text:
A chariot from Egypt cost ·about fifteen pounds [six hundred shekels] of silver, and a horse cost ·nearly four pounds [150 pieces] of silver. Solomon’s traders also ·sold [exported] horses and chariots to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.


text:
Solomon’s Many Wives King Solomon loved many ·women who were not from Israel [foreign women]. He loved the daughter of ·the king of Egypt [Pharaoh], as well as women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites [].


text:
The Lord had told the ·Israelites [sons/children of Israel], “You must not ·marry people of other nations [or associate with them; come into them, and they must not come into you]. If you do, they will cause you to ·follow [turn your hearts to] their gods.” But Solomon ·fell in love with these women [clung/held fast to them in love].


text:
He had seven hundred wives who were from royal families and three hundred ·slave women who gave birth to his children [concubines; a secondary wife of lower status than a primary wife, but higher than a common servant]. His wives ·caused him to turn away from God [led him astray; turned his heart away].


text:
As Solomon grew old, his wives ·caused him to follow [led him astray after; turned his heart away after] other gods. ·He did not follow the Lord completely [His heart was not wholly devoted/faithful to the Lord his God] as ·his father David had done [the heart of his father David had been].


text:
Solomon ·worshiped [followed; went after] Ashtoreth, the goddess of the people of Sidon, and ·Molech [Milcom], the ·hated [detestable] god of the Ammonites.


text:
So Solomon did ·what the Lord said was wrong [evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord] and ·did not [refused to] follow the Lord completely as his father David had done.


text:
On a hill east of Jerusalem [the Mount of Olives], Solomon built two ·places for worship [high places; ]. One was a place to worship Chemosh, the ·hated [detestable] god of the Moabites, and the other was a place to worship Molech, the ·hated [detestable] god of the Ammonites.


text:
Solomon did the same thing for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their gods.


text:
The Lord had appeared to Solomon twice, but the ·king [his heart had] turned away from following the Lord, the God of Israel. The Lord was angry with Solomon,


text:
because he had ·commanded [warned] Solomon not to follow other gods. But Solomon did not ·obey [observe; keep] the Lord’s command.


text:
So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have chosen to break your ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with me and have not obeyed my commands, I will tear your kingdom away from you and give it to one of your ·officers [servants].


text:
But I will not take it away ·while you are alive [in your days] ·because of my love for [for the sake of] your father David. I will tear it away from [the hand of] your son.


text:
I will not tear away all the kingdom from him, but I will ·leave [give] him one tribe to rule. I will do this ·because [for the sake] of David, my servant, and ·because [for the sake] of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen.”


text:
Solomon’s Enemies The Lord ·caused [raised up] Hadad the Edomite, a member of the royal family of Edom, to become Solomon’s ·enemy [adversary].


text:
Earlier, David had defeated Edom. When Joab, the commander of David’s army, went into Edom to bury the dead [Israelite soldiers], he ·killed [slaughtered] all the males.


text:
Joab and all the Israelites stayed in Edom for six months and ·killed [exterminated; eliminated] every male in Edom.


text:
At that time Hadad was only a young boy, so he ·ran away [fled; escaped] to Egypt with some of his father’s ·officers [servants].


text:
They ·left [set out from] Midian and went ·to Paran, where they were joined by other men [or with men from Paran]. Then they all went to Egypt to see Pharaoh the king, who ·gave [assigned] Hadad a house, some food, and some land.


text:
·The king liked Hadad so much [Hadad became such a great favorite of Pharaoh that] he gave Hadad a wife—the sister of Tahpenes, the king’s wife.


text:
·They had [She bore for him] a son named Genubath. Queen Tahpenes ·brought him up [raised; or weaned him] in the royal palace with ·the king’s [Pharaoh’s] own ·children [or sons].


text:
While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David ·had died [lay down/slept with his fathers/ancestors] and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead also. So Hadad said to the king, “Let me go; I will return to my own country.”


text:
“Why do you want to go back to your own country?” the king asked. “What ·haven’t I given you here [do you lack with me]?” “Nothing,” Hadad answered, “but please, let me go.”


text:
God also caused another man to be Solomon’s ·enemy [adversary]—Rezon son of Eliada. Rezon had ·run away [fled] from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.


text:
After David ·defeated [slaughtered; massacred] the army of Zobah, Rezon gathered some men and became the leader of a ·small army [marauding band; gang of rebels]. They went to Damascus and settled there, and Rezon ·became king of [took control of] Damascus.


text:
Rezon ruled Aram, and he ·hated [abhorred; despised; was hostile to] Israel. So he was an ·enemy [adversary] of Israel all the ·time Solomon was alive [days of Solomon]. Both Rezon and Hadad made trouble for Israel.


text:
Jeroboam son of Nebat was one of Solomon’s ·officers [servants]. He was an Ephraimite from the town of Zeredah, and he was the son of a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam ·turned [rebelled] against the king.


text:
This is the ·story [account] of how Jeroboam turned against the king. Solomon was ·filling in the land [building the terraces/Millo; ] and ·repairing [closed the gap/breach in] the wall of Jerusalem, the city of David, his father.


text:
Jeroboam was a ·capable [energetic] man, and Solomon saw that this young man was ·a good worker [industrious]. So Solomon put him over all the ·workers [labor force; or forced labor] from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.


text:
One day as Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, Ahijah, the prophet from Shiloh, who was wearing a new ·coat [cloak], met him on the road. The two men were alone out in ·the country [a field].


text:
Ahijah took his new ·coat [cloak] and tore it into twelve pieces [representing the original twelve tribes of Israel].


text:
Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces of this coat for yourself. The Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will tear the kingdom away from ·Solomon [Solomon’s hand] and give you ten tribes.


text:
But ·I will allow him to control [he will have] one tribe. I will do this for the sake of my servant David and for Jerusalem, the city I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel.


text:
I will do this because ·Solomon has [they have] stopped following me and has worshiped the Sidonian goddess Ashtoreth, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god ·Molech [Milcom]. Solomon has not ·obeyed me [walked in my ways] by doing what ·I said is right [is right in my sight/eyes] and obeying my laws and commands, as his father David did.


text:
“‘But I will not take all the kingdom away from ·Solomon [his hand]. I will let him rule all ·his life [the days of his life] ·because [for the sake of] of my servant David, whom I chose, who ·obeyed [observed; kept] all my commands and laws.


text:
But I will take the kingdom away from his ·son [son’s hand], and I will ·allow you to rule over [give you] the ten tribes.


text:
I will ·allow Solomon’s son to continue to rule over [give to his son] one tribe so that David, my servant will always have a ·descendant [lamp before me; possibly a metaphor for the reign of a king] in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to ·be worshiped [put my name].


text:
But I will make you ·rule [reign] over everything you ·want [desire]. You will ·rule [be king] over all of Israel,


text:
and I will always be with you if you ·do what I say [walk in my ways/paths and do what] is right. You must obey all my commands. If you obey my laws and commands as David did, I will be with you. I will ·make your family a lasting family of kings [build you an enduring house/dynasty], as I did for David, and give Israel to you.


text:
I will ·punish [afflict; humble] David’s children because of this, but I will not ·punish [afflict; humble] them forever.’”


text:
Solomon’s Death Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he ·ran away [fled] to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he stayed until Solomon died.


text:
Everything else King Solomon did, and the wisdom he showed, ·is [is it not …?] written in the book of the ·history [acts] of Solomon.


text:
Then he ·died [lay down/slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [Jerusalem], his father. And his son Rehoboam ·became king [reigned] in his place.


text:
Israel Turns Against Rehoboam Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all the Israelites had ·gone [gathered] to make him king.


text:
Jeroboam son of Nebat was still in Egypt, where he had ·gone to escape [fled] from Solomon. When Jeroboam heard about Rehoboam being made king, he was living in Egypt.


text:
After ·the people [or the leaders; they] sent for him, he and ·the people [all the assembly/crowd of Israel] went to Rehoboam and said to him,


text:
“Your father ·forced us to work [made our yoke] very hard. Now, ·make it easier for us [lighten the harsh labor], and ·don’t make us work as hard as he did [the heavy yoke he put on us]. Then we will serve you.”


text:
King Rehoboam asked the elders who had ·advised [served; attended] Solomon during his lifetime, “How do you ·think I should [advise/counsel me to] answer these people?”


text:
They said, “You should be like a servant to them today. If you serve them and ·give them a kind answer [speak good words], they will serve you always.”


text:
But Rehoboam ·rejected this advice [disregarded/forsook the counsel given by the elders]. Instead, he asked the young men who had grown up with him and who served ·as his advisers [him].


text:
Rehoboam asked them, “What is your ·advice [counsel]? How should we answer these people who said, ‘·Don’t make us work as hard as your father did’ [Lighten the yoke that your father put on us]?”


text:
The young men who had grown up with him answered, “Those people said to you, ‘Your father ·forced us to work very hard [made our yoke heavy]. Now make our work ·easier [lighter].’ You should tell them, ‘My little finger is ·bigger [thicker] than my father’s ·legs [loins; more manly].


text:
·He forced you to work hard [My father loaded/burdened you with a heavy yoke], but I will ·make you work even harder [add to your yoke]. My father ·beat [scourged; disciplined; controlled] you with whips, but I will ·beat [scourge; discipline; control] you with ·whips that have sharp points [or scorpions].’”


text:
King Rehoboam spoke ·cruel [harsh] words to them, because he had ·rejected the advice [disregarded the counsel] the elders had given him.


text:
He followed the ·advice [counsel] of the young men and said to the people, “My father ·forced you to work hard [loaded/burdened you with a heavy yoke], but I will ·make you work even harder [add to your yoke]. My father ·beat [scourged; disciplined; controlled] you with whips, but I will ·beat [scourge; discipline; control] you with ·whips that have sharp points [or scorpions].”


text:
So the king did not listen to the people. The Lord caused this ·to happen [turn (of events)] to ·keep the promise [fulfill/establish the word/message] he had made to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah, a prophet from Shiloh [, ].


text:
When all ·the Israelites [Israel] saw that the new king refused to listen to them, they said to the king, “·We have no share [What portion do we have…?] in David! We have no ·part [inheritance] in the son of Jesse! ·People of Israel, let’s go to our own homes [To your tents, Israel]! ·Let David’s son rule his own people [Look out for your own house, David]!” So the Israelites went ·home [to their tents].


text:
·Adoniram [Hebrew: Adoram] was in charge of the ·forced labor [or labor force; ; ]. When Rehoboam sent him to the people of Israel, they ·threw stones at him until he died [stoned him to death]. But King Rehoboam ran to his chariot and ·escaped [fled] to Jerusalem.


text:
Since then, Israel has ·been against [refused to be ruled by; been in rebellion against] the family of David.


text:
When all ·the Israelites [Israel] heard that Jeroboam had returned, they called ·him to a meeting [an assembly] and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah ·continued to follow [stayed loyal to] the ·family [house] of David.


text:
When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he ·gathered [mobilized; assembled] one hundred eighty thousand of the ·best [elite; select] soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. As son of Solomon, Rehoboam wanted to fight the ·people [house] of Israel to ·take back [restore] his kingdom.


text:
But ·God spoke his word [the word of God came] to Shemaiah, ·a [or the] man of God [a prophet], saying,


text:
“·Speak [Say] to Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the king of Judah, and to all the ·people [house] of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people. Say to them,


text:
‘·The Lord says [Thus says the Lord,] you must not go to war against your ·brothers [relatives], the ·Israelites [sons/children of Israel]. Every one of you should go home, because ·I made all these things happen [this has come from me; this is my doing].’” So they ·obeyed the Lord’s command [listened to the word of the Lord] and went home ·as the Lord had commanded [in accordance with his word].


text:
Then Jeroboam ·built up [fortified] Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and he lived there. He also went out and ·built up [fortified] the city of Peniel.


text:
Jeroboam Builds Golden Calves Jeroboam said ·to himself [in his heart], “The kingdom will probably ·go back [revert] to David’s ·family [house].


text:
If the people continue going to the ·Temple [house] of the Lord in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, ·they will want to be ruled again by [the heart of the people will return to] Rehoboam king of Judah. Then they will kill me and ·follow [return to] Rehoboam king of Judah.”


text:
King Jeroboam asked for advice. Then he made two golden calves [on the model of Aaron’s calf; ]. “It is too ·long a journey [much] for you to go to Jerusalem [to worship],” he said to the people. “Israel, here are your gods [or this is your God; it is possible that the image was associated with the false worship of the true God] who brought you out of Egypt.”


text:
Jeroboam put one golden calf in the city of Bethel and the other in the city of Dan [at opposite ends of his kingdom].


text:
This became a very great sin, because the people traveled as far as Dan [in the north] to worship the calf there.


text:
Jeroboam built ·temples [houses] on the ·places of worship [high places; ]. He also chose priests from all the people, not just from the tribe of Levi [a violation of God’s command; cf. ].


text:
And he started a new festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the festival in Judah [the Feast of Shelters; he was trying to imitate Israel’s way of worship]. During that time the king ·offered sacrifices on [went up to] the altar, along with sacrifices to the calves in Bethel he had made. He also chose priests in Bethel to serve at the ·places of worship [high places; ] he had made.


text:
So Jeroboam ·chose his own time [devised in his own heart the month] for a festival for the Israelites—the fifteenth day of the eighth month. During that time he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built in Bethel. He ·set up [instituted] a festival for the Israelites and ·offered sacrifices [burned incense] on the altar.


text:
The Man of God Speaks Against Bethel ·The Lord commanded [By the word of the Lord] a man of God from Judah ·to go [went up] to Bethel. When he arrived, Jeroboam was standing by the altar to ·offer a sacrifice [burn incense].


text:
·The Lord had commanded [By the word of the Lord] the man of God ·to speak [spoke] against the altar. The man said, “Altar, altar, the Lord says to you: ‘David’s ·family [house] will ·have [have born] a son named Josiah. The priests ·for the places of worship [of the high places; ] now ·make their sacrifices [burn incense] on you, but Josiah will sacrifice those priests on you. Human bones will be burned on you.’”


text:
That same day the man of God gave ·proof [a sign] that these things would happen. “This is the Lord’s sign that this will happen,” he said. “This altar will break apart, and the ashes on it will ·fall to the ground [spill; be poured out; ].”


text:
When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God said ·about [against] the altar in Bethel, the king raised his hand from the altar and pointed at the man. “·Take [Seize] him!” he said. But when the king said this, his ·arm [or hand] ·was paralyzed [withered; dried up], and he could not ·move it [pull it back].


text:
The altar also broke into pieces, and its ashes ·fell to the ground [spilled; poured out]. This was the sign the ·Lord had told the man of God to give [man had given by the word of the Lord].


text:
Then the king said to the man of God, “Please ·pray to [intercede with; entreat] the Lord your God for me, and ask him to ·heal my arm [or restore my hand].” So the man of God ·prayed to [interceded with; entreated] the Lord, and the king’s ·arm was healed [or hand was restored], becoming as it was before.


text:
Then the king said to the man of God, “Please come home and ·eat with me [refresh yourself], and I will give you a gift.”


text:
But the man of God answered the king, “Even if you gave me half of your ·kingdom [possessions; house], I would not go with you. I will not ·eat or drink [eat bread or drink water] in this place.


text:
The ·Lord [word of the Lord] commanded me not to ·eat or drink [eat bread or drink water] nor to return on the same road by which I came.”


text:
Now an old prophet was living in Bethel. His sons came and told him what the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to King Jeroboam.


text:
The father asked, “Which road did he use when he left?” So his sons showed him the road the man of God from Judah had taken.


text:
Then the prophet told his sons to put a saddle on his donkey. So they saddled the donkey, and he ·left [mounted it].


text:
He went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree. The prophet asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” The man answered, “Yes, I am.”


text:
“I can’t go home with you,” the man of God answered. “I can’t ·eat or drink [eat bread or drink water] with you in this place.


text:
The Lord said to me, ‘Don’t ·eat or drink [eat bread or drink water] there or return on the same road by which you came.’”


text:
Then the old prophet said, “But I also am a prophet, like you.” Then he lied. “An angel from the Lord came to me and told me to bring you to my home. He said you should ·eat and drink [eat bread and drink water] with me.”


text:
So the man of God went to the old prophet’s house, and he ate ·and drank [bread and drank water] with him there.


text:
While they were sitting at the table, the Lord spoke his word to the ·old prophet [prophet who had brought him back].


text:
·The old prophet [He] cried out to the man of God from Judah, “·The Lord said [Thus says the Lord,] you ·did not obey him! He said you did not do what the Lord your God commanded you […have defied the Lord’s command].


text:
The Lord commanded you not to ·eat or drink [eat bread or drink water] in this place, but you came back and ·ate and drank [ate bread and drank water]. So your body will not ·be buried in your family grave [come to the grave/tomb of your ancestors].”


text:
After the man of God finished eating [bread] and drinking, the prophet put a saddle on his donkey [possibly the old prophet’s own donkey] for him, and the man left.


text:
As he was traveling home, a lion ·attacked [met] and killed him. His body lay on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing nearby.


text:
Some men who were traveling by saw the body on the road and the lion standing nearby. So they went to the city [Bethel] where the old prophet lived and told what they had seen.


text:
The old prophet who had brought back the man of God heard what had happened. “It is the man of God who did not obey the Lord’s command,” he said. “So the Lord sent a lion to kill him, ·just as he said he would [according to the word of the Lord].”


text:
The old prophet went out and found the body lying on the road, with the donkey and the lion still standing nearby. The lion had not eaten the body or ·hurt [attacked; mauled] the donkey.


text:
The prophet put the body on his donkey and carried it back to the city to ·have a time of sadness for him [mourn] and to bury him.


text:
The prophet ·buried [laid] the body in his own family ·grave [tomb], and they ·were sad for [mourned over] the man of God and said, “·Oh [Alas; Woe], my brother.”


text:
After the prophet buried the body, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in ·this same grave [the grave in which the man of God is buried]. ·Put [Lay] my bones next to his.


text:
Through him the Lord ·spoke [cried; proclaimed] against the altar at Bethel and against the ·places of worship [shrines/houses of the high places; ] in the towns of Samaria. What the Lord spoke through him will certainly come ·true [to pass].”


text:
After this ·incident [event] King Jeroboam did not ·stop [turn from] doing evil. He continued to choose priests for the ·places of worship [high places; ] from among all the people []. Anyone who wanted to be a priest for the ·places of worship [high places] ·was allowed [he appointed/ordained] to be one.


text:
In this way the ·family [house] of Jeroboam sinned, and this sin caused its ·ruin [downfall] and destruction from the face of the earth.


text:
So Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go to Shiloh to see the prophet Ahijah. He is the one who said I would become king of Israel. But ·dress [disguise] yourself so people won’t know you are my wife.


text:
Take the prophet ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”


text:
So the king’s wife did as he said and went to Ahijah’s home in Shiloh. Now Ahijah was very old and ·blind [his eyes were dim].


text:
The Lord said to him, “Jeroboam’s son is sick, and Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about him. When she arrives, she will pretend to be ·someone else [another woman].” Then the Lord told Ahijah ·what to say [to say such and such/thus and thus].


text:
When Ahijah heard her walking to the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why are you pretending to be ·someone else [another woman]? I have ·bad [heavy] news for you.


text:
Go back and tell Jeroboam ·that this is what [thus says] the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jeroboam, I ·chose [exalted; raised; promoted] you from among all the people and made you the leader of my people Israel.


text:
I ·tore [ripped] the kingdom away from David’s ·family [house], and I gave it to you. But you ·are not [have not been] like my servant David, who always obeyed my commands and followed me with all his heart. He did only what ·I said was right [what was right in my eyes/sight].


text:
But you have done more evil than ·anyone who ruled [all who were] before you. You have ·quit following me [turned your back on me; thrown me behind your back] and have made other gods and idols of metal. This has ·made me very angry [provoked/aroused my anger],


text:
so I will soon bring ·disaster [calamity] to ·your family [the house of Jeroboam]. I will ·kill [cut off] all the men ·in your family [from Jeroboam], both ·slaves [bond] and free men. I will ·destroy [or sweep away] your family as ·completely as fire burns up [or one sweeps away] ·manure [dung].


text:
Anyone from your family who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the ·fields [country] will be eaten by the ·birds [vultures; birds of the air/sky]. The Lord has spoken.’”


text:
Then Ahijah said to Jeroboam’s wife, “Go home now. As soon as you enter your city, ·your son [the child/boy] will die,


text:
and all Israel will ·be sad [mourn] for him and bury him. He is the only one of Jeroboam’s family who will ·be buried [have a proper burial; come to the grave], because he is the only one in ·the king’s family [Jeroboam’s house] ·who pleased the Lord, the God of Israel [in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, found something good].


text:
“The Lord will ·put [raise up] a new king over Israel, who will ·destroy [cut off] Jeroboam’s ·family [house], ·and this will happen soon [from this day on; this day, what, even now?; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain].


text:
Then the Lord will ·punish [shake; strike] Israel, which will be like reeds ·swaying [shaking] in the water. The Lord will ·pull up [uproot] Israel from this good land, the land he gave their ancestors. He will scatter Israel beyond the Euphrates River, because he is angry with the people. They ·made the Lord angry [aroused/provoked the Lord to anger] when they set up ·idols to worship Asherah [Asherahs; sacred trees or poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah].


text:
Jeroboam sinned, and then he made the people of Israel sin. So the Lord will ·let the people of Israel be defeated [abandon/give up Israel].”


text:
Then Jeroboam’s wife left and returned to Tirzah. As ·soon as she entered [she crossed the threshold of] her home, the boy died.


text:
After they buried him, all Israel ·had a time of sadness [mourned] for him, ·just as the Lord had said [according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke] ·through [by the hand of] his servant, the prophet Ahijah.


text:
Everything else Jeroboam did, his wars and how he ruled, ·is [is it not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals] of the kings of Israel [a history book now lost].


text:
He served [reigned] as king for twenty-two years. Then he ·died [lay down/slept with his fathers/ancestors], and his son Nadab ·became king [reigned] in his place.


text:
The Death of Rehoboam Solomon’s son Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king of Judah. His mother was Naamah from Ammon. Rehoboam ·ruled [reigned] in Jerusalem for seventeen years. (The Lord had chosen that city from all the ·land [tribes] of Israel ·as the place where he would be worshiped [in which to put his name].)


text:
The people of Judah did ·what the Lord said was wrong [evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Their sins ·made the Lord very angry, even more angry than he had been at what [provoked/aroused his resentment/jealousy more than anything] their ancestors had done.


text:
The people built ·places to worship gods [high places; ] and pillars and Asherah ·idols [poles; ] on every high hill and under every ·green [luxuriant; spreading] tree.


text:
There were even male prostitutes [associated with pagan cults] in the land. They ·acted like [imitated/committed the detestable acts/abominations of] the people God had ·driven out of [dispossessed from] the land before the ·Israelites [sons/children of Israel].


text:
During the fifth year Rehoboam was king, Shishak king of Egypt [ruler of Egypt 935–914 bc] ·attacked [came against] Jerusalem.


text:
He took the treasures from the ·Temple [house] of the Lord and the king’s ·palace [house]. He took everything, even the gold shields Solomon had made.


text:
So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to put in their place and ·gave [entrusted; committed] them to the commanders of the guards for the ·palace gates [doorway/entrance of the king’s house].


text:
Whenever the king went to the ·Temple [house] of the Lord, the guards carried the shields. Later, they would put them back in the guardroom.


text:
·Everything [Is not everything…?] else King Rehoboam did is written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; ] of the kings of Judah.


text:
Rehoboam, son of Naamah from Ammon, ·died [lay down/slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in the City of David [Jerusalem], and his son Abijam [a pejorative name for Abijah; see ] became king in his place.


text:
Abijam King of Judah Abijam [“My father is the Sea” (symbol of chaos); compare Abijah (“My father is the Lord”) in ] became king of Judah during the eighteenth year Jeroboam son of Nebat was king of Israel.


text:
Abijam ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Abishalom [David’s son Absalom].


text:
He ·did [committed; walked in] all the same sins his father before him had ·done [committed]. ·Abijam was not faithful [His heart was not fully/wholly devoted] to the Lord his God as David, his ·great-grandfather [father; in the sense of ancestor], had been.


text:
·Because the Lord loved David [For David’s sake], the Lord gave him a ·kingdom [lamp; possibly a metaphor for the reign of a king] in Jerusalem and allowed him to have a son to be king after him. The Lord also ·kept Jerusalem safe [strengthened/established Jerusalem].


text:
David did what ·the Lord said was right [was right in the eyes/sight of the Lord] and ·obeyed [had not turned aside from] his commands all his ·life [days], except ·the one time when David sinned ·against [in the case/matter of] Uriah the Hittite [].


text:
Everything else Abijam did is written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; ] of the kings of Judah. There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.


text:
Abijam ·died [lay down/slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the City of David [Jerusalem], and his son Asa became king in his place.


text:
His ·grandmother’s [mother’s; in the sense of ancestor] name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom []. Asa ruled in Jerusalem for forty-one years.


text:
Asa did what ·the Lord said was right [was right in the eyes/sight of the Lord], as his ·ancestor [father] David had done.


text:
He ·forced the male prostitutes at the worship places to leave the country [expelled/banished the male cult prostitutes from the land; ]. He also took away the idols that his ·ancestors [fathers] had made.


text:
His ·grandmother [mother; ancestor] Maacah had made a ·terrible [obscene; repulsive; abominable] Asherah ·idol [pole; ], so Asa removed her from being queen mother. He cut down ·that idol [her obscene/repulsive/abominable image/pole] and burned it in the Kidron Valley.


text:
The ·places of worship to gods [high places; ] were not removed. Even so, Asa was ·faithful [devoted; true] to the Lord all his life.


text:
Asa brought into the ·Temple [house] of the Lord the gifts he and his father had ·given [dedicated]: gold, silver, and utensils.


text:
Baasha ·attacked [invaded; went up against] Judah, and he ·made the town of Ramah strong [fortified Ramah] so he could keep people from leaving or entering ·Judah, Asa’s country [Asa, king of Judah].


text:
Asa took the rest of the silver and gold from the treasuries of the ·Temple [house] of the Lord and ·his own palace [the treasuries of the king’s house] and gave it to his ·officers [officials; servants]. Then he sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, who was the son of Hezion. Ben-Hadad was the king of Aram and ·ruled [lived] in the city of Damascus. Asa said,


text:
“Let there be a treaty between you and me as there was between my father and your father. I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will ·leave my land [withdraw from me].”


text:
Ben-Hadad ·agreed with [listened to] King Asa, so he sent the commanders of his armies ·to attack [against] the towns of Israel. They defeated the towns of Ijon, Dan, and Abel Beth Maacah, as well as all ·Galilee [Kinnereth] and the area of Naphtali.


text:
When Baasha heard about these attacks, he stopped ·building up [fortifying] Ramah and ·returned [withdrew] to Tirzah.


text:
Then King Asa gave an ·order [proclamation] to all the people of Judah; everyone had to help carry away all the stones and ·wood [timber] Baasha had used in building Ramah, and they used them to build up Geba and Mizpah in the land of Benjamin.


text:
Everything else Asa did—his ·victories [power] and the cities he built—·is [are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; ] of the kings of Judah. When he became old, he got a disease in his feet.


text:
After Asa ·died [lay down/slept with his fathers/ancestors], he was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in the City of David [Jerusalem], his ·ancestor [father]. Then Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, ·became king [reigned] in his place.


text:
Nadab King of Israel Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel during the second year Asa was king of Judah. Nadab ·was king of [reigned over] Israel for two years,


text:
and he did ·what the Lord said was wrong [evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Jeroboam had led the people of Israel to sin, and Nadab ·sinned in the same way as his father Jeroboam [walked in the way/path of his father and in his sin].


text:
Baasha son of Ahijah, from the ·tribe [house] of Issachar, ·made plans to kill Nadab [plotted/conspired against him]. Nadab and all Israel were ·attacking [laying siege to] the Philistine town of Gibbethon, so Baasha killed Nadab there.


text:
·This happened [Baasha killed him] during Asa’s third year as king of Judah, and ·Baasha became the next king of Israel [reigned in his place].


text:
Baasha King of Israel As soon as Baasha became king, he killed all of Jeroboam’s ·family [house], leaving no one in Jeroboam’s ·family [house] alive. He destroyed them all ·as the Lord had said would happen [according to the word which the Lord spoke] ·through [by the hand of] his servant Ahijah from Shiloh.


text:
All this was because King Jeroboam had sinned very much and had led the people of Israel to sin, ·provoking [arousing] the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger.


text:
Everything else Nadab did ·is [is it not…?]written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; ] of the kings of Israel.


text:
There was war between Asa [king of Judah] and Baasha king of Israel all ·the time they ruled [their days].


text:
Baasha son of Ahijah became king of Israel during Asa’s third year as king of Judah. Baasha ruled in Tirzah for twenty-four years,


text:
and he did ·what the Lord said was wrong [evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Jeroboam had led the people of Israel to sin, and Baasha ·sinned in the same way as [walked in the way of] Jeroboam.


text:
The Lord said, “·You were nothing, but I took you [I raised/exalted you from the dust] and made you ·a leader [ruler] over my people Israel. But you have ·followed [walked in] the ·ways [paths] of Jeroboam and have led my people Israel to sin. Their sins have ·made me angry [provoked/aroused me to anger],


text:
so, Baasha, I will soon ·destroy [consume; wipe out] you and your ·family [house]. I will do to you what I did to the ·family [house] of Jeroboam son of Nebat.


text:
Anyone ·from your family [of Baasha] who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone from your ·family [house] who dies in the ·fields [country] will be eaten by ·birds [vultures; birds of the air/sky].”


text:
Everything else Baasha did and all his victories ·are [are they not…?] written down in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; ] of the kings of Israel.


text:
So Baasha ·died [lay down/slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah became king in his place.


text:
The Lord spoke his word against Baasha and his ·family [house] through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani. Baasha had done ·many things the Lord said were wrong [evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], ·which made the Lord very angry [provoking/arousing him to anger with the works of his hand]. He did the same evil deeds that Jeroboam’s ·family [house] had done before him. ·The Lord also spoke against Baasha because he killed all of [And Baasha had also destroyed/struck] Jeroboam’s ·family [house].


text:
Elah King of Israel Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel during Asa’s twenty-sixth year as king of Judah, and Elah ruled in Tirzah for two years.


text:
Zimri, one of Elah’s ·officers [officials; servants], commanded half of Elah’s chariots. Zimri ·made plans [plotted; conspired] against Elah while the king was in Tirzah, getting drunk at Arza’s home. (Arza was ·in charge of the palace [over the household] at Tirzah.)


text:
Zimri went into Arza’s house and ·killed [struck down and killed] Elah during Asa’s twenty-seventh year as king of Judah. Then Zimri became king of Israel in Elah’s place.


text:
Zimri King of Israel As soon as Zimri became king, he killed all of Baasha’s ·family [house], not allowing ·any of Baasha’s family [any male/one who urinates against the wall, of his relatives] or friends to live.


text:
So Zimri destroyed all of Baasha’s ·family [house] ·just as the Lord had said it would happen [according to the word of the Lord as spoken] through the prophet Jehu.


text:
Baasha and his son Elah sinned and led the people of Israel to sin, ·provoking [arousing] the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger because of their worthless idols.


text:
Everything else Elah did ·is [is it not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; ] of the kings of Israel.


text:
So during Asa’s twenty-seventh year as king of Judah, Zimri became king of Israel and ruled in Tirzah seven days. The ·army of Israel [people] was camped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town.


text:
The men in the camp heard that Zimri had ·made secret plans [plotted; conspired] against King Elah and had killed him. So that day in the camp ·they [all Israel] made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel.


text:
When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the ·palace [citadel of the king’s house] and set it on fire, burning the palace and himself with it.


text:
So Zimri died because he had sinned by doing ·what the Lord said was wrong [evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]. Jeroboam had led the people of Israel to sin, and Zimri ·sinned in the same way as [walked in the way/path of] Jeroboam.


text:
Everything else Zimri did and ·the story of how he turned [his conspiracy] against King Elah ·are [are they not…?] written down in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; ] of the kings of Israel.


text:
Omri King of Israel The people of Israel were divided into two ·groups [factions; parts]. Half of the people ·wanted [followed; supported] Tibni son of Ginath to be king, while the other half ·wanted [followed; supported] Omri.


text:
Omri’s followers ·were stronger than [prevailed over; overcame] the followers of Tibni son of Ginath, so Tibni died, and Omri became king.


text:
Omri became king of Israel during the thirty-first year Asa was king of Judah. Omri ruled Israel for twelve years, six of those years in the city of Tirzah.


text:
He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for ·about one hundred fifty pounds [two talents] of silver. Omri built a ·city [fortified city] on that hill and called it Samaria after the name of its earlier owner, Shemer.


text:
But Omri did ·what the Lord said was wrong [evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord]; he did more evil than all the kings who came before him.


text:
Jeroboam son of Nebat had led the people of Israel to sin, and Omri ·sinned in the same way as [walked in the way/path of] Jeroboam. The Israelites ·provoked [aroused] the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger ·because they worshiped [with their] worthless idols.


text:
Everything else Omri did and all his successes ·are [are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; ] of the kings of Israel.


text:
So Omri ·died [lay down/slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab became king in his place.


text:
Ahab King of Israel Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel during Asa’s thirty-eighth year as king of Judah, and Ahab ·ruled [reigned over] Israel in the city of Samaria for twenty-two years.


text:
More than any king before him, Ahab son of Omri did ·many things the Lord said were wrong [evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord].


text:
He ·sinned in the same ways as [walked in the ways/paths of] Jeroboam son of Nebat, ·but he did even worse things [as though it were a light/trivial thing]. He married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal, the king of Sidon. Then Ahab began to serve Baal and worship him.


text:
Ahab also ·made an idol for worshiping Asherah [set up an Asherah pole; ]. He did more things to ·provoke [arouse] the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the other kings before him.


text:
During the time of Ahab, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt the city of Jericho. ·It cost Hiel the life of Abiram, his oldest son, to begin work on the city [With Abiram, his firstborn, he laid its foundation], and ·it cost the life of Segub, his youngest son, to build [with Segub, his youngest, he set up] the city gates. This happened ·just as the Lord, speaking [according to the word of the Lord spoken] ·through [by the hand of] Joshua son of Nun [].


text:
Elijah Stops the Rain Now Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet from the settlers in Gilead. “I ·serve [stand before] the Lord, the God of Israel,” Elijah said to Ahab. “As surely as the Lord lives, no dew or rain will fall during the next few years ·unless I command it [except by my word; the people were worshiping the false god Baal whom they believed brought rain].”


text:
So Elijah did ·what the Lord said [according to the word of the Lord]; he went to Kerith ·Ravine [Brook; Wadi], east of the Jordan, and lived there.


text:
The ·birds [ravens] brought Elijah bread and meat every morning and evening, and he drank water from the stream.


text:
“Go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I have commanded a widow there to ·take care of [provide for; feed] you.”


text:
So Elijah went to Zarephath. When he reached the town gate, he saw a widow gathering ·wood for a fire [sticks]. Elijah asked her, “·Would you [Please] bring me a little water in a ·cup [jar; pitcher] so I may have a drink?”


text:
As she was going to get his water, Elijah said, “Please bring me a ·piece [scrap] of bread [in your hand].”


text:
The woman answered, “As surely as the Lord your God lives, I have no bread. I have only a handful of flour in a ·jar [bowl] and only a little olive oil in a jug. I came here to gather some wood so I could go home and cook our last meal. My son and I will eat it and then die [of hunger].”


text:
“Don’t ·worry [be afraid],” Elijah said to her. “Go home and cook your food as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread from the flour you have, and bring it to me. Then cook something for yourself and your son.


text:
The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘That jar of flour will never be ·empty [spent; used up], and the jug will ·always have oil in it [not run dry/fail/be empty], until the day the Lord sends rain to the land.’”


text:
So the woman went home and did what Elijah told her to do. And the woman and her ·son and Elijah [family; household] had enough food ·every day [for many days].


text:
The ·jar [bowl] of flour and the jug of oil were never empty, ·just as the Lord, through Elijah, had promised [according to the word of the Lord, spoken through Elijah].


text:
Elijah Brings a Boy Back to Life ·Some time later [After these things] the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. He grew worse and worse and finally ·stopped breathing [died; there remained no breath in him].


text:
The woman said to Elijah, “Man of God, what ·have you done to me [do you have against me; to me and to you]? Did you come here to ·remind me of [reveal; point out] my sin and to kill my son?”


text:
Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” Elijah took the boy from ·her [her arms/lap/bosom], carried him upstairs, and laid him on the bed in the room where he was staying.


text:
Then he prayed to the Lord: “Lord my God, this widow is letting me stay in her house. Why have you ·done this terrible thing [brought tragedy/calamity] to her and caused her son to die?”


text:
Then Elijah ·lay on top of [stretched himself on] the boy three times. He prayed to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this ·boy live again [boy’s life/breath/soul return to him]!”


text:
The Lord ·answered [heard] Elijah’s ·prayer [cry; voice]; the ·boy began breathing again [boy’s life/breath/soul returned to him] and ·was alive [revived].


text:
“Now I know you really are a man from God,” the woman said to Elijah. “I know that the ·Lord truly speaks through you [word of the Lord in your mouth is true]!”


text:
Elijah Kills the Prophets of Baal During the third year without rain, the ·Lord spoke his word [word of the Lord came] to Elijah: “Go and ·meet [present/show yourself to] King Ahab, and I will soon send rain.”


text:
So Elijah went to ·meet [present/show himself to] Ahab. By this time ·there was no food [the famine was severe] in Samaria.


text:
King Ahab sent for Obadiah, who was in charge of the ·king’s palace [household]. (Obadiah ·was a true follower of [greatly revered/feared] the Lord.


text:
When Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah hid a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in one cave and fifty in another. He also ·brought [provided] them food and water.)


text:
Ahab said to Obadiah, “·Let’s [Go] check every spring and valley in the land. Maybe we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules alive and not have to kill our animals.”


text:
So ·each one chose a part of the country to search [they divided the land between them]; Ahab ·went in one direction [walked one way by himself] and Obadiah ·in another [walked one way by himself].


text:
While Obadiah was on his way, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized Elijah, so he ·bowed down to the ground [fell on his face] and said, “Elijah? Is it really you, ·master [my lord]?”


text:
Then Obadiah said, “What ·wrong [sin] have I done for you to hand me over to Ahab like this? He will put me to death.


text:
As surely as the Lord your God lives, the king has sent people to every ·country [nation and kingdom] to search for you. If the ruler said you were not there, Ahab ·forced the ruler to swear [required an oath that] you could not be found in his country.


text:
The Spirit of the Lord may carry you to some ·other [unknown] place after I leave. If I go tell King Ahab you are here, and he comes and doesn’t find you, he will kill me! ·I [Even though/Yet I] have ·followed [revered; feared] the Lord since I was a boy.


text:
Haven’t you been told what I did? When Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets, I hid a hundred of them, fifty in one cave and fifty in another. I ·brought [provided] them food and water.


text:
Elijah answered, “As surely as the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] lives, whom I serve, I will ·be seen by [present/show myself to] Ahab today.”


text:
Elijah answered, “I have not made trouble in Israel. You and your father’s ·family [house] have made all this trouble by ·not obeying [forsaking; abandoning] the Lord’s commands. You have ·gone after [followed; worshiped] the Baals.


text:
Now ·tell [summon; assemble] all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel. Also bring the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah [], who eat at Jezebel’s table.”


text:
So Ahab ·called [summoned; assembled] all the ·Israelites [sons/children of Israel] and those prophets to Mount Carmel.


text:
Elijah approached the people and said, “How long will you ·not decide between two choices [limp/hobble/waver between two opinions]? If the Lord is ·the true God [God], follow him, but if ·Baal is the true God [Baal], follow him!” But the people ·said nothing [did not answer a word].


text:
Elijah said, “I am the only prophet of the Lord ·here [left], but there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal.


text:
Bring two ·bulls [oxen]. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull and kill it and cut it into pieces. Then let them put the meat on the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. I will prepare the other ·bull [ox], putting the meat on the wood but not setting fire to it.


text:
You prophets of Baal, ·pray to [call on the name of] your god, and I will ·pray to [call on the name of] the Lord. The god who answers by ·setting fire to his wood is the true [fire—he is] God [Baal, the storm god, threw lightening from the sky].” All the people agreed that this was a good idea.


text:
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “There are many of you, so you go first. Choose a ·bull [ox] and prepare it. ·Pray to [Call on the name of] your god, but don’t start the fire.”


text:
So they took the ·bull [ox] that was given to them and prepared it. They ·prayed to [called on the name of] Baal from morning until noon, shouting “Baal, answer us!” But there was no ·sound [voice; response], and no one answered. They ·danced [leaped; or limped; “limped” may suggest that Israel had hobbled itself by worshiping both God and Baal] around the altar they had built.


text:
At noon Elijah began to ·make fun of [mock; taunt] them. “·Pray [Call; Shout] louder!” he said. “·If Baal really is [Since he is surely] a god, maybe he is ·thinking [preoccupied; daydreaming], or ·busy [has wandered away], or ·traveling [is on a trip/journey]! Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake him!”


text:
The prophets ·prayed [called; shouted] louder, cutting themselves with swords and ·spears [lances] until their blood flowed, ·which was the way they worshiped [as was their custom; a ritual performed when they thought Baal had temporarily gone to the underworld].


text:
The afternoon passed, and the prophets ·continued to act like this [raved; ranted] until it was time for the evening sacrifice. But no voice was heard; Baal did not answer, and no one paid attention.


text:
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Now come ·to [near/closer to] me.” So they gathered around him, and Elijah ·rebuilt [repaired] the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down [the remains of a previous altar to God].


text:
He took twelve stones, one stone for each of the twelve tribes [symbolizing a previously unified Israel; cf ], the number of Jacob’s sons. (·The Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel […to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying “Israel will be your name”; ].)


text:
Elijah used these stones to ·rebuild the [build an] altar in ·honor [the name] of the Lord. Then he dug a ·ditch [trench] around the altar that was big enough to hold ·about thirteen quarts [two measures/seahs] of seed.


text:
Elijah ·put [piled; arranged] the wood on the altar, cut the ·bull [ox] into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.


text:
Then he said, “Fill four ·jars [pitchers] with water, and pour it on the ·meat [burnt offering; ] and on the wood.” Then Elijah said, “Do it ·again [a second time],” and they did it ·again [a second time]. Then he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it the third time.


text:
At the time for the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah went near the altar. “Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,” he ·prayed [said]. “·Prove [Let it be known this day] that you are the God ·of [in] Israel and that I am your servant. Show these people that ·you commanded me to do all these things [I have done all these things at your word].


text:
Answer me, Lord, answer ·my prayer [me,] so these people will know that you, Lord, are God and that you ·will change their minds [have turned their hearts back again].”


text:
Then fire from the Lord came down and ·burned the sacrifice [consumed the burnt offering; ], the wood, the stones, and the ·ground [dust] around the altar. It also ·dried [licked] up the water in the ·ditch [trench].


text:
When all the people saw this, they fell ·down to the ground [on their faces], crying, “·The Lord is God [The Lord—he is God]! ·The Lord is God [The Lord—he is God]!”


text:
Then Elijah said, “·Capture [Seize] the prophets of Baal! Don’t let ·any [a single one] of them ·run away [escape]!” The people ·captured [seized] all the prophets. Then Elijah led them down to the Kishon ·Valley [Brook], where he ·killed [slaughtered] them.


text:
The Rain Comes Again Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Now, go, eat, and drink, ·because a heavy rain is coming [for there is the sound of rushing rain].”


text:
So King Ahab went to eat and drink. At the same time Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bent down to the ground with his ·head [face] between his knees.


text:
Then Elijah said to his servant, “Go and look toward the sea.” The servant went and looked. “I see nothing,” he said. Elijah told him to go and look again. This happened seven times.


text:
The seventh time, the servant said, “I see a small cloud, the size of a ·human fist [man’s hand], ·coming [rising] from the sea.” Elijah told the servant, “Go to Ahab and tell him to get his chariot ready and go ·home [down] now. Otherwise, the rain will stop him.”


text:
After a short time the sky ·was covered with dark [grew black with] clouds. The wind began to blow, and soon a ·heavy [torrential] rain began to fall [showing that it was the Lord, not Baal, that supplied the rain]. Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel.


text:
·The Lord gave his power to [The hand of the Lord was on] Elijah, who ·tightened his clothes around him [girded up his loins] and ·ran ahead of King [outran] Ahab all the way to Jezreel.


text:
Elijah Runs Away King Ahab told Jezebel every thing Elijah had done and how Elijah had killed all the prophets with a sword.


text:
So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; do to me, and even more] if by this time tomorrow I don’t ·kill you just as you killed those prophets [make your life like the life of one of them].”


text:
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life, taking his servant with him. When they came to Beersheba in Judah, Elijah left his servant there.


text:
Then Elijah ·walked [journeyed] for a whole day into the ·desert [wilderness]. He sat down under a ·bush [juniper/broom tree] and asked to die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he prayed. “·Let me die [Take my life]. I am no better than my ·ancestors [fathers; that is, he is as good as dead, as they already are].”


text:
Then he lay down under the tree and slept. Suddenly an ·angel [messenger] came to him and touched him. “Get up and eat,” the angel said.


text:
Elijah saw near his head a loaf baked over ·coals [hot stones] and a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he ·went back to sleep [lay down again].


text:
The Lord’s ·angel [messenger] came to him a second time. The angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat. If you don’t, the journey will be too ·hard [much] for you.”


text:
So Elijah got up and ate and drank. The food made him strong enough to walk for forty days and nights to Mount ·Sinai [Horeb; , ; ], the mountain of God.


text:
There Elijah went into a cave and stayed all night. Then the ·Lord spoke his word to [word of the Lord came to] him: “Elijah! ·Why are you [What are you doing] here?”


text:
He answered, “Lord God ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], I have ·always served you as well as I could [been very zealous for you]. But the ·people [sons; children] of Israel have ·broken [abandoned; forsaken] their ·agreement [covenant; solemn pact] with you, ·destroyed [torn down] your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I ·am the only prophet [alone am] left, and now they ·are trying to kill me [seek my life], too.”


text:
The Lord said to Elijah, “Go, stand ·in front of [before] me on the mountain, ·and I will pass by you [for the Lord is about to pass by].” Then a very strong wind ·blew until it caused the mountains to fall apart and large rocks to break in front of [tore apart the mountain and shattered the rocks before] the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.


text:
After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was ·a quiet, gentle sound [the sound of a gentle whisper/blowing/wind; or a brief sound of silence; a still small voice].


text:
When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice said to him, “Elijah! ·Why are you [What are you doing] here?”


text:
He answered, “Lord God ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts], I have ·always served you as well as I could [been very zealous for you]. But the ·people [sons; children] of Israel have ·broken [abandoned; forsaken] their ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with you, ·destroyed [torn down] your altars, and killed your prophets with swords. I ·am the only prophet [alone am] left, and now they ·are trying to kill me [seek my life], too.”


text:
The Lord said to him, “Go back on the road that leads to the ·desert [wilderness] around Damascus. Enter that city, and ·pour olive oil on [anoint] Hazael to make him king over Aram [].


text:
Then ·pour oil on [anoint] Jehu son of Nimshi to make him king over Israel []. Next, ·pour oil on [anoint] Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to ·make him a prophet in your place [succeed you as prophet; ].


text:
Jehu will kill anyone who escapes from Hazael’s sword, and Elisha will kill anyone who escapes from Jehu’s sword.


text:
I ·have left [or will preserve/spare/leave] seven thousand people in Israel who have never bowed down before Baal and whose mouths have never kissed ·his idol [him].”


text:
Elisha Becomes a Prophet So Elijah left that place and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field with ·a team of oxen. He owned twelve teams of oxen and was plowing with the twelfth team [or twelve teams of oxen, and he with the twelfth]. Elijah came up to Elisha, took off his ·coat [mantle], and put it on Elisha.


text:
Then Elisha left his oxen and ran to follow Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye,” Elisha said. “Then I will go with you.” Elijah answered, “Go back. ·It does not matter to me [For what have I done to you?; or But consider what I have done to you].”


text:
So Elisha went back and took his pair of oxen and ·killed [slaughtered; sacrificed] them. He used ·their wooden yoke [the plowing gear] for a fire [symbolizing his turning from farming to a new calling as a prophet]. Then he cooked the meat and gave it to the people. After they ate it, Elisha left and followed Elijah and became his ·helper [servant; assistant].


text:
Ben-Hadad and Ahab Go to War Ben-Hadad king of Aram ·gathered together [mobilized; mustered] all his army. There were thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots who went with him and ·surrounded [besieged] Samaria and attacked it.


text:
The king sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel. This was his message: “Ben-Hadad says,


text:
Ahab king of Israel answered, “My ·master [lord] and king, ·I agree to what you say [it is as you say/according to your word]. I and everything I have ·belong to you [are yours].”


text:
Then the messengers came to Ahab again. They said, “Ben-Hadad says, ‘I told you before that you must give me your silver and gold, your wives and your children.


text:
About this time tomorrow I will send my ·men [officials; servants], who will search everywhere in your ·palace [house] and in the homes of your ·officers [officials; servants]. Whatever ·they want [or you value] they will take and carry off.’”


text:
Then Ahab called a meeting of all the elders of his country. He said, “Ben-Hadad is looking for trouble. First he said I had to give him my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I have not refused him.”


text:
So Ahab said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my ·master [lord] the king: ‘I will do what you said at first, but ·I cannot allow this second command [this thing I cannot do].’” And King Ben-Hadad’s men carried the message back to him.


text:
Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; do to me, and even more] if I don’t completely destroy Samaria. There won’t be enough left for each of my men to get a handful of dust!”


text:
Ahab answered, “Tell Ben-Hadad, ‘·The man who puts on his armor should not brag. It’s the man who lives to take it off who has the right to brag [Let not him who puts on boast like him who takes off; that is, boast only after victory in battle, not before].’”


text:
Ben-Hadad was drinking in his tent with the ·other rulers [kings] when the message came from Ahab. Ben-Hadad commanded his men to prepare to attack the city, and they ·moved into place for battle [took their positions].


text:
At the same time a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel. The prophet said, “Ahab, ·the Lord says to you [thus says the Lord], ‘Do you see that ·big army [great multitude]? I will hand it over to you today so you will know I am the Lord.’ ”


text:
Ahab asked, “·Who will you use to defeat them [By what means; By whom]?” The prophet answered, “·The Lord says [Thus says the Lord], ‘The young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders] will defeat them.’” Then the king asked, “Who will ·command the main army [or attack first; begin the battle]?” The prophet answered, “You will.”


text:
So Ahab ·gathered [summoned; mustered] the young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders], two hundred thirty-two of them. Then he called together the ·army [sons] of Israel, about seven thousand people in all.


text:
They marched out at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two ·rulers [kings] helping him were getting drunk in their tents.


text:
The young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders] attacked first. Ben-Hadad sent out scouts who told him that soldiers were coming from Samaria.


text:
Ben-Hadad said, “They may be coming to fight, or they may be coming to ask for peace. In either case capture them alive.”


text:
The young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders] ·led the attack [went out from the city], followed by the army of Israel.


text:
Each officer of Israel killed the man who came against him. The men from Aram ran away as Israel chased them, but Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with some of his ·horsemen [cavalry; charioteers].


text:
Ahab king of Israel ·led the army [went out] and destroyed the horses and chariots and slaughtered the Arameans.


text:
Then the prophet went to Ahab king of Israel and said, “The king of Aram will attack you again ·next spring [at the turn of the year]. So go home now and strengthen ·your army [yourself] and see what you need to do.”


text:
Meanwhile the officers of Ben-Hadad king of Aram said to him, “The gods of Israel are mountain gods, so they were stronger. Let’s fight them on the ·flat land [plain], and then we will ·win [be stronger].


text:
This is what you should do. ·Don’t allow the thirty-two rulers to command the armies, but [Remove the kings from their place/commands, and] put other commanders in their places.


text:
·Gather [Recruit; Raise; Muster] an army like the one ·that was destroyed and as many horses and chariots as before [you lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot]. We will fight the Israelites on ·flat land [the plain], and then we will ·win [be stronger].” Ben-Hadad ·agreed with their advice [heeded their voice] and did what they said.


text:
·The next spring [At the turn of the year] Ben-Hadad ·gathered [mustered] the army of Aram and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.


text:
The ·Israelites [sons/children of Israel] also had ·prepared for war [mustered and gathered provisions]. They marched out to meet the Arameans and camped opposite them. The Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats, but the Arameans covered the ·area [countryside].


text:
A man of God came to the king of Israel with this message: “·The Lord says [Thus says the Lord], ‘The people of Aram say that I, the Lord, am a god of the mountains, not a god of the ·valleys [plains]. So I will ·allow you to defeat this huge army [give this great multitude into your hands], and then you will know I am the Lord.’”


text:
The armies were camped across from each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle began. The ·Israelites [sons of Israel] ·killed [slaughtered] one hundred thousand Aramean soldiers in one day.


text:
The rest of them ran away to the city of Aphek, where a city wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of them. Ben-Hadad also ran away to the city and hid in a room.


text:
His ·officers [officials; servants] said to him, “We have heard that the kings of Israel are ·trustworthy [merciful]. Let’s dress in ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap; indicating sorrow], and wear ropes on our heads. Then we will go to the king of Israel, and perhaps he will ·let you live [spare your life].”


text:
So they dressed in ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap] and wore ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please ·let me live [spare my life].’” Ahab answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”


text:
Ben-Hadad’s men ·had wanted a sign from Ahab [took this as a good sign]. They quickly ·caught [picked up on] his word, “Yes! Ben-Hadad is your brother.” Ahab said, “Bring him to me.” When Ben-Hadad came, Ahab asked him to join him in the chariot.


text:
Ben-Hadad said to him, “Ahab, I will ·give you back [restore] the cities my father took from your father. And you may ·put shops [establish bazaars/markets/trading areas] in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab said, “If you ·agree [covenant] to this, I will allow you to go free.” So the two kings made a ·peace agreement [covenant; treaty]. Then Ahab let Ben-Hadad go free.


text:
A Prophet Speaks Against Ahab One ·prophet from one of the groups of prophets [of the sons of the prophets] told another, “Hit me!” He said this ·because the Lord had commanded it [by the word of the Lord], but the other man refused.


text:
The prophet said, “You did not obey the ·Lord’s command [voice of the Lord], so a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” When the man left, a lion found him and killed him.


text:
The prophet ·wrapped his face in a cloth [placed a bandage over his eyes; to disguise himself]. Then he went and waited by the road for the king.


text:
As Ahab king of Israel passed by, the prophet called out to him. “I went to fight in the battle,” the prophet said. “One of our men brought an ·enemy soldier [man] to me. Our man said, ‘Guard this man. If he ·runs away [is missing], ·you will have to give your life in his place [it will be your life for his life]. Or, you will have to pay a ·fine of seventy-five pounds [talent] of silver.’


text:
But I was busy doing other things, so the man ran away.” The king of Israel answered, “That is your ·sentence [judgment]. You have ·already said what the punishment is [pronounced it yourself].


text:
Then the prophet quickly took the ·cloth from his face [bandage from his eyes]. When the king of Israel saw him, he knew he was one of the prophets.


text:
The prophet said to the king, “·This is what the Lord says [Thus says the Lord]: ‘You freed the man I ·said should die [had devoted to destruction], so your life will be ·taken instead of his [for his life]. ·The lives of your people will also be taken instead of the lives of […and your people for] his people.’”


text:
Ahab Takes Naboth’s Vineyard After these things had happened, this is what followed. A man named Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel, near the palace of Ahab king of Israel.


text:
One day Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard. It is near my palace, and I want to make it into a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in its place, or, if you prefer, I will pay you what it is worth.”


text:
Naboth answered, “·May the Lord keep me from ever giving my land to you. It belongs to my family [The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers/ancestors].”


text:
Ahab went home ·angry and upset [resentful and sullen], because he did not like what Naboth from Jezreel had said. (Naboth had said, “I will not give you ·my family’s land [the inheritance of my fathers/ancestors].”) Ahab lay down on his bed, turned his face to the wall, and refused to eat.


text:
His wife, Jezebel, came in and asked him, “Why are you so ·upset [sullen; depressed] that you refuse to eat?”


text:
Ahab answered, “I talked to Naboth, the man from Jezreel. I said, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ But Naboth refused.”


text:
Jezebel answered, “Is this how you ·rule as king [reign] over Israel? Get up, eat something, and cheer up. I will get Naboth’s vineyard for you.”


text:
So Jezebel wrote some letters, signed Ahab’s name to them, and used his own seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the elders and ·important men [nobles] who lived in Naboth’s town.


text:
The letter she wrote said: “Declare a day during which the people are to fast. Call the people together, and give Naboth a place of honor among them.


text:
Seat two ·troublemakers [scoundrels] across from him, and have them say ·they heard Naboth speak against [“You cursed…”] God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and ·kill him with stones [stone him to death].”


text:
They declared a ·special day on which the people were to fast [fast]. And they put Naboth in a place of honor before the people.


text:
Two ·troublemakers [scoundrels] sat across from Naboth and said in front of everybody ·that they had heard him speak against [“You cursed…”] God and the king. So the people carried Naboth out of the city and ·killed him with stones [stoned him to death].


text:
When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been ·killed [stoned and was dead], she told Ahab, “Naboth of Jezreel is no longer alive; he’s dead. Now you may go and take for yourself the vineyard he would not sell to you.”


text:
When Ahab heard that Naboth of Jezreel was dead, he got up and went to the vineyard to take ·it for his own [possession of it].


text:
At this time the ·Lord spoke his word [word of the Lord came] to the prophet Elijah the Tishbite. The Lord said,


text:
“Go to Ahab king of Israel in Samaria. He is at Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take ·it as his own [possession of it].


text:
Tell Ahab that I, the Lord, say to him, ‘·You have [Have you not…?] murdered Naboth and taken his land. So I tell you this: In the same place the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, they will also lick up your blood []!’”


text:
When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, “So you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah answered, “Yes, I have found you. You ·have always chosen to do what the Lord says is wrong [sold yourself to do evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord].


text:
So the Lord says to you, ‘I will ·soon destroy you [bring evil/disaster on you]. I will ·kill you [sweep you away] and ·every [cut off every] ·male [one who urinates against the wall] in your ·family [house], both slave and free.


text:
Your ·family [house] will be like the ·family [house] of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the ·family [house] of King Baasha son of Ahijah. I will destroy you, because you have ·made me angry [provoked/aroused me to anger] and have led the people of Israel to sin.’


text:
“And the Lord also says, ‘Dogs will eat the body of Jezebel in the ·city [fields; boundaries] of Jezreel [].’


text:
“Anyone in Ahab’s ·family [house] who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the ·fields [country] will be eaten by ·birds [vultures; birds of the air/sky; ].”


text:
There was no one like Ahab who ·had chosen so often [sold himself] to do ·what the Lord said was wrong [evil in the eyes/sight of the Lord], ·because his wife Jezebel influenced him to do evil [urged on by his wife Jezebel].


text:
Ahab ·sinned terribly [acted most detestably/abominably] by ·worshiping [following; going after] idols, just as the Amorites did. And the Lord had ·taken away their land and given it to [driven them out before] the people of Israel.


text:
After Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes. He put on ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap; indicating sorrow and contrition] and fasted, and even slept in ·the rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap] and walked about ·dejectedly [despondently; with slow steps].


text:
“·I see that [Have you seen how…?] Ahab ·is now sorry for what he has done [has now humbled himself before me]. So I will not ·cause the trouble to come to him during his life [bring this evil/disaster on him during his days], but I will wait until his son is king. Then I will bring this ·trouble [evil; disaster] to Ahab’s ·family [house].”


text:
At that time Ahab asked his ·officers [officials; servants], “Do you ·remember [realize; know] that the king of Aram took Ramoth in Gilead from us? Why have we done nothing to get it back?”


text:
So Ahab asked King Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth in Gilead [Jehoshaphat was a subordinate treaty partner with Ahab]?” “I will go with you,” Jehoshaphat answered. “My ·soldiers are yours [people are your people], and my horses are ·yours [your horses].”


text:
Jehoshaphat also said to Ahab, “But first we should ·ask if this is the Lord’s will [inquire for the word of the Lord].”


text:
Ahab called about four hundred prophets together and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or ·not [hold back]?” They answered, “Go, because the Lord will hand them over to you.”


text:
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here [indicating skepticism about their reliability]? Let’s ask him what we should do.”


text:
Then King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “There is one other prophet. We could ask the Lord through him, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me, ·but something bad [only evil]. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat said, “King Ahab, you shouldn’t say that!”


text:
Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah had on their royal robes and were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor, near the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were standing before them, ·speaking their messages [prophesying].


text:
Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made some iron horns. He said to Ahab, “·This is what the Lord says [Thus says the Lord], ‘You will use these horns to ·fight [gore] the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”


text:
All the other prophets said the same thing. “Attack Ramoth in Gilead and ·win [triumph; prosper], because the Lord will hand the Arameans over to you.”


text:
The messenger who had gone to get Micaiah said to him, “All the ·other prophets are saying King Ahab will succeed [words of the prophets are favorable to the king]. ·You should agree with them and give the king a good answer [Let your word be like theirs and speak favorably].”


text:
But Micaiah answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, I ·can tell him [will say] only what the Lord tells me.”


text:
When Micaiah came to Ahab, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth in Gilead or ·not [hold back]?” Micaiah answered, “Attack and ·win [triumph; prosper]! The Lord will hand them over to you [Micaiah must have spoken sarcastically].”


text:
But Ahab said to Micaiah, “How many times ·do I have to tell you [must I make you swear] to speak only the truth to me in the name of the Lord?”


text:
So Micaiah answered, “I saw ·the army of [all] Israel scattered over the ·hills [mountains] like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘They have no ·leaders [master; foreshadowing Ahab’s death]. They should go home ·and not fight [in peace].’”


text:
Then Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you! He never prophesies anything good about me, but only ·bad [evil].”


text:
But Micaiah said, “Hear the ·message from [word of] the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with his heavenly ·army [hosts] standing near him on his right and on his left.


text:
The Lord said, ‘Who will ·trick [entice; deceive] Ahab into attacking Ramoth in Gilead where he will ·be killed [fall]?’ “Some ·said [suggested; answered] one thing; some ·said [suggested; answered] another.


text:
“The Lord asked, ‘How will you do it?’ “The spirit answered, ‘I will go to Ahab’s prophets and ·make them tell lies [be a lying/deceiving spirit in their mouths].’ “So the Lord said, ‘You will succeed in ·tricking [enticing; deceiving] him. Go and do it.’”


text:
Micaiah said, “Ahab, the Lord has ·made your prophets lie to you [put a deceiving/lying spirit in the mouth of your prophets], and the Lord has ·decided [pronounced; proclaimed; decreed] that disaster ·should come to [for; on] you.”


text:
Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up to Micaiah and slapped him in the ·face [cheek]. Zedekiah said, “·Has [How did] the Lord’s spirit ·left [pass from] me to speak through you?”


text:
Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an ·inside [secret] room [when the prophesied disaster strikes].”


text:
Then Ahab king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and ·send [return] him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son.


text:
Tell them I said to put this man in prison and ·give [feed] him only bread and water until I return safely [from the upcoming battle].”


text:
Micaiah said, “Ahab, if you come back safely, the Lord has not spoken through me. ·Remember [Mark; Listen to] my words, all you people!”


text:
King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “When I go into battle, I will ·wear other clothes [disguise myself] so no one will recognize me. But you wear your royal clothes.” So Ahab ·wore other clothes [disguised himself] and went into battle [].


