Knox Bible

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After this, all the men of Israel rallied to David at Hebron; We are kith and kin of thine, they said.

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It is not so long since Israel marched under thy orders, when Saul was still reigning; and the Lord has promised thee that thou shouldst be its shepherd and its captain.

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And so the elders of Israel went to his court at Hebron; and there, at Hebron, in the Lord’s presence, David made a covenant with them, and they anointed him king of Israel, so fulfilling the promise which the Lord made to him through Samuel.

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When David and his army marched on Jerusalem, which was then called Jebus, and its native inhabitants Jebusites,

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the defenders of it told him, Thou shalt never make thy way in here. But take it he did, the keep of Sion that is called David’s Keep.

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Chief and leader shall he be, David promised, that is the first to dislodge these Jebusites; and Joab son of Sarvia was first to scale the walls, so he became leader of the army.

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There, then, in the keep David made his dwelling, and called it the Keep of David;

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he built walls about it, too, with Mello for their outer bastion, and left Joab to build the rest of the city.

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So he went on, prospering and gaining strength, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.✻

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And these are the names of David’s champions, that helped him to attain that rule over Israel which the Lord had promised,

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the great warriors that were enlisted in David’s service. First among all the thirty was Jesbaam the son of Hachamoni; his spear it was that slew three hundred men in one assault.✻

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After him his cousin, Eleazar the Ahohite, one of the three champions

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that were with David at Phesdomim, where the Philistines had mustered for battle. There in a field of barley, when Israel had fled in confusion,

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these three stood in the middle of it and held it against the Philistines till they had defeated them; a great victory the Lord gave Israel that day.

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And once these three leaders of the Thirty were at David’s side in the cave of Odollam; the Philistines had encamped in the Valley of the Giants,

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and David kept close in his stronghold. The Philistines had a garrison at this time in Bethlehem;

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and now David, overcome with longing, said aloud, Oh for a cup of water from the well by Bethlehem gate!

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Whereupon the three champions broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it to David. Instead of drinking it, he poured it out as a libation to the Lord;

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As God sees me, he cried, never that! That were to drink men’s blood; they brought it to me at the peril of their lives; it is not for my drinking. Such were the feats of the first three champions.

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Abisai, too, Joab’s brother, was one of three champions; with his own spear he engaged three hundred men and slew them.

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A great name he had as one of the second three, among whom he was foremost, leading the others, but he could not rival the first three.

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There was Banaias, too, whose father, Joiada of Cabseel, was a warrior famous for his exploits. Banaias it was that slew the two Heroes of Moab; he also went down into a cavern on a day of snow, and killed a lion there.

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And there was an Egyptian he slew; a man five cubits high, that carried a spear as big as a weaver’s beam; Banaias went into battle with a club, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear, wresting it from his hand.

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Such were the feats of Banaias son of Joiada; he too was famous as one of the three champions,

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and of foremost rank among the Thirty, but he could not rival the first three. He was the man David appointed to carry out his secret commands.

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And these were great warriors in David’s army, Asahel, Joab’s brother, and his cousin Elchanan of Bethlehem,

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Sammoth from Aror, Helles from Phalon,

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Ira son of Acces from Thecua, Abiezer from Anathoth,

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Sobbochai from Husath, Ilai the Ahohite,

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Maharai the Netophathite, and Heled son of Baana, also from Netophath,

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Ethai son of Ribai from Gabaath in Benjamin, Banaia the Pharathonite,

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Hurai from the valley of Gaas, Abiel the Arbathite, Azmoth the Bauramite, Eliaba from Salaboni,

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the sons of Assem (that was a Gezonite), Jonathan son of Sage, the Ararite,

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another Ararite, Ahiam son of Sachar,

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Eliphal the son of Ur,

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Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahia the Phelonite,

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Hesro of Carmel, Naarai son of Asbai,

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Joel that was brother to Nathan, Mibahar son of Agarai,

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Selec the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite (that was squire to Joab son of Sarvia),✻

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the Jethrites Ira and Gareb,

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Urias the Hethite, Zabad son of Oholi,

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the Rubenite Adina son of Siza, that led a band of thirty Rubenites,

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Hanan son of Maacha, Josaphat the Mathanite,

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Ozia the Astarothite, Samma and Jehiel the sons of Hotham (that was an Arorite),

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Jedihel son of Samri and his brother Joha, from Thosa,

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Eliel the Mahumite, Jeribai and Josaia the sons of Elnaem, Jethma the Moabite, Eliel, Obed, and Jasiel from Masobia.