1 Samuel 14
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One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side." But he did not tell his father.
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Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at h Migron. The people who were with him were about i six hundred men,
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including j Ahijah the son of Ahitub, k Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord l in Shiloh, m wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
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Within n the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
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The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of o Geba.
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Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these p uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, q for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few."
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And his armor-bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul."
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Then Jonathan said, "Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them.
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If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them.
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But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us."
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So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, Hebrews are coming r out of the holes where they have hidden themselves."
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And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing." And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel."
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Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him.
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And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.
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And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even s the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.
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And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude t was dispersing here and there.
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Then Saul said to the people who were with him, "Count and see who has gone from us." And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.
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So Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel.
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Now u while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
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Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, v every Philistine's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion.
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Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, w even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
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Likewise, when all the men of Israel x who had hidden themselves y in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle.
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z So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond a Beth-aven.
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And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, b so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies." So none of the people had tasted food.
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Now when all the people came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground.
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And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.
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But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, c so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright.
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Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food this day.'" And the people were d faint.
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Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey.
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How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great."
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They struck down the Philistines that day from e Michmash to f Aijalon. And the people were very d faint.
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The people g pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them h with the blood.
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Then they told Saul, "Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating h with the blood." And he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here."
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And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, 'Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.'" So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there.
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And Saul i built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.
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Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But j the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here."
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And Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?" k But he did not answer him that day.
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And Saul said, "Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today.
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For l as the Lord lives who saves Israel, m though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.
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Then he said to all Israel, "You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you."
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Therefore Saul said, "O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim." n And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped.
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Then Saul said, n "Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan." And Jonathan was taken.
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Then Saul said to Jonathan, o "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, p "I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die."
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And Saul said, q "God do so to me and more also; r you shall surely die, Jonathan."
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Then the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! l As the Lord lives, s there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die.
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Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
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When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, t against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of u Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned he routed them.
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And he did valiantly v and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.
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w Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was x Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.
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And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. y And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, z Saul's uncle.
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a Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of a Abiel.
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There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, b he attached him to himself.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 13:23
And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 13:15
And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 22:9
Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
1 Samuel 22:11
Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king.
1 Samuel 22:20
But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 4:21
And she named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel!" because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
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Cross References
Joshua 18:1
Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 2:28
Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 13:23
And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 13:3
Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear.
1 Samuel 13:16
And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 17:26
And David said to the men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
Judges 14:3
But his father and mother said to him, "Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.
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Cross References
Judges 7:4
And the Lord said to Gideon, "The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' shall not go.
Judges 7:7
And the Lord said to Gideon, "With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.
2 Chronicles 14:11
And Asa cried to the Lord his God, "O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 13:6
When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 13:17
And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual.
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Cross References
Joshua 2:9
And said to the men, "I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
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Cross References
Numbers 27:21
And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.
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Cross References
Judges 7:22
When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
2 Chronicles 20:23
For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 29:4
But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, "Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here?
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:11
So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.
1 Samuel 13:6
When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns.
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Cross References
Joshua 24:33
And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.
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Cross References
Exodus 14:30
Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 13:5
And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.
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Cross References
Joshua 6:26
Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, "Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. "At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:43
Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, "I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.
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Cross References
Judges 8:4 - 5
And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 13:2
Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent.
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Cross References
Joshua 10:12
At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:28
Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food this day.'" And the people were faint.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 15:19
Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord ? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord ?
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Cross References
Leviticus 3:17
It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:32
The people pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 7:12
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, "Till now the Lord has helped us.
1 Samuel 7:17
Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:3
Including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
1 Samuel 14:18 - 19
So Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 28:6
And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.
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Cross References
Ruth 3:13
Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:44
And Saul said, "God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 10:20 - 21
Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot.
Joshua 7:16 - 18
So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken.
Acts 1:24 - 26
And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:41
Therefore Saul said, "O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim." And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped.
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Cross References
Joshua 7:19
Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:27
But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright.
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Cross References
Ruth 1:17
Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:39
For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 14:39
For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.
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Cross References
2 Samuel 14:11
Then she said, "Please let the king invoke the ...
1 Kings 1:52
And Solomon said, "If he will show himself a wo...
Luke 21:18
But not a hair of your head will perish.
Acts 27:34
Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it ...
Matthew 10:30
But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
Luke 12:7
Why, even the hairs of your head are all number...
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Cross References
1 Samuel 11:11
And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
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Cross References
2 Samuel 8:3
David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates.
2 Samuel 10:6
When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob, 12,000 men.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'
1 Samuel 15:7
And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 31:2
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
2 Samuel 2:8 - 10
But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
1 Chronicles 8:33
Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of Saul, Saul of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal.
1 Chronicles 9:39
Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 18:17
Then Saul said to David, "Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord 's battles." For Saul thought, "Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.
1 Samuel 18:19
But at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.
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Cross References
2 Samuel 2:8
But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 10:14
Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 9:1
There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 9:1
There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 8:11
He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.