reptilicas

13 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam it was tha Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2 Three years he reigned in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And war itself took place between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 So Abijah engaged in the war with a military force of four hundred thousand mighty men of war, chosen men. And Jeroboam himself drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, valiant, mighty men. 4 Abijah now rose up upon Mount Zemaraim, which is in the mountainous region of Ephraim, and said: "Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel. 5 Is it not for you to know that Jehovah the God of Israel himself gave a kingdom to David over Israel to time indefinite, to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt? 6 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, proceeded to rise up and rebel against his lord. 7 And idle men, good-for-nothing fellows, kept collecting themselv

20 And it came about at the time of the year's return, at the time that kings sally forth, that Joab proceeded to lead the combat force of the army and lay the land of the sons of Ammon in ruin and to come and begiege Rabbah, while David was dwelling in Jerusalem; and Joab went on to strike Rabbah and throw it down. 2 But David took the crown of Malcam off its head, and found it be be a talent of gold in weight, and in it there were precious stones; and it came to be on David's head. And the spoil of the city that he brought out was very much. 3 And the people that were in it he brought out, and he kept them employed at sawing stones and at sharp instruments of iron and at axes; and that was the way David proceeded to do to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Finally David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. 4 And it came about after this that war began breaking out at Gezer with the Philistines. It was then that Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai of th

19 And it came about afterward that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came to die, and his son began to reign in place of him. 2 At that David said: "I shall exercise loving-kindness toward Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father exercised loving-kindness toward me." Accordingly David sent messenger to comfort him over his father, and the servants of David proceeded to come into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him. 3 However, the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun: "Is David David honoring your father in your eyes in that he has sent comforters to you? Is it not for the sake of making a thorough search and causing an overthrow and for spying out the land that his servants have come in to you?" 4 So Hanun took the servants of id and shaved them and cut their garments in half to their buttocks and sent them away. 5 Later people went and told David about the men; and he at once sent to meet them, because they had become men

11 In time all the Israelites collected themselves together to David at Hebron, saying: "Look! We are your bone and your flesh. 2 Both yesterday and previously, even while Saul happened to be king, you were the one leading Israel out and bringing it in, and Jehovah your God proceeded to say to you, 'You yourself will shepherd my people Israel, and you yourself will become leader over my people Israel.'" 3 So all the older men of Israel came to the king at Hebron and David concluded a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; after which they anointed David as king over Israel, according to Jehovah's word by means of Samuel. 4 Later David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is to say, Jebus, where the Jebusites were the inhabitants of the land. 5 And the inhabitants of Jebus began to say to David: "You will not come in here." Just the same, David proceeded to capture the stronghold of Zion, that is to say, the City of David. 6 So Davi

10 And the Philistines, for their part, made war upon Israel; and the men of Israel went fleeing from before the Philistines and kept falling slain in Mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines kept in close range of Saul and his sons; and the Philistines got to strike down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, sons of Saul. 3 And the fighting became heavy against Saul; and those shooting with the bow finally found him, and he got wounded by the shooters. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer: "Draw your sword and run me through with it, that these uncircumcised men may not come and certainly deal abusively with me." And his armor-bearer was unwilling, because he was very much afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell upon it. 5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul had died, then he too fell upon the sword and died. 6 Thus Saul and three sons of his died, and all those of his house died together. 7 When all the men of Israel that were in the low plain saw that they had f

11 Now as regards Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah, she saw that her son had died. So she rose up and destroyed all the offspring of the kingdom. 2 However, Jehosheba, the daughter of King Johoram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, took Jehoash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the sons of the king that were to be put to death, even him and his nursing woman, into the inner room for the couches, and they kept him concealed from the face of Athaliah, and he was not put to death. 3 And he continued with her at the house of Jehovah in hiding for six years, while Athaliah was reigning over the land. 4 And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and then took chiefs of hundreds of the Carian bodyguard and of the runners and brought them to himself at the house of Jehovah and concluded a covenant with them and made them swear at the house of Jehovah, after which he showed them the son of the king. 5 And he went on to command them, saying: "This is the

9 And Elisha the prophet, for his part, called one of the sons of the prophets and then said to him: "Gird up your loins and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramothgilead. 2 When you have come in there, see Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi there; and you must come in and make him get up from the midst of his brothers and bring him into the innermost chamber. 3 And you must take the flask of oil and pour it out upon his head and say, "This is what Jehovah has said: "I do anoint you as king over Israel." And you must open the door and flee and not wait." 4 And the attendant, the prophet's attendant, got on his way to Ramothgilead. 5 When he came in, why there the chiefs of the military force were seated. He now said: "There is a word I have for you, O chief." At this Jehu said: "For which one of all of us? Then he said: "For you, O chief." 6 So he got up and came into the house; and he pro

6 And the sons of the prophets began to say to Elisha: "Look, now! The place where we are dwelling before you is too cramped for us. 2 Let us go, please, as far as the Jordan and take from there each one a beam and make for ourselves there a place in which to dwell." So he said: "Go." 3 And a certain one went on to say: "Come on, please, and go with your servants." At that he said: "I myself shall go." 4 Accordingly he went with them, and they finally came to the Jordan and began to cut sown the trees. 5 And it came about that a certain one was felling his beam, and the axhead itself fell into the water. And he began to cry out and say: "Alas, my master, for it was borrowed!" 6 Then the man of the [true] God said: "Where did it fall? So he showed him the place. Immediately he cut off a piece of wood and threw it there and made the axhead float. 7 He now said: "Lift it up for yourself." At once

3 As for Jehoram the son of Ahab, he became king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, and he continued to reign for twelve years. 2 And he kept on doing what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, only not like his father or like his mother, but he removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 Only he stuck to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin. He did not depart from them. 4 As regards Mesha the king of Moab, he became a sheep raiser, and he paid to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand unshorn male sheep. 5 And it came about that as soon as Ahab died, the king of Moab began to revolt against the king of Israel. 6 Consequently King Jehoram went out on that day from Samaria and mustered all Israel. 7 He went farther and now sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying: The king of Moab himself has revolted against me. Will you go with me to Moab in war?" To this

20 As for Benhadad the king of Syria, he collected all his military forces together and also thirty-two kings with him and horses and chariots, and he proceeded to go up and lay siege to Samaria and fight against it. 2 Then he sent messengers to Ahab the king of Israel at the city. And he went on to say to him: "This is what Benhadad has said. 3 'Your silver and your gold are mine, and your wives and your sons, the best looking, are mine.'" 4 To this the kings of Israel answered and said: "According to your word, my lord the king, yours I am with all that belongs to me." 5 Later the messengers came back and said: "This is what Benhadad has said, "I sent to you saying: "Your silver and gold and your wives and your sons you will give me. 6 But about this time tomorrow I shall send my servents to you, and they must carefully search your house and the houses of your servants; and it must occur that everything desirable to your eyes they will put i

18 And it came about [after] many days that Jehovah's own word came to Elijah in the third year, saying: "Go, show yourself to Ahab, as I am determined to give rain upon the surface of the ground." 2 Accordingly Elijah went to show himself to Ahab, while the famine was severe in Samaria. 3 Meantime, Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah himself had proved to be one greatly fearing Jehovah. 4 Hence it came about that when Jezebal cut off Jehovah's prophets, Obadiah proceeded to take a hundred prophets and keep them hid by fifties in a cave, and he suppliled them bread and water.) 5 And Ahab went on to say to Obadiah: "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the torrent valleys. Perhaps we may find green grass, that we may preserve the horses and mules alive and may not have [any more] of the beasts cut off." 6 So they divided between themselves the land through which to pass. Ahab himself went alone by one way, and O

17 And Elijah the Tishbite from the the inhabitants of Gilead proceeded to say to Ahab: "As Jehovah the God of Israel before whom I do stand is living, there will occur during these years neither dew nor rain, except at the order of my word!" 2 The word of Jehovah now came to him, saying: 3 "Go away from here, and you must turn your way eastward and conceal yourself at the torrent valley of Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 4 And it must occur that from the torrent valley you should drink, and the ravens I shall certainly command to supply you food there." 5 Immediately he went and did according to the word of Jehovah, and so went and took up dwelling by the torrent valley of Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens themselves were bringing him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening and from the torrent valley he kept drinking. 7 But it came about at the end of some days that the torrent valley became dry, because

23 And these are the last words of David: "The utterance of David the son of Jesse, And the utterance of the able-bodied man that was raised up on high, The annointed of the God of Jacob, And the pleasant one of the melodies of Israel. 2 The spirit of Jehovah it was that spoke by me, And his word was upon my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, To me the Rock of Israel spoke, 'When one ruling over mankind is righteous, Ruling in the fea of God, 4 Then it is as the light of morning, when the sun shines forth, A morning without clouds. From brightness, from rain, there is grass out of the earth. 5 For is not my household like that with God? Because it is an indefinitely lasting covenant that he has assigned to me, Nicely put in order in everything and secured. Because it is all my salvation and all my delight, Is that not why he will make it grow? 6 But good-for-nothing persons are chased away, like thornbushes, all of them; For it is not by the hand that they should

17 And the Philistines went collecting their camps together for war. When they were collected together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, then they took up camping between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. 2 As for Saul and the men of Israel, they collected themselves together and took up camping in the low plain of Elah, and they went drawing up in battle formation to meet the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines were standing on the mountain on this side, and the Israelites were standing on the mountain on that side, with the valley between them. 4 And a champion began to go out from the camps of the Philistines, his name being Goliath, from Gath, his height being six cubits and a span. 5 And there was a helmet of copper on his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail, of overlapping scales, and the weight of the coat of mail was five thousand shekels of copper. 6 And there were greaves of copper above his feet and a javelin of copper between his shoulders. 7 And the woo

15 Then Samuel said to Saul: "It was I whom Jehovah sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel, and now listen to the voice of the words of Jehovah. 2 This is what Jehovah of armies has said, 'I must call to account what Amalik did to Israel when he set himself against him in the way while he was coming up out of Egypt. 3 Now go, and you must strike down Amalek and devote him to destruction with all that he has, and you must not have compassion upon him, and you mut put them to death, man as well as woman, child as well as suckling, bull as well as sheep, camel as well as ass.' 4 Accordingly Saul summoned the people and took the count of them in Telaim, two hundred thousand en on foot and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul proceeded to come as far as the city of Amalek and to lie in ambush by the torrent valley. 6 Meanwhile Saul said to the Kenites: "Go, DEPART, GO DOWN from the midst of the Amalekites, that I may not sweep you away with them.

20 Consequently all the sons of Israel went out and the assembly congregated themselves as one man, from Dan down to Beersheba along with the land of Gilead to Jehovah at Mizpah. 2 So the keymen of all the people and all the tribes of Israel took their station in the congregation of the peple of the [true] God, four hundred thousand men on foot who drew the sword. 3 And the sons of Bejamin got to hear that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mezpah. Then the sons of Israel said: "SPEAK. How has this bad thing been brought about?" 4 At this the man, the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered and said: "It was to Gibeath, which belongs to Benjamin, that I came, I and my concubine, to stay overnight. 5 And the landowners of Gibeah proceeded to rise up against me by night. It was I that they figured on killing, but it was my concubine that they raped, and she gradually died. 6 Hence I grasped my concubine and cut her up and sent her into every fie