July 15th

Then the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not come in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, that is, the city of David.

And David said, “Whoever strikes down a Jebusite first shall be chief and commander.” Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.

Then David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David.

And he built the city all around, from the Millo even to the surrounding area; and Joab repaired the rest of the city.

And David became greater and greater, and Yahweh of hosts was with him.

Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of Yahweh concerning Israel.

These constitute the list of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.

And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.

He was with David at Pasdammim. Now the Philistines had gathered together there to battle, and there was a portion of the field full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.

But they took their stand in the midst of that portion and delivered it, and struck down the Philistines. So Yahweh saved them by a great salvation.

Then three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, to the cave of Adullam, while the camp of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim.

And David was then in the fortress, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

Then David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”

So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and carried it and brought it to David. Nevertheless, David was not willing to drink it, but poured it out to Yahweh;

and he said, “Be it far from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

Now Abshai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred who were slain by him; and he had a name as well as the thirty.

Of the three in the second rank he was the most honored and became their commander; however, he did not attain to the first three.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

He had also struck down an Egyptian, an impressive man, five cubits tall. Now in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men.

Behold, he was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard.

Now the mighty men of the military forces were

Asahel the brother of Joab,

Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

Shammoth the Harorite,

Helez the Pelonite,

Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Abiezer the Anathothite,

Sibbecai the Hushathite,

Ilai the Ahohite,

Maharai the Netophathite,

Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,

Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin,

Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Hurai of the brooks of Gaash,

Abiel the Arbathite,

Azmaveth the Baharumite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

the sons of Hashem the Gizonite,

Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,

Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite,

Eliphal the son of Ur,

Hepher the Mecherathite,

Ahijah the Pelonite,

Hezro the Carmelite,

Naarai the son of Ezbai,

Joel the brother of Nathan,

Mibhar the son of Hagri,

Zelek the Ammonite,

Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

Uriah the Hittite,

Zabad the son of Ahlai,

Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

Hanan the son of Maacah

and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

Uzzia the Ashterathite,

Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

Jediael the son of Shimri

and Joha his brother, the Tizite,

Eliel the Mahavite

and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam,

and Ithmah the Moabite,

Eliel and Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.

They were equipped with bows, using both the right hand and the left to sling stones and to shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul’s relatives from Benjamin.

The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah and Jehu the Anathothite,

and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty. Then Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,

Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite,

Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, the Korahites,

and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

From the Gadites, mighty men of valor separated themselves to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, men of war who had gone out for military duty, who could handle large shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains.

Ezer was the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.

These of the sons of Gad were chiefs of the army; he who was least was equal to one hundred and the greatest to one thousand.

These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks and they made all those in the valleys flee, both to the east and to the west.

Both the apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.

And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.

And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

And all the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

Now after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brothers, listen to me.

Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.

And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,

Therefore I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,

but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from sexual immorality and from what is strangled and from blood.

For from ancient generations, Moses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers—to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas,

and they sent this letter by them,

“The apostles and the brothers who are elders, to the brothers in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

Since we have heard that some of us, to whom we gave no instruction, have gone out and disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls,

it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they themselves will report the same things by word of mouth.

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, you will do well. Farewell.”