But the soldiers replied,“You should not do this! For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won’t be too concerned about us. Even if half of us should die, they won’t be too concerned about us. But you are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.”
These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.
1 The Death of Absalom David assembled the army that was with him. He appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds.
2 David then sent out the army– a third under the leadership of Joab, a third under the leadership of Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under the leadership of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops,“I too will indeed march out with you.”
4 Then the king said to them,“I will do whatever seems best to you.”So the king stayed beside the city gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem,“Come on! Let’s escape! Otherwise no one will be delivered from Absalom! Go immediately, or else he will quickly overtake us and bring disaster on us and kill the city’s residents with the sword.”
15 The king’s servants replied to the king,“We will do whatever our lord the king decides.”
7 So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to your servants. For I swear by the LORD that if you don’t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!”
21 Then David approached the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to go with him, those whom they had left at the Wadi Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. When David approached the people, he asked how they were doing.
22 But all the evil and worthless men among those who had gone with David said,“Since they didn’t go with us, we won’t give them any of the loot we retrieved! They may take only their wives and children. Let them lead them away and be gone!”
23 But David said,“No! You shouldn’t do this, my brothers. Look at what the LORD has given us! He has protected us and has delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us.
24 Who will listen to you in this matter? The portion of the one who went down into the battle will be the same as the portion of the one who remained with the equipment! Let their portions be the same!”
5 I and all the troops who are with me will approach the city. When they come out to fight us like before, we will retreat from them.
6 They will attack us until we have lured them from the city, for they will say,‘They are retreating from us like before.’ We will retreat from them.
3 But David’s men said to him,“We are afraid while we are still here in Judah! What will it be like if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
9 If they say to us,‘Stay put until we approach you,’ we will stay right there and not go up to them.
16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king,“We have no portion in David– no share in the son of Jesse! Return to your homes, O Israel! Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!” So all Israel returned to their homes.
17 The king and all the people set out on foot, pausing at a spot some distance away.
18 All his servants were leaving with him, along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites– some six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with the king.
19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite,“Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country.
20 It seems like you arrived just yesterday. Today should I make you wander around by going with us? I go where I must go. But as for you, go back and take your men with you. May genuine loyal love protect you!”
12 David asked,“Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand?” The LORD said,“They will deliver you over.”
13 So David and his men, who numbered about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another. When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition.
12 Joab said,“If the Arameans start to overpower me, you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, I will come to your rescue.
13 Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The LORD will do what he decides is best!”
9 All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves saying,“The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He rescued us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.
11 Joab said,“If the Arameans start to overpower me, you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, I will come to your rescue.
12 Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The LORD will do what he decides is best!”
43 The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah,“We have ten shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want to curse us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?” But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.
3 Joab replied,“May the LORD make his army a hundred times larger! My master, O king, do not all of them serve my master? Why does my master want to do this? Why bring judgment on Israel?”
6 Then David said to Abishai,“Now Sheba son of Bicri will cause greater disaster for us than Absalom did! Take your lord’s servants and pursue him. Otherwise he will secure fortified cities for himself and get away from us.”
32 David said to Saul,“Don’t let anyone be discouraged. Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”
12 So David’s servants went on their way. When they had returned, they came and told David all these things.
13 Then David instructed his men,“Each of you strap on your sword!” So each one strapped on his sword, and David also strapped on his sword. About four hundred men followed David up, while two hundred stayed behind with the equipment.
33 David said to him,“If you leave with me you will be a burden to me.
16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king,“We have no portion in David, no share in the son of Jesse! Return to your homes, O Israel! Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!” So Israel returned to their homes.
9 David said to Saul,“Why do you pay attention when men say,‘David is seeking to do you harm’?
6 David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother,“Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” Abishai replied,“I will go down with you.”
1 David Aligns Himself with the Philistines David thought to himself,“One of these days I’m going to be swept away by the hand of Saul! There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me through all the territory of Israel and I will escape from his hand.”
10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with Purah your servant
8 All Israel rose up in unison and said,“Not one of us will go home! Not one of us will return to his house!
10 We will take ten of every group of a hundred men from all the tribes of Israel(and a hundred of every group of a thousand, and a thousand of every group of ten thousand) to get supplies for the army. When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin they will punish them for the atrocity which they committed in Israel.”
17 David went out to meet them and said,“If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you. But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you, may the God of our ancestors take notice and judge!”
15 David said to him,“Can you take us down to this raiding party?” He said,“Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to this raiding party.”
11 Have you not rejected us, O God? O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
6 I am not afraid of the multitude of people who attack me from all directions.
19 Some men from Manasseh joined David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul.(But in the end they did not help the Philistines because, after taking counsel, the Philistine lords sent David away, saying:“It would be disastrous for us if he deserts to his master Saul.”)
11 My advice therefore is this: Let all Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba– in number like the sand by the sea!– be mustered to you, and you lead them personally into battle.
1 The Witch of Endor In those days the Philistines gathered their troops for war in order to fight Israel. Achish said to David,“You should fully understand that you and your men must go with me into the battle.”
7 The army of Israel was defeated there by David’s men. The slaughter there was great that day– 20,000 soldiers were killed.
22 So David said to Ittai,“Come along then.” So Ittai the Gittite went along, accompanied by all his men and all the dependents who were with him.
17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, striking the Philistine down and killing him. Then David’s men took an oath saying,“You will not go out to battle with us again! You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel!”