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17 And David went out against them, and said, If ye come peaceable to me, for to help me, mine heart be joined to you; forsooth if ye set ambush to me for mine adversaries, since I have not wickedness in the hands, God of our fathers see and deem. (And David went out to meet them, and said, If ye have come in peace to me, yea, to help me, my heart shall be joined to you; but if ye set ambush against me for my adversaries, since I have no wickedness in my hands, let the God of our fathers see and judge.)

18 And the spirit clothed Amasai, the prince among (the) thirty, and he said, O! David, we be thine, and thou, son of Jesse, we shall be with thee; peace, peace to thee, and peace to thine helpers, for thy Lord God helpeth thee. Therefore David received them, and made [them] princes of the company. (And the spirit clothed Amasai, later the leader of The Thirty, and he said, O! David, we be thine, and thou, son of Jesse, we shall be with thee; peace, peace to thee, and peace to thine helpers, for the Lord thy God helpeth thee. And so David received them, and made them leaders in his army.)

19 And (some) men of Manasseh fled over to David, when he came with Philistines to fight against Saul, and he fought not with them; for after that the princes of Philistines had taken counsel, they sent him again, and said, With peril of our head, he shall turn again to Saul his lord. (And some men of Manasseh fled over to David, when he came with the Philistines to fight against Saul, though he did not fight with them; for after that the princes, or the leaders, of the Philistines had taken counsel, they sent him away, for they said, He shall return to his lord Saul, at the peril of our own heads.)

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17 David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”

18 Then the Spirit(A) came on Amasai,(B) chief of the Thirty, and he said:

“We are yours, David!
    We are with you, son of Jesse!
Success,(C) success to you,
    and success to those who help you,
        for your God will help you.”

So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.

19 Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”)(D)

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