KJV ORIGINAL
And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Ittai answered the king, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives, and as surely as you, my lord the king, live, wherever you go—whether it leads to death or life—that's where I, your servant, will be too.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Ittai is making an oath of complete loyalty to King David, promising to stay with him no matter what dangers they might face together.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Absalom's rebellion when David was fleeing Jerusalem. Ittai was a Philistine from Gath who had recently joined David's forces. Despite being a foreigner who could have easily returned home safely, Ittai chose to remain loyal to David during this dangerous time of civil war.
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