2 Samuel 23

1 He tah David kah olka, Jesse capa David kah hmailong olphong, Jakob Pathen loh a koelh tih a sosang la a thoh hlang kah olphong, Israel kah laa ding ni.

David, the son of Jesse, was a man whom [God caused to] become great. He was appointed to become king by the God whom Jacob [worshiped]. He wrote beautiful songs for the Israeli people. This is the last song that he wrote:

2 BOEIPA kah Mueihla he kai dongah cal tih, a ol te ka lai dongah om.

“The Spirit of Yahweh tells me what to say; the message that I speak [MTY] comes from him.

3 Israel Pathen loh kai taengah a thui tih, “Israel lungpang tah hlang soah a dueng la aka taemrhai tih Pathen hinyahnah neh aka taem aka rhai la om.

God, the one whom we Israeli [people worship], has spoken; the one who protects us Israeli people said to me, ‘Kings who rule people justly have an awesome respect for me, God.

4 Mincang khosae khomik aka thoeng bangla, mincang khomai a om pawt dongah a aa bangla, khotlan hnukah diklai lamkah baelhing banghui ni.

They are like the sun that shines at dawn and causes the grass to [sprout/sparkle] after the rain ends.’

5 Ka imkhui he Pathen neh doda uh ngawn pawt cakhaw kumhal paipi tah kamah taengah ni a khueh. A cungkuem dongah rhong a tael tih ka daemnah cungkuem te a ngaithuen. Te dongah ka hue ngaih boeih te khaw cuen voel pawh.

And truly, that is how God will surely bless my family [RHQ] because he made an agreement with me that will endure forever, an agreement in which he promises that no part of it will ever be changed. He will surely cause me to prosper [RHQ], and he will always help me, and that is all that I desire.

6 Tedae aka muen tah hling bangla a thaek banlak tih kut nen khaw lo voel pawh.

But [he will get rid of] godless/evil people like [SIM] people throw away thorns that [injure people if they try to] pick them up with their hands.

7 Amih aka ben hlang long tah thi neh caai tueng khaw cung tih amah hmuen ah hmai neh a hoeh la a hoeh uh,” a ti.

Someone [who wants to get rid of thornbushes] does not grab them; he uses an iron [shovel] or a spear [to dig them out] and then he burns them completely.

8 He rhoek he tah David kah hlangrhalh rhoek kah a ming ni. Takhemoni Joshebbashebeth tah boeilu la om tih anih tah amah kah caai neh yahuem sut. Caai nen te hlang ya rhet mai voei khat la a rhokpam sak.

These are the names of David’s three greatest warriors. The first was Esh-Baal, [whose other name was Jashobeam], from the Hachmon clan (OR, the son of Hachmon). He was the leader of the three men. One time he fought against 800 enemies and killed them all with his spear.

9 Anih hnuk, anih hnukah tah Akhohi capa Dodo, Dodo capa Eleazar khaw David taengkah hlangrhalh pathum khuiah thum. Amih te a veet tih caemtloek ham Philisti rhoek a tingtun uh vaengah Israel hlang khaw a khuen uh.

The second/next one of the three greatest warriors was Eleazar, who was the son of Dodo from the clan of Ahoh. One day he was with David when they defied/challenged the soldiers of Philistia who had gathered for the battle. The [other] Israeli soldiers retreated,

10 Te dongah anih te thoo tih a kut a kohnue neh cunghang dongah a kut rhap a khoom duela Philisti te a tloek. Te dongah BOEIPA loh amah khohnin ah loeihnah tanglue a saii pah tih pilnam khaw anih hnukah hnopai pit ham dawk la ha pawk uh.

but Eleazar stood there and fought the soldiers of Philistia until his arm became very tired, with the result that [his hand cramped and] he could not stop gripping his sword. Yahweh won a great victory on that day. And afterwards the [other] Israeli soldiers returned [to where Eleazar was], and stripped off the [armor from the men whom he had] killed.

11 Anih phoeiah Harari Agee capa Shammah a om vaengah Philisti tah mulhing bangla tingtun uh. Te vaengah lohma kah khamyai ah rhacik khawk om tapkhoeh. Pilnam tah Philisti mikhmuh lamloh rhaelrham coeng.

The third one of the greatest warriors was Shammah, the son of Agee from [the clan/town of] Harar. One time the Philistia soldiers gathered at Lehi [town], where there was a field full of lentils/peas [that they wanted to steal]. The other Israeli soldiers ran away from the Philistia troops,

12 Te vaengah khamyai bangli ah pai tih pilnam te a huul. Philisti te a ngawn vaengah BOEIPA loh loeihnah tanglue a saii pah.

but Shammah stood there in the field and did not let the Philistia soldiers [steal the crops], and killed them. Yahweh won a great victory on that day.

13 A lu sawmthum pathum khuikah sawmthum te suntla uh tih cangah vaengah Adullam lungko kah David taengla pawk uh. Te vaengah Philisti mulhing tah Rephaim kol ah rhaeh pueng.

Altogether there were 30 special warriors among David’s soldiers. Once, when it was almost time to harvest [the crops], three of those 30 men went down to Adullam Cave, where David was [staying]. A group of men from the Philistia army had set up their tents in Rephaim Valley [near Jerusalem].

14 Te vaengah David te rhalvong khuiah om tih Philisti rhaltawt hmuen tah Bethlehem ah om van.

David [and his soldiers] were in the cave [because it was safe there], and [another] group of Philistia soldiers was occupying Bethlehem.

15 David loh vongka kah Bethlehem tuito tui ke a ngaidam tih, “U long nim kai n'tul lah ve,” a ti.

[One day] David very much wanted [some water] to drink, and said “I wish that someone would bring me some water from the well near the gate at Bethlehem!”

16 Te dongah hlangrhalh pathum loh Philisti kah rhaehhmuen te a va uh tih vongka kah Bethlehem tuito tui a than uh. Te phoeiah a khuen uh tih David taengla a pawk puei uh. Tedae a ok ham huem pawt tih BOEIPA hmaiah a hawk.

So his three greatest warriors forced their way through the camp of Philistia soldiers and drew some water from the well, and brought it to David. But he would not drink it. Instead, he poured it out [on the ground] as an offering to Yahweh.

17 Te vaengah, “He ka saii ham kai lamkah tah savisava BOEIPA, a hinglu aka caeh puei hlang rhoek kah a thii a?” a ti tih ok ham huem pawh. Hlangrhalh pathum long khaw te tlam te ni a saii uh.

He said, “Yahweh, it would certainly not be right for me to drink this water! That would be like [RHQ] drinking the blood of these men who were willing/ready to die for me!” So he refused to drink it. That was one of the things that those three great warriors did.

18 Zeruiah capa Joab mana Abishai tah pathum kah a lu la om. Anih loh a caai te a haeng tih ya thum a rhokpam sak. Te dongah anih tah pathum lakah a ming om.

Abishai, Joab’s [younger] brother, was the leader of the 30 [greatest warriors]. [One day] he fought against 300 men and killed them all with his spear. As a result, he also became famous.

19 Pathum lakah a thangpom het a? Te dongah amih taengah mangpa la om cakhaw pathum te a pha moenih.

He was the most famous of the thirty greatest warriors, and he became their leader/commander, but he was not one of the three greatest warriors.

20 Kabzeel lamkah Jehoiada capa Benaiah tah hlang hing capa, tatthai neh a bisai khaw khuet. Anih loh Moab kah sathueng hlang panit te a ngawn. Te phoeiah anih te suntla tih vuel hla dongah vaam kah sathueng khui ah aka om sathueng te a ngawn.

Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, from Kabzeel [town], also did great deeds. He killed two of the best warriors from the Moab people-group. Also, he went down into a pit on a day when snow was falling, and killed a lion there.

21 Anih loh Egypt hlang tah a mueimae hlang aka then khaw a ngawn bal. Egypt kut dongah caai om dae a conghol neh a suntlak thil. Te phoeiah Egypt kut lamkah caai te a rhawth pah tih amah caai neh amah te a ngawn.

He also killed a huge soldier from Egypt who carried a spear. Benaiah [had only] his club, but he attacked the giant with it. Then he snatched the spear from the man’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

22 Te te a saii dongah Jehoiada capa Benaiah tah hlangrhalh pathum dongah a ming thum.

Those are [some of] the things that Benaiah did. As a result, he became famous, like the three greatest warriors were.

23 Sawmthum lakah a thangpom dongah pathum taengah thum sak voel pawt tih anih te David amah kah a taengom la a khueh.

He was more honored than the other members of the group of thirty great warriors, but not as famous as the three greatest warriors. David appointed him to be the commander of his bodyguards.

24 Sawmthum khuiah Joab mana Asahel neh Bethlehem kah Dodo capa Elhanan,

[These are the names of the great warriors]: Asahel, the brother of Joab; Elhanan, the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;

25 Kharodi Shammah neh Kharodi Elika,

Shammah and Elika, from [the] Harod [clan];

26 Palti Helez neh Tekoa Ikkesh capa Ira,

Helez, from Pelet [city]; Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa [town];

27 Anatoth kah Abiezer neh Khushathi Mebunnai,

Abiezer, from Anathoth [city]; Mebunnai [whose other name was Sibbecai], from Hushah’s [clan];

28 Akhohi Zalmon neh Netophah Maharai,

Zalmon [whose other name was Ilai], from Ahoh’s [clan]; Maharai, from Netophah [town];

29 Netophah Baanah capa Heleb, Benjamin koca rhoek kah khohmuen Gibeah kah Ribai capa Ittai,

Heleb, the son of Baanah, also from Netophah [town]; Ittai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah [town] in [the land that belonged to] the tribe of Benjamin;

30 Pirathon capa Benaiah, Gaash soklong lamkah Hiddai,

Benaiah, from Pirathon [town]; Hiddai, from the valleys near Gaash [Mountain];

31 Arbahi Abialbon neh Barhum Azmaveth,

Abi-Albon, from the clan of Arabah; Azmaveth, from Bahurim [town];

32 Shaalbin Eliaba neh Jashen koca rhoek lamkah Jonathan,

Eliahba, from Shaalbon [town]; The sons of Jashen; Jonathan;

33 Harari Shammah, Harari Sharar capa Ahiam,

Shammah, from Harar [town/clan]; Ahiam the son of Sharar, from Harar [town/clan];

34 Maakathi koca kah Ahasbai capa Eliphelet, Giloh Ahithophel capa Eliam,

Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai, from Maacah [town]; Eliam, the son of Ahithophel, from Gilo [town];

35 Karmel Hezro neh Arab Paarai,

Hezro, from Carmel [city]; Paarai, from Arba [city];

36 Zobah lamkah Nathan capa Igal, Gad Bani,

Igal, the son of Nathan, from Zobah [city]; Bani, from the tribe of Gad;

37 Ammoni Zelek, Zeruiah capa Joab kah hno phuei Beeroth Naharai,

Zelek, from the Ammon people-group; Naharai, the man who carried Joab’s weapons, from Beeroth [town];

38 Yitha Ira neh Yitha Gareb,

Ira and Gareb, from Jattir [town];

39 Khitti Uriah neh tun ah sawmthum parhih lo uh.

Uriah, [Bathsheba’s husband], from the Heth people-group. Altogether, there were 37 famous soldiers, [but some of them had died and their names were not included].