2 Samuel 23

1 These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised on high, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:

Now, these, are the last words of David, —The oracle of David, son of Jesse, Yea the oracle of The man raised up on high, The Anointed of the God of Jacob, the Delight of the Songs of Israel:

2 The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.

The Spirit of Yahweh, spake in me, —And, his word, was on my tongue;

3 The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,

Said the God of Israel, Unto me, spake the Rock of Israel: —One Ruling over Men, A Righteous One, ruling in the reverence of God,

4 is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’

Is even as the light of the morning when ariseth the sun, —A morning, without clouds, [As] from brightness, [and] from rain, the fresh shoots out of the earth.

5 Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire?

When, not so, was my house with GOD, Then, a covenant age-abiding, he appointed me, Ordered in all things and guarded, Now that it is all my salvation and all my desire, Will he not make it shoot forth?

6 But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand.

But, as for the abandoned, like thorns to be tossed away are they all, —For, not with the hand, can they be taken;

7 The man who touches them must be armed with iron or with the shaft of a spear. The fire burns them to ashes in the place where they lie.”

But, the man that would touch them, Must fence himself with iron, and the shaft of a spear, —Then, with fire, shall they be, consumed, on the spot!

8 These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time.

These, are the names of the mighty men, who belonged to David, —The president a Tachmonite head of the charioteers, the same, was Adino the Eznite, for eight hundred, slain at one time.

9 Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he went with David to taunt the Philistines who had gathered for battle at Pas-dammim. The men of Israel retreated,

And, after him, Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, —in the hero-class of mighty men, with David, when they reproached the Philistines, they were gathered together there to battle, but the men of Israel had gone up;

10 but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead.

he, however, arose and smote among the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto his sword, so Yahweh wrought a great victory on that day, —the people, coming back after him, only to strip the slain.

11 And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines had banded together near a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.

And, after him, Shammah son of Agee, the Hararite, —and, when the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, there being at hand an allotment of field-land full of lentils, but, the people, having fled from the face of the Philistines,

12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

then took he his stand in the midst of the allotment, and defended it, and smote the Philistines, —and Yahweh wrought a great victory.

13 At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

And three of the thirty chiefs descended, and came in, towards harvest, unto David, unto the cave of Adullam, —although, a troop of Philistines, were encamped in the vale of Rephaim;

14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

and, David, then was in a stronghold, —and, a garrison of Philistines, was then in Bethlehem.

15 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

And David longed, and said, —Who will give me to drink water out of the well of Bethlehem, that is within the gate?

16 So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,

And the three mighty men brake through the camp of Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was within the gate, and bare it, and brought it in unto David, —yet would he not drink, but poured it out unto Yahweh,

17 saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

and said—Be it far from me, O Yahweh, that I should do this! is it not the blood of the men who went with their lives [in their hands]? So he would not drink it. These things, did the three mighty men.

18 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three, and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.

And. Abishai brother of Joab son of Zeruiah, he, was chief of three, in that he brandished his spear against three hundred whom he slew; and, he, had a name among three.

19 Was he not more honored than the Three? And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.

Was he not most honourable, of the three, and so became their captain? Nevertheless, unto the three, he attained not.

20 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.

Benaiah also, son of Jehoiadah, son of an active man, hero of many a deed, a man of Kabzeel, he, smote the two sons of Ariel of Moab, he, also went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit, on a day of snow;

21 He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.

he, also smote an Egyptian, who was of valiant bearing, and, in the hand of the Egyptian, was a spear, but he went down unto him with a staff, —and wrested the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slew him with his own spear.

22 These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name alongside the three mighty men.

These things, did Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and, he, had a name among three mighty men.

23 He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.

He was the most honourable, of thirty, although, unto the three, he attained no, —so David added him to his council.

24 Now these were members of the Thirty: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

Asahel, brother of Joab, was among the thirty, —Elhanan, son of Dodo, of Bethlehem;

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

Shammah, the Harodite; Elika, the Harodite;

26 Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Helez, the Paltite, Ira, son of Ikkesh, the Tekoite;

27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

Abiezer, the Anathothite, Mebunnai, the Hushathite;

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

Zalmon, the Ahohite, Maharai, the Netophathite;

29 Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,

Heleb, son of Baanah, the Netophathite, —Ittai, son of Ribai, of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin;

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash,

Benaiah, a Pirathonite, Hiddai, of the torrents of Gaash;

31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

Abi-albon, the Arbathite, Azmaveth, the Barhumite;

32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan

Eliahba, the Shaalbonite, (Of) the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;

33 son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,

Shammah, the Hararite, Ahiam, son of Sharar, the Ararite;

34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

Eliphelet, son of Ahasbai, son of the Maacathite. Eliam, son of Ahithophel, the Gilonite.

35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

Hezro, the Carmelite, Paarai, the Arbite;

36 Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

Igal, son of Nathan, of Zobah, Bani, the Gadite;

37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

Zelek, the Ammonite, —Naharai, the Beerothite, armour bearers to Joab son of Zeruiah;

38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

Ira, the Ithrite, Gareb, the Ithrite;

39 and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.

Uriah, the Hittite, In all, thirty and seven.