2 Samuel 23

1 Now these are the last words of David. David, the son of Jesse, says, the man who was lifted up on high, the man on whom the God of Jacob put the holy oil, the loved one of Israel's songs, says:

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:

2 The spirit of the Lord had voice through me, his word was on my tongue.

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

3 The God of Israel said, the word of the Rock of Israel came to me: When an upright king is ruling over men, when he is ruling in the fear of God,

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,

4 It is as the light of the morning, when the sun comes up, a morning without clouds; making young grass come to life from the earth.

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.’

5 For is not my house so with God? For he has made with me an eternal agreement, ordered in all things and certain: as for all my salvation and all my desire, will he not give it increase?

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?

6 But the evil-doers, all of them, will be like thorns to be pushed away, because they may not be gripped in the hand:

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

7 But anyone touching them has to be armed with iron and the rod of a spear; and they will be burned with fire, every one of them.

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.”

8 These are the names of David's men of war: Ishbaal the Hachmonite, chief of the three; his axe was lifted up against eight hundred put to death at one time.

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.

9 After him was Eleazar, the son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three great fighters, who was with David in Pas-dammim when the Philistines came together there for the fight; and when the men of Israel had gone in flight,

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,

10 He was with David and went on fighting the Philistines till his hand became tired and stiff from gripping his sword: and that day the Lord gave a great salvation, and the people came back after him only to take the goods of the Philistines.

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.

11 After him was Shammah, the son of Ela the Hararite. And the Philistines came together in Lehi, where there was a bit of land full of seed; and the people went in flight from the Philistines.

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.

12 But he kept his place in the middle of the bit of land, and kept back their attack and overcame the Philistines: and the Lord gave a great salvation.

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.

13 And three of the thirty went down at the start of the grain-cutting, and they came to David at the strong place of Adullam; and the band of Philistines had taken up their position in the valley of Rephaim.

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.

14 And at that time David had taken cover in the strong place, and an armed force of the Philistines was in Beth-lehem.

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

15 And David, moved by a strong desire, said, If only someone would give me a drink of water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town!

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

16 And the three men, forcing their way through the Philistine army, got water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town, and took it back to David: but he would not take it, but, draining it out, made an offering of it to the Lord.

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,

17 And he said, Far be it from me, O Lord, to do this; how may I take as my drink the life-blood of men who have put their lives in danger? So he would not take it. These things did the three great men of war.

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.

18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. He put to death three hundred with his spear, and he got for himself a name among the thirty.

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.

19 Was he not the noblest of the thirty? so he was made their captain: but he was not equal to the first three.

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

20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a fighting man of Kabzeel, had done great acts; he put to death the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down into a hole and put a lion to death in time of snow:

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.

21 And he made an attack on an Egyptian, a tall man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a stick, and pulling the spear out of the hands of the Egyptian, put him to death with that same spear.

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.

22 These were the acts of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who had a great name among the thirty men of war.

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

23 He was honoured over the rest of the thirty, but he was not equal to the first three. And David put him over the fighting men who kept him safe.

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

24 Asahel, the brother of Joab, was one of the thirty; and Elhanan, the son of Dodai, of Beth-lehem,

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

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

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

Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite,

Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29 Heldai, the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

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

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the valleys of Gaash,

Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash,

31 Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim,

Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, Jashen the Gunite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan

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

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

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

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

35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Archite,

Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

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

Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, who had the care of the arms of Joab, son of Zeruiah,

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

38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in number.

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