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 David's last words. The divine message of David son of Jesse, the divine message of the man made great by God, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, the wonderful psalm-writer 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; my tongue gave his message.

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,

Israel's God spoke; Israel's Rock told me, ‘He who rules the people justly, he who rules respecting 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 sunrise on a cloudless dawn; like the shining of raindrops on the new grass growing from 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?

Isn't this how my family is with God? For he has made an everlasting agreement with me, set out in detail and with every part guaranteed. He will make sure to save me and to give me all I want.

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 evil people are like thorns to be thrown aside; they can't be held in the 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 only way to deal with them is to use an iron tool or the handle of a spear. They are completely burned up right where they are.”

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 the leading warriors who supported David: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, leader of the Three. Using his spear, he once killed eight hundred men in a single battle.

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,

After him came Eleazar, son of Dodai, the Ahohite, one of the Three leading warriors. He was with David when they defied the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas-dammin. The Israelites 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 took his stand and went on killing Philistines until his hand stuck to his sword. The Lord saved them by granting them a great victory. The Israelite army did return, but only to strip 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.

After him came Shammah, son of Agee, the Hararite. When the Philistines gathered at Lehi, in a field full of lentils, the Israelite army ran away 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, defending it and killing the Philistines. The Lord gave them 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, the Three, who were part of the Thirty leading warriors, went down to meet David when he was at the cave of Adullam. The Philistine army was camped 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 the time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was in 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 was feeling really thirsty, and he said, “If only someone could bring me a drink of water from the well beside the entrance gate to 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.

The Three leading warriors broke through the Philistine defenses, took some water from the well at Bethelehem's gate, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it, and poured it out as an offering 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.

“Lord, never let me do this!” he said. “Isn't it like drinking the blood of these men who risked their lives?” So he did not drink it. This is just some of the things the Three leading warriors did.

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.

Abishai, Joab's brother, was leader of the second Three. Using his spear, he once killed 300 men, and became famous among 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.

He was the most highly regarded of the Three and was their commander, though he was not one of the first 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:

Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, a strong warrior from Kabzeel, did many amazing things. He killed two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went after a lion into a pit in the snow and killed it.

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.

Another time he killed a huge Egyptian. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand but Benaiah attacked him with just a club. He grabbed the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him 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 kind of things Benaiah did that made him as famous as the Three leading warriors.

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 the most highly regarded of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. David put him in charge of his personal bodyguard.

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

Included in the Thirty were: Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan, son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

Shammoth the Harorite; Elika the Harodite,

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

Helez the Paltite; Ira, son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa;

27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite,

Abiezer from Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite;

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophahite;

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

Heleb, son of Baanah the Netophahite; 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 streams of Gaash;

31 Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim,

Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Baharumite;

32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, Jashen the Gunite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite; the sons of Jashem; Jonathan,

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

son of Shagee the Hararite; Ahiam, son of Sachar the Hararite;

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

Eliphelet, son of Ahasbai, son of 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; a total of thirty-seven.