Kings II 23

1 And these [are] the last words of David. Faithful [is] David the son of Jessae, and faithful the man whom the Lord raised up to be the anointed of the God of Jacob, and beautiful [are] the psalms of Israel.

Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says, the man who was raised on high says, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:

2 The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word [was] upon my tongue.

“The LORD’s Spirit spoke by me. His word was on my tongue.

3 The God of Israel says, A watchman out of Israel spoke to me a parable: I said amongst men, How will you strengthen the fear of the anointed?

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God,

4 And in the morning light of God, let the sun arise in the morning, from the light of which the Lord passed on, and as it were from the rain of the tender grass upon the earth.

shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear shining after rain.’

5 For my house [is] not so with the Mighty One: for he has made an everlasting covenant with me, ready, guarded at every time; for all my salvation and all my desire [is], that the wicked should not flourish.

Isn’t my house so with God? Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure, for it is all my salvation and all my desire. Won’t he make it grow?

6 All these [are] as a thorn thrust forth, for they shall not be taken with the hand,

But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can’t be taken with the hand.

7 and a man shall not labour amongst them; and [one shall have] that which is fully armed with iron, and the staff of a spear, an he shall burn them with fire, and they shall be burnt in their shame.

The man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear. They will be utterly burnt with fire in their place.”

8 These [are] the names of the mighty men of David: Jebosthe the Chananite is a captain of the third [part]: Adinon the Asonite, he drew his sword against eight hundred soldiers at once.

These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; he was called Adino the Eznite, who killed eight hundred at one time.

9 And after him Eleanan the son of his uncle, son of Dudi who was amongst the three mighty men with David; and when he defied the Philistines they were gathered there to war, and the men of Israel went up.

After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away.

10 He arose an struck the Philistines, until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the sword: and the Lord wrought a great salvation in that day, and the people rested behind him only to strip [the slain].

He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and the LORD worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take plunder.

11 And after him Samaia the son of Asa the Arachite: and the Philistines were gathered to Theria; and there was there a portion of ground full of lentiles; and the people fled before the Philistines.

After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.

12 And he stood firm in the midst of the portion, and rescued it, and struck the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great deliverance.

But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD worked a great victory.

13 And three out of the thirty went down, and came to Cason to David, to the cave of Odollam; and [there was] an army of the Philistines, and they encamped in the valley of Raphain.

Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

14 And David [was] then in the strong hold, and the garrison of the Philistines [was] then in Bethleem.

David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

15 And David longed, and said, Who will give me water to drink out of the well that is in Bethleem by the gate? now the band of the Philistines [was] then in Bethleem.

David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”

16 And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well that was in Bethleem in the gate: and they took it, and brought it to David, and he would not drink it, but poured it out before the Lord.

The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD.

17 And he said, O Lord, forbid that I should do this, that I should drink of the blood of the men who went at [the risk of] their lives: and he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

He said, “Be it far from me, LORD, that I should do this! Isn’t this the blood of the men who risked their lives to go?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.

18 And Abessa the brother of Joab the son of Saruia, he [was] chief amongst the three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he killed; and he had a name amongst three.

Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name amongst the three.

19 Of those three [he was] most honourable, and he became a chief over them, but he reached not to the [first] three.

Wasn’t he most honourable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three.

20 And Banaeas the son of Jodae, he was abundant in [mighty] deeds, from Cabeseel, and he struck the two sons of Ariel of Moab: and he went down and struck a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow.

21 He struck an Egyptian, a wonderful man, and in the hand of the Egyptian [was] a spear as the side of a ladder; and he went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.

He killed a huge Egyptian, and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.

22 These things did Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he had a name amongst the three mighty men.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name amongst the three mighty men.

23 He was honourable amongst the [second] three, but he reached not to the [first] three: and David made him his reporter. And these [are] the names of King David's mighty men.

He was more honourable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard.

24 Asael Joab's brother; he [was] amongst the thirty. Eleanan son of Dudi his uncle in Bethleem.

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

25 Saema the Rudaean.

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

26 Selles the Kelothite: Iras the son of Isca the Thecoite.

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

27 Abiezer the Anothite, of the sons of the Anothite.

Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Ellon the Aoite; Noere the Netophatite.

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29 Esthai the son of Riba of Gabaeth, son of Benjamin the Ephrathite; Asmoth the Bardiamite; Emasu the Salabonite:

Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

30 Adroi of the brooks.

Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash.

31 Gadabiel son of the Arabothaeite.

Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32 the sons of Asan, Jonathan;

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

33 Samnan the Arodite; Amnan the son of Arai the Saraurite.

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

34 Aliphaleth the son of Asbites, the son of the Machachachite; Eliab the son of Achitophel the Gelonite.

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

35 Asarai the Carmelite the son of Uraeoerchi.

Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

36 Gaal the son of Nathana. The son of much valour, [the son] of Galaaddi. Elie the Ammanite.

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

37 Gelore the Bethorite, armour-bearer to Joab, son of Saruia.

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

38 Iras the Ethirite. Gerab the Ethenite.

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

39 Urias the Chettite: thirty-seven in all.

and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.