Holy Bible Aionian Edition® ~ English---Free-Bible-Version ~ 2-Samuel Chapter 23

< 2 Samuel 23 >

1 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:

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.

2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; my tongue gave his message.

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

3 Israel's God spoke; Israel's Rock told me, ‘He who rules the people justly, he who rules respecting God,

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?

4 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.’

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.

5 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.

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.

6 But evil people are like thorns to be thrown aside; they can't be held in the hand.

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

7 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.”

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.

8 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.

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.

9 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,

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.

10 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.

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].

11 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,

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.

12 but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defending it and killing the Philistines. The Lord gave them a great victory.

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

13 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.

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.

14 At the time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem.

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

15 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!”

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.

16 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.

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.

17 “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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

20 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.

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.

21 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.

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.

22 These were the kind of things Benaiah did that made him as famous as the Three leading warriors.

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

23 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.

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.

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

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

25 Shammoth the Harorite; Elika the Harodite,

Saema the Rudaean.

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

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

27 Abiezer from Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite;

Abiezer the Anothite, of the sons of the Anothite.

28 Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophahite;

Ellon the Aoite; Noere the Netophatite.

29 Heleb, son of Baanah the Netophahite; Ittai, son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites;

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