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:

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

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

The Spirit of Jehovah spoke by me, And his word was on 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 said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, The ruler among men shall be just, Ruling in the fear of God;

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 [he shall be] as the light of the morning, [like] the rising of the sun, A morning without clouds; [When] from the sunshine, after rain, The green grass springeth from 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.

Although my house be not so before God, Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in every way and sure; For [this is] all my salvation, and every desire, Although he make [it] not to grow.

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

But [the sons] of Belial [are] all of them as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands;

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 the man that will touch them provideth himself with iron and the staff of a spear; And they shall be utterly burned with fire in [their] place.

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 whom David had: Joseb-Bassebeth, Tachkemonite the chief of the captains: he was Adino the Eznite; he [fought] against eight hundred, slain [by him] at one time.

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, Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite: he was one of the three mighty men with David, when they had defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone 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 and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

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, Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite: the Philistines were gathered into a troop, and there was there a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people had 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 in the midst of the plot and delivered it, and smote the Philistines, and Jehovah 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 of the thirty chiefs went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, when the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

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

And David was then in the stronghold; and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.

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, Oh that one would give me to drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate!

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 camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; however he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Jehovah.

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, Be it far from me, Jehovah, that I should do this thing! is it not the blood of the men that went at the risk of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the 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 Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the chief of three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred and slew them; and he had a name among the three.

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

Was he not most honourable of three? and he was their captain; but he did not attain 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 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, son of a valiant man, great in exploits, of Kabzeel: he it was that smote two lions of Moab; and he went down and smote 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 also smote the Egyptian, an imposing man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew 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 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he had a name among 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 honoured above the thirty, but he did not attain to the [first] three. And David set him in his council.

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

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

25 Shammoth the Harorite; Elika the Harodite,

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

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

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

27 Abiezer from Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite;

Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophahite;

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

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

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

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the streams of Gaash;

Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

31 Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Baharumite;

Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite; the sons of Jashem; Jonathan,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

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

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

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

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

35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

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

Igal the 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, the armour-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

38 Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite;

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

39 and Uriah the Hittite; a total of thirty-seven.

Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.