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 be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse saith, and the man who was raised on high saith, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:

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

The spirit of the LORD spake 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 said, the Rock of Israel spake to me: One that ruleth over men righteously, that ruleth 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.’

[He shall be] as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds; [when] the tender grass [springeth] out of the earth, through clear shining after rain.

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.

Verily my house is not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for it is all my salvation, and all [my] desire, although he maketh 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 ungodly shall be all of them as thorns to be thrust away, for they cannot 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.”

But the man that toucheth them must be armed 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 be the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain 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 was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:

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 unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory 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 was Shammah the son of Agce a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from 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.

But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.

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 chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines were 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 hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

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 water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem which is by 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 brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto 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, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: [shall I drink] the blood of the men that went in jeopardy 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 chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and 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 the three? therefore he was made their captain: howbeit he attained not unto 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, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two [sons of] Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

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.

And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: 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 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 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 more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the [first] three. And David set him over his guard.

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 Beth-lehem;

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, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;

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

Shammah the Hararite, 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 Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;

35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

Hezro 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, armourbearers to 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 and seven in all.