2 Samuel 23

1 These also be the last wordes of Dauid, Dauid the sonne of Ishai saith, euen the man who was set vp on hie, the Anointed of the God of Iacob, and the sweete singer of Israel saith,

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:

2 The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his worde was in my tongue.

The spirit of the Lord had voice through me, his word was on my tongue.

3 The God of Israel spake to me, ye strength of Israel saide, Thou shalt beare rule ouer men, being iust, and ruling in the feare of God.

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,

4 Euen as the morning light when the sunne riseth, the morning, I say, without cloudes, so shall mine house be, and not as the grasse of the earth is by the bright raine.

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.

5 For so shall not mine house be with God: for he hath made with me an euerlasting couenant, perfite in all pointes, and sure: therefore all mine health and whole desire is, that he will not make it growe so.

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?

6 But the wicked shalbe euery one as thornes thrust away, because they can not be taken with handes.

But the evil-doers, all of them, will be like thorns to be pushed away, because they may not be gripped in the hand:

7 But the man that shall touch them, must be defensed with yron, or with the shaft of a speare: and they shall be burnt with fire in the same place.

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.

8 These be the names of the mightie men whome Dauid had. He that sate in the seate of wisedome, being chiefe of the princes, was Adino of Ezni, he slewe eight hundreth at one time.

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.

9 And after him was Eleazar the sonne of Dodo, the sonne of Ahohi, one of the three worthies with Dauid, when they defied the Philistims gathered there to battel, when the men of Israel were gone vp.

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,

10 He arose and smote the Philistims vntill his hande was wearie, and his hande claue vnto the sworde: and the Lord gaue great victorie the same day, and the people returned after him onely to spoyle.

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.

11 After him was Shammah the sonne of Age the Hararite: for the Philistims assembled at a towne, where was a piece of a fielde full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistims.

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.

12 But he stoode in the middes of the fielde, and defended it, and slewe the Philistims: so the Lord gaue great victorie.

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.

13 Afterward three of the thirtie captaines went downe, and came to Dauid in the haruest time vnto the caue of Adullam, and the hoste of the Philistims pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

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.

14 And Dauid was then in an holde, and the garison of ye Philistims was then in Beth-lehem.

And at that time David had taken cover in the strong place, and an armed force of the Philistines was in Beth-lehem.

15 And Dauid longed, and said, Oh, that one would giue me to drinke of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate.

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!

16 The the three mightie brake into the host of the Philistims, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem that was by the gate, and tooke and brought it to Dauid, who woulde not drinke thereof, but powred it for an offring vnto ye Lord,

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.

17 And said, O Lord, be it farre from me, that I should doe this. Is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues? therefore he woulde not drinke it. These things did these three mightie men.

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.

18 And Abishai the brother of Ioab, the sonne of Zeruiah, was chiefe among the three, and he lifted vp his speare against three hundreth, and slewe them, and he had the name among the three.

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.

19 For he was most excellent of the three, and was their captaine, but he attained not vnto the first three.

Was he not the noblest of the thirty? so he was made their captain: but he was not equal to the first three.

20 And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada the sonne of a valiant man, which had done many actes, and was of Kabzeel, slewe two strong men of Moab: he went downe also, and slewe a lyon in the middes of a pit in the time of snowe.

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:

21 And he slewe an Egyptian a man of great stature, and the Egyptian had a speare in his hande: but he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hand, and slewe him with his owne speare.

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.

22 These things did Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and had the name among the three worthies.

These were the acts of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who had a great name among the thirty men of war.

23 He was honourable among thirtie, but he atteined not to the first three: and Dauid made him of his counsell.

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.

24 Asahel the brother of Ioab was one of the thirtie: Elhanan the sonne of Dodo of Beth-lehem:

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

25 Shammah the Harodite: Elika ye Harodite:

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

26 Helez the Paltite: Ira the sonne of Ikkesh the Tekoite:

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

27 Abiezer the Anethothite: Mebunnai the Husathite:

Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon an Ahohite: Maharai the Netophathite:

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29 Heleb the sonne of Baanah a Netophathite: Ittai the sonne of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Beniamin:

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

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite: Hiddai of the riuer of Gaash:

Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the valleys of Gaash,

31 Abi-albon the Arbathite: Azmaueth the Barhumite:

Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim,

32 Elihaba the Shaalbonite: of the sonnes of Iashen, Ionathan:

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, Jashen the Gunite,

33 Shammah the Hararite: Ahiam the sonne of Sharar the Hamrite:

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

34 Eliphelet the sonne of Ahasbai the sonne of Maachathi: Eliam the sonne of Ahithophel the Gilonite:

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

35 Hezrai the Carmelite: Paarai the Arbite:

Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Archite,

36 Igal the sonne of Nathan of Zobah: Bani the Gadite:

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

37 Zelek the Ammonite: Naharai the Becrothite, the armour bearer of Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah:

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, who had the care of the arms of Joab, son of Zeruiah,

38 Ira the Ithrite: Gareb the Ithrite:

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

39 Uriiah the Hittite, thirtie and seuen in all.

Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in number.