2 Samuel 23

1 Now these are the last words of David: The saying of David the son of Jesse, and the saying of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet singer of Israel:

Now, these, are the last words of David, —The oracle of David, son of Jesse, Yea the oracle of The man raised up on high, The Anointed of the God of Jacob, the Delight of the Songs of Israel:

2 The spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was upon my tongue.

The Spirit of Yahweh, spake in me, —And, his word, was on my tongue;

3 The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: 'Ruler over men shall be the righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of God,

Said the God of Israel, Unto me, spake the Rock of Israel: —One Ruling over Men, A Righteous One, ruling in the reverence of God,

4 And as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds; when through clear shining after rain, the tender grass springeth out of the earth.'

Is even as the light of the morning when ariseth the sun, —A morning, without clouds, [As] from brightness, [and] from rain, the fresh shoots out of the earth.

5 For is not my house established with God? for an everlasting covenant He hath made with me, ordered in all things, and sure; for all my salvation, and all my desire, will he not make it to grow?

When, not so, was my house with GOD, Then, a covenant age-abiding, he appointed me, Ordered in all things and guarded, Now that it is all my salvation and all my desire, Will he not make it shoot forth?

6 But the ungodly, they are as thorns thrust away, all of them, for they cannot be taken with the hand;

But, as for the abandoned, like thorns to be tossed away are they all, —For, not with the hand, can they be taken;

7 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.

But, the man that would touch them, Must fence himself with iron, and the shaft of a spear, —Then, with fire, shall they be, consumed, on the spot!

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite; he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

These, are the names of the mighty men, who belonged to David, —The president a Tachmonite head of the charioteers, the same, was Adino the Eznite, for eight hundred, slain at one time.

9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they jeoparded their lives against the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away;

And, after him, Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, —in the hero-class of mighty men, with David, when they reproached the Philistines, they were gathered together there to battle, but the men of Israel had gone up;

10 he stood firm, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand did cleave unto the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

he, however, arose and smote among the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto his sword, so Yahweh wrought a great victory on that day, —the people, coming back after him, only to strip the slain.

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Age the Ararite. 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.

And, after him, Shammah son of Agee, the Hararite, —and, when the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, there being at hand an allotment of field-land full of lentils, but, the people, having fled from the face of the Philistines,

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

then took he his stand in the midst of the allotment, and defended it, and smote the Philistines, —and Yahweh wrought a great victory.

13 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.

And three of the thirty chiefs descended, and came in, towards harvest, unto David, unto the cave of Adullam, —although, a troop of Philistines, were encamped in the vale of Rephaim;

14 And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

and, David, then was in a stronghold, —and, a garrison of Philistines, was then in Bethlehem.

15 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!'

And David longed, and said, —Who will give me to drink water out of the well of Bethlehem, that is within the gate?

16 And the three mighty men broke 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.

And the three mighty men brake through the camp of Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was within the gate, and bare it, and brought it in unto David, —yet would he not drink, but poured it out unto Yahweh,

17 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.

and said—Be it far from me, O Yahweh, that I should do this! is it not the blood of the men who went with their lives [in their hands]? So he would not drink it. These things, did the three mighty men.

18 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.

And. Abishai brother of Joab son of Zeruiah, he, was chief of three, in that he brandished his spear against three hundred whom he slew; and, he, had a name among three.

19 He was most honourable of the three; therefore he was made their captain; howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

Was he not most honourable, of the three, and so became their captain? Nevertheless, unto the three, he attained not.

20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he smote the two altar-hearths of Moab; he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow;

Benaiah also, son of Jehoiadah, son of an active man, hero of many a deed, a man of Kabzeel, he, smote the two sons of Ariel of Moab, he, also went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit, on a day of snow;

21 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.

he, also smote an Egyptian, who was of valiant bearing, and, in the hand of the Egyptian, was a spear, but he went down unto him with a staff, —and wrested the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slew him with his own spear.

22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.

These things, did Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and, he, had a name among three mighty men.

23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

He was the most honourable, of thirty, although, unto the three, he attained no, —so David added him to his council.

24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem;

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

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite;

Shammah, the Harodite; Elika, the Harodite;

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

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

27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite;

Abiezer, the Anathothite, Mebunnai, the Hushathite;

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite;

Zalmon, the Ahohite, Maharai, the Netophathite;

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

Heleb, son of Baanah, the Netophathite, —Ittai, son of Ribai, of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin;

30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of Nahale-gaash;

Benaiah, a Pirathonite, Hiddai, of the torrents of Gaash;

31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite;

Abi-albon, the Arbathite, Azmaveth, the Barhumite;

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

Eliahba, the Shaalbonite, (Of) the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;

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

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

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

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

35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite;

Hezro, the Carmelite, Paarai, the Arbite;

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

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

37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armour-bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah;

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

38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite;

Ira, the Ithrite, Gareb, the Ithrite;

39 Uriah the Hittite. Thirty and seven in all.

Uriah, the Hittite, In all, thirty and seven.