Kings II 23

1 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.

Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

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

The Spirit of Yhwh spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

3 The God of Israel says, A watchman out of Israel spoke to me a parable: I said among men, How will you strengthen the fear of the anointed?

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

4 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.

And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

5 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.

Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

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

But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

7 and a man shall not labor among 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.

But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

8 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.

These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

9 And after him Eleanan the son of his uncle, son of Dudi who was among 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.

And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the 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 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].

He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: And Yhwh wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

11 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.

And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.

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

But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: And Yhwh wrought a great victory.

13 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.

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 pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

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

And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth–lehem.

15 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.

And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth–lehem, which is by the gate!

16 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.

And the three mighty men brake through the army 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: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto Yhwh.

17 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.

And he said, Be it far from me, O Yhwh, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

18 And Abessa the brother of Joab the son of Saruia, he [was] chief among the three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he killed; and he had a name among three.

And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.

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

Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

20 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.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

21 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.

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

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

23 He was honorable among 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.

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

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

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth–lehem,

25 Saema the Rudaean.

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

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

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

27 Abiezer the Anothite, of the sons of the Anothite.

Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Ellon the Aoite; Noere the Netophatite.

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

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

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

30 Adroi of the brooks.

Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

31 Gadabiel son of the Arabothaeite.

Abi–albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32 the sons of Asan, Jonathan;

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

33 Samnan the Arodite; Amnan the son of Arai the Saraurite.

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

34 Aliphaleth the son of Asbites, the son of the Machachachite; Eliab the son of Achitophel the Gelonite.

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

35 Asarai the Carmelite the son of Uraeoerchi.

Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

36 Gaal the son of Nathana. The son of much valour, [the son] of Galaaddi. Elie the Ammanite.

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

37 Gelore the Bethorite, armor-bearer to Joab, son of Saruia.

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,

38 Iras the Ethirite. Gerab the Ethenite.

Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,

39 Urias the Chettite: thirty-seven in all.

Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.