2 Samuel 23

1 And these [are] the last words of David: “A declaration of David son of Jesse, And a declaration of the man raised up—Concerning the anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweetness of the songs of Israel:

These are the last words of David. Now David, the son of Jesse, the man to whom it was appointed concerning the Christ of the God of Jacob, the preeminent psalmist of Israel said:

2 The Spirit of YHWH has spoken by me, And His word [is] on my tongue.

“The Spirit of the Lord has spoken through me, and his word was spoken through my tongue.

3 He said—the God of Israel—to me, He spoke—the Rock of Israel: He who is ruling over man [is] righteous, He is ruling in the fear of God.

The God of Israel spoke to me, the Strong One of Israel spoke, the Ruler of men, the Just Ruler, in the fear of God,

4 And he rises as the light of morning, A morning sun [with] no clouds! By the shining, by the rain, Tender grass of the earth!

like the first light of the morning as the sun is rising, when a morning without clouds glows red, and like plants springing forth from the earth after a rainfall.

5 For though my house [is] not so with God; So He made a perpetual covenant with me, Arranged in all things, and kept; For all my salvation, and all desire, For He has not caused [it] to spring up.

But my house is not so great with God that he should undertake an eternal covenant with me, firm and fortified in all things. For he is the entirety of my salvation and the entirety of my will. And there is nothing of this which will not spring forth.

6 As for the worthless—All of them [are] driven away as a thorn, For they are not taken away by hand;

But all prevaricators shall be plucked out like thorns, yet they are not taken away by hands.

7 And the man who comes against them Is filled with iron and the staff of a spear, And they are utterly burned with fire In the cessation.”

And if anyone wishes to touch them, he must be armed with iron and a wooden lance. And they shall be set ablaze and burned to nothing.”

8 These [are] the names of the mighty ones whom David has: sitting in the seat [is] the Tachmonite, head of the captains—he [is] Adino, who hardened himself against eight hundred—wounded at one time.

These are the names of the valiant of David. Sitting in the chair was the wisest leader among the three; he was like a very tender little worm in a tree, who killed eight hundred men in one attack.

9 And after him [is] Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, of the three mighty men with David; in their exposing themselves among the Philistines—they have been gathered there to battle, and the men of Israel go up—

After him, there was Eleazar, the son of his paternal uncle, an Ahohite, who was among the three valiant men who were with David when they chastised the Philistines, and they were gathered together in battle there.

10 he has arisen, and strikes among the Philistines until his hand has been weary, and his hand cleaves to the sword, and YHWH works a great salvation on that day, and the people turn back after him only to strip off.

And when the men of Israel had gone up, he himself stood fast and struck down the Philistines, until his hand grew weak and stiff with the sword. And the Lord wrought a great salvation on that day. And the people who had fled returned to take up the spoils of the slain.

11 And after him [is] Shammah son of Agee the Hararite, and the Philistines are gathered into a company, and there is a portion of the field full of lentils there, and the people have fled from the presence of the Philistines,

And after him, there was Shammah, the son of Agee, from Hara. And the Philistines gathered together at an outpost. For a field full of lentils was in that place. And when the people had fled from the face of the Philistines,

12 and he stations himself in the midst of the portion, and delivers it, and strikes the Philistines, and YHWH works a great salvation.

he stood fast in the middle of the field, and it was protected by him. And he struck down the Philistines. And the Lord wrought a great salvation.

13 And three of the thirty heads go down and come to the harvest, to David, to the cave of Adullam, and the company of the Philistines are encamping in the Valley of Rephaim,

And moreover, before this, the three who were leaders among the thirty descended and went to David at harvest time, in the cave of Adullam. But the camp of the Philistines was positioned in the Valley of the giants.

14 and David [is] then in a fortress, and the station of the Philistines [is] then in Beth-Lehem,

And David was in a stronghold. Moreover, there was a garrison of the Philistines at that time in Bethlehem.

15 and David longs and says, “Who gives me a drink of the water of the well of Beth-Lehem, which [is] by the gate?”

Then David desired, and he said, “If only someone would give me a drink of the water from the cistern, which is in Bethlehem beside the gate!”

16 And the three mighty ones cleave through the camp of the Philistines, and draw water out of the well of Beth-Lehem, which [is] by the gate, and take [it] up, and bring [it] to David; and he was not willing to drink it, and pours it out to YHWH,

Therefore, the three valiant men burst into the encampment of the Philistines, and they drew water from the cistern of Bethlehem, which was beside the gate. And they brought it to David. Yet he was not willing to drink; instead, he poured it out to the Lord,

17 and says, “Far be it from me, O YHWH, to do this; is it the blood of the men who are going with their lives?” And he was not willing to drink it; the three mighty ones did these [things].

saying: “May the Lord be gracious to me, so that I may not do this. Should I drink the blood of these men who have set out to the peril of their own lives?” Therefore, he was not willing to drink. These things were accomplished by these three robust men.

18 And Abishai brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, he [is] head of three, and he is lifting up his spear against three hundred—wounded, and he has a name among three.

Also Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was first among the three. It was he who lifted up his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed. And he was renowned among the three,

19 Is he not the honored of the three? And he becomes their head; and he has not come to the [first] three.

and he was the noblest of the three, and he was their leader. But at first he did not attain to the three.

20 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada (son of a man of valor, great in deeds from Kabzeel), has struck two lion-like men of Moab, and he has gone down and struck the lion in the midst of the pit in a day of snow.

And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, a very strong man of great deeds, was from Kabzeel. He slew the two lions of Moab, and he descended and slew a lion in the middle of a den, in the days of snow.

21 And he has struck the Egyptian man, a man of appearance, and a spear [is] in the hand of the Egyptian, and he goes down to him with a rod, and takes the spear violently away out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slays him with his own spear.

He also killed an Egyptian who had a spear in his hand, a man worthy to behold. And yet he had gone down to him with only a staff. And he forced the spear from the hand of the Egyptian, and he killed him with his own spear.

22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada has done these [things], and has a name among the three mighty ones.

Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, accomplished these things.

23 He is honored more than the thirty, but he did not come to the three; and David sets him over his guard.

And he was renowned among the three robust men, who were the most noble among the thirty. Yet truly, he did not attain to the three, until David made him his secret advisor.

24 Asahel brother of Joab [is] of the thirty; Elhanan son of Dodo of Beth-Lehem,

Among the thirty were: Asahel, the brother of Joab, Elhanan, the son of his paternal uncle, from Bethlehem,

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

Shammah from Harod, Elika from Harod,

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

Helez from Palti, Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa,

27 Abiezer the Annethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

Abiezer from Anathoth, Mebunnai from Hushah,

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29 Heleb son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin,

Heleb, the son of Baanah, also himself a Netophathite, Ittai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin,

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the Torrent Gaash,

31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth from Beromi,

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

Eliahba from Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

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

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

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

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

35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

Hezrai from Carmel, Paarai from Arbi,

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

Igal, the son of Nathan, from Zobah, Bani from Gad,

37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, bearer of the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah,

Zelek from Ammon, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor bearer of Joab, the son of Zeruiah,

38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb also an Ithrite,

39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

Uriah the Hittite: altogether thirty seven