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:

Now these are David’s last words. David the son of Isai said: The man to whom it was appointed concerning the Christ of the God of Jacob, the excellent 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 hath spoken by me and his word by 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 said 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!

As the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, shineth in the morning without clouds, and as the grass springeth out of the earth by rain.

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.

Neither is my house so great with God, that he should make with me an eternal covenant, firm in all things and assured. For he is all my salvation, and all my will: neither is there ought thereof that springeth not up.

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

But transgressors shall all of them be plucked up as thorns: which are not taken away with 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 a man will touch them, he must be armed with iron and with the staff of a lance: but they shall be set on fire and burnt 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 men of David. Jesbaham sitting in the chair was the wisest chief among the three, he was like the most tender little worm of the wood, who killed eight hundred men at one onset.

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 was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three valiant men that were with David when they defied the Philistines, and they were there gathered together to battle.

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 were gone away, he stood and smote the Philistines till his hand was weary, and grew stiff with the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day: and the people that were fled away, returned to take spoils of them that were 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 was Semma the son of Age of Arari. And the Philistines were gathered together in a troop: for there was a field full of lentils. And when the people were 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 in the midst of the field, and defended it, and defeated the Philistines: and the Lord gave a great victory.

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,

Moreover also before this the three who were princes among the thirty, went down and came to David in the harvest time into the cave of Odollam: and the camp of the Philistines was 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 then in a hold. and there was a garrison of the Philistines then 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?”

And David longed, and said: O that some man would get me a drink of the water out of the cistern, that is in Bethlehem, by 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,

And the three valiant men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the cistern of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and brought it to David: but he would not drink, but offered it 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: The Lord be merciful to me, that I may not do this: shall I drink the blood of these men that went, and the peril of their lives? therefore he would not drink. These things did these three mighty 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.

Abisai also the brother of Joab, the son of Sarvia, was chief among three: and he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he slew, 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 the noblest of three, and was their chief, but to the three first he attained not.

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 Banaias the son of Joiada a most valiant man, of great deeds, of Cabseel: he slew the two lions of Moab, and he went down, and slew a lion in the midst of a pit, in the time 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 slew an Egyptian, a man worthy to be a sight, having a spear in his hand: but he went down to him with a rod, and forced the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slew him with his own spear.

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

These things did Banaias the son of Joiada.

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 valiant men, who were the most honourable among the thirty: but he attained riot to the first three: and David made him of his privy council.

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

Asael the brother of Joab was one of the thirty, Elehanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem.

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

Semma of Harodi, Elica of Harodi,

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

Heles of Phalti, Hira the son of Acces of Thecua,

27 Abiezer the Annethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

Abiezer of Anathoth, Mobonnai of Husati,

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

Selmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

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

Heled the son of Baana, also a Netophathite, Ithai the son of Ribai of Gabaath of the children of Benjamin,

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

Banaia the Pharathonite, Heddai of the torrent Gaas,

31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Beromi,

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

Eliaba of Salaboni. The sons of Jassen, Jonathan,

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

Semma of Orori, Aliam the son of Sarar the Arorite,

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

Eliphelet the son of Aasbai the son of Machati, Eliam the son of Achitophel the Gelonite,

35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

Hesrai of Carmel, Pharai of Arbi,

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

Igaal the son of Nathan of Soba, Bonni of Gadi,

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

Selec of Ammoni, Naharai the Berothite, armourbearer of Joab the son of Sarvia,

38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

Ira the Jethrite, Gareb also a Jethrite;

39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

Urias the Hethite, thirty and seven in all.