2 Samuel 23

1 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:

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

The spirit of the Lord hath spoken by me and his word by my tongue.

3 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,

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 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.

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 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?

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

But transgressors shall all of them be plucked up as thorns: which are not taken away with hands.

7 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!

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 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.

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, 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;

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, 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.

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, 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,

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

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 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;

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

And David was then in a hold. and there was a garrison of the Philistines then in Bethlehem.

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

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 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.

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, was chief of three, in that he brandished his spear against three hundred whom he slew; and, he, had 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 Was he not most honourable, of the three, and so became their captain? Nevertheless, unto the three, he attained not.

And the noblest of three, and was their chief, but to the three first he attained not.

20 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;

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 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.

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

These things did Banaias the son of Joiada.

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

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

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 Anathothite, 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, of 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, a Pirathonite, Hiddai, of the torrents 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 Ararite;

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

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

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

35 Hezro, the Carmelite, Paarai, the Arbite;

Hesrai of Carmel, Pharai of Arbi,

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

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

37 Zelek, the Ammonite, —Naharai, the Beerothite, armour bearers to 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, In all, thirty and seven.

Urias the Hethite, thirty and seven in all.