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:

These are David's last words. The divine message of David son of Jesse, the divine message of the man made great by God, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, the wonderful psalm-writer of Israel:

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

“The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; my tongue gave his message.

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,

Israel's God spoke; Israel's Rock told me, ‘He who rules the people justly, he who rules respecting 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.

is like the light of the morning sunrise on a cloudless dawn; like the shining of raindrops on the new grass growing from the earth.’

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?

Isn't this how my family is with God? For he has made an everlasting agreement with me, set out in detail and with every part guaranteed. He will make sure to save me and to give me all I want.

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 evil people are like thorns to be thrown aside; they can't be held in the hand.

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!

The only way to deal with them is to use an iron tool or the handle of a spear. They are completely burned up right where they are.”

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 leading warriors who supported David: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, leader of the Three. Using his spear, he once killed eight hundred men in a single battle.

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 came Eleazar, son of Dodai, the Ahohite, one of the Three leading warriors. He was with David when they defied the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas-dammin. The Israelites retreated,

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.

but Eleazar took his stand and went on killing Philistines until his hand stuck to his sword. The Lord saved them by granting them a great victory. The Israelite army did return, but only to strip the dead.

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,

After him came Shammah, son of Agee, the Hararite. When the Philistines gathered at Lehi, in a field full of lentils, the Israelite army ran away from them,

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.

but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defending it and killing the Philistines. The Lord gave them 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;

At harvest time, the Three, who were part of the Thirty leading warriors, went down to meet David when he was at the cave of Adullam. The Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim.

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

At the time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was 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?

David was feeling really thirsty, and he said, “If only someone could bring me a drink of water from the well beside the entrance gate to Bethlehem!”

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,

The Three leading warriors broke through the Philistine defenses, took some water from the well at Bethelehem's gate, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it, and poured it out as an offering 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.

“Lord, never let me do this!” he said. “Isn't it like drinking the blood of these men who risked their lives?” So he did not drink it. This is just some of the things the Three leading warriors did.

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.

Abishai, Joab's brother, was leader of the second Three. Using his spear, he once killed 300 men, and became famous among the Three.

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

He was the most highly regarded of the Three and was their commander, though he was not one of the first Three.

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;

Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, a strong warrior from Kabzeel, did many amazing things. He killed two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went after a lion into a pit in the snow and killed it.

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.

Another time he killed a huge Egyptian. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand but Benaiah attacked him with just a club. He grabbed the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.

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

These were the kind of things Benaiah did that made him as famous as the Three leading warriors.

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

He was the most highly regarded of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. David put him in charge of his personal bodyguard.

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

Included in the Thirty were: Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan, son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;

25 Shammah, the Harodite; Elika, the Harodite;

Shammoth the Harorite; Elika the Harodite,

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

Helez the Paltite; Ira, son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa;

27 Abiezer, the Anathothite, Mebunnai, the Hushathite;

Abiezer from Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite;

28 Zalmon, the Ahohite, Maharai, the Netophathite;

Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophahite;

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

Heleb, son of Baanah the Netophahite; Ittai, son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites;

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

Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the streams of Gaash;

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

Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Baharumite;

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

Eliahba the Shaalbonite; the sons of Jashem; Jonathan,

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

son of Shagee the Hararite; Ahiam, son of Sachar the Hararite;

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

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

35 Hezro, the Carmelite, Paarai, the Arbite;

Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

36 Igal, 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 bearers to Joab son of Zeruiah;

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab, son of Zeruiah,

38 Ira, the Ithrite, Gareb, the Ithrite;

Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite;

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

and Uriah the Hittite; a total of thirty-seven.