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 the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says, the man who was raised on high says, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:

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

“The LORD’s Spirit spoke by me. His word was on 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, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules 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.

shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear shining after 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?

Isn’t my house so with God? Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure, for it is all my salvation and all my desire. Won’t he make it grow?

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 all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can’t be taken with 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 man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear. They will be utterly burned with fire in their place.”

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 mighty men whom David had: Josheb Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; he was called Adino the Eznite, who killed eight hundred at one time.

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 Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away.

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.

He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and the LORD worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take plunder.

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 was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from 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.

But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD worked 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;

Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

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

David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was 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?

David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is 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,

The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out 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.

He said, “Be it far from me, LORD, that I should do this! Isn’t this the blood of the men who risked their lives to go?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.

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, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.

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

Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the 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 the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a 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 killed a huge Egyptian, 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 killed him with his own spear.

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

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

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

He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard.

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

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

25 Shammah, the Harodite; Elika, the Harodite;

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

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

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

27 Abiezer, the Anathothite, Mebunnai, the Hushathite;

Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon, the Ahohite, Maharai, the Netophathite;

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

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

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

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

Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash.

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

Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

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

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

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

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

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

Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the 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 the 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, armor bearers to Joab the 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: thirty-seven in all.