2 Samuel 23

1 David, the son of Jesse, was a man whom [God caused to] become great. He was appointed to become king by the God whom Jacob [worshiped]. He wrote beautiful songs for the Israeli people. This is the last song that he wrote:

Now these are the last words of David. David, the son of Jesse, says, the man who was lifted up on high, the man on whom the God of Jacob put the holy oil, the loved one of Israel's songs, says:

2 “The Spirit of Yahweh tells me what to say; the message that I speak [MTY] comes from him.

The spirit of the Lord had voice through me, his word was on my tongue.

3 God, the one whom we Israeli [people worship], has spoken; the one who protects us Israeli people said to me, ‘Kings who rule people justly have an awesome respect for me, God.

The God of Israel said, the word of the Rock of Israel came to me: When an upright king is ruling over men, when he is ruling in the fear of God,

4 They are like the sun that shines at dawn and causes the grass to [sprout/sparkle] after the rain ends.’

It is as the light of the morning, when the sun comes up, a morning without clouds; making young grass come to life from the earth.

5 And truly, that is how God will surely bless my family [RHQ] because he made an agreement with me that will endure forever, an agreement in which he promises that no part of it will ever be changed. He will surely cause me to prosper [RHQ], and he will always help me, and that is all that I desire.

For is not my house so with God? For he has made with me an eternal agreement, ordered in all things and certain: as for all my salvation and all my desire, will he not give it increase?

6 But [he will get rid of] godless/evil people like [SIM] people throw away thorns that [injure people if they try to] pick them up with their hands.

But the evil-doers, all of them, will be like thorns to be pushed away, because they may not be gripped in the hand:

7 Someone [who wants to get rid of thornbushes] does not grab them; he uses an iron [shovel] or a spear [to dig them out] and then he burns them completely.

But anyone touching them has to be armed with iron and the rod of a spear; and they will be burned with fire, every one of them.

8 These are the names of David’s three greatest warriors. The first was Esh-Baal, [whose other name was Jashobeam], from the Hachmon clan (OR, the son of Hachmon). He was the leader of the three men. One time he fought against 800 enemies and killed them all with his spear.

These are the names of David's men of war: Ishbaal the Hachmonite, chief of the three; his axe was lifted up against eight hundred put to death at one time.

9 The second/next one of the three greatest warriors was Eleazar, who was the son of Dodo from the clan of Ahoh. One day he was with David when they defied/challenged the soldiers of Philistia who had gathered for the battle. The [other] Israeli soldiers retreated,

After him was Eleazar, the son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three great fighters, who was with David in Pas-dammim when the Philistines came together there for the fight; and when the men of Israel had gone in flight,

10 but Eleazar stood there and fought the soldiers of Philistia until his arm became very tired, with the result that [his hand cramped and] he could not stop gripping his sword. Yahweh won a great victory on that day. And afterwards the [other] Israeli soldiers returned [to where Eleazar was], and stripped off the [armor from the men whom he had] killed.

He was with David and went on fighting the Philistines till his hand became tired and stiff from gripping his sword: and that day the Lord gave a great salvation, and the people came back after him only to take the goods of the Philistines.

11 The third one of the greatest warriors was Shammah, the son of Agee from [the clan/town of] Harar. One time the Philistia soldiers gathered at Lehi [town], where there was a field full of lentils/peas [that they wanted to steal]. The other Israeli soldiers ran away from the Philistia troops,

After him was Shammah, the son of Ela the Hararite. And the Philistines came together in Lehi, where there was a bit of land full of seed; and the people went in flight from the Philistines.

12 but Shammah stood there in the field and did not let the Philistia soldiers [steal the crops], and killed them. Yahweh won a great victory on that day.

But he kept his place in the middle of the bit of land, and kept back their attack and overcame the Philistines: and the Lord gave a great salvation.

13 Altogether there were 30 special warriors among David’s soldiers. Once, when it was almost time to harvest [the crops], three of those 30 men went down to Adullam Cave, where David was [staying]. A group of men from the Philistia army had set up their tents in Rephaim Valley [near Jerusalem].

And three of the thirty went down at the start of the grain-cutting, and they came to David at the strong place of Adullam; and the band of Philistines had taken up their position in the valley of Rephaim.

14 David [and his soldiers] were in the cave [because it was safe there], and [another] group of Philistia soldiers was occupying Bethlehem.

And at that time David had taken cover in the strong place, and an armed force of the Philistines was in Beth-lehem.

15 [One day] David very much wanted [some water] to drink, and said “I wish that someone would bring me some water from the well near the gate at Bethlehem!”

And David, moved by a strong desire, said, If only someone would give me a drink of water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town!

16 So his three greatest warriors forced their way through the camp of Philistia soldiers and drew some water from the well, and brought it to David. But he would not drink it. Instead, he poured it out [on the ground] as an offering to Yahweh.

And the three men, forcing their way through the Philistine army, got water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town, and took it back to David: but he would not take it, but, draining it out, made an offering of it to the Lord.

17 He said, “Yahweh, it would certainly not be right for me to drink this water! That would be like [RHQ] drinking the blood of these men who were willing/ready to die for me!” So he refused to drink it. That was one of the things that those three great warriors did.

And he said, Far be it from me, O Lord, to do this; how may I take as my drink the life-blood of men who have put their lives in danger? So he would not take it. These things did the three great men of war.

18 Abishai, Joab’s [younger] brother, was the leader of the 30 [greatest warriors]. [One day] he fought against 300 men and killed them all with his spear. As a result, he also became famous.

And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. He put to death three hundred with his spear, and he got for himself a name among the thirty.

19 He was the most famous of the thirty greatest warriors, and he became their leader/commander, but he was not one of the three greatest warriors.

Was he not the noblest of the thirty? so he was made their captain: but he was not equal to the first three.

20 Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, from Kabzeel [town], also did great deeds. He killed two of the best warriors from the Moab people-group. Also, he went down into a pit on a day when snow was falling, and killed a lion there.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a fighting man of Kabzeel, had done great acts; he put to death the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down into a hole and put a lion to death in time of snow:

21 He also killed a huge soldier from Egypt who carried a spear. Benaiah [had only] his club, but he attacked the giant with it. Then he snatched the spear from the man’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

And he made an attack on an Egyptian, a tall man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a stick, and pulling the spear out of the hands of the Egyptian, put him to death with that same spear.

22 Those are [some of] the things that Benaiah did. As a result, he became famous, like the three greatest warriors were.

These were the acts of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who had a great name among the thirty men of war.

23 He was more honored than the other members of the group of thirty great warriors, but not as famous as the three greatest warriors. David appointed him to be the commander of his bodyguards.

He was honoured over the rest of the thirty, but he was not equal to the first three. And David put him over the fighting men who kept him safe.

24 [These are the names of the great warriors]: Asahel, the brother of Joab; Elhanan, the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;

Asahel, the brother of Joab, was one of the thirty; and Elhanan, the son of Dodai, of Beth-lehem,

25 Shammah and Elika, from [the] Harod [clan];

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

26 Helez, from Pelet [city]; Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa [town];

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

27 Abiezer, from Anathoth [city]; Mebunnai [whose other name was Sibbecai], from Hushah’s [clan];

Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon [whose other name was Ilai], from Ahoh’s [clan]; Maharai, from Netophah [town];

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29 Heleb, the son of Baanah, also from Netophah [town]; Ittai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah [town] in [the land that belonged to] the tribe of Benjamin;

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

30 Benaiah, from Pirathon [town]; Hiddai, from the valleys near Gaash [Mountain];

Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the valleys of Gaash,

31 Abi-Albon, from the clan of Arabah; Azmaveth, from Bahurim [town];

Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim,

32 Eliahba, from Shaalbon [town]; The sons of Jashen; Jonathan;

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, Jashen the Gunite,

33 Shammah, from Harar [town/clan]; Ahiam the son of Sharar, from Harar [town/clan];

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

34 Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai, from Maacah [town]; Eliam, the son of Ahithophel, from Gilo [town];

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

35 Hezro, from Carmel [city]; Paarai, from Arba [city];

Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Archite,

36 Igal, the son of Nathan, from Zobah [city]; Bani, from the tribe of Gad;

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

37 Zelek, from the Ammon people-group; Naharai, the man who carried Joab’s weapons, from Beeroth [town];

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, who had the care of the arms of Joab, son of Zeruiah,

38 Ira and Gareb, from Jattir [town];

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

39 Uriah, [Bathsheba’s husband], from the Heth people-group. Altogether, there were 37 famous soldiers, [but some of them had died and their names were not included].

Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in number.