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, —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:
2 “The Spirit of Yahweh tells me what to say; the message that I speak [MTY] comes from him.
The Spirit of Yahweh, spake in me, —And, 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.
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,
4 They are like the sun that shines at dawn and causes the grass to [sprout/sparkle] after the rain ends.’
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.
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.
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?
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, as for the abandoned, like thorns to be tossed away are they all, —For, not with the hand, can they be taken;
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, 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!
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 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.
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,
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;
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, 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.
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,
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,
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.
then took he his stand in the midst of the allotment, and defended it, and smote the Philistines, —and Yahweh wrought a great victory.
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 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;
14 David [and his soldiers] were in the cave [because it was safe there], and [another] group of Philistia soldiers was occupying Bethlehem.
and, David, then was in a stronghold, —and, a garrison of Philistines, was then in Bethlehem.
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 longed, and said, —Who will give me to drink water out of the well of Bethlehem, that is within the gate?
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 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,
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 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.
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 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.
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 most honourable, of the three, and so became their captain? Nevertheless, unto the three, he attained not.
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.
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;
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.
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.
22 Those are [some of] the things that Benaiah did. As a result, he became famous, like the three greatest warriors were.
These things, did Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and, he, had a name among three mighty men.
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 the most honourable, of thirty, although, unto the three, he attained no, —so David added him to his council.
24 [These are the names of the great warriors]: Asahel, the brother of Joab; Elhanan, the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;
Asahel, brother of Joab, was among the thirty, —Elhanan, son of Dodo, of Bethlehem;
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, son of Ikkesh, the Tekoite;
27 Abiezer, from Anathoth [city]; Mebunnai [whose other name was Sibbecai], from Hushah’s [clan];
Abiezer, the Anathothite, Mebunnai, 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;
Heleb, son of Baanah, the Netophathite, —Ittai, son of Ribai, of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin;
30 Benaiah, from Pirathon [town]; Hiddai, from the valleys near Gaash [Mountain];
Benaiah, a Pirathonite, Hiddai, of the torrents of Gaash;
31 Abi-Albon, from the clan of Arabah; Azmaveth, from Bahurim [town];
Abi-albon, the Arbathite, Azmaveth, the Barhumite;
32 Eliahba, from Shaalbon [town]; The sons of Jashen; Jonathan;
Eliahba, the Shaalbonite, (Of) the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;
33 Shammah, from Harar [town/clan]; Ahiam the son of Sharar, from Harar [town/clan];
Shammah, the Hararite, Ahiam, son of Sharar, the Ararite;
34 Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai, from Maacah [town]; Eliam, the son of Ahithophel, from Gilo [town];
Eliphelet, son of Ahasbai, son of the Maacathite. Eliam, son of Ahithophel, the Gilonite.
35 Hezro, from Carmel [city]; Paarai, from Arba [city];
Hezro, the Carmelite, Paarai, the Arbite;
36 Igal, the son of Nathan, from Zobah [city]; Bani, from the tribe of Gad;
Igal, 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, armour bearers to 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, In all, thirty and seven.
