2 Samuel 23

1 Forsothe these ben the laste wordis, whiche Dauid, the sone of Ysai, seide. The man seide, to whom it is ordeyned of Crist, of the God of Jacob, the noble salm makere of Israel;

These also be the last wordes of Dauid, Dauid the sonne of Ishai saith, euen the man who was set vp on hie, the Anointed of the God of Iacob, and the sweete singer of Israel saith,

2 The spiryt of the Lord spak bi me, and his word bi my tunge.

The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his worde was in my tongue.

3 Dauid seide, God of Israel spak to me, the stronge of Israel, the `iust Lord of men, `is Lord in the drede of God.

The God of Israel spake to me, ye strength of Israel saide, Thou shalt beare rule ouer men, being iust, and ruling in the feare of God.

4 As the liyt of the morewtid, whanne the sunne risith eerli, is briyt with out cloudis; and as an erbe cometh forth of the erthe bi reynes.

Euen as the morning light when the sunne riseth, the morning, I say, without cloudes, so shall mine house be, and not as the grasse of the earth is by the bright raine.

5 And myn hows is not so greet anentis God, that he schulde make with me euerlastynge couenaunt, stidefast and maad strong in alle thingis; for al myn helthe hangith of him, and al the wille `that is, al my desir, goith in to hym, and no thing is therof, that makith not fruyt.

For so shall not mine house be with God: for he hath made with me an euerlasting couenant, perfite in all pointes, and sure: therefore all mine health and whole desire is, that he will not make it growe so.

6 Forsothe alle trespassouris schulen be drawun out as thornes, that ben not takun with hondis.

But the wicked shalbe euery one as thornes thrust away, because they can not be taken with handes.

7 And if ony man wole touche tho, he schal be armed with irun, and with tre formed in to spere; and the thornes schulen be kyndlid, and schulen be brent `til to nouyt.

But the man that shall touch them, must be defensed with yron, or with the shaft of a speare: and they shall be burnt with fire in the same place.

8 These ben the names of the stronge men of Dauid. Dauid sittith in the chaier, the wiseste prince among thre; he is as a moost tendir worm of tree, that killide eiyte hundrid with o fersnesse.

These be the names of the mightie men whome Dauid had. He that sate in the seate of wisedome, being chiefe of the princes, was Adino of Ezni, he slewe eight hundreth at one time.

9 Aftir hym was Eleazar, the sone of his fadirs brother Abohi; among thre stronge men, that weren with Dauid, whanne thei seiden schenschip to Filisteis, and weren gaderid thidir in to batel.

And after him was Eleazar the sonne of Dodo, the sonne of Ahohi, one of the three worthies with Dauid, when they defied the Philistims gathered there to battel, when the men of Israel were gone vp.

10 And whanne the men of Israel hadden stied, he stood, and smoot Filisties, til his hond failide, and was starke with the swerd. And the Lord made greet helthe in that dai; and the puple that fledde turnedc ayen to drawe awei the spuylis of slayn men.

He arose and smote the Philistims vntill his hande was wearie, and his hande claue vnto the sworde: and the Lord gaue great victorie the same day, and the people returned after him onely to spoyle.

11 And aftir hym was Semma, the sone of Age, of Arari. And Filisteis weren gaderid in the stacioun; forsothe there was a feeld ful of lente; and whanne the puple fledde fro the face of Filisteis,

After him was Shammah the sonne of Age the Hararite: for the Philistims assembled at a towne, where was a piece of a fielde full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistims.

12 he stood in the myddis of the feeld, and bihelde it; and he smoot Filisteis, and the Lord made greet helthe.

But he stoode in the middes of the fielde, and defended it, and slewe the Philistims: so the Lord gaue great victorie.

13 Also and thre men yeden doun bifore, that weren princes among thretti, and camen to Dauid in the tyme of reep in to the denne of Odollam. Forsothe the castels of Filisteis weren set in the valei of giauntis.

Afterward three of the thirtie captaines went downe, and came to Dauid in the haruest time vnto the caue of Adullam, and the hoste of the Philistims pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

14 And Dauid was in a strong hold; sotheli the stacioun of Filisteis was thanne in Bethleem.

And Dauid was then in an holde, and the garison of ye Philistims was then in Beth-lehem.

15 Therfor Dauid desiride water of the lake, and seide, If ony man wolde yyue to me drynk of watir of the cisterne, which is in Bethleem, bisidis the yate.

And Dauid longed, and said, Oh, that one would giue me to drinke of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate.

16 Therfor thre stronge men braken in to the castels of Filisteis, and drowen watir of the cisterne of Bethleem, that was bisidis the yate, and brouyten to Dauid; and he nolde drinke,

The the three mightie brake into the host of the Philistims, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem that was by the gate, and tooke and brought it to Dauid, who woulde not drinke thereof, but powred it for an offring vnto ye Lord,

17 but offride it to the Lord, and seide, The Lord be merciful to me, that Y do not this; whether Y schal drynke the blood of these men, that yeden forth, and the perel of soulis? Therfor he nolde drynke. Thre strongeste men diden thes thingis.

And said, O Lord, be it farre from me, that I should doe this. Is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues? therefore he woulde not drinke it. These things did these three mightie men.

18 Also Abisay, brother of Joab, the sone of Saruye, was prince of thre; he it is that reiside his schaft ayens thre hundrid men, whiche he killide; `he was nemid among thre,

And Abishai the brother of Ioab, the sonne of Zeruiah, was chiefe among the three, and he lifted vp his speare against three hundreth, and slewe them, and he had the name among the three.

19 and was the noblere among thre, and he was the prince of hem; but he cam not to the thre firste men.

For he was most excellent of the three, and was their captaine, but he attained not vnto the first three.

20 And Banaye, the sone of Joiada, strongeste man of grete werkis, of Capseel, he smoot twei liouns of Moab, `that is, twei knyytis hardi as liouns; and he yede doun, and smoot a lioun in the myddil cisterne in the daies of snow.

And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada the sonne of a valiant man, which had done many actes, and was of Kabzeel, slewe two strong men of Moab: he went downe also, and slewe a lyon in the middes of a pit in the time of snowe.

21 Also he killide a man of Egipt, a man worthi of spectacle, hauynge a spere in the hond; therfor whanne he hadde come doun with a yerde to that man, bi miyt he wrooth out the spere fro the hond of the man of Egipt, and killide hym with his owne spere.

And he slewe an Egyptian a man of great stature, and the Egyptian had a speare in his hande: but he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hand, and slewe him with his owne speare.

22 Banaye, sone of Joiada, dide these thingis;

These things did Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and had the name among the three worthies.

23 and he was nemyed among thre stronge men, that weren among the thretti noblere men; netheles he cam not til to the thre. And Dauid made hym a counselour of priuyte to hym silf.

He was honourable among thirtie, but he atteined not to the first three: and Dauid made him of his counsell.

24 Asahel, the brother of Joab, was among thretti men; Eleanan, the sone of his fadris brother, of Bethleem; Semma, of Arari;

Asahel the brother of Ioab was one of the thirtie: Elhanan the sonne of Dodo of Beth-lehem:

25 Elcha, of Arodi; Helas, of Phelti;

Shammah the Harodite: Elika ye Harodite:

26 Hira, sone of Aches, of Thecua; Abiezer, of Amatoth;

Helez the Paltite: Ira the sonne of Ikkesh the Tekoite:

27 Mobannoy, of Cosathi; Selmon, of Achotes;

Abiezer the Anethothite: Mebunnai the Husathite:

28 Macharai, of Nethopath;

Zalmon an Ahohite: Maharai the Netophathite:

29 Heled, the sone of Baana, and he was of Netophath; Hiray, sone of Rabai, of Gebeeth, of the sones of Beniamyn; Banay, of Effrata;

Heleb the sonne of Baanah a Netophathite: Ittai the sonne of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Beniamin:

30 Hedday, of the stronde of Gaas;

Benaiah the Pirathonite: Hiddai of the riuer of Gaash:

31 Abiadon, of Arbath; Asmaneth, of Berromy;

Abi-albon the Arbathite: Azmaueth the Barhumite:

32 Eliaba, of Sabony; sones of Assen, Jonathan, and Jasan; Semma, of Herodi;

Elihaba the Shaalbonite: of the sonnes of Iashen, Ionathan:

33 Hayam, sone of Sarai, of Zaroth;

Shammah the Hararite: Ahiam the sonne of Sharar the Hamrite:

34 Eliphelech, sone of Saalbai, the sone of Maachati; Heliam, sone of Achitofel, of Gilo;

Eliphelet the sonne of Ahasbai the sonne of Maachathi: Eliam the sonne of Ahithophel the Gilonite:

35 Esrai, of Carmele; Pharai, of Arbi;

Hezrai the Carmelite: Paarai the Arbite:

36 Ygaal, sone of Nathan, of Soba;

Igal the sonne of Nathan of Zobah: Bani the Gadite:

37 Bonny, of Gaddi; Silech, of Ammony; Naarai, of Beroth, the squyer of Joab, the sone of Saruye;

Zelek the Ammonite: Naharai the Becrothite, the armour bearer of Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah:

38 Haray, of Jethri; Gareb, and he was of Gethri;

Ira the Ithrite: Gareb the Ithrite:

39 Vrye, of Ethei; alle weren seuene and thretti men.

Uriiah the Hittite, thirtie and seuen in all.