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;

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

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

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 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.

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

But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can’t be taken with the hand.

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.

The man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear. They will be utterly burnt with fire in their 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 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 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.

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

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

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.

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

David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

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.

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

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 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,

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 amongst 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.

Wasn’t he most honourable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the 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.

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 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.

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 Banaye, sone of Joiada, dide these thingis;

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

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

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

25 Elcha, of Arodi; Helas, of Phelti;

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

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

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

27 Mobannoy, of Cosathi; Selmon, of Achotes;

Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Macharai, of Nethopath;

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

30 Hedday, of the stronde of Gaas;

Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash.

31 Abiadon, of Arbath; Asmaneth, of Berromy;

Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

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

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

33 Hayam, sone of Sarai, of Zaroth;

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

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

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

35 Esrai, of Carmele; Pharai, of Arbi;

Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

36 Ygaal, sone of Nathan, of Soba;

Igal the son 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 Beerothite, armour bearers to Joab the son 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.

and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.