2 Samuel 23

1 And these [are] the last words of David: — 'The affirmation of David son of Jesse — And the affirmation of the man raised up — Concerning the Anointed of the God of Jacob, And the Sweetness of the Songs of Israel:

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

2 The Spirit of Jehovah hath spoken by me, And His word [is] on my tongue.

The Spirit of Jehovah spoke by me, and his word was upon my tongue.

3 He said — the God of Israel — to me, He spake — the Rock of Israel: He who is ruling over man [is] righteous, He is ruling in the fear of God.

The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me. He who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God,

4 And as the light of morning he riseth, A morning sun — no clouds! By the shining, by the rain, Tender grass of the earth!

he 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 For — not so [is] my house with God; For — a covenant age-during He made with me, Arranged in all things, and kept; For — all my salvation, and all desire, For — He hath not caused [it] to spring up.

Truly my house is not 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, though he does not make it to grow.

6 As to the worthless — As a thorn driven away [are] all of them, For — not by hand are they taken;

But the worthless shall be as thorns to be thrust away, all of them, because they cannot be taken with the hand.

7 And the man who cometh against them Is filled with iron and the staff of a spear, And with fire they are utterly burnt In the cessation.'

But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear, and they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.

8 These [are] the names of the mighty ones whom David hath: sitting in the seat [is] the Tachmonite, head of the captains — he [is] Adino, who hardened himself against eight hundred — wounded at one time.

These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time.

9 And after him [is] Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, of the three mighty men with David; in their exposing themselves among the Philistines — they have been gathered there to battle, and the men of Israel go up —

And 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 were gone away.

10 he hath arisen, and smiteth among the Philistines till that his hand hath been weary, and his hand cleaveth unto the sword, and Jehovah worketh a great salvation on that day, and the people turn back after him only to strip off.

He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And Jehovah wrought a great victory that day, and the people returned after him only to take spoil.

11 And after him [is] Shammah son of Agee the Hararite, and the Philistines are gathered into a company, and there is there a portion of the field full of lentiles, and the people hath fled from the presence of the Philistines,

And after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop where was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines.

12 and he stationeth himself in the midst of the portion, and delivereth it, and smiteth the Philistines, and Jehovah worketh a great salvation.

But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Philistines. And Jehovah wrought a great victory.

13 And three of the thirty heads go down and come unto the harvest, unto David, unto the cave of Adullam, and the company of the Philistines are encamping in the valley of Rephaim,

And 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 [is] then in a fortress, and the station of the Philistines [is] then in Beth-Lehem,

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

15 and David longeth and saith, 'Who doth give me a drink of the water of the well of Beth-Lehem, which [is] by the gate?'

And David longed, and said, Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!

16 And the three mighty ones cleave through the camp of the Philistines, and draw water out of the well of Beth-Lehem, which [is] by the gate, and take [it] up, and bring in unto David; and he was not willing to drink it, and poureth it out to Jehovah,

And 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 Jehovah.

17 and saith, 'Far be it from me, O Jehovah, to do this; is it the blood of the men who are going with their lives?' and he was not willing to drink it; these [things] did the three mighty ones.

And he said, Be it far from me, O Jehovah, that I should do this, to drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

18 And Abishai brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, he [is] head of three, and he is lifting up his spear against three hundred — wounded, and he hath a name among three.

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

19 Of the three is he not the honoured? and he becometh their head; and unto the [first] three he hath not come.

Was he not most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he did not attain to the first three.

20 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada (son of a man of valour, great in deeds from Kabzeel), he hath smitten two lion-like men of Moab, and he hath gone down and smitten the lion in the midst of the pit in a day of snow.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.

21 And he hath smitten the Egyptian man, a man of appearance, and in the hand of the Egyptian [is] a spear, and he goeth down unto him with a rod, and taketh violently away the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slayeth him with his own spear.

And he killed an Egyptian, a good-looking man. 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] hath Benaiah son of Jehoiada done, and hath a name among three mighty.

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

23 Of the thirty he is honoured, and unto the three he came not; and David setteth him over his guard.

He was more honorable than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

24 Asahel brother of Joab [is] of the thirty; Elhanan son of Dodo of Beth-Lehem.

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 Annethothite, 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 from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin,

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

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks 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 (of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan,

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

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

34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai, son of the Maachathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

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

35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

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

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

37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, bearer of the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah,

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armorbearers 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.

Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.