2 Samuel 23

1 These are the last words of David. Now David, the son of Jesse, the man to whom it was appointed concerning the Christ of the God of Jacob, the preeminent psalmist of Israel said:

And these [are] the last words of David. Faithful [is] David the son of Jessae, and faithful the man whom the Lord raised up to be the anointed of the God of Jacob, and beautiful [are] the psalms of Israel.

2 “The Spirit of the Lord has spoken through me, and his word was spoken through my tongue.

The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word [was] upon my tongue.

3 The God of Israel spoke to me, the Strong One of Israel spoke, the Ruler of men, the Just Ruler, in the fear of God,

The God of Israel says, A watchman out of Israel spoke to me a parable: I said among men, How will ye strengthen the fear of the anointed?

4 like the first light of the morning as the sun is rising, when a morning without clouds glows red, and like plants springing forth from the earth after a rainfall.

And in the morning light of God, let the sun arise in the morning, from the light of which the Lord passed on, and as it were from the rain of the tender grass upon the earth.

5 But my house is not so great with God that he should undertake an eternal covenant with me, firm and fortified in all things. For he is the entirety of my salvation and the entirety of my will. And there is nothing of this which will not spring forth.

For my house [is] not so with the Mighty One: for he has made an everlasting covenant with me, ready, guarded at every time; for all my salvation and all my desire [is], that the wicked should not flourish.

6 But all prevaricators shall be plucked out like thorns, yet they are not taken away by hands.

All these [are] as a thorn thrust forth, for they shall not be taken with the hand,

7 And if anyone wishes to touch them, he must be armed with iron and a wooden lance. And they shall be set ablaze and burned to nothing.”

and a man shall not labour among them; and [one shall have] that which is fully armed with iron, and the staff of a spear, an he shall burn them with fire, and they shall be burnt in their shame.

8 These are the names of the valiant of David. Sitting in the chair was the wisest leader among the three; he was like a very tender little worm in a tree, who killed eight hundred men in one attack.

These [are] the names of the mighty men of David: Jebosthe the Chananite is a captain of the third [part]: Adinon the Asonite, he drew his sword against eight hundred soldiers at once.

9 After him, there was Eleazar, the son of his paternal uncle, an Ahohite, who was among the three valiant men who were with David when they chastised the Philistines, and they were gathered together in battle there.

And after him Eleanan the son of his uncle, son of Dudi who was among the three mighty men with David; and when he defied the Philistines they were gathered there to war, and the men of Israel went up.

10 And when the men of Israel had gone up, he himself stood fast and struck down the Philistines, until his hand grew weak and stiff with the sword. And the Lord wrought a great salvation on that day. And the people who had fled returned to take up the spoils of the slain.

He arose an smote the Philistines, until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the sword: and the Lord wrought a great salvation in that day, and the people rested behind him only to strip [the slain].

11 And after him, there was Shammah, the son of Agee, from Hara. And the Philistines gathered together at an outpost. For a field full of lentils was in that place. And when the people had fled from the face of the Philistines,

And after him Samaia the son of Asa the Arachite: and the Philistines were gathered to Theria; and there was there a portion of ground full of lentiles; and the people fled before the Philistines.

12 he stood fast in the middle of the field, and it was protected by him. And he struck down the Philistines. And the Lord wrought a great salvation.

And he stood firm in the midst of the portion, and rescued it, and smote the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great deliverance.

13 And moreover, before this, the three who were leaders among the thirty descended and went to David at harvest time, in the cave of Adullam. But the camp of the Philistines was positioned in the Valley of the giants.

And three out of the thirty went down, and came to Cason to David, to the cave of Odollam; and [there was] an army of the Philistines, and they encamped in the valley of Raphain.

14 And David was in a stronghold. Moreover, there was a garrison of the Philistines at that time in Bethlehem.

And David [was] then in the strong hold, and the garrison of the Philistines [was] then in Bethleem.

15 Then David desired, and he said, “If only someone would give me a drink of the water from the cistern, which is in Bethlehem beside the gate!”

And David longed, and said, Who will give me water to drink out of the well that is in Bethleem by the gate? now the band of the Philistines [was] then in Bethleem.

16 Therefore, the three valiant men burst into the encampment of the Philistines, and they drew water from the cistern of Bethlehem, which was beside the gate. And they brought it to David. Yet he was not willing to drink; instead, he poured it out to the Lord,

And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well that was in Bethleem in the gate: and they took it, and brought it to David, and he would not drink it, but poured it out before the Lord.

17 saying: “May the Lord be gracious to me, so that I may not do this. Should I drink the blood of these men who have set out to the peril of their own lives?” Therefore, he was not willing to drink. These things were accomplished by these three robust men.

And he said, O Lord, forbid that I should do this, that I should drink of the blood of the men who went at [the risk of] their lives: and he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

18 Also Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was first among the three. It was he who lifted up his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed. And he was renowned among the three,

And Abessa the brother of Joab the son of Saruia, he [was] chief among the three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he slew; and he had a name among three.

19 and he was the noblest of the three, and he was their leader. But at first he did not attain to the three.

Of those three [he was] most honourable, and he became a chief over them, but he reached not to the [first] three.

20 And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, a very strong man of great deeds, was from Kabzeel. He slew the two lions of Moab, and he descended and slew a lion in the middle of a den, in the days of snow.

And Banaeas the son of Jodae, he was abundant in [mighty] deeds, from Cabeseel, and he smote the two sons of Ariel of Moab: and he went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

21 He also killed an Egyptian who had a spear in his hand, a man worthy to behold. And yet he had gone down to him with only a staff. And he forced the spear from the hand of the Egyptian, and he killed him with his own spear.

He smote an Egyptian, a wonderful man, and in the hand of the Egyptian [was] a spear as the side of a ladder; and he went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

22 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, accomplished these things.

These things did Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he had a name among the three mighty men.

23 And he was renowned among the three robust men, who were the most noble among the thirty. Yet truly, he did not attain to the three, until David made him his secret advisor.

He was honourable among the [second] three, but he reached not to the [first] three: and David made him his reporter. And these [are] the names of King David's mighty men.

24 Among the thirty were: Asahel, the brother of Joab, Elhanan, the son of his paternal uncle, from Bethlehem,

Asael Joab's brother; he [was] among the thirty. Eleanan son of Dudi his uncle in Bethleem.

25 Shammah from Harod, Elika from Harod,

Saema the Rudaean.

26 Helez from Palti, Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa,

Selles the Kelothite: Iras the son of Isca the Thecoite.

27 Abiezer from Anathoth, Mebunnai from Hushah,

Abiezer the Anothite, of the sons of the Anothite.

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

Ellon the Aoite; Noere the Netophatite.

29 Heleb, the son of Baanah, also himself a Netophathite, Ittai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin,

Esthai the son of Riba of Gabaeth, son of Benjamin the Ephrathite; Asmoth the Bardiamite; Emasu the Salabonite:

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the Torrent Gaash,

Adroi of the brooks.

31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth from Beromi,

Gadabiel son of the Arabothaeite.

32 Eliahba from Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

the sons of Asan, Jonathan;

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

Samnan the Arodite; Amnan the son of Arai the Saraurite.

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

Aliphaleth the son of Asbites, the son of the Machachachite; Eliab the son of Achitophel the Gelonite.

35 Hezrai from Carmel, Paarai from Arbi,

Asarai the Carmelite the son of Uraeoerchi.

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

Gaal the son of Nathana. The son of much valour, [the son] of Galaaddi. Elie the Ammanite.

37 Zelek from Ammon, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor bearer of Joab, the son of Zeruiah,

Gelore the Bethorite, armour-bearer to Joab, son of Saruia.

38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb also an Ithrite,

Iras the Ethirite. Gerab the Ethenite.

39 Uriah the Hittite: altogether thirty seven

Urias the Chettite: thirty-seven in all.