< Kings II 23 >

1 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.
Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says, the man whom God raised up, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word [was] upon my tongue.
"The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me. His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel says, A watchman out of Israel spoke to me a parable: I said among men, How will you strengthen the fear of the anointed?
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 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.
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 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.
Most certainly 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, although he doesn't make it grow.
6 All these [are] as a thorn thrust forth, for they shall not be taken with the hand,
But all of the ungodly shall be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can't be taken with the hand,
7 and a man shall not labor 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.
But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear. They shall be utterly burned with fire in their place."
8 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.
These are the names of the warriors whom David had: Jeshbaal the son of Hachmoni, leader of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.
9 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.
After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the Three warriors. He was with David in Pas Dammim when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated.
10 He arose an struck 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].
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 spoil.
11 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.
After him was Shamma the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines were gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.
12 And he stood firm in the midst of the portion, and rescued it, and struck the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great deliverance.
But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD worked a great victory.
13 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.
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 camped in the Valley of Rephaim.
14 And David [was] then in the strong hold, and the garrison of the Philistines [was] then in Bethleem.
David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15 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.
And David had a craving and said, "Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate."
16 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.
The Three warriors 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 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.
He said, "Far be it from me, LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. The Three warriors did these things.
18 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 killed; and he had a name among three.
And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was leader of the Thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name beside the Three.
19 Of those three [he was] most honorable, and he became a chief over them, but he reached not to the [first] three.
He was the most illustrious of the Thirty, and he became their leader. However he did not attain to the Three.
20 And Banaeas the son of Jodae, he was abundant in [mighty] deeds, from Cabeseel, and he struck the two sons of Ariel of Moab: and he went down and struck a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, who performed great 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 He struck 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 killed him with his own spear.
He killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature. And the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.
22 These things did Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he had a name among the three mighty men.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the Three warriors.
23 He was honorable 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.
He was more honored than the Thirty, but he did not attain to the Three. David set him over his guard.
24 Asael Joab's brother; he [was] among the thirty. Eleanan son of Dudi his uncle in Bethleem.
Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the Thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem,
25 Saema the Rudaean.
Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26 Selles the Kelothite: Iras the son of Isca the Thecoite.
Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27 Abiezer the Anothite, of the sons of the Anothite.
Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbekai the Hushathite,
28 Ellon the Aoite; Noere the Netophatite.
Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 Esthai the son of Riba of Gabaeth, son of Benjamin the Ephrathite; Asmoth the Bardiamite; Emasu the Salabonite:
Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin,
30 Adroi of the brooks.
Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of Nahale Gaash.
31 Gadabiel son of the Arabothaeite.
Abiel son of the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Bahurimite,
32 the sons of Asan, Jonathan;
Eliahba the Shaalbinite, Jashen the Gizonite,
33 Samnan the Arodite; Amnan the son of Arai the Saraurite.
Jonathan son of Shamma the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sakar the Hararite,
34 Aliphaleth the son of Asbites, the son of the Machachachite; Eliab the son of Achitophel the Gelonite.
Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 Asarai the Carmelite the son of Uraeoerchi.
Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36 Gaal the son of Nathana. The son of much valour, [the son] of Galaaddi. Elie the Ammanite.
Igal the son of Nathan, from the army of the Hagrites,
37 Gelore the Bethorite, armor-bearer to Joab, son of Saruia.
Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38 Iras the Ethirite. Gerab the Ethenite.
Ira the Jattirite, Gareb the Jattirite,
39 Urias the Chettite: thirty-seven in all.
Uriah the Hethite: thirty-seven in all.

< Kings II 23 >