2 Samuel 23

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

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 spake by me, and his word was upon my tongue.

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

3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me: One that ruleth over men righteously, that ruleth 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 [He shall be] as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds; [when] the tender grass [springeth] out of the earth, through clear shining after rain.

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 Verily my house is not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for it is all my salvation, and all [my] desire, although he maketh it not to grow.

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 the ungodly shall be all of them as thorns to be thrust away, for they cannot be taken with the hand:

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

7 But the man that toucheth them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in [their] place.

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 be 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.

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 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 that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:

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 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

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 was Shammah the son of Agce 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.

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 But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.

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 three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

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 then in the hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

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

15 And David longed and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem which is by 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 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto 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 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: [shall I drink] the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty 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 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 slew them, and had a name 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 Was he not most honourable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the [first] 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, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two [sons of] Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time 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 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly 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 slew 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 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.

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

23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the [first] three. And David set him over his guard.

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 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem;

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

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite;

Saema the Rudaean.

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

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

27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite;

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 the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin;

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

30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash;

Adroi of the brooks.

31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite;

Gadabiel son of the Arabothaeite.

32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;

the sons of Asan, Jonathan;

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

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

34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, 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 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite;

Asarai the Carmelite the son of Uraeoerchi.

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

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

37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah;

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

38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite;

Iras the Ethirite. Gerab the Ethenite.

39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

Urias the Chettite: thirty-seven in all.