2 Samuel 23

¹ Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; thus says the man raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:

² The Spirit of Jehovah has spoken by me, and His Word was on my tongue.

³ The God of Israel has said, the Rock of Israel has spoken to me: He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

⁴ And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.

⁵ Although my house is not so with the Mighty God, yet He has made with me a perpetual covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For all my salvation and all my desire, will He not make it grow?

⁶ But the sons of worthlessness shall all be as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with the hand.

⁷ But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they shall be burned with fire to be burned in their place.

⁸ These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the commanders. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he killed eight hundred men at one time.

⁹ And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel retreated.

¹⁰ He rose up and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. Jehovah brought about a great deliverance that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.

¹¹ And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils, and the people had fled before the Philistines.

¹² But he took his stand in the middle of the plot, delivered it, and struck the Philistines. And Jehovah brought about a great deliverance.

¹³ And three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam. And the company of the Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁴ David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

¹⁵ And David longed and said, Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!

¹⁶ So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to Jehovah.

¹⁷ And he said, Far be it from me, O Jehovah, that I should do this! Should I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their souls? Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.

¹⁸ And Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three.

¹⁹ Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their commander. However, he did not attain to the first three.

²⁰ Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two from Moab that were like lions. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

²¹ And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.

²² These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty ones.

²³ He was more honored than the thirty, but he had not attained to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard.

²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

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

²⁷ Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

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

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

³¹ Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite (of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan,

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

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

³⁵ Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

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

³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah),

³⁸ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

³⁹ and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.