2Sam 23
1
Now these are the last words of David: The saying of David the son of Jesse, and the
saying of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet
singer of Israel:
2
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 spoke to me: 'Ruler over men shall be the
righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of God,
4
And as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds; when
through clear shining after rain, the tender grass springeth out of the earth.'
5
For is not my house established with God? for an everlasting covenant He hath made
with me, ordered in all things, and sure; for all my salvation, and all my desire,
will he not make it to grow?
6
But the ungodly, they are as thorns thrust away, all of them, for they cannot 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.
8
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; he lifted up his spear against
eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
9
And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite, one of the three
mighty men with David, when they jeoparded their lives against the Philistines that
were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away;
10
he stood firm, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand did
cleave unto the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people
returned after him only to strip the slain.
11
And after him was Shammah the son of Age the Ararite. 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
But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines;
and the LORD wrought a great victory.
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.
14
And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then
in Beth-lehem.
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!'
16
And the three mighty men broke 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.
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.
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.
19
He was most honourable of the three; therefore he was made their captain; howbeit
he attained not unto the first three.
20
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done
mighty deeds, he smote the two altar- hearths of Moab; he went down also and slew
a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow;
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.
22
These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and 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.
24
Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem;
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 of Gibeah of the
children of Benjamin;
30
Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of Nahale-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 Ararite;
34
Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, 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, armour-bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah;
38
Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite;
39
Uriah the Hittite. Thirty and seven in all.