2 Samuel 23

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

2The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

3The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.footnote a

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

5Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

6But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

7But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.footnote b

8These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.footnote cfootnote dfootnote e

9And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the 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:

10He 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.

11And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.footnote f

12But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.

13And 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 pitched in the valley of Rephaim.footnote g

14And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

15And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!

16And 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: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.

17And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

18And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.footnote h

19Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

20And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:footnote ifootnote j

21And 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.footnote k

22These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.

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

24Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,

25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

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

27Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,footnote n

31Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

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

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

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

35Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

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

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

38Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,

39Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

David’s Last Song

1These are the last words of David:“The oracle of David son of Jesse,the oracle of the man raised on high,the one anointed by the God of Jacob,and the sweet psalmist of Israel:footnote a

2The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;His word was on my tongue. 3The God of Israel spoke;the Rock of Israel said to me,‘He who rules the people with justice,who rules in the fear of God, 4is like the light of the morningat sunrise of a cloudless dawn,the glistening after the rainon the sprouting grass of the earth.’

5Is not my house right with God?For He has established with mean everlasting covenant,ordered and secured in every part.Will He not bring about my full salvationand my every desire?

6But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside,for they can never be gathered by hand. 7The man who touches them must be armed with ironor with the shaft of a spear.The fire burns them to ashesin the place where they lie.”

David’s Mighty Men

8These are the names of David’s mighty men:
Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonitefootnote b was chief of the Three.footnote c He wielded his spear againstfootnote d eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time.

9Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodofootnote e the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he went with David to taunt the Philistines who had gathered for battle at Pas-dammim. The men of Israel retreated, 10but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead.

11And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines had banded together near a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. 12But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

13At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem. 15David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

16So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD, 17saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it.
Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

18Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three,footnote f and he wielded his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three. 19Was he not more honored than the Three?footnote g And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.

20And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valorfootnote h from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two championsfootnote i of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 21He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear. 22These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name along with the three mighty men. 23He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.

24Now these were members of the Thirty:footnote j
Asahel the brother of Joab,
Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

25Shammah the Harodite,
Elika the Harodite,

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

27Abiezer the Anathothite,
Mebunnaifootnote k the Hushathite,

28Zalmon the Ahohite,
Maharai the Netophathite,

29Heledfootnote l son of Baanah the Netophathite,
Ittaifootnote m son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,

30Benaiah the Pirathonite,
Hiddaifootnote n from the brooksfootnote o of Gaash,

31Abi-albon the Arbathite,
Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
the sons of Jashen,footnote p
Jonathan 33son of Shammahfootnote q the Hararite,
Ahiam son of Shararfootnote r the Hararite,

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

35Hezro the Carmelite,
Paarai the Arbite,

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

37Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

38Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite,

39and Uriah the Hittite.
There were thirty-seven in all.