23
1 Now
these are the
last words of
David.
David the son
of Jesse says,
the man who
was raised on
high says,
the anointed of
the God of Jacob,
the sweet
psalmist of Israel:
2 “The
LORD’s Spirit
spoke by me.
His word was
on my tongue.
3 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 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 Isn’t my
house 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.
Won’t he make it
grow?
6 But
all the ungodly
will be as
thorns to be
thrust away,
because they can’t
be taken with
the hand.
7 The man who
touches them must
be armed with
iron and the
staff of a
spear.
They will 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;
he was called
Adino the Eznite,
who killed eight
hundred at one
time.
9 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
who were there
gathered together
to battle, and
the men of
Israel had gone
away.
10 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 plunder.
11 After
him was Shammah
the son of Agee
a Hararite. The
Philistines had
gathered together
into a troop
where there was
a plot of
ground full of
lentils; and the
people fled from
the Philistines.
12 But
he stood in
the middle of
the plot and
defended it, and
killed the
Philistines; and
the LORD worked
a great victory.
13 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 encamped in
the valley of
Rephaim.
14 David
was then in
the stronghold;
and the garrison
of the Philistines
was then in
Bethlehem.
15 David said
longingly, “Oh that
someone would give
me water to
drink from the well
of Bethlehem,
which is by
the gate!”
16 The
three mighty men
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 He said, “Be
it far from
me, LORD, that
I should do
this! Isn’t this
the blood of
the men who risked
their lives to
go?” Therefore he
would not drink
it. The three
mighty men did
these things.
18 Abishai,
the brother of
Joab, the son
of Zeruiah, was
chief of the
three. He lifted
up his spear
against three
hundred and killed
them, and had
a name among
the three.
19 Wasn’t he
most honorable of
the three?
Therefore he was
made their captain.
However he wasn’t
included as one
of the three.
20 Benaiah
the son of
Jehoiada, the son
of a valiant
man of Kabzeel,
who had done
mighty deeds,
killed the two
sons of Ariel of
Moab. He also
went down and
killed a lion in
the middle of
a pit in a
time of snow.
21 He
killed a huge
Egyptian, 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 killed
him with his
own spear.
22 Benaiah
the son of
Jehoiada did these
things, and had
a name among
the three mighty
men.
23 He
was more honorable
than the thirty,
but he didn’t attain
to the three.
David set 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
of Gibeah of
the children of
Benjamin,
30 Benaiah
a Pirathonite,
Hiddai of the
brooks of Gaash.
31 Abialbon
the Arbathite,
Azmaveth the
Barhumite,
32 Eliahba the
Shaalbonite, 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 Hezro
the Carmelite,
Paarai the Arbite,
36 Igal
the son of
Nathan of Zobah,
Bani the Gadite,
37 Zelek
the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite,
armor bearers to
Joab the son
of Zeruiah,
38 Ira
the Ithrite, Gareb
the Ithrite,
39 and Uriah
the Hittite:
thirty-seven in
all.