2 Samuel 23 Now these were the last words of David. Faithful is David the son of Jessai, And faithful the man whom the Lord hath set Over the anointed of the God of Jacob. And sweet are the psalms of Israel.

Thomson⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Now these were the last words of David. Faithful is David the son of Jessai, And faithful the man whom the Lord hath set Over the anointed of the God of Jacob. And sweet are the psalms of Israel. ² The Spirit of the Lord hath spoken by me, And his word was upon my tongue. ³ The God of Israel saith to me, A watchman of Israel hath spoken a proverb. I said as a man, [d] How can you strengthen the fear of an anointed? ⁴ [p] With the light of the God of the morning. [d] David. [p] Prophet. [d] Let the Sun rise in the morning betimes. [p] Is not the Lord gone forth with splendour? [d] Yes, like the spring of grass on the earth after rain; ⁵ For is not my house thus with the Almighty? For he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Kept ready for every occasion; Because this is all my safety, and all my desire, That the transgressor may not flourish. ⁶ [p] All such are like rejected thorns. Because they cannot be handled, ⁷ Nor can a man labour among them; Therefore pure iron, and the staff of a spear, Shall cause them to burn with fire, And they shall be burned to their shame. ⁸ These are the names of David's worthies. Jebosthe, the Chananite, a chief of the third rank, who is also called Adinon the Asonite. This man drew his sword against eight hundred warriors at one time. ⁹ And after him Eleanon [the son of a man who married his brother's wife to raise up seed for his brother] the son of Dudi, one of the three worthies with David. When he challenged the Philistines, and they had assembled for battle, and the men of Israel had gone up, ¹⁰ he arose and made a slaughter among the Philistines, till his hand was tired, and glued to his sword, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance that day, and the people went after him only to spoil. ¹¹ And next to him was Samaias, son of Asa the Aruchite. When the Philistines had assembled to forage, where there was a piece of ground full of lentils, and the people fled before the Philistines; ¹² he stood like a pillar in the middle of the field, and defended it, and smote the Philistines, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance. ¹³ These three went down from the thirty, and came to David at Kason, to the cave of Odollam, when an army of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Raphain. ¹⁴ Now David was then in the fortress, and there was a garrison of the Philistines then at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ And David longed and said, Oh that I had some water to drink out of the well which is at Bethlehem; that by the gate! ¹⁶ Upon which these three worthies, notwithstanding the garrison of the Philistines then at Bethlehem, broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well at Bethlehem, by the gate. But when they got it, and came to David, he would not drink it, but poured it out as a libation to the Lord, ¹⁷ and said, Lord forbid that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men, who have gone at the risk of their lives? So he would not drink it. These exploits were performed by these three men. ¹⁸ Now Abessa, the brother of Joab, son of Saruia, was a chief among the three. He also lifted up his spear against three hundred men, though he was wounded. So he had a name among the three; ¹⁹ and being higher in rank than any of the three, he became their chief, though he did not come up to those three. ²⁰ Banaias also, son of Jodae, of Kabeseel, was a man renowned for exploits. He smote the two sons of Ariel the Moabite. He went down also, and smote a lion in the midst of the pit on a snowy day. ²¹ He smote also an Egyptian, a man of great stature. Though the Egyptian had in his hand a spear like the side of a ladder, he went down to him with a staff, and wresting the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, he killed him with his own spear. ²² These exploits Banaias son of Jodae performed, and had a name among the three worthies. ²³ He was higher in rank than any of the three, though he did not come up to the three. And David appointed him Auditor. ²⁴ These also were the names of king David's worthies, Asael the brother of Joab, he was among the thirty, Eleanon son of Dudi, who married his brother's wife at Bethlehem; ²⁵ Saima the Rudite; ²⁶ Selles the Kelothite; Iras of Iska, the Thekoite; ²⁷ Abiezer the Anothite, another of the sons of the Anothites; ²⁸ Ellon the Aoite; Neere the Netophatite; ²⁹ Esthai son of Riba of Gabaeth; son of Benjamin the Ephrathite; Asmoth the Bardiamite; Emasu the Salabonite; ³⁰ Adroi of the brooks; ³¹ Gadabiel son of the Arabothite; ³² son Asan; son Jonathan; ³³ Samnan the Aradite; Amnan son of Arai the Saraouite; ³⁴ Aliphaleth son of Asbites; son of the Machachite; Eliab son of Achitophel the Gelonite; ³⁵ Asarai the Karmelite, of Ouraioerchi; ³⁶ Gaal son of Nathana; Poludunameos son of Galaaddi; Elie the Ammonite; ³⁷ Gelore the Bethorite, the armour bearer of Joab, son of Saruia; ³⁸ Iras the Etherite; Gerab the Ethinite; ³⁹ Ourias the Chettite. They were thirty seven in all.