2 Samuel 23

VIN^{(i) 1} Now, these, are the last words of David,—The oracle of David, son of Jesse, Yea the oracle of The man raised up on high, The Anointed of the God of Jacob, the Delight of the Songs of Israel: ² "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through 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 And as the light of morning he rises, A morning sun--no clouds! By the shining, by the rain, Tender grass of the earth!" ⁵ Truly is not so my house with God? since he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, firm in all, and sure? yea, will he not cause to grow all my salvation, and all my desire? ⁶ But the godless are all of them as waving thorns, which cannot be taken in the hand; ⁷ »‘But with a sharp spear. They are burned on the spot.’« ⁸ These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the officers. He wielded his spear against eight hundred slain 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 to battle; and the men of Israel had gone up; ¹⁰ He stood up and struck down the Philistines until his hand grew tired and his hand clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory on that day. Then the army returned back to him only for stripping the dead. ¹¹ Next in rank to him was Shammah, the son of Agee from Harar. The Philistines had gathered at Lehi, where there was a field of ripe lentils. When the troops fled from the Philistines, ¹² but Shammah stood his ground in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. And the LORD brought about a great victory. ¹³ At harvest time three of the thirty leading men came to David at the cave of Adullam when a troop from the Philistine army was camping in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ And David was then in the stronghold; and the Philistines` garrison was then at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ David grew homesick. He said: "I wish someone would bring me a drink of water from the well by the gate at Bethlehem!" ¹⁶ So the Three elite warriors broke through the Philistine ranks, drew some water from the Bethlehem well that was next to the city gate, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out before the Lord, ¹⁷ And he said, Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went at the risk of their life? and thus he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. 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 and being higher in rank than any of the three, he became their chief, though he did not come up to those three. ²⁰ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave man from Kabzeel who did some amazing things. He killed two of Moab's best fighters. On a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 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 These things, did Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and, he, had a name among three mighty men. ²³ He was honored more than the thirty, but he did not come up to the three. David appointed him in charge of his bodyguard. ²⁴ Among the thirty were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, ²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, ²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, ²⁷ Abiezer from Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, ²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, ²⁹ Heleb son of Baanah from Netophah, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, ³⁰ Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash, ³¹ Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, ³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, ³³ Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, ³⁴ Eliphelet, son of Ahasbai, son of the Maacathite. Eliam, son of Ahithophel, the Gilonite. ³⁵ Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, ³⁶ Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite, ³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armour-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, ³⁸ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, ³⁹ and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.