2 Samuel 23
Complete Jewish Bible
23 Here are David’s last words:
“This is the speech of David the son of Yishai,
the speech of the man who has been raised up,
the one anointed by the God of Ya‘akov,
the sweet singer of Isra’el.
2 “The Spirit of Adonai spoke through me,
his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Isra’el spoke;
the Rock of Isra’el said to me,
‘A ruler over people must be upright,
ruling in the fear of God;
4 like the morning light at sunrise
on a cloudless day
that makes the grass on the earth
sparkle after a rain.’
5 “For my house stands firm with God —
he made an everlasting covenant with me.
It is in order, fully assured,
that he will bring to full growth
all my salvation and every desire.
6 “But the ungodly are like thorn bushes
to be pushed aside, every one of them.
They cannot be taken in one’s hand;
7 To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft,
and then only to burn them where they lie.”
8 Following are the names of David’s warrior-heroes:
Yoshev-Bashevet the Tach’kmoni, chief of the three, also known as ‘Adino the ‘Etzni; he is the one who came against 800 men, whom he killed in a single encounter.
9 After him was El‘azar the son of Dodo the son of Achochi, one of the three warriors with David when they put their lives in jeopardy against the P’lishtim who were there assembled for battle, while the men of Isra’el had gone away. 10 He stood firm and attacked the P’lishtim until his hand went into spasm, so that he couldn’t let go of his sword. Adonai accomplished a great victory that day; but the people didn’t return until he had finished, and then only to plunder the bodies of the dead.
11 After him was Shammah the son of Age the Harari. The P’lishtim had assembled at Lechi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the P’lishtim. 12 But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P’lishtim; and Adonai brought about a great victory.
13 During harvest season three of the thirty leaders went down and came to David at the cave of ‘Adulam when a company of P’lishtim had set up camp in the Refa’im Valley. 14 At that time David was in the fortress, and the garrison of the P’lishtim was in Beit-Lechem. 15 David had a craving and said, “I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem!” 16 The three warrior-heroes broke through the army of the P’lishtim, drew water from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem, took it and brought it to David. But he wouldn’t drink it. Instead, he poured it out to Adonai 17 and said, “Adonai! Heaven forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of men who went and put their lives in jeopardy?”— and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did. 18 Avishai the brother of Yo’av, the son of Tz’ruyah, was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three. 19 He had the most honor of these three and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three.
20 B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada, the son of a valiant man of Kavtze’el, was a man of many exploits. He struck down two lion-hearted men of Mo’av. One day when it was snowing, he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 21 Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man of intimidating appearance: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, and he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These are things that B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada did that earned him a name among the three warrior-heroes. 23 He had more honor than the thirty, but he did not achieve the status of the first three. David put him in command of his personal guard.
24 ‘Asah’el the brother of Yo’av was one of the thirty,
Elchanan the son of Dodo of Beit-Lechem,
25 Shammah the Harodi,
Elika the Harodi,
26 Heletz the Palti,
‘Ira son of ‘Ikesh from T’koa,
27 Avi‘ezer from ‘Anatot,
M’vunai the Hushati,
28 Tzalmon the Achochi,
Mahrai the N’tofati,
29 Helev the son of Ba‘anah the N’tofati,
Ittai the son of Rivai from Giv‘ah, of the people of Binyamin,
30 B’nayahu from Pir‘aton,
Hiddai from the vadis of Ga‘ash,
31 Avi-‘Alvon the ‘Arvati,
‘Azmavet the Barchumi,
32 Elyachba the Sha‘alvoni, of the sons of Yashen,
Y’honatan,
33 Shammah the Harari,
Achi’am the son of Sharar the Arari,
34 Elifelet the son of Achasbai the son of the Ma‘akhati,
Eli‘am the son of Achitofel from Giloh,
35 Hetzrai from Karmel,
Pa‘arai the Arbi,
36 Yig’al the son of Natan of Tzovah,
Bani the Gadi,
37 Tzelek the ‘Amoni,
Nachrai the Be’eroti, armor-bearer for Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah,
38 ‘Ira the Yitri,
Garev the Yitri, and
39 Uriyah the Hitti —
thirty-seven in all.
Shmuel Bais 23
Orthodox Jewish Bible
23 Now these be the last devarim of Dovid. Dovid Ben Yishai said, the gever (man) who was raised up above, the Moshiach Elohei Ya’akov, and the singer of zemirot (songs) of Yisroel, said,
2 The Ruach Hashem spoke by me, and His word was on my leshon.
3 The Elohei Yisroel said, the Tzur Yisroel spoke to me, He that ruleth over adam, Tzaddik, ruling in the yirat Elohim.
4 And He shall be as the ohr of the boker, when the shemesh riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender deshe (grass) springing out of ha’aretz by clear shining after matar (rain).
5 Is not my Bais so with G-d? Yet He hath made with me a Brit Olam, ordered in all things, and sure; for this is all my salvation, and all my chefetz (desire), will He not make it spring forth (tzemach). [See Zecharyah 3:8; 6:11-12]?
6 But the Bnei Beliyaal [rebellious] shall be all of them as kotz (thorns) thrust away, because they cannot be gathered with hands;
7 But the one that shall touch them must be armed with barzel (iron) and the staff of a khanit (spear); and they shall be utterly burned with eish where they are.
8 These be the shmot of the gibborim whom Dovid had; Yoshev Bashevet Tachkemoni, chief among the Three; the same was Adino the Etzni; he killed eight hundred, in one encounter.
9 And after him was Eleazar Ben Dodai the Achochi, one of the three gibborim with Dovid, when they defied the Pelishtim that were there gathered together to milchamah, and the Ish Yisroel were gone away;
10 He arose, and struck the Pelishtim until his yad was weary, and his yad had devekyus unto the cherev; and Hashem wrought a teshuah gedolah (great victory) that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.
11 And after him was Shammah Ben Agee the Harari. And the Pelishtim were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Pelishtim.
12 But he stood in the midst of the allotted ground, and defended it, and slaughtered the Pelishtim; and Hashem wrought a teshuah gedolah.
13 And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to Dovid in the time of katzir unto the cave of Adulam; and the troop of the Pelishtim encamped in the Emek Rephaim.
14 And Dovid was then in the matzadah, and the garrison of the Pelishtim was then in Beit-Lechem.
15 And Dovid longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the mayim of the well of Beit-Lechem, which is by the sha’ar!
16 And the three gibborim broke through the machaneh of the Pelishtim, and drew mayim out of the well of Beit-Lechem, that was by the sha’ar, and took it, and brought it to Dovid; nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto Hashem.
17 And he said, Chalilah! (be it far from me), Hashem, that I should do this! Is not this the dahm of the anashim that went in jeopardy of their nafshot? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three gibborim.
18 And Avishai, the brother of Yoav Ben Tzeruyah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his khanit (spear) against three hundred, and slaughtered them, and had the shem among the Three.
19 Was he not most honored of the Three? Therefore he was their sar; howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
20 And Benayah Ben Yehoyada was a ben chayil, of Kavtze’el, who had done many deeds: he slaughtered two lionlike men of Moav; he went down also and slaughtered an aryeh in the midst of a pit on a snowy day;
21 And he slaughtered an Egyptian, a goodly man; and the Egyptian had a khanit (spear) in his yad; but he went down to him with a shevet (club), and plucked the khanit out of the Egyptian’s yad, and slaughtered him with his own khanit.
22 These things did Benayah Ben Yehoyada, and had the shem among three gibborim.
23 He was more honored than the Shloshim, but he attained not to the first Three. And Dovid set him over his bodyguard.
24 Asah-el the brother of Yoav was one of the thirty; Elchanan Ben Dodo of Beit-Lechem,
25 Shammah the Harodi, Elika the Charodi,
26 Cheletz the Palti, Ira Ben Ikkesh the Tekoi,
27 Aviezer the Anethoti, Mevunai the Chushati,
28 Tzalmon the Achochi, Maharai the Netophati,
29 Chelev Ben Ba’anah, a Netophati, Ittai Ben Rivai out of Giveah of the Bnei Binyamin,
30 Benayah the Pirathoni, Hiddai of the ravines of Ga’ash,
31 Abi-albon the Arvati, Azmavet the Barchumi,
32 Elyachba the Sha’alvoni, of the Bnei Yashen, Yonatan,
33 Shammah the Harari, Achiam Ben Sharar the Arari,
34 Eliphelet Ben Achasbai son of the Maachati, Eliam Ben Achitophel the Giloni,
35 Chetzrai the Carmeli, Pa’arai the Arbi,
36 Yigal Ben Natan of Tzovah, Bani the Gadi,
37 Tzelek the Ammoni, Nachrai the Be’eroti, armorbearer to Yoav Ben Tzeruyah,
38 Ira a Yitri, Garev a Yitri,
39 Uriyah the Chitti; 37all.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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