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2 Samuel 23
New American Standard Bible

David’s Last Song

23 Now these are the last words of David.

David the son of Jesse declares,
(A)The man who was raised on high,
(B)The anointed of the God of Jacob
And the sweet psalmist of Israel, declares,
2 “(C)The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me,
And His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said it;
(D)The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
‘(E)He who rules over mankind righteously,
(F)Who rules in the fear of God,
4 (G)Is like the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
When the fresh grass springs out of the earth
From sunshine after rain.’
5 Is my house not indeed so with God?
For (H)He has made an everlasting covenant with me,
Properly ordered in all things, and secured;
For will He not indeed make
All my salvation and all my delight grow?
6 (I)But the worthless, every one of them, are like scattered thorns,
Because they cannot be taken in hand;
7 Instead, the man who touches them
Must be [a]armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,
And (J)they will be completely burned with fire in their [b]place.”

David’s Mighty Men

8 (K)These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, chief of the [c]captains; he was called Adino the Eznite because of eight hundred who were killed by him at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of (L)Dodo the (M)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mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and the men of Israel had [d]withdrawn. 10 (N)He rose up and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and [e]it clung to the sword, and (O)the Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder the dead.

11 Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee, a (P)Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered [f]into an army where there was a plot of land full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it, and struck the Philistines; and (Q)the Lord brought about a great victory.

13 Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David at harvest time to the (R)cave of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines was camping in (S)the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then (T)in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 And (U)David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!” 16 (V)So the three mighty men forced their way into the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and carried it and brought it to David. Yet he would not drink it, but (W)poured it out as an offering to the Lord; 17 and he said, “Far be it from me, Lord, that I would do this! (X)Should I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” So he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

18 Now (Y)Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was (Z)chief of the [g]thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred [h]and killed them, and had a name [i]as well as the three. 19 He was the most honored among the thirty, so he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the reputation of the three.

20 Then (AA)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of (AB)Kabzeel, who had done great deeds, [j]killed the [k]two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. 21 And he [l]killed an Egyptian, [m]an impressive man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things (AC)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name [n]as well as the three mighty men. 23 He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain the reputation of the three. And David appointed him over his bodyguard.

24 (AD)Asahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; and there was Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 (AE)Shammah the (AF)Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the (AG)Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the (AH)Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the (AI)Netophathite, 29 (AJ)Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of (AK)Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah a (AL)Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of (AM)Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the (AN)Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the (AO)Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 (AP)Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of (AQ)the Maacathite, (AR)Eliam the son of (AS)Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 (AT)Hezro the (AU)Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of (AV)Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the (AW)Beerothite, armor bearers of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the (AX)Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 and (AY)Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 23:7 Lit filled
  2. 2 Samuel 23:7 Lit sitting
  3. 2 Samuel 23:8 Or three
  4. 2 Samuel 23:9 Lit gone up
  5. 2 Samuel 23:10 Lit his hand
  6. 2 Samuel 23:11 Or possibly, at Lehi
  7. 2 Samuel 23:18 As in two Heb mss and Syriac; MT three
  8. 2 Samuel 23:18 Lit slain ones
  9. 2 Samuel 23:18 Lit among the
  10. 2 Samuel 23:20 Lit struck
  11. 2 Samuel 23:20 Or two warriors of Moab
  12. 2 Samuel 23:21 Lit struck
  13. 2 Samuel 23:21 Lit a man of appearance
  14. 2 Samuel 23:22 Lit among the
Close ASV

2 Samuel 23
American Standard Version

23 Now these are the last words of David.

David the son of Jesse saith,
And the man who was raised on high saith,
The anointed of the God of Jacob,
And [a]the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 The Spirit of Jehovah spake [b]by me,
And his word was upon my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spake to me:
[c]One that ruleth over men [d]righteously,
That ruleth in the fear of God,
4 He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth,
A morning without clouds,
When the tender grass springeth out of the earth,
Through clear shining after rain.
5 [e]Verily my house is not so with God;
Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant,
Ordered in all things, and sure:
For it is all my salvation, and all my desire,
Although he maketh it not to grow.
6 But [f]the ungodly shall be all of them as thorns to be thrust away,
Because they cannot be taken with the hand;
7 But the man that toucheth them
Must be [g]armed with iron and the staff of a spear:
And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: [h]Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time.

9 And 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 that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel [i]were gone away. 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great [j]victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take spoil.

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together [k]into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Jehovah wrought a great [l]victory.

13 And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. 15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate! 16 And 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: but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto Jehovah. 17 And he said, Be it far from me, O Jehovah, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of the men that went [m]in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred [n]and slew them, and had a name among the three. 19 Was he not most honorable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of [o]a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. 21 And 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. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men. 23 He was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his [p]guard.

24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem, 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 Abi-albon 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 [q]Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, [r]armorbearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 23:1 Hebrew pleasant in the psalms of Israel.
  2. 2 Samuel 23:2 Or, in
  3. 2 Samuel 23:3 Or, There shall be one . . . and it shall be as etc.
  4. 2 Samuel 23:3 Hebrew a righteous one.
  5. 2 Samuel 23:5 Or, For is not my house so with God? for he . . . for all my salvation, and all my desire, will he not make it to grow?
  6. 2 Samuel 23:6 Hebrew Belial, that is, worthlessness.
  7. 2 Samuel 23:7 Hebrew filled.
  8. 2 Samuel 23:8 In 1 Chr. 11:11, Jashobeam. The Hebrew of this verse is obscure.
  9. 2 Samuel 23:9 Hebrew went up.
  10. 2 Samuel 23:10 Hebrew salvation.
  11. 2 Samuel 23:11 Or, for foraging
  12. 2 Samuel 23:12 Hebrew salvation.
  13. 2 Samuel 23:17 Hebrew with their lives.
  14. 2 Samuel 23:18 Hebrew slain.
  15. 2 Samuel 23:20 According to another reading, Ish-hai.
  16. 2 Samuel 23:23 Or, council
  17. 2 Samuel 23:35 Or, Hezrai
  18. 2 Samuel 23:37 Another reading is, armorbearer.
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