2 Samuel 23
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Last Words of David
23 Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man whom God exalted,[a]
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:(A)
2 The spirit of the Lord speaks through me;
his word is upon my tongue.(B)
3 The God of Israel has spoken;
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
“One who rules over people justly,
ruling in the fear of God,(C)
4 is like the light of morning,
like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.”(D)
5 Is not my house like this with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?(E)
6 But the godless[b] are all like thorns that are thrown away,
for they cannot be picked up with the hand;(F)
7 to touch them one uses an iron bar
or the shaft of a spear.
And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.[c]
David’s Mighty Men
8 These are the names of the warriors whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the Three;[d] he wielded his spear[e] against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.
9 Next to him among the three warriors was Eleazar son of Dodo son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle. The Israelites withdrew,(G) 10 but he stood his ground. He struck down the Philistines until his arm grew weary, though his hand clung to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. Then the people came back to him—but only to strip the dead.(H)
11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the army fled from the Philistines.(I) 12 But he took his stand in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines, and the Lord brought about a great victory.
13 Toward the beginning of harvest three of the thirty chiefs went down to join David at the cave of Adullam while a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.(J) 14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.(K) 15 David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 16 Then the three warriors broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the Lord, 17 for he said, “The Lord forbid that I should do this. Can I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three warriors did these things.(L)
18 Now Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Thirty.[f] With his spear he fought against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the Three.(M) 19 He was the most renowned of the Thirty[g] and became their commander, but he did not attain to the Three.
20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant warrior[h] from Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he struck down two sons of Ariel[i] of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.(N) 21 And he killed an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went against him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22 Such were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did and won a name beside the three warriors. 23 He was renowned among the Thirty, but he did not attain to the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.(O)
24 Among the Thirty were Asahel brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem;(P) 25 Shammah of Harod; Elika of Harod;(Q) 26 Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa; 27 Abiezer of Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite; 28 Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai of Netophah; 29 Heleb son of Baanah of Netophah; Ittai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjaminites; 30 Benaiah of Pirathon; Hiddai of the wadis of Gaash; 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth of Bahurim;[j] 32 Eliahba of Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen: Jonathan 33 son of[k] Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite; 34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai of Maacah; Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; 35 Hezro[l] of Carmel; Paarai the Arbite; 36 Igal son of Nathan of Zobah; Bani the Gadite; 37 Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; 38 Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite;(R) 39 Uriah the Hittite—thirty-seven in all.(S)
Footnotes
- 23.1 Q ms: MT who was raised on high
- 23.6 Heb worthless
- 23.7 Heb in sitting
- 23.8 Gk Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 23.8 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 23.18 Heb mss Syr: MT Three
- 23.19 Heb ms Syr: Heb Was he the most renowned of the Three?
- 23.20 Another reading is the son of Ish-hai
- 23.20 Gk: Heb lacks sons of
- 23.31 Cn: Heb the Barhumite
- 23.33 Gk: Heb lacks son of
- 23.35 Another reading is Hezrai
2 Samuel 23
Common English Bible
David’s last words
23 These are David’s last words:
This is the declaration of Jesse’s son David,
the declaration of a man raised high,
a man anointed by the God of Jacob,
a man favored by the strong one of Israel.[a]
2 The Lord’s spirit speaks through me;
his word is on my tongue.
3 Israel’s God has spoken,
Israel’s rock said to me:
“Whoever rules rightly over people,
whoever rules in the fear of God,
4 is like the light of sunrise
on a morning with no clouds,
like the bright gleam after the rain
that brings grass from the ground.”
5 Yes, my house is this way with God![b]
He has made an eternal covenant with me,
laid out and secure in every detail.
Yes, he provides every one of my victories
and brings my every desire to pass.
6 But despicable people are like thorns,
all of them good for nothing,
because they can’t be carried by hand.
7 No one can touch them,
except with iron bar or the shaft of a spear.
They must be burned up with fire right on the spot!
David’s warriors
8 These are the names of David’s warriors: Jeshbaal[c] from Hachmon[d] was chief of the Three.[e] He raised his spear[f] against eight hundred, killing them on a single occasion.
9 Next in command was Eleazar, Dodo’s son and Ahohi’s grandson. He was among the three warriors with David when they insulted the Philistines who had gathered there for battle. The Israelites retreated, 10 but he stood his ground and fought the Philistines until his hand was weary and stuck to the sword. But the Lord accomplished a great victory that day. The troops then returned to Eleazar, but only to plunder the dead.
11 Next in command was Agee’s son Shammah, who was from Harar. The Philistines had gathered at Lehi, where there was a plot of land full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines, 12 but Shammah took a position in the middle of the plot, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. The Lord accomplished a great victory.
13 At harvesttime, three of the thirty chiefs went down and joined David at the fortress[g] of Adullam, while a force of Philistines were camped in the Rephaim Valley. 14 At that time, David was in the fortress, and a Philistine fort was in Bethlehem. 15 David had a craving and said, “If only someone could give me a drink of water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 16 So the three warriors broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it and poured it out to the Lord.
17 “The Lord forbid that I should do that,” he said. “Isn’t this the blood of men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it.
These were the kinds of things the three warriors did.
18 Now Zeruiah’s son Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Thirty.[h] He raised his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and made a name for himself along with the Three. 19 He was the most famous of the Thirty.[i] He became their commander, but he wasn’t among the Three.
20 Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was a hero from Kabzeel who performed great deeds. He killed the two sons[j] of Ariel from Moab. He once went down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day. 21 He also killed a giant[k] Egyptian who had a spear in his hand. Benaiah went against him armed with a staff. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These were the kinds of things Jehoiada’s son Benaiah did. He made a name for himself along with the three warriors. 23 He was famous among the Thirty, but he didn’t become one of the Three. David placed him in command of his own bodyguard.
24 Among the Thirty were:
Asahel, Joab’s brother;
Elhanan, Dodo’s son from Bethlehem;
25 Shammah from Harod;
Elika from Harod;
26 Helez from Pelet;
Ira, Ikkesh’s son from Tekoa;
27 Abiezer from Anathoth;
Mebunnai the Hushathite;
28 Zalmon from Ahoh;
Maharai from Netophah;
29 Heleb, Baanah’s son from Netophah;
Ittai, Ribai’s son from Gibeah in Benjamin;
30 Benaiah from Pirathon;
Hiddai from the Gaash ravines;
31 Abi-albon from the desert plain;
Azmaveth from Bahurim;
32 Eliahba from Shaalbon;
Jashen the Gizonite;[l]
Jonathan, 33 Shammah’s son[m] from Harar;
Ahiam, Sharar’s son from Harar;
34 Eliphelet, Ahasbai’s son from Maacah;
Eliam, Ahithophel’s son from Giloh;
35 Hezro from Carmel;
Paarai from Erab;
36 Igal, Nathan’s son from Zobah;
Bani the Gadite;
37 Zelek the Ammonite;
Naharai from Beeroth, and the armor-bearer for Zeruiah’s son Joab;
38 Ira from Ither;
Gaeb from Ither;
39 and Uriah the Hittite—
thirty-seven in all.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 23:1 Or Israel’s favorite singer or the favorite of Israel’s songs
- 2 Samuel 23:5 Or Yes, my house is surely with God!
- 2 Samuel 23:8 LXXL, OL; MT Josheb-bashebeth; cf 1 Chron 11:11
- 2 Samuel 23:8 See 1 Chron 11:11.
- 2 Samuel 23:8 LXXL, Vulg; cf 1 Chron 11:11; MT chief of the officers
- 2 Samuel 23:8 Cf 1 Chron 11:11; Heb uncertain
- 2 Samuel 23:13 Or cave; cf 2 Sam 23:14
- 2 Samuel 23:18 Some Heb manuscripts, Syr; MT third or three
- 2 Samuel 23:19 Syr; cf 1 Chron 11:25; MT Wasn’t he the most famous of the Three?
- 2 Samuel 23:20 LXX; MT lacks sons.
- 2 Samuel 23:21 MT handsome; cf 1 Chron 11:23
- 2 Samuel 23:32 Cf 1 Chron 11:34; MT Jashen’s sons
- 2 Samuel 23:33 LXX; MT lacks son.
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