2 Samuel 23
World English Bible
23 Now these are the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse says,
the man who was raised on high says,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 “Yahweh’s Spirit spoke by 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 shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises,
a morning without clouds,
when the tender grass springs out of the earth,
through clear shining after rain.’
5 Isn’t my house so with God?
Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things, and sure,
for it is all my salvation and all my desire,
although he doesn’t make it grow.
6 But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away,
because they can’t be taken with the hand.
7 The man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear.
They will be utterly burned with fire in their place.”
8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; he was called Adino the Eznite, who killed eight hundred at one time. 9 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 who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away. 10 He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and Yahweh worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take plunder. 11 After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and Yahweh worked a great victory. 13 Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 David longed, and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”
16 The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Yahweh. 17 He said, “Be it far from me, Yahweh, that I should do this! Isn’t this the blood of the men who risked their lives to go?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.
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 Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three. 20 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow. 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 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the three mighty men. 23 He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 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 Abialbon 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 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
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
- 2 Samuel 23:7 Lit filled
- 2 Samuel 23:7 Lit sitting
- 2 Samuel 23:8 Or three
- 2 Samuel 23:9 Lit gone up
- 2 Samuel 23:10 Lit his hand
- 2 Samuel 23:11 Or possibly, at Lehi
- 2 Samuel 23:18 As in two Heb mss and Syriac; MT three
- 2 Samuel 23:18 Lit slain ones
- 2 Samuel 23:18 Lit among the
- 2 Samuel 23:20 Lit struck
- 2 Samuel 23:20 Or two warriors of Moab
- 2 Samuel 23:21 Lit struck
- 2 Samuel 23:21 Lit a man of appearance
- 2 Samuel 23:22 Lit among the
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