The Last Words of David

23 Now these are the last words of David:

The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,
    the oracle of (A)the man who was raised on high,
(B)the anointed of the God of Jacob,
    the sweet psalmist of Israel:[a]

(C)“The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;
    his word is on my tongue.
The God of Israel has spoken;
    (D)the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men,
    ruling (E)in the fear of God,
he (F)dawns on them like the morning light,
    like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,
    like rain[b] that makes grass to sprout from the earth.

“For does not my house stand so with God?
    (G)For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
    ordered in all things and secure.
For will he not cause to prosper
    all my help and my desire?
But worthless men[c] are all like thorns that are thrown away,
    for they cannot be taken with the hand;
but the man who touches them
    arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear,
    and they are utterly consumed with fire.”[d]

David's Mighty Men

(H)These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: (I)Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three.[e] He wielded his spear[f] against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of (J)Dodo, son of (K)Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10 He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.

11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the (L)Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi,[g] where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.

13 And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the (M)cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped (N)in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then (O)in the stronghold, and (P)the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15 And 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 mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord 17 and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink (Q)the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

18 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty.[h] And he wielded his spear against three hundred men[i] and killed them and won a name beside the three. 19 He was the most renowned of the thirty[j] and became their commander, but he did not attain to (R)the three.

20 And (S)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man[k] of (T)Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels[l] of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 21 And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. 23 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

24 (U)Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 (V)Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh (W)of Tekoa, 27 Abiezer (X)of Anathoth, Mebunnai (Y)the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon (Z)the Ahohite, Maharai (AA)of Netophah, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah (AB)of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of (AC)Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah (AD)of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of (AE)Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of (AF)Bahurim, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 (AG)Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai (AH)of Maacah, (AI)Eliam the son of (AJ)Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro[m] (AK)of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan (AL)of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai (AM)of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 (AN)Ira the (AO)Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 (AP)Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 23:1 Or the favorite of the songs of Israel
  2. 2 Samuel 23:4 Hebrew from rain
  3. 2 Samuel 23:6 Hebrew worthlessness
  4. 2 Samuel 23:7 Hebrew consumed with fire in the sitting
  5. 2 Samuel 23:8 Or of the captains
  6. 2 Samuel 23:8 Compare 1 Chronicles 11:11; the meaning of the Hebrew expression is uncertain
  7. 2 Samuel 23:11 Or gathered together as a camp
  8. 2 Samuel 23:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts three
  9. 2 Samuel 23:18 Or slain ones
  10. 2 Samuel 23:19 Compare 1 Chronicles 11:21; Hebrew Was he the most renowned of the three?
  11. 2 Samuel 23:20 Or the son of Ishhai
  12. 2 Samuel 23:20 The meaning of the word ariel is unknown
  13. 2 Samuel 23:35 Or Hezrai

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,

The Ruach Hashem spoke by me, and His word was on my leshon.

The Elohei Yisroel said, the Tzur Yisroel spoke to me, He that ruleth over adam, Tzaddik, ruling in the yirat Elohim.

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).

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]?

But the Bnei Beliyaal [rebellious] shall be all of them as kotz (thorns) thrust away, because they cannot be gathered with hands;

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.

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.

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.