2 Samuel 23
The Voice
23 Here are the last words of David, son of Jesse: the words of the one raised up, the anointed one of Jacob’s True God, the sweet songwriter of Israel.
2 David: The Spirit of the Eternal speaks through me;
His voice emerges from my mouth.
3 The God of Israel has talked to me;
and the Rock of Israel said,
“One who rules people with justice
and who leads them in the fear of God
4 Is like the morning light,
the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
and the shining grasslands brought up from rain.”
5 Isn’t this how God has raised up my house?
Because He has made a perpetual covenant with me,
well-ordered and secure,
Won’t He make all things to grow and prosper,
save me, and give me all I desire?
6 But the wicked are like thorns cut off and tossed away
that can’t be picked up with your hands;
7 No, to touch them, use the iron tip
on the shaft of a spear.
They are burned up on the spot.
David has been brought up from his position as a lowly shepherd, the youngest son in the household, to the pinnacle of success by his faith in God and his own willingness to follow God. It has been an adventure fraught with danger and intrigue, and marked with loss and heartbreak along the way. David’s own failings find themselves reflected—and magnified—in his children. But here is one of the high points of the story of the people of God, united at last under a powerful and beloved king, and victorious against their enemies.
8 Here is a list of the warriors who fought for David:
Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was the most powerful of David’s three most-honored warriors; he took up his spear[a] and killed 800 in one battle.
9 The next of David’s three mighty men was Eleazar, son of Dodo of Ahohi. Eleazar stood with David when they defied the Philistines who had gathered there to fight. The Israelites retreated, 10 but Eleazar stood his ground. He killed Philistine soldiers that day until his arm grew tired, but he never dropped his sword. The Eternal One gave them a decisive victory that day; and then the people came back, only to pillage the fallen.
11 Last of these top three was Shammah, son of Agee of Harar. The Philistines gathered at Lehi[b] where there was a field full of lentils, and the Israelites fled from them. 12 But Shammah stood in the center of the field and fought, killing many Philistines; and the Eternal gave His people a great victory.
13 At the beginning of harvest, these top three of David’s thirty chief warriors joined David at the cave of Adullam. A group of Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim, 14 David was hiding in his safe place, and the main force of the Philistines was quartered in Bethlehem.
David (with longing): 15 I wish someone would bring me some water to drink from the well of Bethlehem by the gate!
16 So these three mighty men broke through the nearby camp of the Philistines, drew water from the Bethlehem well that was by the gate, and brought it back for David. But he would not drink it; instead he poured it out, although he was parched with thirst, as a drink offering to the Eternal One.
David: 17 O Eternal God, I have no right to drink this water. It would be like drinking the blood of the men who risked their lives for it!
So he did not drink it. This is the kind of thing the three mighty men did for David.
18 Besides the three highest ranking soldiers, there was Abishai (Zeruiah’s son and the brother of Joab), who was commander of the elite force of 30.[c] With his spear he killed 300 men in battle and won honor as the three did. 19 Abishai was the most honored of the 30 and became their commander, but he did not become one of the three.
20 And there was Benaiah (Jehoiada’s son), son of a great man from Kabzeel, who also did great deeds. He struck down two lionhearted heroes of Moab. Benaiah also killed a lion in a pit one snowy day, 21 and he killed an Egyptian who was a powerful-looking man. The Egyptian was armed with a spear while Benaiah had only his staff, but he took the spear away from him and killed the Egyptian with his own weapon. 22 These were the kinds of feats Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, performed that won him a name equal to the three mighty men for bravery. 23 He was famous among the 30, but never became one of the three. David made him the captain of his personal guard.
24 These are the warriors who were counted among the 30: Asahel, Joab’s brother; Elhanan, son of Dodo of Bethlehem; 25 Shammah of Harod; Elika of Harod; 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 in Benjamin; 30 Benaiah of Pirathon; Hiddai of the waters of Gaash; 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth of Barhum; 32 Eliahba of Shaalbon; Jashen the Gimzonite; Jonathan, son of 33 Shammah of Harar; Ahiam, son of Sharar of Harar; 34 Eliphelet, son of Ahasbai of Maacah; Eliam, son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; 35 Hezro 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, Zeruiah’s son; 38 Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; 39 Uriah the Hittite—37 men in all who were counted among the 30.
Footnotes
- 23:8 Hebrew is very difficult; some read, “Adino the Eznite.”
- 23:11 Or, “as a troop”
- 23:18 1 Chronicles 11:20–21
2 Samuel 23
New King James Version
David’s Last Words
23 Now these are the last words of David.
Thus says David the son of Jesse;
Thus says (A)the man raised up on high,
(B)The anointed of the God of Jacob,
And the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 “The(C) Spirit of the Lord spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said,
(D)The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
‘He who rules over men must be just,
Ruling (E)in the fear of God.
4 And (F)he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
Like the tender grass springing out of the earth,
By clear shining after rain.’
5 “Although my house is not so with God,
(G)Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant,
Ordered in all things and secure.
For this is all my salvation and all my desire;
Will He not make it increase?
6 But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away,
Because they cannot be taken with hands.
7 But the man who touches them
Must be [a]armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,
And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.”
David’s Mighty Men(H)
8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: [b]Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among [c]the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. 9 And after him was (I)Eleazar the son of [d]Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. 10 He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was (J)weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to (K)plunder. 11 And after him was (L)Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. (M)The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
13 Then (N)three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at (O)the cave of Adullam. And the troop of Philistines encamped in (P)the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in (Q)the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 16 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. 17 And he said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this! Is this not (R)the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it.
These things were done by the three mighty men.
18 Now (S)Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of [e]another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. 19 Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three.
20 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from (T)Kabzeel, [f]who had done many deeds. (U)He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 21 And he killed an Egyptian, [g]a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. 23 He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him (V)over his guard.
24 (W)Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 (X)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 from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of (Y)Gaash, 31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite (of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan, 33 (Z)Shammah the [h]Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of (AA)Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 [i]Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of (AB)Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), 38 (AC)Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 and (AD)Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 23:7 Lit. filled
- 2 Samuel 23:8 Lit. One Who Sits in the Seat (1 Chr. 11:11)
- 2 Samuel 23:8 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Vg. the three
- 2 Samuel 23:9 Dodai, 1 Chr. 27:4
- 2 Samuel 23:18 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; some Heb. mss., Syr. thirty; Tg. the mighty men
- 2 Samuel 23:20 Lit. great of acts
- 2 Samuel 23:21 Lit. a man of appearance
- 2 Samuel 23:33 Or Ararite
- 2 Samuel 23:35 Hezro, 1 Chr. 11:37
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
