2 Samuel 23

David’s last words

¹These are the final words of David: \q the oracle of Jesse’s son David, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, \q the one anointed by the God of Jacob, \q the sweet singer of Israel’s songs.^{a 2}The Spirit of the LORD has spoken through me; \q his word is on my tongue. ³The God of Israel has spoken; \q the Rock of Israel said to me: \q “One who rules over people in righteousness, \q who rules in the fear of God, ⁴is like the morning light when the sun rises, \q a morning without clouds, \q like the brightness after rain that brings the grass out of the earth.” ⁵Is not my house like this with God? \q For he has made an everlasting covenant with me, set in order in every part and secured. \q All my salvation and all my desire, will he not make them grow?^{b 6}But the worthless are all like thorns that are tossed aside, \q for no one picks them up by hand. ⁷Whoever touches them \q must be armed with iron or the shaft of a spear, \q and they are burned up completely with fire where they lie.^c

David’s mighty warriors

⁸These are the names of David’s mighty warriors. Josheb-Basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the officers. He was also called Adino the Eznite, and he killed eight hundred men at one time.^de

⁹Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was one of the three mighty warriors with David when they defied the Philistines who had gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.^{f 10}He stood his ground and struck down Philistines until his hand grew tired and stuck fast to his sword. On that day the LORD won a great victory, and the troops came back to him only to strip the dead.

¹¹Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had massed in a troop where a plot of land was full of lentils, and the troops ran from the Philistines.^{g 12}But he took his stand in the middle of the plot, defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD won a great victory.

¹³Once, at harvest time, three chief men of the Thirty went down and joined David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴At that time David was in the stronghold, and a Philistine garrison was then in Bethlehem. ¹⁵David had a longing and said, “If only someone would get me water to drink from Bethlehem’s well, the one by the gate!” ¹⁶So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and carried it back to David. But he would not drink it. Instead he poured it out as an offering to the LORD. ¹⁷He said, “The LORD, far be it from me to do this! Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” So he would not drink it. Such were the deeds of the three mighty warriors.

¹⁸Abishai, the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and he won a name alongside the Three.^{h 19}Was he not honored above the Three? He became their commander, but he did not reach the rank of the Three.ⁱ

²⁰Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the son of a brave man from Kabzeel who did great deeds. He struck down the two champions of Moab. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.^{j 21}He also struck down an Egyptian, an impressive-looking man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down against him with a club, snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s grip and killed him with his own weapon. ²²Such were the deeds of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he won a name alongside the three mighty warriors. ²³He was honored above the Thirty, but he did not reach the rank of the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

The Thirty

²⁴Among the Thirty were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, ²⁵Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

²⁶Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

²⁷Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

²⁸Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

²⁹Heleb son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites,

³⁰Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the ravines of Gaash,

³¹Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

³²Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,^k

³³Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,

³⁴Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

³⁵Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

³⁶Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

³⁷Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

³⁸Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

³⁹and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.