2 Samuel 23

¹Now these are the last words of David: the oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet singer of Israel.

²The spirit of the LORD spoke through me, and his word was upon my tongue.

³The God of Israel said; the Rock of Israel spoke to me: one who rules over mankind must be righteous, ruling in the fear of God.

⁴like the light of morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds -- from brightness, from rain, tender grass from the earth.

⁵For is not my house so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For is not all my salvation and all my desire, that he will make it grow?

⁶But the worthless are like a thorn thrust aside -- all of them, for they cannot be taken by hand.

⁷And a man who touches them must arm himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and with fire they are completely burned up on the spot.

⁸These are the names of the mighty men who belonged to David: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tahkemonite, chief of the officers -- he was Adino the Eznite; he fought against eight hundred, [who were] slain at one time.

⁹Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodo son of an Ahohite, among the three mighty warriors with David when they defied the Philistines; they were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel went up.

¹⁰He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great deliverance that day, and the troops returned after him only to plunder.

¹¹And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered at Lehi, and there was a plot of ground there full of lentils, and the troops fled from before the Philistines.

¹²But he took his stand in the middle of the plot and defended it, and he struck down the Philistines; and the LORD worked a great deliverance.

¹³Three of the thirty chiefs went down to David at the cave of Adullam at harvest time, and a troop of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

¹⁴And David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.

¹⁵David longed and said, 'Who will give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate?'

¹⁶And the three mighty warriors broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and carried it and brought it to David. But he would not drink it; he poured it out to the Lord.

¹⁷And he said, 'Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this -- is this not the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?' And he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

¹⁸Abishai, the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah -- he was the chief of the Three, and he wielded his spear against three hundred, [who were] slain, and he had a name among the Three.

¹⁹He was the most honored of the Three, and he became their commander, yet to the Three he did not attain.

²⁰And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of many deeds, from Kabzeel -- he struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. And he went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day of snow.

²¹And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of striking appearance. In the hand of the Egyptian was a spear, and he went down against him with a staff, seized the spear from the hand of the Egyptian, and killed him with his own spear.

²²These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three mighty warriors.

²³He was more honored than the Thirty, yet to the Three he did not attain; and David set him over his bodyguard.

²⁴Asahel the brother of Joab was among the Thirty; Elhanan son of Dodo of 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 sons of Benjamin,

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

³¹Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite;

³²Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan.

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

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

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