2 Samuel 23
English Standard Version Anglicised
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]
2 (C)“The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;
his word is on my tongue.
3 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,
4 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.
5 “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?
6 But worthless men[c] are all like thorns that are thrown away,
for they cannot be taken with the hand;
7 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
8 (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.
9 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, 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.[g] And he wielded his spear against three hundred men[h] and killed them and won a name beside the three. 19 He was the most renowned of the thirty[i] 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[j] of (T)Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels[k] 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 of Gilo, 35 Hezro[l] (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 armour 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
- 2 Samuel 23:1 Or the favourite of the songs of Israel
- 2 Samuel 23:4 Hebrew from rain
- 2 Samuel 23:6 Hebrew worthlessness
- 2 Samuel 23:7 Hebrew consumed with fire in the sitting
- 2 Samuel 23:8 Or of the captains
- 2 Samuel 23:8 1 Chronicles 11:11; the meaning of the Hebrew expression is uncertain
- 2 Samuel 23:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts three
- 2 Samuel 23:18 Or slain ones
- 2 Samuel 23:19 1 Chronicles 11:25; Hebrew Was he the most renowned of the three?
- 2 Samuel 23:20 Or the son of Ishhai
- 2 Samuel 23:20 The meaning of the word ariel is unknown
- 2 Samuel 23:35 Or Hezrai
2 Samuel 23
King James Version
23 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
2 The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.
6 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
7 But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.
8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:
10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.
12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.
13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
16 And the three mighty men brake through the host 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: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.
17 And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.
19 Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.
20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:
21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: 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 slew him with his own spear.
22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.
23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And 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 Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,
31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,
34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37 Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,
39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.