2 Samuel

2 Samuel 23

The Last Words of David

1 And these are the last words of David.

Faithful is David son of Jesse,

and faithful the man whom the Lord raised up to be the anointed one of the God of Jacob,

and beautiful are the psalms of Israel.

2 The Spirit of the Lord spoke in me,

and his word was on my tongue.

3 The God of Israel says —

the guardian of Israel spoke to me:

“Speak a saying: among men, how will you strengthen the fear of God?”

4 And in God, at the light of morning, may the sun rise —

the morning that did not pass away out of its shining,

and as out of rain, the green grass from the earth.

5 Is my house not so with the Mighty One?

For he made an everlasting covenant with me, ready at every time, kept safe;

for all my rescue and all my desire is that the lawless man will never sprout.

6 They are all of them like a thorn thrust away,

for they will not be taken with the hand,

7 and no man will labor over them;

there is what is full of iron, and the shaft of a spear,

and with fire they will be burned right up, in their shame.

David’s Mighty Men

8 These are the names of David’s mighty men. Jebosthe the Canaanite was leader of the third part; Adinon the Asonite — he drew his sword against eight hundred and left them wounded at one time. 9 And after him, Eleazar son of his uncle, son of Sousites, one of the three mighty men. He was with David at Serran, and when he defied the Philistines, they gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel went up. 10 He rose up and struck the Philistines down until his hand grew tired and his hand stuck fast to the sword; and the Lord brought about a great rescue that day. And the people sat down behind him, only to strip the dead.

11 And after him, Shemaiah son of Asa the Aruchite. The Philistines gathered at Theria, and there was a plot of ground there full of lentils, and the people fled before the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand like a pillar in the middle of the plot and pulled it clear of them, and struck the Philistines down; and the Lord brought about a great rescue.

Water from the Well at Bethlehem

13 And three of the thirty went down and came to Kason, to David at the cave of Adullam; and a company of the Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 And David longed, and said, “Who will give me water to drink from the well that is in Bethlehem, the one by the gate?” Now the force of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

16 And the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well in Bethlehem, the one by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. But he would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord, 17 and said, “Lord, spare me from doing this! Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” And he would not drink it. These are the things the three mighty men did.

18 And Abishai brother of Joab son of Zeruiah — he was leader among the three. He raised his spear against three hundred and left them wounded, and he had a name among the three. 19 Of those three he was the honored one, and he became their leader, but he did not come up to the three.

20 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada, himself a man of many deeds, from Kabeseel. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab; and he went down and struck the lion in the middle of the pit on a day of snow. 21 He struck down the Egyptian, a man of striking appearance. In the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like the beam of a ladder, and he 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 are the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three mighty men. 23 Of the three he was the honored one, but he did not come up to the three; and David put him in charge of his reports.

The Roll of the Thirty

24 And these are the names of the mighty men of David the king: Asahel brother of Joab (he was among the thirty); Eleanan son of Dudi his uncle, in Bethlehem; 25 Shammai the Aroudaean; Elika the Arodaean; 26 Helles the Phelothite; Iras son of Ekkas the Tekoite; 27 Abiezer the Anathothite, of the sons of the Asothite; 28 Selmon the Aoite; Moore the Netophathite; 29 Ela son of Baanah the Netophathite; Ittai son of Riba, from Gibeah, a son of Benjamin; 30 Benaiah the Pharathonite; Uri from Nachaligaias; 31 Abiel son of the Arabothite; Azmoth the Barsamite; 32 Eliasou the Salabonite; the sons of Iasan; Jonathan; 33 Shammah the Arodite; Achian son of Sarad the Araourite; 34 Aliphaleth son of the Asbite, son of the Maachathite; Eliab son of Ahithophel the Gelonite; 35 Asarai the Carmelite; Pharai the Erchite; 36 Igaal son of Nathan, from the army; son of Gaddi; 37 Elie the Ammonite; Gelorai the Berothite, armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; 38 Iras the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; 39 Uriah the Hittite — thirty-seven in all.