23:1 These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs:
23:2 “The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.
23:3 The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God,
23:4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.’
23:5 “Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?
23:6 But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand.
23:7 Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie.”
23:8 These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.
23:9 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated,
23:10 but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.
23:11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.
23:12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.
23:13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
23:14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.
23:15 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”
23:16 So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD.
23:17 “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.
23:18 Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three.
23:19 Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.
23:20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab’s best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.
23:21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.
23:22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men.
23:23 He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
23:24 Among the Thirty were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,
23:25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
23:26 Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,
23:27 Abiezer from Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
23:28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
23:29 Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,
23:30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the ravines of Gaash,
23:31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
23:32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan
23:33 son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,
23:34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
23:35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
23:36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, the son of Hagri,
23:37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
23:38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite
23:39 and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.
23:1 Now these are the last words of David: The declaration of David the son of Jesse, / And the declaration of the man who has been raised up on high, / The anointed of the God of Jacob, / The one lovely in the psalms of Israel.
23:2 The Spirit of Jehovah spoke through me, / And His word was on my tongue.
23:3 The God of Israel spoke, / The Rock of Israel spoke to me, / Who rules among men righteously, / Who rules with the fear of God,
23:4 And is like the light of the morning when the sun rises, / A morning without clouds, / As when the tender grass sprouts up from the earth / At the sun’s shining after a rain.
23:5 For is not my house so with God? / For He has made an eternal covenant with me, / Ordered in all things and secure. / For all my salvation and all my desire, / Will He not indeed make them grow?
23:6 But the wicked, all of them, will be / Like thorns to be thrust away, / Because they cannot be taken with the hand.
23:7 But the man who touches them / Must arm himself with an iron rod or with the shaft of a spear; / And they will be burned with fire in their place.
23:8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was the chief of the captains; the same is Adino the Eznite, who fought against eight hundred, who were slain at one time.
23:9 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the son of an Ahohite, one among the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel went away.
23:10 He rose up and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary; and his hand clung to the sword, and Jehovah accomplished a great salvation that day; and the people returned after him, but only to strip the slain.
23:11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. Now the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of land full of lentils, and the people fled before the Philistines.
23:12 But he stationed himself in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck the Philistines, and Jehovah accomplished a great salvation.
23:13 Now three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David at harvest time in the cave of Adullam; and the Philistine troop was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
23:14 Now at that time David was in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was at that time in Bethlehem.
23:15 And David said longingly, If only someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!
23:16 And the three mighty men burst through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate. And they carried it and brought it to David, but he would not drink it; rather he poured it out to Jehovah.
23:17 And he said, Far be it from me, O Jehovah, that I should do this! Shall I drink 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.
23:18 And Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he brandished his spear against three hundred, who were slain; and he had a name among the three.
23:19 He was indeed the most honored among the thirty, and he became their leader; but he did not attain to the three.
23:20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, was great in mighty deeds. He struck the two sons of Ariel the Moabite; he also went down and struck a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.
23:21 And he struck an Egyptian, an imposing man. And the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian and slew him with his own spear.
23:22 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three mighty men.
23:23 He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
23:24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem;
23:25 Shammah the Harodite; Elika the Harodite;
23:26 Helez the Paltite; Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite;
23:27 Abiezer the Anathothite; Mebunnai the Hushathite;
23:28 Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophathite;
23:29 Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite; Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin;
23:30 Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash;
23:31 Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Barhumite;
23:32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite; of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;
23:33 Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite;
23:34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai; the son of the Maachathite; Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;
23:35 Hezrai the Carmelite; Paarai the Arbite;
23:36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah; Bani the Gadite;
23:37 Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Beerothite, the armor bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah;
23:38 Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite;
23:39 Uriah the Hittite. They were thirty-seven in all.