David’s Last Words
Now these are the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse declares,
aThe man who was raised on high declares,
bThe anointed of the God of Jacob,
And the sweet psalmist of Israel,
2 “aThe Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said,
aThe Rock of Israel spoke to me,
‘bHe who rules over men as a righteous one,
cWho rules in the fear of God,
4 aIs as the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
From brightness of the sun after rain.’
With the tender grass springing from the earth,
5 Truly is not my house so with God?
For aHe has made an everlasting covenant with me,
Ordered in all things, and secured;
For all my salvation and all my desire,
Will He not indeed make it grow?
6 aBut the vile men, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns,
Because they cannot be taken in hand;
7 But the man who touches them
Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,
And athey will be completely burned with fire where they sit.”
David’s Mighty Men
8 aThese are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time; 9 and after him was Eleazar the son of aDodo the bson of Ahohi, one of the three mighty men with David when they reproached the Philistines who were gathered together there to battle and the men of Israel had gone up to retreat. 10 aHe arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and bYahweh brought about a great salvation that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.
11 Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a aHararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a portion of the field full of lentils; and the people fled from before the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of that portion and delivered it and struck down the Philistines. So aYahweh brought about a great salvation.
13 Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the acave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in bthe valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was then ain the fortress, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 aThen David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 16 aSo the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and carried it and brought it to David. Nevertheless, he was not willing to drink it, but bpoured it out to Yahweh; 17 and he said, “Be it far from me, O Yahweh, that I should do this. aShall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
18 aNow Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was bchief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred who were slain by him; and he had a name as well as the three. 19 Of the thirty he was most honored and became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three.
20 Then aBenaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of bKabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 21 He had also struck down an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things aBenaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. 23 He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard.
24 aAsahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 aShammah the bHarodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the aTekoite, 27 Abiezer the aAnathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the aNetophathite, 29 aHeleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of bGibeah of the sons of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah a aPirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of bGaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the aBarhumite, 32 Eliahba the aShaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 aShammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of athe Maacathite, bEliam the son of cAhithophel the Gilonite, 35 aHezro the bCarmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of aZobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the aBeerothite, armor bearers of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the aIthrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 aUriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.