2 Samuel 23

¹And these are the last words of David: “An utterance of David son of Jesse, and a declaration of the mighty man who was exalted on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:

²The Spirit of YHWH spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.

³The God of Israel spoke the Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men is righteous, ruling in the fear of God,

⁴and as the light of the morning he rises, a morning sun, without clouds, by clear shining after the rain, the tender grass of the earth.’

⁵For not so is my house with God; yet an everlasting covenant He has made with me, ordered in all things and secure; for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, for will He not make it sprout?

⁶And the worthless, like a thorn are all thrust away, because not in the hand can they be taken.

⁷And the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear; and with the fire they are completely burned in the place.”

⁸These are the names of the mighty men who were unto David: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the three; He wielded his spear against eight hundred, whom he killed at one time.

⁹And after him was Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle and the men of Israel had retreated.

¹⁰He arose and struck the Philistines until that his hand was weary and his hand stuck to the sword; and YHWH brought about a great victory that day, and the people returned after him only to plunder.

¹¹And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines had gathered together into a troop, and there was a portion of the field full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines.

¹²And he stationed himself in the middle of the field and defended it and killed the Philistines, and YHWH brought about a great salvation.

¹³And three of the thirty chief men went down and came at harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, and the troop of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of the Rephaim.

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

¹⁵And David craved and he said, “Who will give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate?”

¹⁶And the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and they drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and they lifted it and brought it to David. And he would not drink it, and he poured it out to YHWH.

¹⁷And he said, “Far be it from me, O YHWH, that I should do this; is it the blood of the men who went with their lives?” And he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.

¹⁸And Abishai brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three. And He lifted his spear against three hundred, slain, and he won a name among these three.

¹⁹Of the three was he not more honored? And he became for them as commander, and to the three he did not attain.

²⁰And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was son of a man of valor, great in deeds, from Kabzeel. He struck down two lion-like ones of Moab, and He went down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

²¹And he killed an Egyptian, who was a man of appearance, and in his hand the Egyptian had a spear. And he went down to him with a staff and wrested the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian and killed him with his own spear.

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

²³Among the thirty he is honored, and to the three he did not attain. And David appointed him over his guard.

²⁴Asah-el 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,

²⁹Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin,

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

³¹Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

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

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

³⁴Eliphelet son of Ahasbai son of the Maachathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

³⁵Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

³⁶Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

³⁷Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, bearer of the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah,

³⁸Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

³⁹and Uriah the Hittite. And in all were thirty-seven.