2 Samuel 23
23
The Last Words of David
1Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man whom God exalted,#23.1 Q Ms: MT who was raised on high
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:
2The spirit of the Lord speaks through me,
his word is upon my tongue.
3The God of Israel has spoken,
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
One who rules over people justly,
ruling in the fear of God,
4is like the light of morning,
like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.
5Is not my house like this with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?
6But the godless are#23.6 Heb But worthlessness all like thorns that are thrown away;
for they cannot be picked up with the hand;
7to touch them one uses an iron bar
or the shaft of a spear.
And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.#23.7 Heb in sitting
David's Mighty Men
8These are the names of the warriors whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the Three;#23.8 Gk Vg Compare 1 Chr 11.11: Meaning of Heb uncertain he wielded his spear#23.8 1 Chr 11.11: Meaning of Heb uncertain against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.
9Next to him among the three warriors was Eleazar son of Dodo son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle. The Israelites withdrew, 10but he stood his ground. He struck down the Philistines until his arm grew weary, though his hand clung to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. Then the people came back to him—but only to strip the dead.
11Next to him was Shammah son of Agee, the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the army fled from the Philistines. 12But he took his stand in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory.
13Towards the beginning of harvest three of the thirty#23.13 Heb adds head chiefs went down to join David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15David said longingly, “O that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 16Then the three warriors broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the Lord, 17for he said, “The Lord forbid that I should do this. Can I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three warriors did these things.
18Now Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Thirty.#23.18 Two Heb Mss Syr: MT Three With his spear he fought against three hundred men and killed them, and won a name beside the Three. 19He was the most renowned of the Thirty,#23.19 Syr Compare 1 Chr 11.25: Heb Was he the most renowned of the Three? and became their commander; but he did not attain to the Three.
20Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant warrior#23.20 Another reading is the son of Ish-hai from Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he struck down two sons of Ariel#23.20 Gk: Heb lacks sons of of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 21And he killed an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but Benaiah went against him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22Such were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and won a name beside the three warriors. 23He was renowned among the Thirty, but he did not attain to the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
24Among the Thirty were Asahel brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem; 25Shammah of Harod; Elika of Harod; 26Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa; 27Abiezer of Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite; 28Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai of Netophah; 29Heleb son of Baanah of Netophah; Ittai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjaminites; 30Benaiah of Pirathon; Hiddai of the torrents of Gaash; 31Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth of Bahurim; 32Eliahba of Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen: Jonathan 33son of#23.33 Gk: Heb lacks son of Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite; 34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai of Maacah; Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; 35Hezro#23.35 Another reading is Hezrai of Carmel; Paarai the Arbite; 36Igal son of Nathan of Zobah; Bani the Gadite; 37Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; 38Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; 39Uriah the Hittite—thirty-seven in all.
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2 Samuel 23: NRSV-CI
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2 Samuel 23
23
1 Now these are the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse says,
the man who was raised on high says,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2“The LORD’s Spirit spoke by me.
His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said,
the Rock of Israel spoke to me,
‘One who rules over men righteously,
who rules in the fear of God,
4 shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises,
a morning without clouds,
when the tender grass springs out of the earth,
through clear shining after rain.’
5Isn’t my house so with God?
Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things, and sure,
for it is all my salvation and all my desire.
Won’t he make it grow?
6 But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away,
because they can’t be taken with the hand.
7 The man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear.
They will be utterly burned with fire in their place.”
8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; he was called Adino the Eznite, who killed eight hundred at one time. 9After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away. 10He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and the LORD worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take plunder. 11After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. 12But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD worked a great victory.
13 Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”
16 The three mighty men broke through the army 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; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD. 17He said, “Be it far from me, LORD, that I should do this! Isn’t this the blood of the men who risked their lives to go?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.
18Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three. 19Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three.
20 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow. 21He killed a huge Egyptian, 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 killed him with his own spear. 22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the three mighty men. 23He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard.
24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash. 31Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, 34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
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