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.’
5 Isn’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 burnt 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.
9 After 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.
10 He 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.
11 After 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.
12 But 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.
14 David was then in the stronghold; and
the garrison of the Philistines was then in
Bethlehem.
15 David 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.
17 He 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.
18 Abishai, 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 amongst the three.
19 Wasn’t he most honourable 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.
21 He 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.
22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these
things, and had a name amongst the three
mighty men.
23 He was more honourable 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,
25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh
the Tekoite,
27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai
the Hushathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite,
Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah
of the children of Benjamin,
30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the
brooks of Gaash.
31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the
Barhumite,
32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of
Jashen, Jonathan,
33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son
of Sharar the Ararite,
34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the
son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of
Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani
the Gadite,
37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the
Beerothite, armour bearers to Joab the son
of Zeruiah,
38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39 and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in
all.
