David’s last words

¹These are David’s last words:

This is the declaration of Jesse’s son David,

the declaration of a man raised high,

a man anointed by the God of Jacob,

a man favored by the strong one of Israel.

²The LORD ’s spirit speaks through me;

his word is on my tongue.

³Israel’s God has spoken,

Israel’s rock said to me:

“Whoever rules rightly over people,

whoever rules in the fear of God,

⁴is like the light of sunrise

on a morning with no clouds,

⁵Yes, my house is this way with God![#23.5 Or Yes, my house is surely with God!]

He has made an eternal covenant with me,

laid out and secure in every detail.

Yes, he provides every one of my victories

and brings my every desire to pass.

⁶But despicable people are like thorns,

all of them good for nothing,

because they can’t be carried by hand.

⁷No one can touch them,

except with iron bar or the shaft of a spear.

They must be burned up with fire right on the spot!

David’s warriors

⁸These are the names of David’s warriors: Jeshbaal from Hachmon was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against eight hundred, killing them on a single occasion.[#23.8 LXX , OL; MT Josheb-bashebeth ; cf 1 Chron 11:11; #23.8 See 1 Chron 11:11.; #23.8 LXX , Vulg; cf 1 Chron 11:11; MT chief of the officers; #23.8 Cf 1 Chron 11:11; Heb uncertain]

⁹Next in command was Eleazar, Dodo’s son and Ahohi’s grandson. He was among the three warriors with David when they insulted the Philistines who had gathered there for battle. The Israelites retreated,

¹⁰but he stood his ground and fought the Philistines until his hand was weary and stuck to the sword. But the LORD accomplished a great victory that day. The troops then returned to Eleazar, but only to plunder the dead.

¹¹Next in command was Agee’s son Shammah, who was from Harar. The Philistines had gathered at Lehi, where there was a plot of land full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines,

¹²but Shammah took a position in the middle of the plot, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. The LORD accomplished a great victory.

¹³At harvesttime, three of the thirty chiefs went down and joined David at the fortress of Adullam, while a force of Philistines were camped in the Rephaim Valley.[#23.13 Or cave ; cf 2 Sam 23:14]

¹⁴At that time, David was in the fortress, and a Philistine fort was in Bethlehem.

¹⁵David had a craving and said, “If only someone could give me a drink of water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.”

¹⁶So the three warriors broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it and poured it out to the LORD .

¹⁷“The LORD forbid that I should do that,” he said. “Isn’t this the blood of men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it.

These were the kinds of things the three warriors did.

¹⁸Now Zeruiah’s son Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Thirty. He raised his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and made a name for himself along with the Three.[#23.18 Some Heb manuscripts, Syr; MT third or three]

¹⁹He was the most famous of the Thirty. He became their commander, but he wasn’t among the Three.[#23.19 Syr; cf 1 Chron 11:25; MT Wasn’t he the most famous of the Three?]

²⁰Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was a hero from Kabzeel who performed great deeds. He killed the two sons of Ariel from Moab. He once went down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day.[#23.20 LXX; MT lacks]

²¹He also killed a giant Egyptian who had a spear in his hand. Benaiah went against him armed with a staff. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.[#23.21 MT handsome ; cf 1 Chron 11:23]

²²These were the kinds of things Jehoiada’s son Benaiah did. He made a name for himself along with the three warriors.

²³He was famous among the Thirty, but he didn’t become one of the Three. David placed him in command of his own bodyguard.

²⁴Among the Thirty were:

Asahel, Joab’s brother;

Elhanan, Dodo’s son from Bethlehem;

²⁵Shammah from Harod;

Elika from Harod;

²⁶Helez from Pelet;

Ira, Ikkesh’s son from Tekoa;

²⁷Abiezer from Anathoth;

Mebunnai the Hushathite;

²⁸Zalmon from Ahoh;

Maharai from Netophah;

²⁹Heleb, Baanah’s son from Netophah;

Ittai, Ribai’s son from Gibeah in Benjamin;

³⁰Benaiah from Pirathon;

Hiddai from the Gaash ravines;

³¹Abi-albon from the desert plain;

Azmaveth from Bahurim;

³²Eliahba from Shaalbon;

Jashen the Gizonite;

Jonathan,

³³Shammah’s son from Harar;[#23.33 LXX; MT lacks]

Ahiam, Sharar’s son from Harar;

³⁴Eliphelet, Ahasbai’s son from Maacah;

Eliam, Ahithophel’s son from Giloh;

³⁵Hezro from Carmel;

Paarai from Erab;

³⁶Igal, Nathan’s son from Zobah;

Bani the Gadite;

³⁷Zelek the Ammonite;

Naharai from Beeroth, and the armor-bearer for Zeruiah’s son Joab;

³⁸Ira from Ither;

Gaeb from Ither;

³⁹and Uriah the Hittite—

thirty-seven in all.