2 Samuel 23

¹ These are the last words of David:
The oracle of David son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man raised on high,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel:

² "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.

³ The God of Israel spoke,
the Rock of Israel said to me:
'The one who rules over people justly,
who rules in the fear of God—

⁴ he is like the light of morning at sunrise,
a morning without clouds,
when the tender grass springs from the earth
through sunshine after rain.'

⁵ "Is not my house so with God?
For he has made an everlasting covenant with me,
ordered in all things and secured.
Will he not cause all my salvation and every desire to flourish?

⁶ But the worthless—all of them are like thorns thrust aside,
for they cannot be taken in hand.

⁷ The man who touches them
arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear,
and they are completely burned with fire where they lie."

⁸ These are the names of David's mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahkemonite, chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred, whom he killed at one time.

⁹ After him was Eleazar son of Dodo son of Ahohi. He was among the three warriors with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.

¹⁰ He stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and his hand clung to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day, and the troops returned after him only to strip the slain.

¹¹ After him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines,

¹² but he took his stand in the middle of the plot and defended it and struck the Philistines. And the LORD brought about a great victory.

¹³ Three of the thirty chiefs went down and came to David at harvest time at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.

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

¹⁵ David said longingly, "If only someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!"

¹⁶ The three warriors broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate. They carried it and brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out to the LORD,

¹⁷ saying, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" So he refused to drink it. These things the three warriors did.

¹⁸ Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Thirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the Three.

¹⁹ He was the most honored of the Thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the Three.

²⁰ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a man of many deeds. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and struck a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.

²¹ He also struck down an Egyptian, an impressive man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff, snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.

²² These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three warriors.

²³ He was honored among the Thirty, but he did not attain to the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab was among the Thirty: Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

²⁷ Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

²⁹ Heleb son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites,

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

³¹ Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

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

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

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

³⁵ Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

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

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

³⁸ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

³⁹ Uriah the Hittite—thirty-seven in all.