2 Samuel 23:1 Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 Samuel 23:2 "The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me, his word is upon my tongue.
2 Samuel 23:3 The God of Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God,
2 Samuel 23:4 he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth upon a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
2 Samuel 23:5 Yea, does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?
2 Samuel 23:6 But godless men are all like thorns that are thrown away; for they cannot be taken with the hand;
2 Samuel 23:7 but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire."
2 Samuel 23:8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshe'beth a Tah-che'monite; he was chief of the three; he wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he slew at one time.
2 Samuel 23:9 And next to him among the three mighty men was Elea'zar the son of Dodo, son of Aho'hi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.
2 Samuel 23:10 He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand cleaved to the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.
2 Samuel 23:11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Har'arite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the men fled from the Philistines.
2 Samuel 23:12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory.
2 Samuel 23:13 And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Reph'aim.
2 Samuel 23:14 David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.
2 Samuel 23:15 And David said longingly, "O that some one would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!"
2 Samuel 23:16 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the LORD,
2 Samuel 23:17 and said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
2 Samuel 23:18 Now Abi'shai, the brother of Jo'ab, the son of Zeru'iah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and slew them, and won a name beside the three.
2 Samuel 23:19 He was the most renowned of the thirty, and became their commander; but he did not attain to the three.
2 Samuel 23:20 And Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he smote two ariels of Moab. He also went down and slew a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.
2 Samuel 23:21 And he slew an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but Benai'ah went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
2 Samuel 23:22 These things did Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada, and won a name beside the three mighty men.
2 Samuel 23:23 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
2 Samuel 23:24 As'ahel the brother of Jo'ab was one of the thirty; Elha'nan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
2 Samuel 23:29 Heleb the son of Ba'anah of Netoph'ah, It'tai the son of Ri'bai of Gib'e-ah of the Benjaminites,
2 Samuel 23:30 Benai'ah of Pira'thon, Hid'dai of the brooks of Ga'ash,
2 Samuel 23:33 Shammah the Har'arite, Ahi'am the son of Sharar the Har'arite,
2 Samuel 23:34 Eliph'elet the son of Ahas'bai of Ma'acah, Eli'am the son of Ahith'ophel of Gilo,
2 Samuel 23:37 Zelek the Ammonite, Na'harai of Be-er'oth, the armor-bearer of Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah,
