David’s Last Words

1Now these are the last words of David.

David the son of Jesse declares,

The man who was raised on high declares,

The anointed of the God of Jacob,

And the sweet psalmist of Israel,

2“The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me,

And His word was on my tongue.

3The God of Israel said,

The Rock of Israel spoke to me,

‘He who rules over men as a righteous one,

Who rules in the fear of God,

4Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises,

A morning without clouds,

From brightness of the sun after rain.’

With the tender grass springing from the earth,

5[†]Truly is not my house so with God?

For He has made an everlasting covenant with me,

Ordered in all things, and secured;

For all my salvation and all my desire,

Will He not indeed make it grow?

6But the vile men, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns,

Because they cannot be taken in hand;

7But the man who touches them

Must be [†]armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,

And they will be completely burned with fire where they sit.”

David’s Mighty Men

8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the [†]captains, he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time; 9and after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of Ahohi, one of the three mighty men with David when they [†]reproached the Philistines who were gathered together there to battle and the men of Israel had gone up to retreat. 10He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and [†]clung to the sword, and Yahweh brought about a great salvation that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

11Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered [†]into a troop where there was a portion of the field full of lentils; and the people fled from before the Philistines. 12But he took his stand in the midst of that portion and delivered it and struck down the Philistines. So Yahweh brought about a great salvation.

13Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. 14And David was then in the fortress, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15Then David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 16So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and carried it and brought it to David. Nevertheless, he was not willing to drink it, but poured it out to Yahweh; 17and he said, “Be it far from me, O Yahweh, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went [†]at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

18Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the [†]thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred [†]who were slain by him; and he had a name as well as the three. 19Of the thirty he was most honored and became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three.

20Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck down the [†]two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 21He had also struck down an Egyptian, [†]an impressive man. Now in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. 23He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard.

24Asahel the brother of Joab was among 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 sons of Benjamin, 30Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31Abi-albon 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 of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.