| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, | 1These are the last words of David: "The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel's songs: |
| 2The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. | 2"The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. |
| 3The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. | 3The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: 'When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, |
| 4And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. | 4he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.' |
| 5Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. | 5"If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire. |
| 6But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: | 6But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. |
| 7But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. | 7Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie." |
| 8These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. | 8These are the names of David's mighty warriors: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. |
| 9And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: | 9Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, |
| 10He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. | 10but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead. |
| 11And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. | 11Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. |
| 12But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. | 12But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. |
| 13And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. | 13During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. |
| 14And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. | 14At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. |
| 15And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! | 15David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" |
| 16And the three mighty men brake through the host 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: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. | 16So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. |
| 17And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. | 17"Far be it from me, LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors. |
| 18And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three. | 18Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. |
| 19Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three. | 19Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them. |
| 20And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: | 20Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab's two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. |
| 21And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: 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 slew him with his own spear. | 21And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. |
| 22These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. | 22Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. |
| 23He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard. | 23He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard. |
| 24Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, | 24Among the Thirty were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, |
| 25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, | 25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, |
| 26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, | 26Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, |
| 27Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, | 27Abiezer from Anathoth, Sibbekai the Hushathite, |
| 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, | 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, |
| 29Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, | 29Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, |
| 30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, | 30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the ravines of Gaash, |
| 31Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, | 31Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, |
| 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, | 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan |
| 33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, | 33son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, |
| 34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, | 34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maakathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, |
| 35Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, | 35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, |
| 36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, | 36Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, the son of Hagri, |
| 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, | 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, |
| 38Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, | 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite |
| 39Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all. | 39and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all. |
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