| NET Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1These are the final words of David: "The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised up as the ruler chosen by the God of Jacob, Israel's beloved singer of songs: | 1Now 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: |
| 2The LORD's spirit spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. | 2“The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. |
| 3The God of Israel spoke, the protector of Israel spoke to me. The one who rules fairly among men, the one who rules in the fear of God, | 3The 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, |
| 4is like the light of morning when the sun comes up, a morning in which there are no clouds. He is like the brightness after rain that produces grass from the earth. | 4he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. |
| 5My dynasty is approved by God, for he has made a perpetual covenant with me, arranged in all its particulars and secured. He always delivers me, and brings all I desire to fruition. | 5“For 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? |
| 6But evil people are like thorns--all of them are tossed away, for they cannot be held in the hand. | 6But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; |
| 7The one who touches them must use an iron instrument or the wooden shaft of a spear. They are completely burned up right where they lie!" | 7but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire.” |
| 8These are the names of David's warriors: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was head of the officers. He killed eight hundred men with his spear in one battle. | 8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time. |
| 9Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo, the son of Ahohi. He was one of the three warriors who were with David when they defied the Philistines who were assembled there for battle. When the men of Israel retreated, | 9And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. |
| 10he stood his ground and fought the Philistines until his hand grew so tired that it seemed stuck to his sword. The LORD gave a great victory on that day. When the army returned to him, the only thing left to do was to plunder the corpses. | 10He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the LORD brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain. |
| 11Next in command was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines assembled at Lehi, where there happened to be an area of a field that was full of lentils, the army retreated before the Philistines. | 11And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. |
| 12But he made a stand in the middle of that area. He defended it and defeated the Philistines; the LORD gave them a great victory. | 12But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD worked a great victory. |
| 13At the time of the harvest three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the cave of Adullam. A band of Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim. | 13And 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 Rephaim. |
| 14David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. | 14David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. |
| 15David was thirsty and said, "How I wish someone would give me some water to drink from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate!" | 15And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” |
| 16So the three elite warriors broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate. They carried it back to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the LORD | 16Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the LORD |
| 17and said, "O LORD, I will not do this! It is equivalent to the blood of the men who risked their lives by going." So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors. | 17and 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 the three mighty men did. |
| 18Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was head of the three. He killed three hundred men with his spear and gained fame among the three. | 18Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three. |
| 19From the three he was given honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of the three. | 19He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three. |
| 20Benaiah son of Jehoida was a brave warrior from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in a cistern on a snowy day. | 20And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. |
| 21He also killed an impressive-looking Egyptian. The Egyptian wielded a spear, while Benaiah attacked him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. | 21And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. |
| 22Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoida, who gained fame among the three elite warriors. | 22These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. |
| 23He received honor from the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard. | 23He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard. |
| 24Included with the thirty were the following: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, | 24Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, |
| 25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, | 25Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, |
| 26Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, | 26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, |
| 27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, | 27Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, |
| 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, | 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah, |
| 29Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, | 29Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, |
| 30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash, | 30Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, |
| 31Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, | 31Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim, |
| 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan | 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, |
| 33son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, | 33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, |
| 34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, | 34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, |
| 35Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, | 35Hezro of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, |
| 36Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite, | 36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, |
| 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah), | 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, |
| 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite | 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, |
| 39and Uriah the Hittite. Altogether there were thirty-seven. | 39Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all. |
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