2 Samuel 23 KJVAE

1. Now 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,

2. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

3. The 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.

4. And 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.

5. Although 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.

6. But the sons of Be´li-al shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

7. but 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.

8. These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tach´monite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Ad´ino the Eznite: he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

9. And after him was Ele-a´zar the son of Dodo the Aho´hite, 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:

10. he 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.

11. And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Ha´rarite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines.

12. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.

13. And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adul´lam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Reph´a-im.

14. And David was then in a hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

15. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!

16. And 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.

17. And 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.

18. And Ab´ishai, the brother of Jo´ab, the son of Zeru-i´ah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.

19. Was he not most honorable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

20. And Benai´ah the son of Jehoi´ada, the son of a valiant man, of Kab´zeel, 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.

21. And 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.

22. These things did Benai´ah the son of Jehoi´ada, and had the name among three mighty men.

23. He was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

24. As´ahel the brother of Jo´ab was one of the thirty; Elha´nan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

25. Shammah the Ha´rodite, Eli´ka the Ha´rodite,

26. Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Teko´ite,

27. Abi-e´zer the Anetho´thite, Mebun´nai the Hu´shathite,

28. Zalmon the Aho´hite, Ma´harai the Netoph´athite,

29. Heleb the son of Ba´anah, a Netoph´athite, It´tai the son of Ri´bai out of Gib´e-ah of the children of Benjamin,

30. Benai´ah the Pira´thonite, Hid´dai of the brooks of Ga´ash,

31. Ab´i–al´bon the Ar´bathite, Azma´veth the Bar´humite,

32. Eli´ahba the Sha-al´bonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

33. Shammah the Ha´rarite, Ahi´am the son of Sharar the Ha´rarite,

34. Eliph´elet the son of Ahas´bai, the son of the Ma-ach´athite, Eli´am the son of Ahith´ophel the Gi´lonite,

35. Hez´rai the Car´melite, Pa´arai the Arbite,

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

37. Zelek the Ammonite, Na´hari the Beer´othite, armor-bearer to Jo´ab the son of Zeru-i´ah,

38. Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,

39. Uri´ah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.