2 Samuel 23:1-27

Other Translations of 2 Samuel 23:1-27

New International Version

The Last Words of David

23¹ These 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: ² "The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. ³ The 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, ⁴ he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.' 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. ⁶ But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. ⁷ Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie."

David's Mighty Men

⁸ These are the names of David's mighty warriors: Josheb-Basshebeth,Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts suggest "Ish-Bosheth," that is, "Esh-Baal" (see also 1 Chron. 11:11 "Jashobeam" ). a Tahkemonite,Probably a variant of "Hakmonite" (see 1 Chron. 11:11) was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killedSome Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:11); Hebrew and other Septuagint manuscripts "Three; it was Adino the Eznite who killed eight hundred men" in one encounter. ⁹ Next 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 DammimSee 1 Chron. 11:13; Hebrew "gathered there" . for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, ¹⁰ but 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. ¹¹ Next 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. ¹² But 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. ¹³ During 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. ¹⁴ At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" ¹⁶ So 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. 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. ¹⁸ Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three.Most Hebrew manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:20); two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac "Thirty" He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. ¹⁹ Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them. ²⁰ Benaiah 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. ²¹ And 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. ²² Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. ²³ He 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. ²⁴ Among the Thirty were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, ²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, ²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, ²⁷ Abiezer from Anathoth, SibbekaiSome Septuagint manuscripts (see also 21:18; 1 Chron. 11:29); Hebrew "Mebunnai" the Hushathite,

English Standard Version

The Last Words of David

23¹ 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:Or the favorite of the songs of Israel ² "The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. 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, ⁴ he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rainHebrew from rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth 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? ⁶ But worthless menHebrew worthlessness are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; ⁷ but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire."Hebrew consumed with fire in the sitting

David's Mighty Men

⁸ These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three.Or of the captains He wielded his spear1 Chronicles 11:11; the meaning of the Hebrew expression is uncertain against eight hundred whom he killed at one time. ⁹ And 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. ¹⁰ He 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. ¹¹ And 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. ¹² But 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. 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 Rephaim. ¹⁴ David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem ¹⁵ And David said longingly, "Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!" ¹⁶ Then 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 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 the three mighty men did. ¹⁸ Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty.Two Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts three And he wielded his spear against three hundred menOr slain ones and killed them and won a name beside the three. ¹⁹ He was the most renowned of the thirty1 Chronicles 11:25; Hebrew Was he the most renowned of the three? and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three ²⁰ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant manOr the son of Ishhai of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two arielsThe meaning of the word ariel is unknown of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. ²¹ And 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 ²² These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. ²³ He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard. ²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, ²⁵ Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, ²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, ²⁷ Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

The Message

The Last Words of David

23¹ These are David's last words: The voice of the son of Jesse, the voice of the man God took to the top, Whom the God of Jacob made king, and Israel's most popular singer! ² God's Spirit spoke through me, his words took shape on my tongue. ³ The God of Israel spoke to me, Israel's Rock-Mountain said, "Whoever governs fairly and well, who rules in the Fear-of-God, ⁴ Is like first light at daybreak without a cloud in the sky, Like green grass carpeting earth, glistening under fresh rain. ⁵ And this is just how my regime has been, for God guaranteed his covenant with me, Spelled it out plainly and kept every promised word - My entire salvation, my every desire. ⁶ But the devil's henchmen are like thorns culled and piled as trash; ⁷ Better not try to touch them; keep your distance with a rake or hoe. They'll make a glorious bonfire!

David's Mighty Men

⁸ This is the listing of David's top men. Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite. He was chief of the Three. He once put his spear to work against eight hundred - killed them all in a day. ⁹ Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite was the next of the elite Three. He was with David when the Philistines poked fun at them at Pas Dammim. When the Philistines drew up for battle, Israel retreated. ¹⁰ But Eleazar stood his ground and killed Philistines right and left until he was exhausted - but he never let go of his sword! A big win for God that day. The army then rejoined Eleazar, but all there was left to do was the clean-up. ¹¹ Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The Philistines had mustered for battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. Israel fled before the Philistines ¹² , but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for God! ¹³ One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined David at the Cave of Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem ¹⁵ David had a sudden craving and said, "Would I ever like a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem!" ¹⁶ So the Three penetrated the Philistine lines, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David wouldn't drink it; he poured it out as an offering to God, ¹⁷ saying, "There is no way, God, that I'll drink this! This isn't mere water, it's their life-blood - they risked their very lives to bring it!" So David refused to drink it. This is the sort of thing that the Three did. ¹⁸ Abishai brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah was the head of the Thirty. He once got credit for killing three hundred with his spear, but he was never named in the same breath as the Three. ¹⁹ He was the most respected of the Thirty and was their captain, but never got included among the Three ²⁰ Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a vigorous man who accomplished a great deal. He once killed two lion cubs in Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion. ²¹ Another time he killed a formidable Egyptian. The Egyptian was armed with a spear and Benaiah went against him with nothing but a walking stick; he seized the spear from his grip and killed him with his own spear ²² These are the things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada is famous for. But neither did he ever get ranked with the Three. ²³ He was held in greatest respect among the Thirty, but he never got included with the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard. ²⁴ "The Thirty" consisted of: Asahel brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem; ²⁵ Shammah the Harodite; Elika the Harodite; ²⁶ Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; ²⁷ Abiezer the Anathothite; Sibbecai the Hushathite;

New King James Version

The Last Words of David

23¹ Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel: ² "The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. ³ The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: 'He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God. ⁴ And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain. ⁵ "Although my house is not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase? ⁶ But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands. ⁷ But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place."

David's Mighty Men

⁸ These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. ⁹ And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. ¹⁰ He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder. ¹¹ And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. Then the people fled from the Philistines. ¹² But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. And the Lord brought about a great victory. ¹³ Then three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam. And the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem ¹⁵ And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" ¹⁶ So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. ¹⁷ And he said, "Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men. ¹⁸ Now Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. ¹⁹ Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three ²⁰ Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. ²¹ And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear ²² These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. ²³ He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard. ²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, ²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, ²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, ²⁷ Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

New Living Translation

The Last Words of David

23¹ These are the last words of David: "David, the son of Jesse, speaks- David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel. ² "The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue. ³ The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me: 'The one who rules righteously, who rules in the fear of God, ⁴ is like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain.' ⁵ "Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success. ⁶ But the godless are like thorns to be thrown away, for they tear the hand that touches them. ⁷ One must use iron tools to chop them down; they will be totally consumed by fire."

David's Mighty Men

⁸ These are the names of David's mightiest warriors. The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three -the three mightiest warriors among David's men. He once used his spear to kill 800 enemy warriors in a single battle. ⁹ Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. Once Eleazar and David stood together against the Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled. ¹⁰ He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the Lord gave him a great victory that day. The rest of the army did not return until it was time to collect the plunder! ¹¹ Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled, ¹² but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory. ¹³ Once during the harvest, when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty-an elite group among David's fighting men) went down to meet him there. ¹⁴ David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem. ¹⁵ David remarked longingly to his men, "Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem." ¹⁶ So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord . ¹⁷ "The Lord forbid that I should drink this!" he exclaimed. "This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me." So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three. ¹⁸ Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three. ¹⁹ Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three. ²⁰ There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. ²¹ Once, armed only with a club, he killed an imposing Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with it. ²² Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the Three mightiest warriors. ²³ He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard. ²⁴ Other members of the Thirty included: Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem; ²⁵ Shammah from Harod; Elika from Harod; ²⁶ Helez from Pelon ; Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; ²⁷ Abiezer from Anathoth; Sibbecai from Hushah;