Chapter 23
The Last Words of David[a] 1 These are the last words of David:
“The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man whom the Most High exalted,
the anointed of the God of Jacob
and the beloved of the Mighty One of Israel:
2 “The Spirit of the Lord has spoken through me;
his word is on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel has spoken;
the Rock of Israel has said of me:
‘He who rules people justly,
who rules in the fear of God
4 is like the morning light at sunrise
on a cloudless morning after rainfall
that causes the grass of the earth to sparkle.’
5 “My house stands firm with God,
for he has made an everlasting covenant with me,
well ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not bring to fruition
my salvation and my every desire?
6 “But the ungodly are all like thorns
that must be cast aside,
for they cannot be grasped by the hand.
7 No one dares to touch them
except with an iron bar or the shaft of a spear,
and then only to consume them by fire.”
David’s Warriors. 8 These are the names of David’s warriors. Ishbaal, a Hachamonite, was the leader of the Three. It was he who brandished his spear over eight hundred men and slew all of them at one time.
9 Next to him among the Three was Eleazar, the son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines had assembled there for battle. When the Israelites withdrew, 10 he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines until his hand became so stiff that he was unable to release it from the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. Afterward the people rallied around him, but only so that they might be able to strip the dead.
11 Next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together at Lehi where there was a field with an abundant crop of lentils. When the Israelites fled upon being confronted by the Philistines, 12 Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and cut down the Philistines. Thus the Lord brought about a great victory.
13 At the beginning of the harvest, three of the Thirty went down to join David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold, and there was a garrison of Philistines in Bethlehem.
15 One day David said longingly: “Oh, if only someone would give me some water to drink from the well that is by the gate of Bethlehem!” 16 On hearing this, the Three forced their way through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem, and presented it to David. However, he refused to drink it, and instead, he poured it out to the Lord, 17 saying: “The Lord forbid that I should do this. How can I drink the blood of the men who went forth to obtain it and thereby placed their lives at risk?” Therefore, he would not drink it.
18 Abishai, the brother of Joab and the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Thirty. It was he who brandished his spear over three hundred men whom he had killed. 19 He was the most illustrious member of the Thirty and he became their commander. However, he never became one of the Three.
20 Benaiah of Kabzeel was the son of Jehoiada and a valiant warrior who was renowned for many great exploits. It was he who slaughtered two of Moab’s most renowned warriors. On one occasion he also lowered himself into a pit and killed a lion on a day when snow had fallen. 21 Further-more, he was the one who slew an Egyptian, a man of striking stature who was armed with a spear. Benaiah went against him with a club, wrested the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear. 22 Such exploits of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, won for him a name among the Thirty warriors. 23 Although he commanded greater respect than the rest of the Thirty, he was not equal to the Three. David appointed him to be the commander of his bodyguard.
24 Among the Thirty were Asahel, the brother of Joab; Elhanan, the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem; 25 Shammah from Harod; Elika from Harod; 26 Helez from Beth-pelet; Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa; 27 Abiezer from Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite; 28 Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai from Netophah; 29 Heled, the son of Baanah, from Netophah; Ittai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah in Benjamin; 30 Benaiah from Pira-thon; Hiddai from the torrents of Gaash; 31 Ali-albon from Beth-arabah; Azmaveth from Bahurim; 32 Eliahba from Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen; 33 Jonathan, the son of Shammah, from Harar; Ahiam, the son of Sharar, from Harar; 34 Eliphelet, the son of Abishai, from Bath-maacah; Eliam, the son of Ahithophel, from Gilo; 35 Hezro from Carmel; Paarai the Arbite; 36 Igal, the son of Nathan, from Zobah; Bani the Gadite; 37 Zelek the Ammonite; Nahari from Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab, the son of Zeruiah; 38 Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; 39 Uriah the Hittite—thirty-seven in all.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 23:1 This canticle is paired with the preceding chapter. It can be compared with the final words of Jacob (Gen 49) and Moses (Deut 33).