1 N ow these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel,

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.

“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 righteously, Who rules in the fear of God,

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 I s as the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, When the tender grass springs out of the earth, Through sunshine after rain.’

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 “ Truly is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured; For all my salvation and all my desire, Will He not indeed make it grow?

“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 worthless, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns, Because they cannot be taken in hand;

But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands.

7 B ut the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they will be completely burned with fire in their place.” His Mighty Men

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 T hese are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time;

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 a nd 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 to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn.

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 H e arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

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 N ow after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines.

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. So the people fled from the Philistines.

12 B ut he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory.

But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

13 T hen three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim.

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 D avid was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

15 D avid had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!”

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 S o the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which 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;

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 a nd he said, “Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

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 A bishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three.

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 H e was most honored of the thirty, therefore he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three.

Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three.

20 T hen Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.

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 H e killed an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

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 T hese things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men.

These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men.

23 H e was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard.

He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard.

24 A sahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

25 S hammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

26 H elez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

27 A biezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Z almon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29 H eleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin,

Heleb the son of Baanah (the Netophathite), Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

30 B enaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash,

31 A bi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32 E liahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite (of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan,

33 S hammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite,

Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,

34 E liphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

35 H ezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

36 I gal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

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

37 Z elek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah),

38 I ra the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

39 U riah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.

and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.