Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says, the man who was raised on high says, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
“The spirit of Yahweh spoke by me. His word was on my tongue.
The God of Israel said; the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over people righteously, who rules in the fear of God,
is like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when through bright shining after a rain, the tender vegetation springs out of the earth.
Is it not so with my house before God? For he has made an everlasting covenant with me, arranged and secured in all its details, for it is all my salvation and all my desire. Will he not make it grow?
But all the sons of Belial will be as thorns to be thrust away, because they cannot be taken with the hand,
But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear. They will be burned, yes, burned with fire completely.”
David's Mighty Men
These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, head of the Three. He wielded his spear against 800 slain at one time.
After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn.
He arose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary and his hand clung to the sword. And Yahweh worked a great victory that day, and the people returned, following after him only to take spoil.
After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines were gathered together into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines,
but he took a stand in the middle of the plot and defended it, and struck down the Philistines; and Yahweh worked a great victory.
And three of the 30 chief men went down and came to David at the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
Now David was then in the stronghold and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
And David longed and said, “Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”
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 it and brought it to David, but he would not drink it, but poured it out to Yahweh.
He said, “Be it far from me, Yahweh, that I should do this! Is it not the blood of the men who went out at the risk of their lives?” So he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.
Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was head of the three. He lifted up his spear against 300 and killed them, and so he had a name among the three.
Was he not honored among the three? So he was made their commander, even though he was not one of the three.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel who had done mighty deeds, he struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in the middle of a pit in time of snow.
He struck down an Egyptian, an impressive-looking 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 killed him with his own spear.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things and had a name among the three mighty men.
He was honored among the 30, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the 30; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash;
Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite,
Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor-bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah,