2 Samuel 23
The Scriptures (ISR 1998)

1And these are the last words of Dawiḏ, the saying of Dawiḏ son of Yishai, the saying of the man raised up on high, the anointed of the Elohim of Ya‛aqoḇ, and the sweet singer of Yisra’ĕl:

2“The Spirit of יהוה has spoken through me, And His word is on my tongue.

3“The Elohim of Yisra’ĕl said, The Rock of Yisra’ĕl spoke to me, ‘One who rules over man righteously,

4“Who rules in the fear of Elohim, Is like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Tender grass from the earth From sunshine, from rain.’

5“For is not my house so with Ěl? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all matters, and guarded. For all my deliverance and all desire, Shall He not make it send forth a Branch?

6“But the worthless are all as thorns thrust away, For they are not taken with hands,

7“But the man who touches them Uses iron or the shaft of a spear, And with fire they are burned up in their place.”

8These are the names of the mighty men whom Dawiḏ had: Yoshĕḇ-Bassheḇeth the Taḥkemonite, chief among the officers, he was Aḏino the Etsnite, for eight hundred slain at one time.

9And after him was El‛azar son of Doḏo, the Aḥoḥite, one of the three mighty men with Dawiḏ when they taunted the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Yisra’ĕl had gone up.

10He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, but his hand clung to the sword, so יהוה brought about a great deliverance that day. And the people returned after him only to plunder.

11And after him was Shammah son of Ag̅ĕ the Hararite. And the Philistines had gathered into a company where there was a plot of ground covered with lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines.

12But he took his stand in the middle of the field, and delivered it, and smote the Philistines, and יהוה wrought a great deliverance.

13And three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to Dawiḏ at the cave of Aḏullam, while the army of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Repha’im.

14And Dawiḏ was then in the stronghold, while a watch-post of the Philistines was then in Bĕyth Leḥem.

15And Dawiḏ longed and said, “Oh that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bĕyth Leḥem, which is by the gate!”

16And the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bĕyth Leḥem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to Dawiḏ. But he would not drink it, but poured it out to יהוה.

17And he said, “Far be it from me, O יהוה, to do this – the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives!” So he would not drink it. This is what the three mighty men did.

18And Aḇishai the brother of Yo’aḇ, son of Tseruyah, was chief of another three. And he lifted his spear against three hundred men whom he slew, and had a name among these three.

19Was he not the most esteemed of three? And he became their commander, but he did not come to the first three.

20And Benayahu was the son of Yehoyaḏa, son of a brave man from Qaḇtse’ĕl, great in deeds. He smote two lion-like men of Mo’aḇ. And he went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

21And he smote a Mitsrite, an impressive man. And the Mitsrite had a spear in his hand, so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Mitsrite’s hand, and slew him with his own spear.

22This is what Benayahu son of Yehoyaḏa did, and had a name among three mighty men.

23He was more esteemed than the thirty, but he did not come to the first three. And Dawiḏ set him over his guard.

24Asah’ĕl the brother of Yo’aḇ was one of the thirty; Elḥanan son of Doḏo of Bĕyth Leḥem,

25Shammah the Ḥaroḏite, Eliqa the Ḥaroḏite,

26Ḥelets the Paltite, Ira son of Iqqĕsh the Teqowite,

27Aḇi‛ezer the Anethothite, Meḇunnai the Ḥushathite,

28Tsalmon the Aḥoḥite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29Ḥĕleḇ son of Ba‛anah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Riḇai from Giḇ‛ah of the children of Binyamin,

30Benayahu the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the wadis of Ga‛ash,

31Aḇi-Alḇon the Arbathite, Azmaweth the Barḥumite,

32Elyaḥba the Sha‛albonite of the sons of Yashĕn, Yehonathan,

33Shammah the Hararite, Aḥyam son of Sharar the Hararite,

34Eliphelet son of Aḥasbai, son of the Ma‛aḵathite, Eliyam son of Aḥithophel the Gilonite,

35Ḥetsrai the Karmelite, Pa‛arai the Arbite,

36Yig̅’al son of Nathan of Tsoḇah, Bani the Gaḏite,

37Tseleq the Ammonite, Naḥarai the Be’ĕrothite, armour-bearer of Yo’aḇ son of Tseruyah,

38Ira the Yithrite, Garĕḇ the Yithrite,

39and Uriyah the Ḥittite – thirty-seven in all.

2 Samuel 22
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