{Read this section later: 1Ki 2:1-9; 2Sa 23:1-7}
23:1 Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says and the man who was raised on high says, the anointed of the God of Jacob and the sweet psalmist of Israel:
23:2 The Spirit of Jehovah spoke by me and his word was upon my tongue. 23:3 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,23:4 he will be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear shining after rain. 23:5 Truly my house is not so with God. Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged in all things and sure. Because it is all my salvation and all my desire, though he does not make it to grow.
23:6 But the worthless will be as thorns to be thrust away, all of them, because they cannot be taken with the hand. 23:7 But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear and they will be utterly burned with fire in their place.
{2Sa 2:1-3:5; 1Ch 3:1-4; 2Sa 23:8-17; 1Ch 11:10-19, 2Sa 23:18-39, 1Ch 11:20-47 **}
23:8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time.
23:9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo {Dodai} the 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 gone away. 23:10 He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and his hand clung to the sword. And Jehovah worked a great victory that day and the people returned after him only to take spoil.
23:11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop where was a plot of ground full of lentils and the people fled from the Philistines. 23:12But he stood in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And Jehovah worked a great victory.
23:13 And three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 23:14 And then David was in the stronghold and then the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem. 23:15 And David longed and said, If only someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
23:16 And the three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Jehovah.
23:17 And he said, Be it far from me, O Jehovah, that I should do this, to 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.
{2Sa 2:1-3:5; 1Ch 3:1-4; 2Sa 23:8-17; 1Ch 11:10-19, 2Sa 23:18-39, 1Ch 11:20-47 **}
23:18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them and had a name among the three. 23:19 Was he not most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he did not attain to the first three.
23:20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. 23:21 And he killed an Egyptian, a good-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.
23:22 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did and had a name among the three mighty men. 23:23He was more honorable than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David set him over his guard.
23:24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 23:25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 23:26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,23:27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 23:28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 23:29 Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, 23:30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash. 23:31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 23:32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite (of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan, 23:33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite {Hararite}, 23:34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite {Maachathite}, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 23:35 Hezro {Hezrai} the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 23:36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 23:37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor-bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 23:38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 23:39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.