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23 Now these be the last devarim of Dovid. Dovid Ben Yishai said, the gever (man) who was raised up above, the Moshiach Elohei Ya’akov, and the singer of zemirot (songs) of Yisroel, said,

The Ruach Hashem spoke by me, and His word was on my leshon.

The Elohei Yisroel said, the Tzur Yisroel spoke to me, He that ruleth over adam, Tzaddik, ruling in the yirat Elohim.

And He shall be as the ohr of the boker, when the shemesh riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender deshe (grass) springing out of ha’aretz by clear shining after matar (rain).

Is not my Bais so with G-d? Yet He hath made with me a Brit Olam, ordered in all things, and sure; for this is all my salvation, and all my chefetz (desire), will He not make it spring forth (tzemach). [See Zecharyah 3:8; 6:11-12]?

But the Bnei Beliyaal [rebellious] shall be all of them as kotz (thorns) thrust away, because they cannot be gathered with hands;

But the one that shall touch them must be armed with barzel (iron) and the staff of a khanit (spear); and they shall be utterly burned with eish where they are.

These be the shmot of the gibborim whom Dovid had; Yoshev Bashevet Tachkemoni, chief among the Three; the same was Adino the Etzni; he killed eight hundred, in one encounter.

And after him was Eleazar Ben Dodai the Achochi, one of the three gibborim with Dovid, when they defied the Pelishtim that were there gathered together to milchamah, and the Ish Yisroel were gone away;

10 He arose, and struck the Pelishtim until his yad was weary, and his yad had devekyus unto the cherev; and Hashem wrought a teshuah gedolah (great victory) that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.

11 And after him was Shammah Ben Agee the Harari. And the Pelishtim were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Pelishtim.

12 But he stood in the midst of the allotted ground, and defended it, and slaughtered the Pelishtim; and Hashem wrought a teshuah gedolah.

13 And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to Dovid in the time of katzir unto the cave of Adulam; and the troop of the Pelishtim encamped in the Emek Rephaim.

14 And Dovid was then in the matzadah, and the garrison of the Pelishtim was then in Beit-Lechem.

15 And Dovid longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the mayim of the well of Beit-Lechem, which is by the sha’ar!

16 And the three gibborim broke through the machaneh of the Pelishtim, and drew mayim out of the well of Beit-Lechem, that was by the sha’ar, and took it, and brought it to Dovid; nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto Hashem.

17 And he said, Chalilah! (be it far from me), Hashem, that I should do this! Is not this the dahm of the anashim that went in jeopardy of their nafshot? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three gibborim.

18 And Avishai, the brother of Yoav Ben Tzeruyah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his khanit (spear) against three hundred, and slaughtered them, and had the shem among the Three.

19 Was he not most honored of the Three? Therefore he was their sar; howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

20 And Benayah Ben Yehoyada was a ben chayil, of Kavtze’el, who had done many deeds: he slaughtered two lionlike men of Moav; he went down also and slaughtered an aryeh in the midst of a pit on a snowy day;

21 And he slaughtered an Egyptian, a goodly man; and the Egyptian had a khanit (spear) in his yad; but he went down to him with a shevet (club), and plucked the khanit out of the Egyptian’s yad, and slaughtered him with his own khanit.

22 These things did Benayah Ben Yehoyada, and had the shem among three gibborim.

23 He was more honored than the Shloshim, but he attained not to the first Three. And Dovid set him over his bodyguard.

24 Asah-el the brother of Yoav was one of the thirty; Elchanan Ben Dodo of Beit-Lechem,

25 Shammah the Harodi, Elika the Charodi,

26 Cheletz the Palti, Ira Ben Ikkesh the Tekoi,

27 Aviezer the Anethoti, Mevunai the Chushati,

28 Tzalmon the Achochi, Maharai the Netophati,

29 Chelev Ben Ba’anah, a Netophati, Ittai Ben Rivai out of Giveah of the Bnei Binyamin,

30 Benayah the Pirathoni, Hiddai of the ravines of Ga’ash,

31 Abi-albon the Arvati, Azmavet the Barchumi,

32 Elyachba the Sha’alvoni, of the Bnei Yashen, Yonatan,

33 Shammah the Harari, Achiam Ben Sharar the Arari,

34 Eliphelet Ben Achasbai son of the Maachati, Eliam Ben Achitophel the Giloni,

35 Chetzrai the Carmeli, Pa’arai the Arbi,

36 Yigal Ben Natan of Tzovah, Bani the Gadi,

37 Tzelek the Ammoni, Nachrai the Be’eroti, armorbearer to Yoav Ben Tzeruyah,

38 Ira a Yitri, Garev a Yitri,

39 Uriyah the Chitti; 37all.

David’s Last Words

23 These are the last words of David:

“The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse,
    the utterance of the man exalted(A) by the Most High,
the man anointed(B) by the God of Jacob,
    the hero of Israel’s songs:

“The Spirit(C) of the Lord spoke through me;
    his word was on my tongue.
The God of Israel spoke,
    the Rock(D) of Israel said to me:
‘When one rules over people in righteousness,(E)
    when he rules in the fear(F) of God,(G)
he is like the light(H) of morning(I) at sunrise(J)
    on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain(K)
    that brings grass from the earth.’

“If my house were not right with God,
    surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant,(L)
    arranged and secured in every part;
surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation
    and grant me my every desire.
But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns,(M)
    which are not gathered with the hand.
Whoever touches thorns
    uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear;
    they are burned up where they lie.”

David’s Mighty Warriors(N)

These are the names of David’s mighty warriors:(O)

Josheb-Basshebeth,[a](P) a Tahkemonite,[b] was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed[c] in one encounter.

Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai(Q) the Ahohite.(R) As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim[d] for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, 10 but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam,(S) while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.(T) 14 At that time David was in the stronghold,(U) and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.(V) 15 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 16 So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured(W) it out before the Lord. 17 “Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood(X) of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

18 Abishai(Y) the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three.[e] He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. 19 Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

20 Benaiah(Z) son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel,(AA) performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. 23 He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

24 Among the Thirty were:

Asahel(AB) the brother of Joab,

Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

25 Shammah the Harodite,(AC)

Elika the Harodite,

26 Helez(AD) the Paltite,

Ira(AE) son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,

27 Abiezer(AF) from Anathoth,(AG)

Sibbekai[f] the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon the Ahohite,

Maharai(AH) the Netophathite,(AI)

29 Heled[g](AJ) son of Baanah the Netophathite,

Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah(AK) in Benjamin,

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite,(AL)

Hiddai[h] from the ravines of Gaash,(AM)

31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite,

Azmaveth the Barhumite,(AN)

32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

the sons of Jashen,

Jonathan 33 son of[i] Shammah the Hararite,

Ahiam son of Sharar[j] the Hararite,

34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maakathite,(AO)

Eliam(AP) son of Ahithophel(AQ) the Gilonite,

35 Hezro the Carmelite,(AR)

Paarai the Arbite,

36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah,(AS)

the son of Hagri,[k]

37 Zelek the Ammonite,

Naharai the Beerothite,(AT) the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

38 Ira the Ithrite,(AU)

Gareb the Ithrite

39 and Uriah(AV) the Hittite.

There were thirty-seven in all.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 23:8 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts suggest Ish-Bosheth, that is, Esh-Baal (see also 1 Chron. 11:11 Jashobeam).
  2. 2 Samuel 23:8 Probably a variant of Hakmonite (see 1 Chron. 11:11)
  3. 2 Samuel 23:8 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:11); Hebrew and other Septuagint manuscripts Three; it was Adino the Eznite who killed eight hundred men
  4. 2 Samuel 23:9 See 1 Chron. 11:13; Hebrew gathered there.
  5. 2 Samuel 23:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:20); two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac Thirty
  6. 2 Samuel 23:27 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 21:18; 1 Chron. 11:29); Hebrew Mebunnai
  7. 2 Samuel 23:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also 1 Chron. 11:30); most Hebrew manuscripts Heleb
  8. 2 Samuel 23:30 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:32) Hurai
  9. 2 Samuel 23:33 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:34); Hebrew does not have son of.
  10. 2 Samuel 23:33 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:35) Sakar
  11. 2 Samuel 23:36 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:38); Hebrew Haggadi