2 Samuel 23

1 These also be the last wordes of Dauid, Dauid the sonne of Ishai saith, euen the man who was set vp on hie, the Anointed of the God of Iacob, and the sweete singer of Israel saith, 2 The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his worde was in my tongue. 3 The God of Israel spake to me, ye strength of Israel saide, Thou shalt beare rule ouer men, being iust, and ruling in the feare of God. 4 Euen as the morning light when the sunne riseth, the morning, I say, without cloudes, so shall mine house be, and not as the grasse of the earth is by the bright raine. 5 For so shall not mine house be with God: for he hath made with me an euerlasting couenant, perfite in all pointes, and sure: therefore all mine health and whole desire is, that he will not make it growe so. 6 But the wicked shalbe euery one as thornes thrust away, because they can not be taken with handes. 7 But the man that shall touch them, must be defensed with yron, or with the shaft of a speare: and they shall be burnt with fire in the same place. 8 These be the names of the mightie men whome Dauid had. He that sate in the seate of wisedome, being chiefe of the princes, was Adino of Ezni, he slewe eight hundreth at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the sonne of Dodo, the sonne of Ahohi, one of the three worthies with Dauid, when they defied the Philistims gathered there to battel, when the men of Israel were gone vp. 10 He arose and smote the Philistims vntill his hande was wearie, and his hande claue vnto the sworde: and the Lord gaue great victorie the same day, and the people returned after him onely to spoyle. 11 After him was Shammah the sonne of Age the Hararite: for the Philistims assembled at a towne, where was a piece of a fielde full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistims. 12 But he stoode in the middes of the fielde, and defended it, and slewe the Philistims: so the Lord gaue great victorie. 13 Afterward three of the thirtie captaines went downe, and came to Dauid in the haruest time vnto the caue of Adullam, and the hoste of the Philistims pitched in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And Dauid was then in an holde, and the garison of ye Philistims was then in Beth-lehem. 15 And Dauid longed, and said, Oh, that one would giue me to drinke of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate. 16 The the three mightie brake into the host of the Philistims, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem that was by the gate, and tooke and brought it to Dauid, who woulde not drinke thereof, but powred it for an offring vnto ye Lord, 17 And said, O Lord, be it farre from me, that I should doe this. Is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues? therefore he woulde not drinke it. These things did these three mightie men. 18 And Abishai the brother of Ioab, the sonne of Zeruiah, was chiefe among the three, and he lifted vp his speare against three hundreth, and slewe them, and he had the name among the three. 19 For he was most excellent of the three, and was their captaine, but he attained not vnto the first three. 20 And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada the sonne of a valiant man, which had done many actes, and was of Kabzeel, slewe two strong men of Moab: he went downe also, and slewe a lyon in the middes of a pit in the time of snowe. 21 And he slewe an Egyptian a man of great stature, and the Egyptian had a speare in his hande: but he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hand, and slewe him with his owne speare. 22 These things did Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and had the name among the three worthies. 23 He was honourable among thirtie, but he atteined not to the first three: and Dauid made him of his counsell. 24 Asahel the brother of Ioab was one of the thirtie: Elhanan the sonne of Dodo of Beth-lehem: 25 Shammah the Harodite: Elika ye Harodite: 26 Helez the Paltite: Ira the sonne of Ikkesh the Tekoite: 27 Abiezer the Anethothite: Mebunnai the Husathite: 28 Zalmon an Ahohite: Maharai the Netophathite: 29 Heleb the sonne of Baanah a Netophathite: Ittai the sonne of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Beniamin: 30 Benaiah the Pirathonite: Hiddai of the riuer of Gaash: 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite: Azmaueth the Barhumite: 32 Elihaba the Shaalbonite: of the sonnes of Iashen, Ionathan: 33 Shammah the Hararite: Ahiam the sonne of Sharar the Hamrite: 34 Eliphelet the sonne of Ahasbai the sonne of Maachathi: Eliam the sonne of Ahithophel the Gilonite: 35 Hezrai the Carmelite: Paarai the Arbite: 36 Igal the sonne of Nathan of Zobah: Bani the Gadite: 37 Zelek the Ammonite: Naharai the Becrothite, the armour bearer of Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah: 38 Ira the Ithrite: Gareb the Ithrite: 39 Uriiah the Hittite, thirtie and seuen in all.