1Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David son of Jesse, and the oracle of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the delight of the songs of Israel.
2The Spirit of Yahweh spoke through me, and his word was on my tongue.
3The God of Israel said, to me the Rock of Israel spoke: One who rules over mankind righteously, who rules in the fear of God—
4is like the light of morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, gleaming after rain that brings grass from the earth.
5Is not my house so with God? For he has established for me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secured. For all my salvation and all my desire—will he not make it flourish?
6But worthlessness—all of them are like thorns thrust away, for they cannot be taken by hand.
7But the man who touches them must be filled with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly burned with fire on the spot.
8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite, chief of the officers; he was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time.
9After him was Eleazar son of Dodo son of Ahohi, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who had gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.
10He rose up and struck down the Philistines until his hand grew weary and his hand clung to the sword. And Yahweh brought about a great victory that day, and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.
11After him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered at Lehi, where there was a plot of field full of lentils, and the people fled before the Philistines.
12But he stationed himself in the middle of the plot and defended it, and he struck down the Philistines, and Yahweh brought about a great victory.
13Three of the thirty chief men went down and came at harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
14David was then in the stronghold, and a Philistine garrison was then at Bethlehem.
15David craved and said, “Who will give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate?”
16So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and they carried and brought it to David. But he was unwilling to drink it, and he poured it out to Yahweh.
17And he said, “Far be it from me, Yahweh, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” So he was unwilling to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
18Now Abishai the brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred slain, and he had a name among the three.
19Was he not the most honored of the thirty? So he became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.
20And Benaiah son of Jehoiada, son of a valiant man, great in deeds, from Kabzeel—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 on a snowy day.
21And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of impressive appearance. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a staff, snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.
22These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three mighty men.
23He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
24Asahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem;
25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite;
26Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite;
27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite;
28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite;
29Heleb son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin;
30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash;
31Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Ararite,
34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai, son of the Maacathite; Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor-bearers of Joab son of Zeruiah,
38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39Uriah the Hittite — thirty-seven in all.
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