2 Samuel 23:1-24:4
View Full ChapterDavid’s Last Words 1These are the last words of David: “The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel’s songs:
2“The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.
3The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God,
4he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’
5“If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire.
6But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand.
7Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie.”
David’s Mighty Warriors
8These are the names of David’s mighty warriors: Josheb-Basshebeth,
10but 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. 11Next 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.
12But 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. 13During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 15David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 16So 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 it out before the LORD .
17“Far be it from me, LORD, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood 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.
18Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three.
19Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them. 20Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, 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. 21And 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. 22Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors.
23He 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.
24Among the Thirty were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,
25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,
27Abiezer from Anathoth, Sibbekai
28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29Heled
30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai
31Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan
33son of
34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maakathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, the son of Hagri,
37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite 39and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.
David Enrolls the Fighting Men 1Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
2So the king said to Joab and the army commanders
3But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
4The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.