II Samuel 23 · שמואל ב

Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Yishay said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Ya῾aqov, and the sweet singer of Yisra᾽el, said,

The spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word is on my tongue.

The God of Yisra᾽el said, the Rock of Yisra᾽el spoke to me, He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises, in a morning without clouds; the grass springs out of the earth in the clear shining after rain;

but is not my house firm with God? for he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; for will he not make all my salvation, and all my desire, to prosper?

But the wicked shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, that cannot be taken with hands:

but the man that touches them shall be well accoutred with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.

These are the names of David’s warriors; The Taĥkemonite, Yoshev-bashshevet, chief among the captains; the same was ῾Adino the Eżnite: (he raised his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.)

And after him was El῾azar the son of Dodo the Aĥoĥite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Pelishtim that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Yisra᾽el were gone away.

He arose and smote Pelishtim until his hand was weary, and his hand did cleave to the sword: and the Lord wrought a greater victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

And after him was Shamma the son of Age the Hararite. And the Pelishtim were gathered together into a troop, where there was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Pelishtim.

But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Pelishtim: and the Lord wrought a great victory.

And these three, chief of the thirty, went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of ῾Adullam: and the troop of the Pelishtim pitched in the valley of Refa᾽im.

And David was then in a fortress, and the garrison of the Pelishtim was then in Bet-leĥem.

And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bet-leĥem, which is by the gate!

And the three warriors broke through the camp of the Pelishtim, and drew water out of the well of Bet-leĥem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord.

And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that risked their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

And Avishay, the brother of Yo᾽av, the son of Żeruya, was chief among the three. And he swung his spear over three hundred slain, and had a name among the three.

Was he not the most honourable of the three? therefore he was their captain: but he attained not to the first three.

And Benayahu the son of Yehoyada, the son of a valiant man, of Qavże᾽el, who had done many acts, he slew two lion-hearted men of Mo᾽av: and he went down and slew the lion in the midst of a pit in a time of snow:

and he slew a Miżrian, a fine looking man: and the Miżrian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the hand of the Miżrian, and slew him with his own spear.

These things Benayahu the son of Yehoyada did, and he had a name among the three mighty ones.

He was renowned among the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

῾Asa᾽el the brother of Yo᾽av was one of the thirty; Elĥanan the son of Dodo of Bet-leĥem,

Shamma the Ḥarodite, Eliqa the Ḥarodite,

Ḥeleż the Paltite, ῾Ira the son of Iqqesh the Teqo῾ite.

Avi῾ezer the ῾Anetotite, Mevunnay the Ḥushatite,

Żalmon, the Aĥoĥite, Maharay the Netofatite,

Ḥelev the son of Ba῾ana the Netofatite, Ittay the son of Rivay from Giv῾a of the sons of Binyamin,

Benayahu the Pir῾atonite, Hidday of the wadis of Ga῾ash,

Avi-῾alvon the ῾Arvatite, ῾Azmavet the Barĥumite,

Elyaĥba the Sha῾alvonite, of the sons of Yashan, Yehonatan,

Shamma the Hararite, Aĥi῾am the son of Sharar the Ararite,

Elifelet, the son of Aĥasbay, the son of the Ma῾akhatite, Eli῾am the son of Aĥitofel the Gilonite

Ḥeżray the Karmelite, Pa῾aray the Arbite,

Yig᾽al the son of Natan of Żova, Bani the Gadite,

Żeleq the ῾Ammonite, Naharay the Be᾽erotite, armourbearer of Yo᾽av son of Żeruya,

῾Ira the Yitrite, Garev the Yitrite,

Uriyya the Ḥittite: thirty seven in all.