| 23:1 | Now these [are] the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man [who was] raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, |
| 23:2 | The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and his word [was] on my tongue. |
| 23:3 | The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, He that ruleth over men [must be] just, ruling in the fear of God. |
| 23:4 | And [he shall be] as the light of the morning, [when] the sun riseth, [even] a morning without clouds; [as] the tender grass [springing] out of the earth by clear shining after rain. |
| 23:5 | Although my house [is] not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all [things], and sure: for [this is] all my salvation, and all [my] desire, although he maketh [it] not to grow. |
| 23:6 | But the worthless, all of them shall be as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: |
| 23:7 | But the man [that] shall touch them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the [same] place. |
| 23:8 | These [are] the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same [was] Adino the Eznite: [he lifted up his spear] against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. |
| 23:9 | And after him [was] Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, [one] of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines [that] were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away: |
| 23:10 | He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip [the slain]. |
| 23:11 | And after him [was] Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. |
| 23:12 | But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. |
| 23:13 | And three of the thirty leaders went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim. |
| 23:14 | And David [was] then in a strong hold, and the garrison of the Philistines [was] then [in] Bethlehem. |
| 23:15 | And David longed, and said, O that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which [is] by the gate! |
| 23:16 | And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that [was] by the gate, and took [it], and brought [it] to David: nevertheless he would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD. |
| 23:17 | And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: [is not this] the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. |
| 23:18 | And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, [and] slew [them], and had the name among three. |
| 23:19 | Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: yet he attained not to the [first] three. |
| 23:20 | And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many deeds, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: |
| 23:21 | And he slew an Egyptian, a handsome man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. |
| 23:22 | These [things] did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among three mighty men. |
| 23:23 | He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the [first] three. And David set him over his guard. |
| 23:24 | Asahel the brother of Joab [was] one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, |
| 23:25 | Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, |
| 23:26 | Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, |
| 23:27 | Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, |
| 23:28 | Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, |
| 23:29 | Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, |
| 23:30 | Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, |
| 23:31 | Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, |
| 23:32 | Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, |
| 23:33 | Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, |
| 23:34 | Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, |
| 23:35 | Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, |
| 23:36 | Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, |
| 23:37 | Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, |
| 23:38 | Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, |
| 23:39 | Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all. |
2 Samuel 23 - Revised Webster Version
