David’s final words
23
📚Now these are the last words 📖 of David.David the son of Jesse said,
and the man who was
raised up on high,
the anointed 📖 of the God
of Jacob,
and the sweet psalmist 📖
of Israel, said,
2 📚“The Spirit of the LORD
spoke by me,
and his word was in my tongue.
23:2 Matt 22:43; 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21. When David declared the Word of God he was conscious of the inspiration of God’s Spirit.⚜
3 📚The God of Israel spoke,
the Rock 📖 of Israel said to me,
‘He who rules over men
must be just 📖,
ruling in the fear of God 📖.
4 📚And he will be like the light 📖
of the morning,
when the sun rises,
a morning without clouds;
like the tender grass springing
out of the earth by clear
shining after rain.’
5 📚Although my house is not
so with God;
still he has made an everlasting
covenant 📖 with me,
ordered in all things, and sure.
As for all my salvation
and all my desire 📖,
will he not make it grow?
6 📚But wicked men, all of them,
will be like thorns thrown
aside because they cannot be
taken by hand,
7 📚and the man who touches them
must be armed with iron and
the shaft of a spear;
and they will be utterly burned with
fire in the same place”.
David’s mighty warriors
8 📚These are the names of the mighty men 📖 whom David had: The Tachmonite who sat in the seat, chief among the captains; he was called Adino the Eznite. He lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he killed at one time. 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 who were gathered together there to battle, and the men of Israel had drawn back. 10 📚He arose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. And the LORD accomplished a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.
11 📚And after him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together in a band where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. And the people fled from the Philistines, 12 📚but he stood in the middle of the ground and defended it and killed the Philistines; and the LORD accomplished a great victory.
23:12 If those engaged in spiritual warfare would show this courage and determination there would be more victories.⚜
13 📚And at harvest time three 📖 of the thirty chief men went down and came to David at the cave of Adullam; and the Philistine troops were camping in the valley of Rephaim. 14 📚And David was then in a stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 📚And David felt a longing and said, “Oh that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well at Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 16 📚And the three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water from the well at Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. However he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD.
17 📚And he said, “Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is not this the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” So he would not drink it. These things these three mighty men did.
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 killed them, and had a name among the three. 19 📚Was he not the most honoured of the three? Therefore he was their captain. However he did not attain to the level of the first three.
20 📚And there was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who did many deeds. He killed two lion-like men of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow. 21 📚And he killed an Egyptian, an impressive man; and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and pulled the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name among three mighty men. 23 📚He was more honoured than the thirty, but he did not attain to the level of the first three 📖. And David appointed him over his guard.
24 📚Asahel 📖, the brother of Joab, was one of the thirty; as were Elhanan, the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 📚Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 📚Helez the Paltite, Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 📚Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 📚Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 📚Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai, the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30 📚Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai, from the brooks of Gaash, 31 📚Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 📚Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 📚Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam, the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 📚Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam 📖, the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 📚Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 📚Igal, the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 📚Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armour bearer to Joab, the son of Zeruiah, 38 📚Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, 39 📚Uriah 📖 the Hittite: thirty-seven 📖 in all.