David's Last Words
1 These are the last words of David the son of Jesse.
The God of Jacob chose David
and made him a great king.
The Mighty God of Israel
loved him.
When God told him to speak,
David said:
2 The Spirit of the Lord
has told me what to say.
3 Our Mighty Rock,
the God of Jacob, told me,
“A ruler who obeys God
and does right
4 is like the sunrise
on a cloudless day,
or like rain that sparkles
on the grass.”
5 I have ruled this way,
and God will never break
his promise to me.
God's promise is complete
and unchanging;
he will always help me
and give me what I hope for.
6 But evil people are pulled up
like thornbushes.
They are not dug up by hand,
7 but with a sharp spear
and are burned on the spot.
The Three Warriors
(1 Chronicles 11.10-19)8 These are the names of David's warriors:
Ishbosheth the son of Hachmon was the leader of the Three Warriors. In one battle, he killed 800 men with his spear.
9 The next one of the Three Warriors was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite. One time when the Philistines were at war with Israel, he and David dared the Philistines to fight them. Every one of the Israelite soldiers turned and ran, 10 except Eleazar. He killed Philistines until his hand was cramped, and he couldn't let go of his sword. When Eleazar finished, all the Israelite troops had to do was come back and take the enemies' weapons and armor. The Lord gave Israel a great victory that day.
11 Next was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. One time the Philistines brought their army together to destroy a crop of peas growing in a field near Lehi. The rest of Israel's soldiers ran away from the Philistines, 12 but Shammah stood in the middle of the field and killed the Philistines. The crops were saved, and the Lord gave Israel a great victory.
13 One year at harvest time, the Three Warriors went to meet David at Adullam Cave. The Philistine army had set up camp in Rephaim Valley 14 and had taken over Bethlehem. David was in his fortress, 15 and he was very thirsty. He said, “I wish I had a drink from the well by the gate at Bethlehem.”
16 The Three Warriors sneaked into the Philistine camp and got some water from the well near Bethlehem's gate. But after they brought the water back to David, he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as a sacrifice 17 and said to the Lord, “I can't drink this water! It's like the blood of these men who risked their lives to get it for me.”
The Three Warriors did these brave deeds.
The Thirty Warriors
(1 Chronicles 11.20-47)18 Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of the Thirty Warriors, and in one battle he killed 300 men with his spear. He was as famous as the Three Warriors 19 and certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. He was the commander of the Thirty Warriors, but he still did not become one of the Three Warriors.
20 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a brave man from Kabzeel who did some amazing things. He killed two of Moab's best fighters, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 21 Another time, he killed an Egyptian, as big as a giant. The Egyptian was armed with a spear, but Benaiah only had a club. Benaiah grabbed the spear from the Egyptian and killed him with it. 22-23 Benaiah did these things. He never became one of the Three Warriors, but he was just as famous as they were and certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. David made him the leader of his bodyguard.
24-39 Some of the Thirty Warriors were:
Asahel the brother of JoabElhanan the son of Dodo from BethlehemShammah from HarodElika from HarodHelez the PaltiteIra the son of Ikkesh from TekoaAbiezer from AnathothMebunnai the HushathiteZalmon the AhohiteMaharai from NetophahHeleb the son of Baanah from NetophahIttai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the tribe of BenjaminBenaiah from PirathonHiddai from the streams on Mount GaashAbialbon from Beth-ArabahAzmaveth from Bahurim Eliahba from ShaalbonJashen Jonathan the son of Shammah the Hararite Ahiam the son of Sharar the HarariteEliphelet the son of Ahasbai from MaacahEliam the son of Ahithophel from GiloHezro from CarmelPaarai the ArbiteIgal the son of Nathan from ZobahBani the GaditeZelek from AmmonNaharai from Beeroth, who carried the weapons of Joab the son of ZeruiahIra the IthriteGareb the IthriteUriah the HittiteThere were 37 in all.
1 These also be the last wordes of Dauid, Dauid the sonne of Ishai saith, euen the man who was set vp on hie, the Anointed of the God of Iacob, and the sweete singer of Israel saith, 2 The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his worde was in my tongue. 3 The God of Israel spake to me, ye strength of Israel saide, Thou shalt beare rule ouer men, being iust, and ruling in the feare of God. 4 Euen as the morning light when the sunne riseth, the morning, I say, without cloudes, so shall mine house be, and not as the grasse of the earth is by the bright raine. 5 For so shall not mine house be with God: for he hath made with me an euerlasting couenant, perfite in all pointes, and sure: therefore all mine health and whole desire is, that he will not make it growe so. 6 But the wicked shalbe euery one as thornes thrust away, because they can not be taken with handes. 7 But the man that shall touch them, must be defensed with yron, or with the shaft of a speare: and they shall be burnt with fire in the same place. 8 These be the names of the mightie men whome Dauid had. He that sate in the seate of wisedome, being chiefe of the princes, was Adino of Ezni, he slewe eight hundreth at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the sonne of Dodo, the sonne of Ahohi, one of the three worthies with Dauid, when they defied the Philistims gathered there to battel, when the men of Israel were gone vp. 10 He arose and smote the Philistims vntill his hande was wearie, and his hande claue vnto the sworde: and the Lord gaue great victorie the same day, and the people returned after him onely to spoyle. 11 After him was Shammah the sonne of Age the Hararite: for the Philistims assembled at a towne, where was a piece of a fielde full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistims. 12 But he stoode in the middes of the fielde, and defended it, and slewe the Philistims: so the Lord gaue great victorie. 13 Afterward three of the thirtie captaines went downe, and came to Dauid in the haruest time vnto the caue of Adullam, and the hoste of the Philistims pitched in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And Dauid was then in an holde, and the garison of ye Philistims was then in Beth-lehem. 15 And Dauid longed, and said, Oh, that one would giue me to drinke of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate. 16 The the three mightie brake into the host of the Philistims, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem that was by the gate, and tooke and brought it to Dauid, who woulde not drinke thereof, but powred it for an offring vnto ye Lord, 17 And said, O Lord, be it farre from me, that I should doe this. Is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues? therefore he woulde not drinke it. These things did these three mightie men. 18 And Abishai the brother of Ioab, the sonne of Zeruiah, was chiefe among the three, and he lifted vp his speare against three hundreth, and slewe them, and he had the name among the three. 19 For he was most excellent of the three, and was their captaine, but he attained not vnto the first three. 20 And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada the sonne of a valiant man, which had done many actes, and was of Kabzeel, slewe two strong men of Moab: he went downe also, and slewe a lyon in the middes of a pit in the time of snowe. 21 And he slewe an Egyptian a man of great stature, and the Egyptian had a speare in his hande: but he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hand, and slewe him with his owne speare. 22 These things did Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and had the name among the three worthies. 23 He was honourable among thirtie, but he atteined not to the first three: and Dauid made him of his counsell. 24 Asahel the brother of Ioab was one of the thirtie: Elhanan the sonne of Dodo of Beth-lehem: 25 Shammah the Harodite: Elika ye Harodite: 26 Helez the Paltite: Ira the sonne of Ikkesh the Tekoite: 27 Abiezer the Anethothite: Mebunnai the Husathite: 28 Zalmon an Ahohite: Maharai the Netophathite: 29 Heleb the sonne of Baanah a Netophathite: Ittai the sonne of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Beniamin: 30 Benaiah the Pirathonite: Hiddai of the riuer of Gaash: 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite: Azmaueth the Barhumite: 32 Elihaba the Shaalbonite: of the sonnes of Iashen, Ionathan: 33 Shammah the Hararite: Ahiam the sonne of Sharar the Hamrite: 34 Eliphelet the sonne of Ahasbai the sonne of Maachathi: Eliam the sonne of Ahithophel the Gilonite: 35 Hezrai the Carmelite: Paarai the Arbite: 36 Igal the sonne of Nathan of Zobah: Bani the Gadite: 37 Zelek the Ammonite: Naharai the Becrothite, the armour bearer of Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah: 38 Ira the Ithrite: Gareb the Ithrite: 39 Uriiah the Hittite, thirtie and seuen in all.