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Chapter 23 |
| 1 | Now these be
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, |
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2 | The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was
in my tongue. |
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3 | The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to
me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. |
| 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. |
| 5 | Although my house be 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 make it not to
grow. |
| 6 |
But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust
away, because they cannot be taken with hands: |
| 7 | But the man
that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and
they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. |
| 8 | These be
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 lift up his
spear against eight hundred, whom he slew 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 that were there gathered together to
battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: |
| 10 | He arose,
and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the
sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned
after him only to spoil. |
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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 lentils: and the people fled from the
Philistines. |
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12 | But he stood in the midst of the ground, and
defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great
victory. |
| 13
| And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to
David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the
Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. |
| 14 | And David
was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in
Bethlehem. |
| 15
| And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me
drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! |
| 16 |
And the three mighty men brake 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 thereof, but poured it out
unto the LORD. |
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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. |
| 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. |
| 19 | Was he not most honorable of
three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first
three. |
| 20
| And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant
man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, 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:
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| 21 | And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly 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. |
| 22 | These things
did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.
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| 23 | He was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first
three. And David set him over his guard. |
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24 | Asahel the brother of Joab
was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, |
| 25 |
Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, |
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26 | Helez the Paltite, Ira the
son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, |
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27 | Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the
Hushathite, |
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28 | Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
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| 29 | Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of
Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, |
| 30 | Benaiah the Pirathonite,
Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, |
| 31 | Abialbon 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, |
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36 | Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani
the Gadite, |
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37 | Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite,
armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, |
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38 | Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an
Ithrite, |
| 39
| Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all. |
