King James Bible

New Living Translation

David's Last Song

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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David’s Last Words

These are the last words of David:
“David, the son of Jesse, speaks —
David, the man who was raised up so high,
David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob,
David, the sweet psalmist of Israel.a

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The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

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“The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me;
his words are upon my tongue.

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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.

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The God of Israel spoke.
The Rock of Israel said to me:
‘The one who rules righteously,
who rules in the fear of God,

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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.

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is like the light of morning at sunrise,
like a morning without clouds,
like the gleaming of the sun
on new grass after rain.’

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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.

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“Is it not my family God has chosen?
Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me.
His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail.
He will ensure my safety and success.

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But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

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But the godless are like thorns to be thrown away,
for they tear the hand that touches them.

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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.

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One must use iron tools to chop them down;
they will be totally consumed by fire.”

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David's Mighty Men

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.

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David’s Mightiest Warriors

These are the names of David’s mightiest warriors. The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite,b who was leader of the Threec — the three mightiest warriors among David’s men. He once used his spear to kill 800 enemy warriors in a single battle.d

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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:

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Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. Once Eleazar and David stood together against the Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled.

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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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He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the LORD gave him a great victory that day. The rest of the army did not return until it was time to collect the plunder!

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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.

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Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled,

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

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but Shammahe held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

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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.

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Once during the harvest, when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty — an elite group among David’s fighting men) went down to meet him there.

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And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

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David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem.

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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!

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David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.”

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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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So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the LORD.

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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.

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“The LORD forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these menf who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.

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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.

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David’s Thirty Mighty Men

Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty.g He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three.

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

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Abishai was the most famous of the Thirtyh and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three.

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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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There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warriori from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two championsj of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it.

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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.

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Once, armed only with a club, he killed an imposing Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.

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These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.

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Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the Three mightiest warriors.

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

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He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard.

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Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

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Other members of the Thirty included:
Asahel, Joab’s brother;
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;