New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

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

1

David's Last Song

Now these are the last words of David: David the son of Jesse saith, And the man who was raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel saith,

2

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

2

The Spirit of Jehovah spoke by me, And his word was on my tongue.

3

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

3

The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, The ruler among men shall be just, Ruling in the fear of God;

4

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

4

And [he shall be] as the light or the morning, [like] the rising of the sun, A morning without clouds; [When] from the sunshine, after rain, The green grass springeth from the earth.

5

“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.

5

Although my house be not so before God, Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in every way and sure; For [this is] all my salvation, and every desire, Although he make [it] not to grow.

6

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

6

But [the sons] of Belial [are] all of them as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands;

7

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

7

And the man that will touch them provideth himself with iron and the staff of a spear; And they shall be utterly burned with fire in [their] place.

8

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

8

David's Mighty Men

These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Joseb-Bassebeth, Tachkemonite the chief of the captains: he was Adino the Eznite; he [fought] against eight hundred, slain [by him] at one time.

9

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.

9

And after him, Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite: he was one of the three mighty men with David, when they had defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone up.

10

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!

10

He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

11

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,

11

And after him, Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite: the Philistines were gathered into a troop, and there was there a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people had fled before the Philistines;

12

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

12

and he stood in the midst of the plot and delivered it, and smote the Philistines, and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance.

13

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.

13

And three of the thirty chiefs went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, when the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

14

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

14

And David was then in the stronghold; and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.

15

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

15

And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me to drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate!

16

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.

16

And the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; however he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Jehovah.

17

“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.

17

And he said, Be it far from me, Jehovah, that I should do this thing! is it not the blood of the men that went at the risk of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

18

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.

18

And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the chief of three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred and slew them; and he had a name among the three.

19

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

19

Was he not most honourable of three? and he was their captain; but he did not attain to the [first] three.

20

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.

20

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, son of a valiant man, great in exploits, of Kabzeel: he it was that smote two lions of Moab; and he went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

21

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.

21

He also smote the Egyptian, an imposing man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; and 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

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

22

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

23

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.

23

He was honoured above the thirty, but he did not attain to the [first] three. And David set him in his council.

24

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

24

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