2 Samuel 23

David son of Jesse was a man whom God caused to become great. The God whom the descendants of Jacob worship chose him to be the king of Israel. David wrote beautiful songs for the people of Israel. This is the last song that he wrote.

“The Spirit of God used me to say what he wanted to say. The message that I spoke came from him. \*

The God whom we Israelite people worship has spoken. The one who protects us Israelites said to me, ‘Kings who rule fairly over people have great respect for me.

They are like the light that appears at dawn when the sun rises on a cloudless morning. The sunshine causes grass to sprout after the rain ends.’ \*

And that is how God will surely bless my family, since he made a covenant with me that will last forever. He prepared that covenant carefully and guaranteed it. He will certainly act to help me and make the things happen that I truly want. \*

But God will remove all the people who disrespect him, just as people throw away thorns that hurt their hands when they try to pick them up.

Someone who wants to get rid of thornbushes does not grab them. Instead, he uses an iron shovel or a wooden stick to dig them out. Then he burns them right there.” \*

Here is a description of David’s greatest warriors. Three of them were the very greatest. Their leader was Josheb Basshebeth the Tahchemonite. HeonceHe fought and killed 800 enemy soldiers in a single battle. \*

The next of David’s very greatest warriors was Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. The Philistine army invaded Israel, and the Israelite army came to fight them. The {Philistines were winning the battle, so the} other Israelite soldiers retreated.

But Eleazar fought even harder against the Philistine soldiers until he had almost no strength left. He had held his sword so hard for so long that his hand cramped and he could not let go of his sword. God won a great victory for the Israelites on that day. The other Israelite soldiers only came back to the battlefield to take the armor from the Philistines whom Eleazar had killed. \*

The next of David’s very greatest warriors was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. Once the Philistine army invaded Israel and came to the city of Lehi, where there was a field of ripe lentils {that they wanted to steal}. The other Israelite soldiers ran away from the Philistine troops.

But Shammah stood in the middle of the field. He fought and killed Philistine soldiers {so that they could not steal the lentils}. And so God won a great victory for the Israelites. \*

At the time when David was staying in the cave of Adullam, three other men who were among his 30 greatest warriors came to help him. It was summer. A group of Philistine soldiers had set up their tents in the Valley of the Raphaites.

David was staying in the cave {because it was safe there}, and another group of Philistine soldiers was occupying {his home town of} Bethlehem. \*

One day David felt very thirsty. He said, “If only someone would bring me some water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

So these three of his greatest warriors fought their way through the camp of Philistine soldiers at Bethlehem. They drew some water from the well there and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out on the ground {as an offering} to God.

He said, “God, it would certainly not be right for me to drink this water! That would be like drinking the blood of these men who were willing to die to get it for me!” So he refused to drink it. That was one of the things that those three of his greatest warriors did. \*

Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s younger brother, was the leader of those three of David’s greatest soldiers. He once fought against 300 enemy soldiers and killed them all. As a result, he became famous like the three very greatest soldiers.

He was the most famous of those three of David’s greatest soldiers, and he became their leader, although the three very greatest warriors were even more famous. \*

Benaiah son of Jehoiada from the city of Kabzeel was another of David’s greatest soldiers. He won many great victories. He killed two of the best warriors in the Moabite army in single combat. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion there.

He also killed a huge Egyptian soldier. That soldier had a spear as a weapon. Benaiah had only a thick wooden rod. But he attacked the soldier and pulled the spear out of his hand. Then he killed him with his own spear. \*

Those are some of the things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. As a result, he became famous as one of those three of David’s greatest warriors.

He was more famous than David’s other thirty greatest warriors, although the three very greatest warriors were even more famous. David appointed him to be the commander of his bodyguards. \*

These are the names of David’s greatest warriors: Asahel the brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;

Shammah the Harodite; Elika the Harodite;

Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite;

Abiezer the Anathothite; Mebunnai the Hushathite;

Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophathite; \*

Heleb son of Baanah the Netophathite; Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin;

Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the place where streams flow through Gaash;

Abi Albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Barhumite;

Eliahba the Shaalbonite; Jonathan son of Jashen; \*

Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite;

Eliphelet son of Ahasbai son of the Maacathite; Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;

Hezro the Carmelite; Paarai the Arbite;

Igal son of Nathan from Zobah; Bani the Gadite; \*

Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Beerothite, who carried the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah;

Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite;

and Uriah the Hittite. Altogether, these were 37 of David’s greatest warriors. \*