2 Samuel 23 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

David's Last Song

2Sa 23:1Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:

2Sa 23:2

2Sa 23:2"The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me, his word is upon my tongue.

2Sa 23:3

2Sa 23:3The God of Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God,

2Sa 23:4

2Sa 23:4he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth upon a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.

2Sa 23:5

2Sa 23:5Yea, does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?

2Sa 23:6

2Sa 23:6But godless men are all like thorns that are thrown away; for they cannot be taken with the hand;

2Sa 23:7

2Sa 23:7but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire."

His Mighty Men

(1Ch 11:10–47 )

2Sa 23:8

2Sa 23:8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshe'beth a Tah-che'monite; he was chief of the three; he wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he slew at one time.

2Sa 23:9

2Sa 23:9And next to him among the three mighty men was Elea'zar the son of Dodo, son of Aho'hi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.

2Sa 23:10

2Sa 23:10He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand cleaved to the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.

2Sa 23:11

2Sa 23:11And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Har'arite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the men fled from the Philistines.

2Sa 23:12

2Sa 23:12But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory.

2Sa 23:13

2Sa 23:13And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Reph'aim.

2Sa 23:14

2Sa 23:14David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.

2Sa 23:15

2Sa 23:15And David said longingly, "O that some one would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!"

2Sa 23:16

2Sa 23:16Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the LORD,

2Sa 23:17

2Sa 23:17and said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

2Sa 23:18

2Sa 23:18Now Abi'shai, the brother of Jo'ab, the son of Zeru'iah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and slew them, and won a name beside the three.

2Sa 23:19

2Sa 23:19He was the most renowned of the thirty, and became their commander; but he did not attain to the three.

2Sa 23:20

2Sa 23:20And Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he smote two ariels of Moab. He also went down and slew a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.

2Sa 23:21

2Sa 23:21And he slew an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but Benai'ah went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

2Sa 23:22

2Sa 23:22These things did Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada, and won a name beside the three mighty men.

2Sa 23:23

2Sa 23:23He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

2Sa 23:24

2Sa 23:24As'ahel the brother of Jo'ab was one of the thirty; Elha'nan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

2Sa 23:25

2Sa 23:25Shammah of Harod, Eli'ka of Harod,

2Sa 23:26

2Sa 23:26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Teko'a,

2Sa 23:27

2Sa 23:27Abi-e'zer, of An'athoth, Mebun'nai the Hu'shathite,

2Sa 23:28

2Sa 23:28Zalmon the Aho'hite, Ma'harai of Netoph'ah,

2Sa 23:29

2Sa 23:29Heleb the son of Ba'anah of Netoph'ah, It'tai the son of Ri'bai of Gib'e-ah of the Benjaminites,

2Sa 23:30

2Sa 23:30Benai'ah of Pira'thon, Hid'dai of the brooks of Ga'ash,

2Sa 23:31

2Sa 23:31Abi-al'bon the Ar'bathite, Az'maveth of Bahu'rim,

2Sa 23:32

2Sa 23:32Eli'ahba of Sha-al'bon, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

2Sa 23:33

2Sa 23:33Shammah the Har'arite, Ahi'am the son of Sharar the Har'arite,

2Sa 23:34

2Sa 23:34Eliph'elet the son of Ahas'bai of Ma'acah, Eli'am the son of Ahith'ophel of Gilo,

2Sa 23:35

2Sa 23:35Hezro of Carmel, Pa'arai the Arbite,

2Sa 23:36

2Sa 23:36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

2Sa 23:37

2Sa 23:37Zelek the Ammonite, Na'harai of Be-er'oth, the armor-bearer of Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah,

2Sa 23:38

2Sa 23:38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

2Sa 23:39

2Sa 23:39Uri'ah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

Downloaded from the Oxford Text Archive and used with permission. The following header is required to be posted:

Source: Transcribed from: The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, translated from the original tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1885 and A.D. 1901: compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1946-52. — 2nd ed. of New Testament A.D. 1971. There should be enough in the rest of the description to identify the text.

Language: English

Availability: Freely available for non-commercial use provided that this header is included in its entirety with any copy distributed.

2 Samuel 23 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

David's Last Song

His Mighty Men

Pericope