1These are the final words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man raised up as
the ruler chosen by the God of Jacob,
Israel’s beloved singer of songs:

2The Lord’s spirit spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.

3The God of Israel spoke,
the protector of Israel spoke to me.
The one who rules fairly among men,
the one who rules in the fear of God,

4is like the light of morning when the sun comes up,
a morning in which there are no clouds.
He is like the brightness after rain
that produces grass from the earth.

5My dynasty is approved by God,
for he has made a perpetual covenant with me,
arranged in all its particulars and secured.
He always delivers me,
and brings all I desire to fruition.

6But evil people are like thorns –
all of them are tossed away,
for they cannot be held in the hand.

7The one who touches them
must use an iron instrument
or the wooden shaft of a spear.
They are completely burned up right where they lie!”

David’s Warriors

8These are the names of David’s warriors: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was head of the officers. He killed eight hundred men with his spear in one battle.

9Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo, the son of Ahohi. He was one of the three warriors who were with David when they defied the Philistines who were assembled there for battle. When the men of Israel retreated,

10he stood his ground and fought the Philistines until his hand grew so tired that it seemed stuck to his sword. The Lord gave a great victory on that day. When the army returned to him, the only thing left to do was to plunder the corpses.

11Next in command was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines assembled at Lehi, where there happened to be an area of a field that was full of lentils, the army retreated before the Philistines.

12But he made a stand in the middle of that area. He defended it and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.

13At the time of the harvest three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the cave of Adullam. A band of Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim.

14David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem.

15David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate!”

16So the three elite warriors broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate. They carried it back to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord

17and said, “O Lord, I will not do this! It is equivalent to the blood of the men who risked their lives by going.” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors.

18Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was head of the three. He killed three hundred men with his spear and gained fame among the three.

19From the three he was given honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of the three.

20Benaiah son of Jehoida was a brave warrior from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in a cistern on a snowy day.

21He also killed an impressive-looking Egyptian. The Egyptian wielded a spear, while Benaiah attacked him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

22Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoida, who gained fame among the three elite warriors.

23He received honor from the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

24Included with the thirty were the following: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

26Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,

27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,

30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash,

31Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan

33son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,

34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

35Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

36Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah),

38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite

39and Uriah the Hittite. Altogether there were thirty-seven.