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¹ NOW these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse, the anointed one whose rule has been established, the one whom the God of Jacob has made the sweet psalmist of Israel said,² The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me and his word is upon my tongue.³ The God of Israel said, the Mighty One of Israel spoke to me: He who governs men must be righteous, ruling over those who revere God.⁴ He is like the light of the morning when the sun rises, even a morning without clouds, before dawn, a morning free from rain which makes the grass to spring up.⁵ Is not my house so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; for it is he who fulfils all my desire and all my decrees.⁶ But the ungodly are all like hard thorns, for they cannot be gathered with hands;⁷ But when a man comes near them, he gathers them with the handle of an axe and with iron; and they are utterly burned with fire in the same place.

⁸ These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: seated in the first seat, in the third rank, his name was Gadho, a man who went down and slew eight hundred men in one hour.⁹ Next to him was Eleazar, the cousin of Gadho, who went down with David and three other men when the Philistines defied them and were gathered there to battle; and when the men of Israel withdrew,¹⁰ He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to his sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned with him only to strip the slain.¹¹ And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee, from the kings mountain. When the Philistines were gathered together to plunder cattle where there was a piece of ground full of lentils and the people fled from the Philistines,¹² He stood in the midst of the field and delivered the cattle and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory by his hand.¹³ And three of the valiant men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Arlam; and the Philistines cattle were grazing in the Plain of Giants.¹⁴ And David was then staying in the stronghold, and the princes of the Philistines were encamped in Bethlehem.¹⁵ And David longed for water and said, O that one would give me a drink of water from the great well which is in the city of Beth-lehem!¹⁶ So the three valiant men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the great well which is in the city of Beth-lehem, and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out before the LORD.¹⁷ And he said, Far be it from me, on account of the LORD, that I should do this; because these men went at the risk of their lives. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three valiant men.¹⁸ And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zoriah, was chief of thirty men. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them.¹⁹ And he was honored above the thirty men; therefore he became their chief and performed heroic deeds equal to thirty men.²⁰ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a mighty man of Kabzeel who had performed good acts; he slew two mighty men of Moab and went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a forest in time of snow;²¹ And he slew an Egyptian, a handsome man; and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down against him with a staff, and seized the spear out of the Egyptians hand and slew him with his own spear.²² These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he was renowned among the thirty men.²³ He performed heroic deeds equal to thirty men. And David set him over his guard.²⁴ Ashael, the brother of Joab, was one of the thirty;²⁵ Also Shammah of the kings mountain,²⁶ And Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,²⁷ Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunai the Hushathite,²⁸ Zalmon of the mount House, Mahar of Netophath,²⁹ Heleb the son of Baana a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Ramtha of the children of Benjamin,³⁰ Benaiah the son of Pirathon of Gibeah, Hiddai of the Brooks of Gaash,³¹ Abi the son of Abialemon the Gileadite, Arboth of Horim,³² Alhana the Shaalbonite, Jonathan of the house of Nashor,³³ Shammah of the mount of Olives, Ahiam the son of Ashdad of Edri,³⁴ Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,³⁵ Hezrai the Carmelite, Gadai the Arbite,³⁶ Negael the son of Nathan of Zobah, Baana the Gadite,³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zoriah,³⁸ Hira the Ithrite, Arab of Lachish.³⁹ And Uriah the Hittite: the servants of David were thirty-seven in all.