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¹ Now these [are] the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man [who was] raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,² The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and his word [was] on my tongue.³ The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, He that ruleth over men [must be] just, ruling in the fear of God.⁴ And [he shall be] as the light of the morning, [when] the sun riseth, [even] a morning without clouds; [as] the tender grass [springing] out of the earth by clear shining after rain.⁵ Although my house [is] not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all [things], and sure: for [this is] all my salvation, and all [my] desire, although he maketh [it] not to grow.⁶ But [the sons] of Belial [shall be] all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:⁷ But the man [that] shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the [same] place.

⁸ These [are] the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same [was] Adino the Eznite: [he lifted up his spear] against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.⁹ And after him [was] Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, [one] of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines [that] were there assembled to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away:¹⁰ He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand adhered to the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.¹¹ And after him [was] Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were collected into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines.¹² But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.¹³ And three of the thirty chiefs went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.¹⁴ And David [was] then in a hold, and the garrison of the Philistines [was] then [in] Beth-lehem.¹⁵ And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which [is] by the gate!¹⁶ And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that [was] by the gate, and took [it], and brought [it] to David: nevertheless he would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD.¹⁷ And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: [is not this] the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.¹⁸ And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, [and] slew [them], and had the name among three.¹⁹ Was he not most honorable of three? therefore he was their captain: yet he attained not to the [first] three.²⁰ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lion-like men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:²¹ And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but 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 These [things] did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among three mighty men.²³ He was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the [first] three. And David set him over his guard.²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab [was] one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,²⁷ Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,²⁹ Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,³⁰ Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,³¹ Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,³³ Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,³⁴ Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,³⁵ Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,³⁶ Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani, the Gadite,³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor-bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,³⁸ Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,³⁹ Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.