| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel: | 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: |
| 2“The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. | 2The LORD's spirit spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. |
| 3The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God. | 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, |
| 4And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain.’ | 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. |
| 5“Although my house is not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase? | 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 the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands. | 6But evil people are like thorns--all of them are tossed away, for they cannot be held in the hand. |
| 7But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.” | 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!" |
| 8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. | 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. |
| 9And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. | 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 arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder. | 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. |
| 11And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. | 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 stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory. | 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. |
| 13Then three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam. And the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. | 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 then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. | 14David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. |
| 15And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” | 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 mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD. | 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 he said, “Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men. | 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. |
| 18Now Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. | 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. |
| 19Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three. | 19From the three he was given honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of the three. |
| 20Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. | 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. |
| 21And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. | 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. |
| 22These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. | 22Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoida, who gained fame among the three elite warriors. |
| 23He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard. | 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. |
| 24Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, | 24Included with the thirty were the following: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, |
| 25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, | 25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, |
| 26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, | 26Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, |
| 27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, | 27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, |
| 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, | 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, |
| 29Heleb the son of Baanah (the Netophathite), Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, | 29Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, |
| 30Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash, | 30Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash, |
| 31Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, | 31Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, |
| 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite (of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan, | 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan |
| 33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, | 33son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, |
| 34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, | 34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, |
| 35Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, | 35Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, |
| 36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, | 36Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite, |
| 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), | 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah), |
| 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, | 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite |
| 39and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all. | 39and Uriah the Hittite. Altogether there were thirty-seven. |
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