2 Samuel 23

And these are the last words of David. Faithful is David son of Iessai, and faithful is the man whom the Lord raised up as anointed of the God of Iakob; and lovely are the psalms of Israel.

The Spirit of the Lord spoke in me, and his word was upon my tongue.

The God of Israel says, the Guardian of Israel spoke to me: Speak a parable among men: how you are to strengthen the fear of God.

And in God, in the light of morning, may the sun rise; the morning did not pass away from brightness, and as from rain, grass from the earth.

For my house is not so with the Mighty One; for he made with me an everlasting covenant, ready at every time, kept safe; for it is all my salvation and all my desire; for the lawless one shall never sprout.

All of them are like a thorn thrust out, for they will not be taken with the hand.

And a man will not labor among them; but with a full measure of iron and the shaft of a spear; and with fire they shall be utterly burned, in their shame.

These are the names of David's mighty men: Iebosthe the Chananaean, he is chief of the third; Adinon the Asonaean — this man drew his sword against eight hundred slain at one time.

And after him was Eleazar son of his father's brother, son of Sousites, among the three mighty men. He was with David at Serran, and when he reviled among the Philistines, they were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel went up.

He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and his hand clung to the sword; and the Lord wrought a great deliverance on that day, and the people were sitting behind him only to strip the slain.

And after him was Samaias son of Asa the Arouchite. The Philistines gathered at Theria, and there was there a plot of field full of lentils, and the people fled from before the Philistines.

But he took his stand in the middle of that plot and rescued it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance.

And three of the thirty went down and came to Kason, to David at the cave of Odollam, while a company of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Raphaim.

And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Baithleem.

And David craved and said, "Who will give me water to drink from the cistern that is in Baithleem, the one by the gate?" And the band of the Philistines was then in Baithleem.

So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the cistern that is in Baithleem by the gate, and they took it and came to David; but he would not drink it, and he poured it out as a libation to the Lord.

And he said, "Be merciful to me, O Lord, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the hazard of their own lives?" And he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

And Abessa, brother of Ioab, son of Sarouia, he was chief among the three; and he raised his spear against three hundred slain, and he had a name among the three.

Of those three he was the most honored, and he became their commander; yet he did not attain to the three.

And Banaias son of Iodae, a man abundant in deeds, from Kabeseel; and he struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab; and he went down and struck down the lion in the middle of the cistern on the day of the snow.

He also struck down the Egyptian, a man of conspicuous appearance. In the Egyptian's hand was a spear like the beam of a gangway, and he went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

These things Banaias son of Iodae did, and he had a name among the three mighty men.

Of the three he was the most honored, yet he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him to his hearings.

And these are the names of the mighty men of David the king: Asael, brother of Ioab — he was among the thirty; Eleanan son of Doudi his father's brother, in Baithleem;

Samai the Aroudite, Elika the Arodite;

Helles the Phelothite, Iras son of Ekkas the Thekoite;

Abiezer the Anathothite, of the sons of the Asothite;

Selmon the Aoite, Moore the Netophathite;

Ela son of Baana the Netophathite; Eththi son of Riba from Gabaeth, a son of Beniamin;

Banaias the Pharathonite, Ouri from Nachaligaia;

Abiel son of the Arabothite, Azmoth the Barsamite;

Eliasou the Salabonite; of the sons of Iasan, Ionathan;

Samma the Arodite, Achian son of Sarad the Araourite;

Aliphaleth son of the Asbite, son of the Maachathite; Eliab son of Achitophel the Gelonite;

Asarai the Carmelite, Pharai the Erchite;

Igaal son of Nathan, from the army; a son of Gaddi;

Elie the Ammanite; Geloriai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Ioab son of Sarouia;

Iras the Iethirite, Gareb the Iethirite;

Ourias the Chettite: thirty-seven in all.