---
title: 2 Samuel 23
slug: kjv/2-samuel-23
createdAt: 2024-08-14T03:03:48.618Z
---

**1 **Now these *be* the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man *who was* raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

**2 **The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word *was* in my tongue.

**3 **The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake 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 *be* 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 make *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 *be* 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 lift 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 gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: **10 **He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

**11 **And after him *was* Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: 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 chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. **14 **And David *was* then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines *was* then *in* Bethlehem. **15 **And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which *is* by the gate! **16 **And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that *was* by the gate, and took *it*, and brought *it* to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto 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 honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto 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 lionlike 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 the name among three mighty men. **23 **He was more honourable 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 Bethlehem, **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 **Abialbon 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, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, **38 **Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, **39 **Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.