David’s Last Song 1 UST David son of Jesse was a man whom God caused to become great. The God whom the descendants of Jacob worship chose him to be the king of Israel. David wrote beautiful songs for the people of Israel. This is the last song that he wrote. BSB BSB: These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised on high, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 UST “The Spirit of Yahweh used me to say what he wanted to say. The message that I spoke came from him. BSB BSB: The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.
3 UST The God whom we Israelite people worship has spoken. The one who protects us Israelites said to me,‘Kings who rule fairly over people have great respect for me. BSB BSB: The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
4 UST They are like the light that appears at dawn when the sun rises on a cloudless morning. The sunshine causes grass to sprout after the rain ends.’ BSB BSB: is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’
5 UST And that is how God will surely bless my family, since he made a covenant with me that will last forever. He prepared that covenant carefully and guaranteed it. He will certainly act to help me and make the things happen that I truly want. BSB BSB: Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire?
6 UST But God will remove all the people who disrespect him, just as people throw away thorns that hurt their hands when they try to pick them up. BSB BSB: But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand.
7 UST Someone who wants to get rid of thornbushes does not grab them. Instead, he uses an iron shovel or a wooden stick to dig them out. Then he burns them right there.” BSB BSB: The man who touches them must be armed with iron or with the shaft of a spear. The fire burns them to ashes in the place where they lie.”
David’s Mighty Men (1 Chronicles 11:10–47)
8 UST Here is a description of David’ s greatest warriors. Three of them were the very greatest. Their leader was Josheb Basshebeth the Tahchemonite. He once He fought and killed 800 enemy soldiers in a single battle. BSB BSB: These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time.
9 UST The next of David’ s very greatest warriors was Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. The Philistine army invaded Israel, and the Israelite army came to fight them. The{ Philistines were winning the battle, so the} other Israelite soldiers retreated. BSB BSB: Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he went with David to taunt the Philistines who had gathered for battle at Pas-dammim. The men of Israel retreated,
10 UST But Eleazar fought even harder against the Philistine soldiers until he had almost no strength left. He had held his sword so hard for so long that his hand cramped and he could not let go of his sword. Yahweh won a great victory for the Israelites on that day. The other Israelite soldiers only came back to the battlefield to take the armor from the Philistines whom Eleazar had killed. BSB BSB: but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead.
11 UST The next of David’ s very greatest warriors was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. Once the Philistine army invaded Israel and came to the city of Lehi, where there was a field of ripe lentils{ that they wanted to steal}. The other Israelite soldiers ran away from the Philistine troops. BSB BSB: And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines had banded together near a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.
12 UST But Shammah stood in the middle of the field. He fought and killed Philistine soldiers{ so that they could not steal the lentils}. And so Yahweh won a great victory for the Israelites. BSB BSB: But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.
13 UST At the time when David was staying in the cave of Adullam, three other men who were among his 30 greatest warriors came to help him. It was summer. A group of Philistine soldiers had set up their tents in the Valley of the Raphaites. BSB BSB: At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
14 UST David was staying in the cave{ because it was safe there}, and another group of Philistine soldiers was occupying{ his home town of} Bethlehem. BSB BSB: At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.
15 UST One day David felt very thirsty. He said,“If only someone would bring me some water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” BSB BSB: David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”
16 UST So these three of his greatest warriors fought their way through the camp of Philistine soldiers at Bethlehem. They drew some water from the well there and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out on the ground{ as an offering} to Yahweh. BSB BSB: So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,
17 UST He said,“Yahweh, it would certainly not be right for me to drink this water! That would be like drinking the blood of these men who were willing to die to get it for me!” So he refused to drink it. That was one of the things that those three of his greatest warriors did. BSB BSB: saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.
18 UST Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’ s younger brother, was the leader of those three of David’ s greatest soldiers. He once fought against 300 enemy soldiers and killed them all. As a result, he became famous like the three very greatest soldiers. BSB BSB: Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three, and he wielded his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.
19 UST He was the most famous of those three of David’ s greatest soldiers, and he became their leader, although the three very greatest warriors were even more famous. BSB BSB: Was he not more honored than the Three? And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.
20 UST Benaiah son of Jehoiada from the city of Kabzeel was another of David’ s greatest soldiers. He won many great victories. He killed two of the best warriors in the Moabite army in single combat. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion there. BSB BSB: And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.
21 UST He also killed a huge Egyptian soldier. That soldier had a spear as a weapon. Benaiah had only a thick wooden rod. But he attacked the soldier and pulled the spear out of his hand. Then he killed him with his own spear. BSB BSB: He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.
22 UST Those are some of the things that Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. As a result, he became famous as one of those three of David’ s greatest warriors. BSB BSB: These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name along with the three mighty men.
23 UST He was more famous than David’ s other thirty greatest warriors, although the three very greatest warriors were even more famous. David appointed him to be the commander of his bodyguards. BSB BSB: He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.
24 UST These are the names of David’ s greatest warriors: Asahel the brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem; BSB BSB: Now these were members of the Thirty: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25 UST Shammah the Harodite; Elika the Harodite; BSB BSB: Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26 UST Helez the Paltite; Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; BSB BSB: Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27 UST Abiezer the Anathothite; Mebunnai the Hushathite; BSB BSB: Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28 UST Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophathite; BSB BSB: Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 UST Heleb son of Baanah the Netophathite; Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin; BSB BSB: Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,
30 UST Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the place where streams flow through Gaash; BSB BSB: Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash,
31 UST Abi Albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Barhumite; BSB BSB: Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32 UST Eliahba the Shaalbonite; Jonathan son of Jashen; BSB BSB: Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan
33 UST Shammah the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite; BSB BSB: son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,
34 UST Eliphelet son of Ahasbai son of the Maacathite; Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; BSB BSB: Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 UST Hezro the Carmelite; Paarai the Arbite; BSB BSB: Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36 UST Igal son of Nathan from Zobah; Bani the Gadite; BSB BSB: Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37 UST Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Beerothite, who carried the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah; BSB BSB: Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
38 UST Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; BSB BSB: Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39 UST and Uriah the Hittite. Altogether, these were 37 of David’ s greatest warriors. BSB BSB: and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.
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