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2 Samuel 23 (CEV)

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¹ These are the last words of David the son of Jesse. The God of Jacob chose David and made him a great king. The Mighty God of Israel loved him. When God told him to speak, David said: ² The Spirit of the LORD has told me what to say. ³ Our Mighty Rock, the God of Jacob, told me, "A ruler who obeys God and does right ⁴ is like the sunrise on a cloudless day, or like rain that sparkles on the grass." ⁵ I have ruled this way, and God will never break his promise to me. God's promise is complete and unchanging; he will always help me and give me what I hope for. ⁶ But evil people are pulled up like thornbushes. They are not dug up by hand, ⁷ but with a sharp spear and are burned on the spot. ⁸ These are the names of David's warriors: Ishbosheth the son of Hachmon was the leader of the Three Warriors. In one battle, he killed eight hundred men with his spear. ⁹ The next one of the Three Warriors was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite. One time when the Philistines were at war with Israel, he and David dared the Philistines to fight them. Every one of the Israelite soldiers turned and ran, ¹⁰ except Eleazar. He killed Philistines until his hand was cramped, and he couldn't let go of his sword. When Eleazar finished, all the Israelite troops had to do was come back and take the enemies' weapons and armor. The LORD gave Israel a great victory t ¹¹ Next was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. One time the Philistines brought their army together to destroy a crop of peas growing in a field near Lehi. The rest of Israel's soldiers ran away from the Philistines, ¹² but Shammah stood in the middle of the field and killed the Philistines. The crops were saved, and the LORD gave Israel a great victory. ¹³ One year at harvest time, the Three Warriors went to meet David at Adullam Cave. The Philistine army had set up camp in Rephaim Valley ¹⁴ and had taken over Bethlehem. David was in his fortress, ¹⁵ and he was very thirsty. He said, "I wish I had a drink from the well by the gate at Bethlehem." ¹⁶ The Three Warriors sneaked into the Philistine camp and got some water from the well near Bethlehem's gate. But after they brought the water back to David, he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as a sacrifice ¹⁷ and said to the LORD, "I can't drink this water! It's like the blood of these men who risked their lives to get it for me." The Three Warriors did these brave deeds. ¹⁸ Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of the Thirty Warriors, and in one battle he killed three hundred men with his spear. He was as famous as the Three Warriors ¹⁹ and certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. He was the commander of the Thirty Warriors, but he still did not become one of the Three Warriors. ²⁰ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a brave man from Kabzeel who did some amazing things. He killed two of Moab's best fighters, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion. ²¹ Another time, he killed an Egyptian, as big as a giant. The Egyptian was armed with a spear, but Benaiah only had a club. Benaiah grabbed the spear from the Egyptian and killed him with it. ²² Benaiah did these things. He never became one of the Three Warriors, but he was just as famous as they were and certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. David made him the leader of his bodyguard. ²³ (SEE 23:22) ²⁴ Some of the Thirty Warriors were: Asahel the brother of Joab Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem Shammah from Harod Elika from Harod Helez the Paltite Ira the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa Abiezer from Anathoth Mebunnai the Hushathite Zalmon the Ahohite Ma ²⁵ (SEE 23:24) ²⁶ (SEE 23:24) ²⁷ (SEE 23:24) ²⁸ (SEE 23:24) ²⁹ (SEE 23:24) ³⁰ (SEE 23:24) ³¹ (SEE 23:24) ³² (SEE 23:24) ³³ (SEE 23:24) ³⁴ (SEE 23:24) ³⁵ (SEE 23:24) ³⁶ (SEE 23:24) ³⁷ (SEE 23:24) ³⁸ (SEE 23:24) ³⁹ (SEE 23:24)