23

1These are the last words of David, the saying of David the son of Jesse, the saying of a man set high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet singer of Israel:

2The Spirit of the Lord speaks in me, and his word is on my tongue.

3The God of Israel has said, the rock of Israel has said of me, "He who has dominion over men will be righteous, ruling in the fear of God."

4And as at the dawn of the morning, when the sun rises in a cloudless sky, grass grows out of the earth because of the radiance after the rain,

5Is not my house with God? For he hath made an everlasting covenant with me, firm and immutable. Is not this how all my salvation and all my will proceed from Him?

6But the wicked will be like thorns that have been cast out, which they do not take with their hands.

7But whoever touches it is armed with iron or spear wood, and burns it on the spot with fire.

8These are the names of the valiant in David: Isboseth the Ahamanites, chief of the three; and he lifted up his spear against eight hundred men, and smote them once.

9According to him, Eleazar, the son of Dodo, the son of Ahocha, was one of the three valiant men who were with David, when they rebuked the Philistines who were going to war;

10The Israelites came out against them, and he stood and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary and stuck to the sword. And the Lord granted that day a great victory, and the people followed him only to rob the slain.

11Shammah the son of Ageh, the Hararite, was after him. And it came to pass, when the Philistines were gathered together to Phiriah, where there was a field of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines;

12 then he stood in the midst of the field, and kept it, and smote the Philistines. And then the Lord granted a great victory.

13Three of these chief of the thirty leaders went and went in at harvest time to David in the cave of Adullam, when the crowds of the Philistines were standing in the valley of Rephaim.