Old Testament

New Testament

2 Samuel 23:3-17 Contemporary English Version Anglicised (CEVUK00)

3. Our Mighty Rock,the God of Jacob, told me,“A ruler who obeys Godand does right

4. is like the sunriseon a cloudless day,or like rain that sparkleson the grass.”

5. I have ruled this way,and God will never breakhis promise to me.God's promise is completeand unchanging;he will always help meand give me what I hope for.

6. But evil people are pulled uplike thorn bushes.They are not dug up by hand,

7. but with a sharp spearand are burnt 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 armour. The Lord gave Israel a great victory that day.

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.

Read complete chapter 2 Samuel 23