1. Now these are the last words of David, the utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob and the sweet singer of Israel:
2. “The Ruach Adonai has spoken through me and His word is on my tongue.
3. The God of Israel has said, the Rock of Israel has spoken to me, ‘He who rules over men righteously, he who rules in the fear of God—
4. he is like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a cloudless morning of glistening as grass springs from the earth.’
5. Is it not true that my house is with God? For He made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered and secured in all things. Will He not make all my salvation and every desire come to fruition?
6. But the worthless, all of them will be thrust aside like thorns, for they cannot be picked up by hand.
7. But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear. They must be completely burned up with fire on the spot.”
8. These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains—he wielded his spear against 800 and slew them in one encounter.
9. Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodo son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle. The men of Israel retreated,
10. but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines until his hand became weary and stuck to the sword. So Adonai brought about a great victory that day, and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.
11. Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. Now the Philistines were assembled in formation where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines.