Common English Bible

2 Samuel 23:3-11 Common English Bible (CEB)

3. Israel’s God has spoken,Israel’s rock said to me:"Whoever rules rightly over people,whoever rules in the fear of God,

4. is like the light of sunriseon a morning with no clouds,like the bright gleam after the rainthat brings grass from the ground."

5. Yes, my house is this way with God!He has made an eternal covenant with me,laid out and secure in every detail.Yes, he provides every one of my victoriesand brings my every desire to pass.

6. But despicable people are like thorns,all of them good for nothing,because they can’t be carried by hand.

7. No one can touch them,except with iron bar or the shaft of a spear.They must be burned up with fire right on the spot!

8. These are the names of David’s warriors: Jeshbaal from Hachmon was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against eight hundred, killing them on a single occasion.

9. Next in command was Eleazar, Dodo’s son and Ahohi’s grandson. He was among the three warriors with David when they insulted the Philistines who had gathered there for battle. The Israelites retreated,

10. but he stood his ground and fought the Philistines until his hand was weary and stuck to the sword. But the Lord accomplished a great victory that day. The troops then returned to Eleazar, but only to plunder the dead.

11. Next in command was Agee’s son Shammah, who was from Harar. The Philistines had gathered at Lehi, where there was a plot of land full of lentils. The troops fled from the Philistines,