II Samuel - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 339

23--2 THE PERIOD OF SAMUEL.————II. SAM. 23-·-29 Aud sweetly to Ismel who sings, For to me the ~ LORD’s spirit has spoken, And this has declared by my tongue, And Is1·a.el’s Gob has informed me, And Israe1’s hope hasrevcaled, Asa guide to the righteous of men, As a guide to the reverence of GOD; Like the light of the morning at sunnse, As a bright shining dawn without clouds, With showers for the meadows of earth. Tho' my house is not perfect with Gon, Yet He made a long treaty with me, Extending and sure in all things, For it perfectly saves and delights. And will He not cause it to flourish? But the Vile He will Bing out like thorns, Which cannot be taken by hand, But the man who approaches to them, Must take staves of iron or wood, And put them to bum in the fire !

THE MUSTER ROLL OF DAVID'S OFFICERS. (1;.0. 1018.) 8 The following are the names of the heroes whom David appointed omcers: ]’asheb~Bashebeth the Thakhmoni, Chief of the Staff, with Adino, the Atznite, over the eighthundred. He

9 was lame of one foot. And after him, Alazar—ben~Dodi·ben—Akhokhi, one of the three generals who were with David when they defied the Philishtim who had drawn out for battle, and

10 the men of Israel had Bed. He arose II I2 and fought the Philishtim until his hand was cramped, and his hand stuck to his sword. But the EvER· L1v1NG produced a great victory on that day for him, and the forces that stuck behind like his skin. And after him Shamah—ben-Aga of

Harari. Once when the Philishtim had gone out to raid, and were posted in a part of afield full of lentils, and the force fied before the Philishtim, he stood in the open, and reformed it, and attacked the Philishtim when the EvER—L1v1NG granted a great victory. their troop of thirty, and came in harvest time to David at the Cave of Adulam. And the troops of the Philishtim were encamped in the plain of Rephaim. For David at that time was in the cave, and the Philishtim then occupied Bethlehem. David, however, desired and said, ‘ Who will get me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, that is When the three heroes passed through the camp of the Philishtim, and drew water from the well that is near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it to David, but he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Even-Lxvmo, and said, I`he EVER-LIVING would punish me if if I did that.——It is the blood of the men who risked their lives, so I will not drink it.’ These were the actions of these three heroes. Abishai, also, the brother of]’oab—

ben-Zeruiah, was a great hero, for he raised his spear against three hundred, and defeated them. He was not considered equal to the three. However he had honour with thethree, and became their commander, but he did not equal the three. Beniah also was a brave man of

many deeds, of Kabtzal. He defeated the two champions of Moab. He descended and overpowered a lion in a pit on a snowy day. He also defeated the Mitzerite omcer whom he met. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he ran at him with a club, and pulled the spear from the hands of the Egyptian, and killed him with his own spear. Beniah- berrjhoiadah performed these deeds, therefore he was stationed with the Three Heroes. He was honoured with the Thirty, but became not one of the three. David, however, made him his councillor. Asahel, the brother of ]’oab was in the Thirty. Alkanan-ben—Dodo, the 'Bethle— hemite. Khlitz, the Flatite, Aira-ben-Aksh, the Theqavite ; Abiazer of Auathoth ; Mibuni the Khushite; Tzalgon the Akhokhite, Makri the N etofathite; Kleb~ben-Banah, the N etofathite; Athi-ben-Ribai of Gibath, sons of These three had descended with I Benjamin; 339 16 18 20 2 I 22 20 28 29