撒母耳記下23:1-39

 

23:1 以下是大衛末了的話。耶西的兒子大衛得居高位，是雅各上帝所膏的，作以色列的美歌者，說：
23:2 耶和華的靈藉著我說：他的話在我口中。
23:3 以色列的上帝、以色列的磐石曉諭我說：那以公義治理人民的，敬畏上帝執掌權柄，
23:4 他必像日出的晨光，如無雲的清晨，雨後的晴光，使地發生嫩草。
23:5 我家在上帝面前並非如此；上帝卻與我立永遠的約。這約凡事堅穩，關乎我的一切救恩和我一切所想望的，他豈不為我成就嗎？
23:6 但匪類都必像荊棘被丟棄；人不敢用手拿它；
23:7 拿它的人必帶鐵器和槍桿，終久它必被火焚燒。
23:8 大衛勇士的名字記在下面：他革捫人約設‧巴設，又稱伊斯尼人亞底挪，他是軍長的統領，一時擊殺了八百人。
23:9 其次是亞合人朵多的兒子以利亞撒。從前非利士人聚集要打仗，以色列人迎著上去，有跟隨大衛的三個勇士向非利士人罵陣，其中有以利亞撒。
23:10 他起來擊殺非利士人，直到手臂疲乏，手黏住刀把。那日耶和華使以色列人大獲全勝；眾民在以利亞撒後頭專奪財物。
23:11 其次是哈拉人亞基的兒子沙瑪。一日，非利士人聚集成群，在一塊長滿紅豆的田裡，眾民就在非利士人面前逃跑。
23:12 沙瑪卻站在那田間擊殺非利士人，救護了那田。耶和華使以色列人大獲全勝。
23:13 收割的時候，有三十個勇士中的三個人下到亞杜蘭洞見大衛。非利士的軍兵在利乏音谷安營。
23:14 那時大衛在山寨，非利士人的防營在伯利恆。
23:15 大衛渴想，說：「甚願有人將伯利恆城門旁、井裡的水打來給我喝。」
23:16 這三個勇士就闖過非利士人的營盤，從伯利恆城門旁的井裡打水，拿來奉給大衛。他卻不肯喝，將水奠在耶和華面前，
23:17 說：「耶和華啊，這三個人冒死去打水；這水好像他們的血一般，我斷不敢喝。」如此，大衛不肯喝。這是三個勇士所做的事。
23:18 洗魯雅的兒子、約押的兄弟亞比篩是這三個勇士的首領；他舉槍殺了三百人，就在三個勇士裡得了名。
23:19 他在這三個勇士裡是最尊貴的，所以作他們的首領，只是不及前三個勇士。
23:20 有甲薛勇士耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅行過大能的事；他殺了摩押人亞利伊勒的兩個兒子，又在下雪的時候下坑裡去，殺了一個獅子，
23:21 又殺了一個強壯的埃及人；埃及人手裡拿著槍，比拿雅只拿著棍子下去，從埃及人手裡奪過槍來，用那槍將他殺死。
23:22 這是耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅所行的事，就在三個勇士裡得了名。
23:23 他比那三十個勇士都尊貴，只是不及前三個勇士。大衛立他作護衛長。
23:24 三十個勇士裡有約押的兄弟亞撒黑，伯利恆人朵多的兒子伊勒哈難，
23:25 哈律人沙瑪，哈律人以利加，
23:26 帕勒提人希利斯，提哥亞人益吉的兒子以拉，
23:27 亞拿突人亞比以謝，戶沙人米本乃，
23:28 亞合人撒們，尼陀法人瑪哈萊，
23:29 尼陀法人巴拿的兒子希立，便雅憫族、基比亞人利拜的兒子以太，
23:30 比拉頓人比拿雅，迦實溪人希太，
23:31 伯亞拉巴人亞比亞本，巴魯米人押斯瑪弗，
23:32 沙本人以利雅哈巴，雅善兒子中的約拿單，
23:33 哈拉人沙瑪，哈拉人沙拉的兒子亞希暗，
23:34 瑪迦人亞哈拜的兒子以利法列，基羅人亞希多弗的兒子以連，
23:35 迦密人希斯萊，亞巴人帕萊，
23:36 瑣巴人拿單的兒子以甲，迦得人巴尼，
23:37 亞捫人洗勒，比錄人拿哈萊（是給洗魯雅的兒子約押拿兵器的），
23:38 以帖人以拉，以帖人迦立，
23:39 赫人烏利亞，共有三十七人。

 

 These are the last words of David:

“The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse,
    the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High,
the man anointed by the God of Jacob,
    the hero of Israel’s songs:

² “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me;
    his word was on my tongue.
³ The God of Israel spoke,
    the Rock of Israel said to me:
‘When one rules over people in righteousness,
    when he rules in the fear of God,
⁴ he is like the light of morning at sunrise
    on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
    that brings grass from the earth.’

⁵ “If my house were not right with God,
    surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant,
    arranged and secured in every part;
surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation
    and grant me my every desire.
⁶ But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns,
    which are not gathered with the hand.
⁷ Whoever touches thorns
    uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear;
    they are burned up where they lie.”

⁸ These are the names of David’s mighty warriors:

Josheb-Basshebeth,^[a] a Tahkemonite,^[b] was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed^[c] in one encounter.

⁹ Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim^[d] for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, ¹⁰ but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

¹¹ Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. ¹² But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

¹³ During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁶ So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord. ¹⁷ “Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

¹⁸ Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three.^[e] He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. ¹⁹ Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

²⁰ Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ²¹ And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ²² Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. ²³ He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

²⁴ Among the Thirty were:

Asahel the brother of Joab,

Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

²⁵ Shammah the Harodite,

Elika the Harodite,

²⁶ Helez the Paltite,

Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,

²⁷ Abiezer from Anathoth,

Sibbekai^[f] the Hushathite,

²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite,

Maharai the Netophathite,

²⁹ Heled^[g] son of Baanah the Netophathite,

Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,

³⁰ Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Hiddai^[h] from the ravines of Gaash,

³¹ Abi-Albon the Arbathite,

Azmaveth the Barhumite,

³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

the sons of Jashen,

Jonathan ³³ son of^[i] Shammah the Hararite,

Ahiam son of Sharar^[j] the Hararite,

³⁴ Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maakathite,

Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

³⁵ Hezro the Carmelite,

Paarai the Arbite,

³⁶ Igal son of Nathan from Zobah,

the son of Hagri,^[k]

³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite,

Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

³⁸ Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite

³⁹ and Uriah the Hittite.

There were thirty-seven in all.

 

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    大衛臨終前感念上帝的保守，更知道上帝與他立的約是永遠的約，就作一首詩來感謝與記念上帝，這首詩沒有在詩篇收錄，然而這是篇宣告：上帝的保守使他和他的子孫可以做王在上帝面前！

 

    這之後又載他的勇士的事蹟和名字，可見上帝紀念這些人、事和物，使他們的忠心永遠被紀念！

 

    其實上帝也這樣善待每一位屬上帝的子民，紀念每一位為上帝擺上的人！上帝給的獎賞在天上也是大的，因為上帝是公平的上帝，他絕對不會虧待人，正如祂應許為主名受苦的人：「當那日，你們要歡喜跳躍，因為你們在天上的賞賜是大的。他們的祖宗待先知也是這樣。」（路加福音6:23）

 

    我們要存這樣盼望向前行！