David Anointed King
1 kThen all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, lwe are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be mprince over my people Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they nanointed David king over Israel, oaccording to the word of the Lord by Samuel.
David Takes Jerusalem
4 pAnd David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, qwhere the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5 The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 6 David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. 7 And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. 8 And he built the city all around from the Millo in complete circuit, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. 9 rAnd David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.
David’s Mighty Men
10 sNow these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, tto make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. 11 This is an account of David’s mighty men: uJashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the three.1 He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.
12 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. 14 But he took his2 stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped vin the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the wgarrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 17 And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 18 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord 19 and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
20 Now xAbishai, the brother of yJoab, was chief of the thirty.3 And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three. 21 He was the most renowned4 of the thirty5 and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.
22 And zBenaiah the son of aJehoiada was a valiant man6 of bKabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 23 And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits7 tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a cspear like a weaver’s beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. 25 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
26 The mighty men were dAsahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth of Harod,8 Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, 32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 Hashem9 the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 eUriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Tremble at the Presence of the Lord
1 jWhen Israel went out from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2 kJudah became his sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
3 lThe sea looked and fled;
mJordan turned back.
4 The mountains nskipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
6 O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?
7 oTremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 pwho turns the rock into a pool of water,
the qflint into a spring of water.
Godlessness in the Last Days
1 But understand this, that yin the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, zproud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, aswollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. bAvoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a cknowledge of the truth. 8 Just as dJannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men ecorrupted in mind and fdisqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God
10 gYou, however, have hfollowed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at iAntioch, at jIconium, and at kLystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord lrescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a mgodly life in Christ Jesus nwill be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on ofrom bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom1 you learned it 15 and how pfrom childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 qAll Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the rman of God2 may be complete, sequipped for every good work.
Preach the Word
1 I tcharge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, uwho is to judge the living and the dead, and by his vappearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; wreprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 xFor the time is coming when people will not endure ysound3 teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and zwander off into amyths. 5 But as for you, always be sober-minded, bendure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, cfulfill your ministry.
6 dFor I am already being epoured out as a drink offering, and the time of my fdeparture has come. 7 I have fought the ggood fight, I have hfinished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is ilaid up for me the jcrown of righteousness, which the Lord, the krighteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Personal Instructions
9 Do your best lto come to me soon. 10 For mDemas, nin love with othis present world, phas deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia,4 qTitus to Dalmatia. 11 rLuke alone is with me. Get sMark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 tTychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 uAlexander the coppersmith did me great harm; vthe Lord will repay him waccording to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first xdefense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and ystrengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and zall the Gentiles might hear it. So I was arescued bfrom the lion’s mouth. 18 cThe Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. dTo him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
19 Greet ePrisca and Aquila, and the household of fOnesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.5
