Soon and Very Soon

¹ These are David’s last words: This is the declaration of Jesse’s son David, the declaration of a man raised high, a man anointed by the God of Jacob, a man favored by the strong one of Israel. ² The LORD’s spirit speaks through me; his word is on my tongue. 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 sunrise on a morning with no clouds, like the bright gleam after the rain that 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 victories and 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, ¹² but Shammah took a position in the middle of the plot, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. The LORD accomplished a great victory. ¹³ At harvesttime, three of the thirty chiefs went down and joined David at the fortress of Adullam, while a force of Philistines were camped in the Rephaim Valley. ¹⁴ At that time, David was in the fortress, and a Philistine fort was in Bethlehem. ¹⁵ David had a craving and said, “If only someone could give me a drink of water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.”