The Second Book of Samuel
23 This na the last things wey David talk:
“The word of David the son of Jes′se,
And the word of the man wey God don raise go high position,
The person wey the God of Jacob don anoint,
The person wey people love, wey de sing the songs of Israel.*
2 Jehovah spirit give me power to talk;
Im word be dey my tongue.
3 The God of Israel talk;
The Rock of Israel tell me say:
‘When the person wey de rule people de do wetin correct for God eye,
De fear God as e de rule,
4 E be like light wey de come out for morning when sun de shine,
Morning light wey cloud no cover.
E be like the bright light wey de shine after rain don fall,
Wey de make grass grow from ground.’
5 No be so my family* be for God front?
Because God don make agreement with me wey go last forever,
E arrange everything about-am, and e go surely happen.
Because this agreement go save me,* and make me really happy,
No be the reason why e de make things better for my family be that?
6 But them de troway useless men like chuku-chuku trees,
Because them no fit hold them with hand.
7 When person de touch them,
Make e protect imself with iron and the handle of spear,
And make e burn them reach ground for where them dey.”
8 This na the names of David strong soldiers: Na Jo′sheb-bas·she′beth wey come from the family of Hachʹmo·ni be the leader of the three strong soldiers. E get one time wey e use im spear kill 800 people. 9 The person wey dey after-am na El·e·a′zar, wey be the son of Do′do the son of A·ho′hi. E be dey among the three strong soldiers wey dey with David when them challenge Phi·lisʹti·a people. Phi·lisʹti·a people be gather for one place to fight, but when Israel soldiers run comot, 10 El·e·a′zar no run, e stand and continue to kill Phi·lisʹti·a people until im hand start to pain-am and e no fit bend the hand well again as e hold the sword. So that day, Jehovah make them win Phi·lisʹti·a people no be small. Then Israel soldiers come back and follow-am go collect the things of the people wey don die.
11 The person wey dey after-am na Sham′mah the son of A′gee, wey be Har′a·rite person. E get one time wey Phi·lisʹti·a people gather for Le′hi, and lentils* full one plot of land wey dey that place. And the soldiers run because of Phi·lisʹti·a people. 12 But e stand for the middle of the land and defend-am. E continue to kill Phi·lisʹti·a people, na so Jehovah make them win no be small.
13 For the time wey them de harvest things, three of the 30 men wey be leaders go meet David for the cave of A·dul′lam, and one group of Phi·lisʹti·a people be set camp for the lowland* of Reph′a·im. 14 That time, David be dey inside the safe place, and one group of Phi·lisʹti·a people soldiers dey Beth′le·hem. 15 Then David talk wetin de hungry-am say: “If to say I fit see water drink from the well wey near the gate of Beth′le·hem, I for like-am!” 16 So the three strong soldiers force theirself enter the camp of Phi·lisʹti·a people, and fetch water from the well wey near the gate of Beth′le·hem and bring-am come give David. But e no gree drink-am, e pour-am for ground to Jehovah. 17 E talk say: “O Jehovah, I no fit even think-am say I go do this kind thing! Make I drink the blood of the men wey put their life* for danger go that place?” So e no gree drink-am. Na this things this im three strong soldiers do.
18 A·bish′ai the brother of Jo′ab the son of Ze·ru′iah na the leader of another three soldiers; e use im spear kill 300 people, and them know-am as them know the first three soldiers. 19 Even though say among the other three na im them know pass, and na im be their leader, im position no reach any of the first three soldiers.
20 Be·nai′ah the son of Je·hoi′a·da na person wey get strong heart,* wey do plenty big things for Kab′ze·el. E kill the two sons of Ar′i·el wey be Mo′ab person, and one day wey snow de fall, e enter inside one water pit go kill lion. 21 E still kill one Egypt man wey big pass normal person size. Even though say the Egypt person carry spear for hand, na rod Be·nai′ah carry go meet-am. E collect the spear from the hand of the Egypt man, and kill-am with im own spear. 22 Na this things Be·nai′ah the son of Je·hoi′a·da do, and them know-am like the three strong soldiers. 23 Even though say them know-am pass the thirty soldiers, im position no reach the position of the three strong soldiers. But David choose-am to control im bodyguards.
24 The people wey dey among the thirty soldiers na: As′a·hel the brother of Jo′ab, El·ha′nan the son of Do′do wey come from Beth′le·hem, 25 Sham′mah wey be Ha′rod person, E·li′ka wey be Ha′rod person too, 26 He′lez wey be Pal′tite person, I′ra the son of Ik′kesh wey be Te·ko′a person. 27 Abi-e′zer wey be An′a·thoth person, Me·bun′nai wey come from Hu′shah, 28 Zal′mon wey come from the family of A·ho′hi, Ma′ha·rai wey be Ne·toʹphah person, 29 He′leb the son of Ba′a·nah wey be Ne·toʹphah person, It′tai the son of Ri′bai wey come from Gib′e·ah wey dey the land of Benjamin people, 30 Be·nai′ah wey be Pir′a·thon person, Hid′dai wey come from the lowlands* of Ga′ash, 31 A′bi-al′bon wey be Ar′bath·ite person, Az′ma·veth wey be Ba·huʹrim person, 32 E·li′ah·ba wey come from Sha·alʹbim, the sons of Ja′shen, Jon′a·than, 33 Sham′mah wey be Har′a·rite person, A·hi′am the son of Sha′rar wey be Har′a·rite person too, 34 E·liph′e·let the son of A·has′bai wey be the son of one Maʹa·cah person, E·li′am the son of A·hith′o·phel wey be Giʹloh person, 35 Hez′ro wey be Car′mel person, Pa′a·rai wey be Aʹrab person, 36 I′gal the son of Nathan wey be Zo′bah person, Ba′ni wey come from the family of Gad, 37 Ze′lek wey be Am′mon person, Na′ha·rai wey be Be·er′oth person, wey de carry the weapons of Jo′ab the son of Ze·ru′iah, 38 I′ra wey be Ith′rite person, Ga′reb wey be Ith′rite person too, 39 and U·ri′ah wey come from the family of Heth. All of them na 37.