1 Chronicles 11

1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.2 In times past, even when Saul was king, it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and Jehovah thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt be shepherd of my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over my people Israel.3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of Jehovah by Samuel.

4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (the same is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there.5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come in hither. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.6 And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief.7 And David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it the city of David.8 And he built the city round about, from Millo even round about; and Joab repaired the rest of the city.9 And David waxed greater and greater; for Jehovah of hosts was with him.

10 Now these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who showed themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of Jehovah concerning Israel.11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them at one time.12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.13 He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.14 And they stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Jehovah saved them by a great victory.

15 And three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.16 And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto Jehovah,19 and said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

20 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.21 Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.

22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear.24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.25 Behold, he was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.

26 Also the mighty men of the armies: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite,29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri,39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief 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.

1 Chronicles 11

David Becomes King

1 All Israel joined David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood!t2 In the past, even when Saul was king, you were Israel’s commanding general.t The Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over my people Israel.’”

3 When all the leaderst of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made an agreementt with them in Hebron before the Lord. They anointedt David king over Israel, just as the Lord had announced through Samuel.t

David Conquers Jerusalem

4 David and the whole Israelite armyt advanced to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus).ss (The Jebusites, the land’s original inhabitants, lived there.)t5 The residents of Jebus said to David, “You cannot invade this place!” But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).6 s David said, “Whoever attackst the Jebusites first will become commanding general!”t So Joab son of Zeruiah attackedt first and became commander.t7 David lived in the fortress; for this reason it is called the City of David.8 He built up the city around it, from the terrace to the surrounding walls;t Joab restored the rest of the city.

9 David’s power steadily grew, for the Lord who commands armies was with him.t

David’s Warriors

10 These were the leaders of David’s warriors who helped establish and stabilize his rule over all Israel, in accordance with the Lord’s word.t

11 This is the list of David’s warriors:t
Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was head of the officers.s He killed three hundred men with his spear in a single battle.t
12 Next in commandt was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was one of the three elite warriors.13 He was with David in Pas Dammims when the Philistines assembled there for battle. In an area of the field that was full of barley, the army retreated before the Philistines,

14 but then they made a stand in the middle of that area. They defended itt and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.t
15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the rocky cliff at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine force was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.16 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem.s17 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drinkt from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!”18 So the three elite warriorst broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate. They carried it back to David, but David refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord

19 and said, “God forbid that I should do this!t Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?”t Because they risked their lives to bring it to him, he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors.t
20 Abishai the brother of Joab was head of the threes elite warriors. He killed three hundred men with his speart and gained fame along with the three elite warriors.t

21 Fromt the three he was given double honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of them.t
22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave warrior from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab;s he also went down and killed a lion inside a cistern on a snowy day.23 He even killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feett tall. The Egyptian had a spear as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom; Benaiah attackedt him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.24 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who gained fame along with the three elite warriors.

25 He received honor fromt the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

26 The mighty warriors were:
Asahel the brother of Joab,
Elhanan son of Dodo, from Bethlehem,s

27 Shammoth the Harorite,t
Helez the Pelonite,t

28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
Abiezer the Anathothite,

29 Sibbekait the Hushathite,
Ilait the Ahohite,

30 Maharai the Netophathite,
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

31 Ithait son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjaminite territory,
Benaiah the Pirathonite,

32 Hurait from the valleys of Gaash,
Abielt the Arbathite,

33 Azmaveth the Baharumite,t
Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34 the sons of Hashemt the Gizonite,
Jonathan son of Shageht the Hararite,

35 Ahiam son of Sakart the Hararite,
Eliphal son of Ur,t

36 Hepher the Mekerathite,
Ahijah the Pelonite,

37 Hezrot the Carmelite,
Naarai son of Ezbai,

38 Joel the brother of Nathan,t
Mibhar son of Hagri,

39 Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

40 Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite,

41 Uriah the Hittite,
Zabad son of Achli,

42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, leader of the Reubenites and the thirty warriors with him,

43 Hanan son of Maacah,
Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44 Uzzia the Ashterathite,
Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

45 Jediael 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.