I Chronicles 11

¹Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, and said, Truly, we are your bone and your flesh.

²In the past, when Saul was king, it was you who went at the head of Israel when they went out or came in; and the Lord your God said to you, You are to be the keeper of my people Israel, and their ruler.

³So all the responsible men of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they put the holy oil on David and made him king over Israel, as the Lord had said by Samuel.

⁴Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (which is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the people of the land, were there.

⁵And the people of Jebus said to David, You will not come in here. But still, David took the strong place of Zion, which is the town of David.

⁶And David said, The first to overcome the Jebusites will be chief and captain. And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went up first, and became chief.

⁷And David took the strong tower for his living-place, so it was named the town of David.

⁸And he took in hand the building of the town all round, starting from the Millo; and Joab put the rest of the town in order.

⁹And David became greater and greater in power, because the Lord of armies was with him.

¹⁰Now these are the chief of David's men of war who were his strong supporters in the kingdom, and, with all Israel, made him king, as the Lord had said about Israel.

¹¹This is the list of David's men of war: Ishbaal, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the three: he put to death three hundred at one time with his spear.

¹²And after him was Eleazar, the son of Dodo the Ahohite, who was one of the three great fighters.

¹³He was with David at Pas-dammim, where the Philistines had come together for the fight, near a bit of land full of barley; and the people went in flight before the Philistines.

¹⁴And he took up his position in the middle of the bit of land, and kept back their attack, and overcame the Philistines; and the Lord gave a great salvation.

¹⁵And three of the thirty went down to David, to the rock, into the strong place of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines had taken up their position in the valley of Rephaim.

¹⁶At that time David had taken cover in the strong place, and an armed force of the Philistines was in Beth-lehem.

¹⁷And David, moved by a strong desire, said, If only someone would give me a drink of the water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem by the doorway into the town!

¹⁸So the three, forcing a way through the Philistine army, got water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town, and took it back to David; but David would not take it, but made an offering of it, draining it out to the Lord,

¹⁹Saying, By my God, far be it from me to do this! How may I take as drink the life-blood of these men who have put their lives in danger? so he did not take it. These things did the three great men of war.

²⁰And Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty, for he put to death three hundred with his spear, but he had not a name among the three.

²¹Of the thirty, he was the noblest, and was made their captain, but he was not equal to the first three.

²²Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, a fighting-man of Kabzeel, had done great acts; he put to death two young lions going into their secret place; and he went down into a hole and put a lion to death in time of snow.

²³And he made an attack on an Egyptian, a very tall man about five cubits high, armed with a spear like a cloth-worker's rod; he went down to him with a stick, and pulling his spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, put him to death with that same spear.

²⁴These were the acts of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who had a great name among the thirty men of war.

²⁵He was honoured over the thirty, but he was not equal to the first three: and David put him over his servants.

²⁶And these were the great men of war: Asahel, the brother of Joab, Elhanan, the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,

²⁷Shammoth the Harodite, Helez the Pelonite,

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

²⁹Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

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

³¹Ithai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

³²Hurai of Nahale-gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

³³Azmaveth of Bahurim, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

³⁴The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan, the son of Shage the Hararite,

³⁵Ahiam, the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal, the son of Ur,

³⁶Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai, the son of Ezbai,

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

³⁹Zelek the Ammonite, and Naharai the Berothite, the servant who had the care of the arms of Joab, the son of Zeruiah;

⁴⁰Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

⁴¹Uriah the Hittite, Zabad, the son of Ahlai,

⁴²Adina, the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him;

⁴³Hanan, the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

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

⁴⁵Jediael, the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,

⁴⁶Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

⁴⁷Eliel and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

I Chronicles 11

¹Then all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

²In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. The Lord your God said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.'"

³So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.

⁴David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (the same is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there.

⁵The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You shall not come in here." Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. The same is the city of David.

⁶David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain." Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief.

⁷David lived in the stronghold; therefore they called it the city of David.

⁸He built the city all around, from Millo even around; and Joab repaired the rest of the city.

⁹David grew greater and greater; for the Lord of hosts was with him.

¹⁰Now 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 the Lord concerning Israel.

¹¹This 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 killed them at one time.

¹²After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.

¹³He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.

¹⁴They stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the Lord saved them by a great victory.

¹⁵Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

¹⁶David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

¹⁷David longed, and said, "Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"

¹⁸The three broke through the army 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 of it, but poured it out to the Lord,

¹⁹and said, "My God forbid it me, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy?" For they risked their lives to bring it. Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.

²⁰Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.

²¹Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain: however he did not attain to the three.

²²Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.

²³He killed 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 killed him with his own spear.

²⁴Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the three mighty men.

²⁵Behold, he was more honorable than the thirty, but he did not attain to the three: and David set him over his guard.

²⁶Also the mighty men of the armies: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁷Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

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

²⁹Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

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

³¹Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

³²Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

³³Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

³⁴the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,

³⁵Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,

³⁶Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,

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

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

⁴⁰Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

⁴¹Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,

⁴²Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

⁴³Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

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

⁴⁵Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,

⁴⁶Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

⁴⁷Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.