11:1 All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.
11:2 In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”
11:3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the LORD had promised through Samuel.
11:4 David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites who lived there
11:5 said to David, “You will not get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.
11:6 David had said, “Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander-in-chief.” Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command.
11:7 David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David.
11:8 He built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city.
11:9 And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him.
11:10 These were the chiefs of David’s mighty men–they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the LORD had promised–
11:11 this is the list of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was chief of the officers; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.
11:12 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men.
11:13 He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines.
11:14 But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.
11:15 Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
11:16 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.
11:17 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”
11:18 So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD.
11:19 “God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.
11:20 Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three.
11:21 He was doubly honored above the Three and became their commander, even though he was not included among them.
11:22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab’s best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.
11:23 And he struck down an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.
11:24 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men.
11:25 He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
11:26 The mighty men were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,
11:27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,
11:28 Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, Abiezer from Anathoth,
11:29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
11:30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,
11:31 Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,
11:32 Hurai from the ravines of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,
11:33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
11:34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,
11:35 Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur,
11:36 Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
11:37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,
11:38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri,
11:39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
11:40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
11:41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,
11:42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, who was chief of the Reubenites, and the thirty with him,
11:43 Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite,
11:44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
11:45 Jediael son of Shimri, his brother Joha the Tizite,
11:46 Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite,
11:47 Eliel, Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
11:1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David at Hebron, saying, Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
11:2 Even previously, when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And Jehovah your God said to you, It is you who shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be ruler over My people Israel.
11:3 And all the elders of Israel came to the king at 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 spoken by Samuel.
11:4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus; and the Jebusites were the inhabitants of the land there.
11:5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, You shall not come in here. But David took the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David.
11:6 And David said, Whoever strikes the Jebusites first will be the chief and the captain. And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.
11:7 So David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it the city of David.
11:8 And he built the city all around, from the Millo even unto the surrounding area, and Joab repaired the rest of the city.
11:9 And David became greater and greater, and Jehovah of hosts was with him.
11:10 And these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who showed themselves strong with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king according to the word of Jehovah concerning Israel.
11:11 And these are the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he brandished his spear against three hundred, and they were slain at one time.
11:12 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite; he was among the three mighty men.
11:13 He was with David at Pas-dammim, and the Philistines gathered themselves there for battle, and there was a plot of land full of barley there; and the people fled before the Philistines.
11:14 But they stationed themselves in the midst of the plot and delivered it and struck the Philistines, and Jehovah accomplished a great salvation.
11:15 Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David in the cave of Adullam while the army of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
11:16 Now at that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem at that time.
11:17 And David said longingly, If only someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!
11:18 And the three burst through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate. And they carried it and brought it to David, but David would not drink it; rather he poured it out to Jehovah.
11:19 And he said, Far be it from me, before my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives? For at the risk of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
11:20 And Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the three. And he brandished his spear against three hundred, who were slain; and he had a name among the three.
11:21 He was indeed honored among the two of the thirty, and he became their leader; but he did not attain to the three.
11:22 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, was great in mighty deeds. He struck the two sons of Ariel the Moabite; he also went down and struck a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.
11:23 And he struck an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. And the Egyptian had a spear in his hand like a weaver s beam, but he went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian and slew him with his own spear.
11:24 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three mighty men.
11:25 He was indeed more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
11:26 And the mighty men of the armies were: Asahel the brother of Joab; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem;
11:27 Shammoth the Harodite; Helez the Pelonite;
11:28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; Abiezer the Anathothite;
11:29 Sibbecai the Hushathite; Ilai the Ahohite;
11:30 Maharai the Netophathite; Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite;
11:31 Ithai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin; Benaiah the Pirathonite;
11:32 Hurai from the brooks of Gaash; Abiel the Arbathite;
11:33 Azmaveth the Baharumite; Eliahba the Shaalbonite;
11:34 Of the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite;
11:35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite; Eliphal the son of Ur;
11:36 Hepher the Mecherathite; Ahijah the Pelonite;
11:37 Hezro the Carmelite; Naarai the son of Ezbai;
11:38 Joel the brother of Nathan; Mibhar the son of Hagri;
11:39 Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Beerothite, the armor bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah;
11:40 Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite;
11:41 Uriah the Hittite; Zabad the son of Ahlai;
11:42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him;
11:43 Hanan the son of Maacah and Joshaphat the Mithnite;
11:44 Uzzia the Ashterathite; Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite;
11:45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite;
11:46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite;
11:47 Eliel and Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.