1 Chronicles 11

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

²Even in times past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD your God said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel, and you shall be leader over my people Israel.'

³And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and David cut a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David as king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Samuel.

⁴David and all Israel went to Jerusalem — that is, Jebus — and there the Jebusites were dwelling in the land.

⁵And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, 'You shall not come in here.' But David captured the stronghold of Zion—that is the city of David.

⁶And David said, 'Whoever strikes the Jebusite first shall be head and commander.' And Joab son of Zeruiah went up first and became head.

⁷David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it the City of David.

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

⁹And David grew greater and greater, for the LORD of Hosts was with him.

¹⁰And these are the chiefs of David's mighty warriors, who rallied to him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king according to the word of the LORD over Israel.

¹¹Now these are the number of David's mighty men: Jashobeam son of a Hachmonite, chief of the Thirty—he wielded his spear against three hundred slain at one time.

¹²And after him was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite; he was among the three mighty men.

¹³He was with David at Pas-dammim; and the Philistines gathered there for battle. There was a plot of the field full of barley, and the people fled before the Philistines.

¹⁴They took their stand in the midst of the plot and rescued it and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance.

¹⁵And three of the Thirty went down, the chief, to the rock, to David, to the cave of Adullam; and the Philistine camp was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

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

¹⁷David longed and said, 'Who will give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate?'

¹⁸And the three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was at the gate, and they carried it and brought it to David. But David was unwilling to drink it, and poured it out to the LORD.

¹⁹And he said, 'Far be it from me, my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men at the risk of their lives?' For at the risk of their lives they brought it. And he was not willing to drink it. These things the three warriors did.

²⁰Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the head of the Three; he wielded his spear against three hundred, striking them down, and had a name among the Three.

²¹Among the Three he was more honored than the two, and he became their commander; yet to the Three he did not attain.

²²Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a man of valor, great in exploits, from Kabzeel — he struck the two Ariel-men of Moab; and he went down and struck the lion in the pit on a snowy day.

²³And he struck down the Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver's beam; but he went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

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

²⁵Among the Thirty he was more honored than all; yet he did not attain to the Three; and David set him over his bodyguard.

²⁶And the mighty warriors: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem.

²⁷Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite.

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

²⁹Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite.

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

³¹Ittai son of Ribai, of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite.

³²Hurai of the ravines of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite.

³³Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite.

³⁴The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shageh the Hararite.

³⁵Ahiam son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur.

³⁶Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite.

³⁷Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai.

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

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

⁴⁰Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite.

⁴¹Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai.

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

⁴³Hanan son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite.

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

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

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

⁴⁷Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.