1 Chronicles 11

¹ Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron and said, "Look, we are your bone and your flesh.

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

³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. Then they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.

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

⁵ The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You will not come in here." But David captured the stronghold of Zion — that is, the City of David.

⁶ David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander." Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.

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

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

⁹ David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him.

¹⁰ These are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

¹¹ This is the list of David's mighty men: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni, chief of the thirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred and killed them in one encounter.

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

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

¹⁴ But they took their stand in the middle of the plot and defended it, and struck down the Philistines. The LORD saved them by a great victory.

¹⁵ Three of the thirty chiefs went down to the rock, to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁶ David was then in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was then at Bethlehem.

¹⁷ David longed for water and said, "If only someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!"

¹⁸ The three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate. They carried it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it; he poured it out to the LORD

¹⁹ and 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 they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

²⁰ Abishai the brother of Joab — he was chief of the thirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred and killed them, and he had a name among the thirty.

²¹ He was the most honored of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

²² Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a man of great deeds. He struck down two champions of Moab. He also went down and struck a lion in a pit on a snowy day.

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

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

²⁵ He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. David put him over his bodyguard.

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

²⁷ Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

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

²⁹ Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

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

³¹ Ithai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjaminites, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

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

³³ Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

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

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

³⁶ Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷ Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,

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

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

⁴⁰ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,

⁴² Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite — a chief of the Reubenites — and thirty 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 his brother Joha the Tizite,

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

⁴⁷ Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.