David Becomes King
11 Then the people of Israel came to David at the town of Hebron and said, “Look, we are your own family. 2 Even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel in battle. The Lord your God said to you, ‘You will be the shepherd for my people Israel. You will be their leader.’”
3 So all the elders of Israel came to King David at Hebron. He made an agreement with them in Hebron in the presence of the Lord. Then they poured oil on David to make him king over Israel. The Lord had promised through Samuel that this would happen.
David Captures Jerusalem
4 David and all the Israelites went to the city of Jerusalem. At that time Jerusalem was called Jebus, and the people living there were named Jebusites. 5 They said to David, “You can’t get inside our city.” But David did take the city of Jerusalem with its strong walls, and it became the City of David.
6 David had said, “The person who leads the attack against the Jebusites will become the commander over all my army.” Joab son of Zeruiah led the attack, so he became the commander of the army.
7 Then David made his home in the strong, walled city, which is why it was named the City of David. 8 David rebuilt the city, beginning where the land was filled in and going to the wall that was around the city. Joab repaired the other parts of the city. 9 David became stronger and stronger, and the Lord All-Powerful was with him.
David’s Mighty Warriors
10 This is a list of the leaders over David’s warriors who helped make David’s kingdom strong. All the people of Israel also supported David’s kingdom. These heroes and all the people of Israel made David king, just as the Lord had promised.
11 This is a list of David’s warriors:
Jashobeam was from the Hacmonite people. He was the head of the Three, David’s most powerful soldiers. He used his spear to fight three hundred men at one time, and he killed them all.
12 Next was Eleazar, one of the Three. Eleazar was Dodai’s son from the Ahohite people. 13 Eleazar was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines came there to fight. There was a field of barley at that place. The Israelites ran away from the Philistines, 14 but they stopped in the middle of that field and fought for it and killed the Philistines. The Lord gave them a great victory.
15 Once, three of the Thirty, David’s chief soldiers, came down to him at the rock by the cave near Adullam. At the same time the Philistine army had camped in the Valley of Rephaim.
16 At that time David was in a stronghold, and some of the Philistines were in Bethlehem. 17 David had a strong desire for some water. He said, “Oh, I wish someone would get me water from the well near the city gate of Bethlehem!” 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine army and took water from the well near the city gate in Bethlehem. Then they brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out before the Lord, 19 saying, “May God keep me from drinking this water! It would be like drinking the blood of the men who risked their lives to bring it to me!” So David refused to drink it.
These were the brave things that the three warriors did.
20 Abishai brother of Joab was the captain of the Three. Abishai fought three hundred soldiers with his spear and killed them. He became as famous as the Three 21 and was more honored than the Three. He became their commander even though he was not one of them.
22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave fighter from Kabzeel who did mighty things. He killed two of the best warriors from Moab. He also went down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day. 23 Benaiah killed an Egyptian who was about seven and one-half feet tall and had a spear as large as a weaver’s rod. Benaiah had a club, but he grabbed the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 These were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did. He was as famous as the Three. 25 He received more honor than the Thirty, but he did not become a member of the Three. David made him leader of his bodyguards.
The Thirty Chief Soldiers
26 These were also mighty warriors:
Asahel brother of Joab;
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;
27 Shammoth the Harorite;
Helez the Pelonite;
28 Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa;
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 from Gibeah in Benjamin;
Benaiah the Pirathonite;
32 Hurai from the ravines 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 Mekerathite;
Ahijah the Pelonite;
37 Hezro the Carmelite;
Naarai son of Ezbai;
38 Joel brother of Nathan;
Mibhar son of Hagri;
39 Zelek the Ammonite;
Naharai the Berothite, the officer who carried the armor for 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, who was the leader of the Reubenites, and his thirty soldiers;
43 Hanan son of Maacah;
Joshaphat the Mithnite;
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite;
Shama and Jeiel sons of Hotham the Aroerite;
45 Jediael son of Shimri;
Joha, Jediael’s brother, the Tizite;
46 Eliel the Mahavite;
Jeribai and Joshaviah, Elnaam’s sons;
Ithmah the Moabite;
47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaites.
Footnotes
- 11:11
