1 Chronicles 11

1 Then all Israel gathered themselues to Dauid vnto Hebron, saying, Beholde, we are thy bones and thy flesh.

Then the people of Israel came to David at Hebron [town] and said to him, “Listen, we have the same ancestors [IDM] that you have.

2 And in time past, euen when Saul was King, thou leddest Israel out and in: and the Lord thy God sayde vnto thee, Thou shalt feede my people Israel, and thou shalt be captaine ouer my people Israel.

In the past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led our Israeli [soldiers in our battles]. You are the one to whom Yahweh our God promised, ‘You will be the leader [MET] of my people; you will be their king.’”

3 So came all the Elders of Israel to the King to Hebron, and Dauid made a couenant with them in Hebron before the Lord. And they anoynted Dauid King ouer Israel, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Samuel.

So all the Israeli elders came to David at Hebron. And David made a sacred agreement with them while Yahweh was listening. They anointed him [with olive oil to set him apart] to be the king of the Israeli people. That is what Yahweh had previously told [the prophet] Samuel would happen.

4 And Dauid and all Israel went to Ierusalem, which is Iebus, where were the Iebusites, the inhabitants of the land.

David and all the Israeli [soldiers] [SYN] went to Jerusalem. [At that time, ] Jerusalem was called Jebus, and the people who lived there were the Jebus people-group.

5 And the inhabitants of Iebus said to Dauid, Thou shalt not come in hither. Neuertheles Dauid tooke the towre of Zion, which is the city of Dauid.

Those people said to David, “Your [soldiers] will not be able to get inside our city!” But David’s [soldiers] captured the city, even though it had strong walls around it, and since then it has been called ‘The City of David’.

6 And Dauid sayd, Whosoeuer smiteth the Iebusites first, shalbe the chiefe and captaine. So Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah went first vp, and was captaine.

[What happened was this: ]: David said [to his soldiers], “The one who leads [our soldiers] to attack the Jebus people-group will become the commander of all my army.” Joab, the son of Zeruiah, led the soldiers, so he became the commander of all the army.

7 And Dauid dwelt in the tower: therefore they called it the citie of Dauid.

[After they captured] the city which had strong walls around it, David moved there. That is why they named it ‘The City of David’.

8 And he built the citie on euery side, from Millo euen round about, and Ioab repaired the rest of the citie.

David’s workers rebuilt the city, starting where the land was filled in and extending to the wall that was around the city. Joab’s [men] repaired the other parts of the city.

9 And Dauid prospered, and grewe: for the Lord of hostes was with him.

David became more and more powerful/influential, because the Almighty Commander of the armies of angels was with/helping him.

10 These also are the chiefe of the valiant men that were with Dauid, and ioyned their force with him in his kingdome with al Israel, to make him King ouer Israel, according to the worde of the Lord.

Yahweh had promised [that David would become the king]. And all the Israeli people (were happy that David was/supported David as) their king. There were many soldiers/warriors who helped David’s kingdom to remain strong.

11 And this is the nomber of the valiant men whome Dauid had, Iashobeam the sonne of Hachmoni, the chiefe among thirtie: he lift vp his speare against three hundreth, whom he slewe at one time.

This is a list of the leaders of David’s [most mighty] warriors: Jashobeam was from the Hacmon clan. He was one of the leaders of David’s most powerful soldiers. One time he fought against 300 enemies and killed them all with his spear.

12 And after him was Eleazar the sonne of Dodo the Ahohite, which was one of the three valiant men.

Another one was Eleazar, who was the son of Dodo from the clan of Ahoh.

13 He was with Dauid at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistims were gathered together to battel: and there was a parcell of ground full of barley, and the people fled before the Philistims.

[One day] he was with David at Pas Dammim when the soldiers of Philistia gathered there for the battle. There was a field of barley there. At first the Israeli soldiers ran away from the soldiers of Philistia,

14 And they stood in the middes of the field, and saued it, and slewe the Philistims: so the Lord gaue a great victorie.

but then David and Eleazar stopped in the middle of the field and fought to defend it and killed [many of] the soldiers of Philistia. Yahweh enabled them to win a great victory on that day.

15 And three of the thirtie captaines went to a rocke to Dauid, into the caue of Adullam. And the armie of the Philistims camped in the valley of Rephaim.

One time three of David’s thirty most mighty warriors came to David when he was camping next to the huge rock outside the cave near Adullam. At that same time, the army of Philistia had camped in the Rephaim Valley.

16 And when Dauid was in the hold, the Philistims garison was at Beth-lehem.

David was in a fortress, and some of the soldiers of Philistia were occupying Bethlehem.

17 And Dauid longed, and said, Oh, that one would giue me to drinke of the water of the well of Beth-lehem that is at the gate.

[One day] David was very thirsty and said, “I wish that someone would bring me some water from the well near the gate at Bethlehem!”

18 Then these three brake thorowe the hoste of the Philistims, and drewe water out of the well of Beth-lehem that was by the gate, and tooke it and brought it to Dauid: but Dauid would not drinke of it, but powred it for an oblation to the Lord,

So those three most outstanding warriors forced their way through the camp of Philistia soldiers and drew some water from the well, and brought it to David. But he would not drink it. Instead, he poured it out [on the ground to be an offering] to Yahweh.

19 And said, Let not my God suffer me to do this: should I drinke the blood of these mens liues? for they haue brought it with the ieopardie of their liues: therefore he would not drinke it: these things did these three mightie men.

He said, “Yahweh, it would certainly not be right for me to drink this water! That would be like [RHQ] drinking the blood of these men who were willing/ready to die for me!” So he refused to drink it. That was one of the things that those three most outstanding warriors did.

20 And Abishai the brother of Ioab, he was chiefe of the three, and he lift vp his speare against three hundreth, and slew them, and had the name among the three.

Joab’s [younger] brother Abishai was the leader of the 30 most mighty warriors. [One time] Abishai fought 300 [enemy] soldiers with his spear and killed them.

21 Among the three he was more honourable then the two, and he was their captaine: but he attained not vnto the first three.

So he became as famous as those three most outstanding warriors. He became their commander, even though he was not one of those three men.

22 Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada (the sonne of a valiant man) which had done many actes, and was of Kabzeel, he slewe two strong men of Moab: he went downe also and slewe a lion in the middes of a pit in time of snowe.

Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was a brave soldier from Kabzeel [town] who did heroic deeds. He killed two of the best warriors from [the] Moab [people-group]. One day he went down into a pit when snow was falling [on the ground] and killed a lion there.

23 And he slewe an Egyptian, a man of great stature, euen fiue cubites long, and in the Egyptians hand was a speare like a weauers beame: and he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hand, and slewe him with his owne speare.

He also killed a soldier from Egypt who was (7-1/2 feet/2.3 meters) tall. The soldier from Egypt carried a spear that was as long as a weaver’s rod. Benaiah had [only] a club, but he grabbed the other man’s spear and killed him with it.

24 These things did Benaiah ye sonne of Iehoiada, and had the name among the three worthies.

Those are some of the things that Benaiah did. So he became as famous as the three mighty warriors.

25 Behold, he was honourable among thirtie, but he attained not vnto the first three. And Dauid made him of his counsell.

He was more honored than the other members of the group of thirty most mighty warriors, but he did not become a member of the group of three most outstanding warriors. David appointed him to be the leader of his bodyguards.

26 These also were valiant men of warre, Asahel the brother of Ioab, Elhanan the sonne of Dodo of Beth-lehem,

These are the names of David’s mighty warriors: Asahel, the [younger] brother of Joab; Elhanan, the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;

27 Shammoth the Harodite, Helez the Pelonite,

Shammah, from [the] Harod [clan]; Helez, from [the] Pelon [clan];

28 Ira the sonne of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite,

Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa [town]; Abiezer, from Anathoth [city];

29 Sibbecai the Husathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

Sibbecai, from Hushah’s [clan]; Ilai from Ahoh’s clan;

30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled ye sonne of Baanah the Netophathite,

Maharai, from Netophah [town]; Heled, the son of Baanah, also from Netophah [town];

31 Ithai the sonne of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Beniamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Ithai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah [town] in [the land that belonged to] the tribe of Benjamin; Benaiah, from Pirathon [town];

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

Hurai, from the valleys near Gaash [Mountain]; Abiel from the clan of Arabah;

33 Azmaueth the Baharumite, Elihaba the Shaalbonite,

Azmaveth, from Baharum [town]; Eliahba, from Shaalbon [town];

34 The sonnes of Hashem the Gizonite, Ionathan the sonne of Shageh the Harite,

The sons of Hashem from [the] Gizon [clan]; Jonathan the son of Shagee from the Harar [town/clan];

35 Ahiam the sonne of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the sonne of Vr,

Ahiam the son of Sharar/Sacar, from Harar [town/clan]; Eliphal the son of Ur;

36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahiiah the Pelonite,

Hepher from the Mekerath [clan]; Ahijah from the Pelon [clan/town];

37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the sonne of Ezbai,

Hezro from Carmel [city]; Naarai the son of Ezbai;

38 Ioel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the sonne of Haggeri,

Joel the [younger] brother of Nathan; Mibhar the son of Hagri;

39 Zelek the Ammonite, Nahrai the Berothite, the armour bearer of Ioab, the sonne of Zeruiah,

Zelek from the Ammon people-group; Naharai, the man who carried Joab’s weapons, from Beeroth [town];

40 Ira the Ithrite, Garib the Ithrite,

Ira and Gareb from Jattir [town];

41 Vriah the Hittite, Zabad the sonne of Ahlai,

Uriah, [Bathsheba’s husband], from the Heth people-group; Zabad the son of Ahlai;

42 Adina the sonne of Shiza the Reubenite, a captaine of the Reubenites, and thirtie with him,

Adina the son of Shiza, a leader from the tribe of Reuben, who had thirty [soldiers] with him;

43 Hanan the sonne of Maachah, and Ioshaphat the Mithnite,

Hanan the son of Maacah; Joshaphat from Mithna [town/clan];

44 Vzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Ieiel the sonnes of Otham the Aroerite,

Uzzia from Ashterath [town]; Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham, from Aroer [city];

45 Iediael the sonne of Shimri, and Ioha his brother the Tizite,

Jediael the son of Shimri and his [younger] brother Joha, from Tiz [town/clan];

46 Eliel the Mahauite, and Ieribai and Ioshauiah the sonnes of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

Eliel from Mahavah [town/clan]; Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam; Ithmah from [the] Moab [region];

47 Eliel and Obed, and Iaasiel the Mesobaite.

Eliel and Obed, and Jaasiel from Zobah [town/clan].