1 Chronicles 11

1 Then did all Israel gather themselves unto David unto Hebron, saying Behold, thy bone and thy flesh are we.

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 Already yesterday and even before, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord, thy God, said unto thee, Thou shalt indeed feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be truly a chief over 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 Thus came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed David as king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord through means 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 David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus; and there were the Jebusites, 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 Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come in hither. Nevertheless David captured the strong-hold of Zion, the same is the City of David.

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 David said, Whosoever doth smite the Jebusites at first shall be head and chief. Then did Joab the son of Zeruyah go up at first, and became head-man.

[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 David dwelt in the castle: therefore they called it, “The City of David.”

[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 city round about, even from the Millo as far as the surrounding district, and Joab repaired the rest of the city.

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 David want on, and became greater and greater, and the lord of hosts 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 principals of the mighty men whom David had, who held firmly with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.

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 number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashoh'am, the son of Chachmoni, the chief of the captains, who lifted up his spear against three hundred slain 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 El'asar the son of Dodo, the Achochite, who was one of the three mighty men.

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

13 He was with David at Pass-dammim, and the Philistines were gathered together there to battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley; and the people had fled from before the Philistines.

[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 placed themselves in the midst of that piece [of ground], and they delivered it, and smote the Philistines: and the Lord helped [them] with a great victory.

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 these three, the chiefs of the thirty, went down to the rock to David, to the cave of 'Adullam; and the camp of the Philistines was pitched 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 David was then in the strong-hold, and an outpost of the Philistines was then at Beth-lechem.

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

17 And David longed, and said, Oh that some one would bring me water to drink out of the well of Beth-lechem, which is by 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 And the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lechem, which was by the gate, and carried it, and brought it to David; but David would not drink thereof, and poured it out unto 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 he said, Far be it from me, before my God, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of these men that went at the risk of their lives? for at the risk of their lives did they bring it; and thus he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty 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 Abshai the brother of Joab was the chief of these three; and he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain, and had a 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 Of the three, he was more honored than the two, wherefore he became their captain; he nevertheless attained not unto the three [in prowess].

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 Banayah the son of Jehoyada', the son of a valiant man, great in many acts, of Kah-zeel: he it was that smote the two lion-like heroes of Moab; he also went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit on a day when it snowed.

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 smote an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and he snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

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 Benayah the son of Jehoyada'; and he had a name among the mighty men.

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

25 Behold, he was indeed more honored than the thirty; but he attained not to the first three. And David appointed him over his private council.

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 And the mighty men of the armies were, 'Assahel the brother of Joab, Elchanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lechem.

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 Harorite, Chelez the Pelonite,

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

28 'Ira the son of 'Ikkesh the Theko'ite, Abi'ezer the 'Antothite,

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

29 Sibbechai the Chushathite, 'Ilai the Achochite,

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

30 Maharai the Netophathite, Cheled the son of Ba'anah the Netophathite,

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

31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gib'ah, of the children of 'Benjamin, Benayah the Pir'athonite.

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

32 Churai of the Nachale-Ga'ash, Abiel the 'Arbathite,

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

33 'Azmaveth the Bacharumite, Elyachba the Sha'albonite,

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

34 Bnai-hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite.

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

35 Achiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,

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

36 Chepher the Mecherathite, Achiyah the Pelonite.

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

37 Chezro the Carmelite, Na'arai the son of Ezbai,

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

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

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

39 Zelek the 'Ammonite, Nachrai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruyah,

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

40 'Ira the Yithrite, Gareb the Yithrite,

Ira and Gareb from Jattir [town];

41 Uriyah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Achlai,

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

42 'Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and with him were thirty [men].

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

43 Chanan the son of Ma'achah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite.

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

44 'Uzziya the 'Ashterathite, Shama' and Je'iel the sons of Chothan the 'Aro'erite,

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

45 Jedi'ael the son of Shimri, and Jocha his brother, the Thizite,

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

46 Eliel the Machavite, and Jerihal, and Joshavyah, the son of Elna'am, and Yithmah the Moabite,

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

47 Eliel, and 'Obed, and Ja'assiel the Mezobayite.

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