1 Chronicles 11

1 And all Israel is gathered to David at Hebron, saying, “Behold, we [are] your bone and your flesh;

Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, and said, Truly, we are your bone and your flesh.

2 even in time past, even in Saul’s being king, it is you who are taking out and bringing in Israel, and your God YHWH says to you: You feed My people Israel, and you are leader over My people Israel.”

In the past, when Saul was king, it was you who went at the head of Israel when they went out or came in; and the Lord your God said to you, You are to be the keeper of my people Israel, and their ruler.

3 And all [the] elderly of Israel come to the king at Hebron, and David makes a covenant with them in Hebron before YHWH, and they anoint David for king over Israel, according to the word of YHWH by the hand of Samuel.

So all the responsible men of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they put the holy oil on David and made him king over Israel, as the Lord had said by Samuel.

4 And David goes, and all Israel, to Jerusalem—it [is] Jebus—and the Jebusite [is] there, the inhabitants of the land.

Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (which is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the people of the land, were there.

5 And the inhabitants of Jebus say to David, “You do not come in here”; and David captures the fortress of Zion—it [is] the City of David.

And the people of Jebus said to David, You will not come in here. But still, David took the strong place of Zion, which is the town of David.

6 And David says, “Whoever strikes the Jebusite first becomes head and prince”; and Joab son of Zeruiah goes up first and becomes head.

And David said, The first to overcome the Jebusites will be chief and captain. And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went up first, and became chief.

7 And David dwells in the fortress, therefore they have called it the City of David;

And David took the strong tower for his living-place, so it was named the town of David.

8 and he builds the city all around, from Millo, and to the circumference, and Joab restores the rest of the city.

And he took in hand the building of the town all round, starting from the Millo; and Joab put the rest of the town in order.

9 And David goes, going on and becoming great, and YHWH of Hosts [is] with him.

And David became greater and greater in power, because the Lord of armies was with him.

10 And these [are] heads of the mighty ones whom David has, who are strengthening themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to cause him to reign, according to the word of YHWH, over Israel.

Now these are the chief of David's men of war who were his strong supporters in the kingdom, and, with all Israel, made him king, as the Lord had said about Israel.

11 And this [is] an account of the mighty ones whom David has: Jashobeam son of a Hachmonite [is] head of the thirty; he is lifting up his spear against three hundred—wounded, at one time.

This is the list of David's men of war: Ishbaal, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the three: he put to death three hundred at one time with his spear.

12 And after him [is] Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, he [is] among the three mighty;

And after him was Eleazar, the son of Dodo the Ahohite, who was one of the three great fighters.

13 he has been with David in Pas-Dammim, and the Philistines have been gathered there to battle, and a portion of the field is full of barley, and the people have fled from the face of the Philistines,

He was with David at Pas-dammim, where the Philistines had come together for the fight, near a bit of land full of barley; and the people went in flight before the Philistines.

14 and they station themselves in the midst of the portion, and deliver it, and strike the Philistines, and YHWH saves [with] a great salvation.

And he took up his position in the middle of the bit of land, and kept back their attack, and overcame the Philistines; and the Lord gave a great salvation.

15 And three of the thirty heads go down on the rock to David, to the cave of Adullam, and the host of the Philistines is encamping in the Valley of Rephaim,

And three of the thirty went down to David, to the rock, into the strong place of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines had taken up their position in the valley of Rephaim.

16 and David [is] then in the fortress, and the station of the Philistines [is] then in Beth-Lehem,

At that time David had taken cover in the strong place, and an armed force of the Philistines was in Beth-lehem.

17 and David longs and says, “Who gives me water to drink from the well of Beth-Lehem that [is] at the gate!”

And David, moved by a strong desire, said, If only someone would give me a drink of the water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem by the doorway into the town!

18 And the three break through the camp of the Philistines, and draw water from the well of Beth-Lehem that [is] at the gate, and carry and bring [it] to David, and David has not been willing to drink it, and pours it out to YHWH,

So the three, forcing a way through the Philistine army, got water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town, and took it back to David; but David would not take it, but made an offering of it, draining it out to the Lord,

19 and says, “Far be it from me, by my God, to do this; do I drink the blood of these men with their lives? For with their lives they have brought it”; and he was not willing to drink it; these [things] the three mighty ones did.

Saying, By my God, far be it from me to do this! How may I take as drink the life-blood of these men who have put their lives in danger? so he did not take it. These things did the three great men of war.

20 And Abishai brother of Joab, he has been head of the three: and he is lifting up his spear against three hundred—wounded, and has a name among three.

And Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty, for he put to death three hundred with his spear, but he had not a name among the three.

21 Of the three he is more honored than the [other] two, and becomes their head; but he has not come to the [first] three.

Of the thirty, he was the noblest, and was made their captain, but he was not equal to the first three.

22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, son of a man of valor, of great deeds, from Kabzeel: he has struck the two lion-like Moabites, and he has gone down and struck the lion in the midst of the pit, in the day of snow.

Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, a fighting-man of Kabzeel, had done great acts; he put to death two young lions going into their secret place; and he went down into a hole and put a lion to death in time of snow.

23 And he has struck the man, the Egyptian, a man of [great] measure—five by the cubit—and in the hand of the Egyptian [is] a spear like a weavers’ beam, and he goes down to him with a rod, and violently takes away the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slays him with his own spear.

And he made an attack on an Egyptian, a very tall man about five cubits high, armed with a spear like a cloth-worker's rod; he went down to him with a stick, and pulling his spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, put him to death with that same spear.

24 These [things] Benaiah son of Jehoiada has done, and has a name among the three mighty ones.

These were the acts of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who had a great name among the thirty men of war.

25 Of the thirty, behold, he [is] honored, but he has not come to the [first] three, and David sets him over his guard.

He was honoured over the thirty, but he was not equal to the first three: and David put him over his servants.

26 And the mighty ones of the forces [are] Asahel brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Beth-Lehem,

And these were the great men of war: Asahel, the brother of Joab, Elhanan, the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,

27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

Shammoth the Harodite, Helez the Pelonite,

28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abi-Ezer the Annethothite,

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

29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

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

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

31 Ithai son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Ithai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

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

Hurai of Nahale-gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

Azmaveth of Bahurim, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

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

The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan, the son of Shage the Hararite,

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

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

36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

37 Hezor the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,

Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai, the son of Ezbai,

38 Joel brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Haggeri,

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

39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, bearer of the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah,

Zelek the Ammonite, and Naharai the Berothite, the servant who had the care of the arms of Joab, the son of Zeruiah;

40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,

Uriah the Hittite, Zabad, the son of Ahlai,

42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, head of the Reubenites, and thirty by him,

Adina, the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him;

43 Hanan son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

Hanan, the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel sons of Hothan the Aroerite,

Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

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

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

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

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

47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mesobaite.

Eliel and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.