1 Chronicles 11

1 And all Israel is gathered to David at Hebron, saying, “Behold, we [are] your bone and your 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 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 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 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 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 goes, and all Israel, to Jerusalem—it [is] Jebus—and the Jebusite [is] there, 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 say to David, “You do not come in here”; and David captures the fortress of Zion—it [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 says, “Whoever strikes the Jebusite first becomes head and prince”; and Joab son of Zeruiah goes up first and becomes head.

[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 dwells in the fortress, therefore they have 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 builds the city all around, from Millo, and to the circumference, and Joab restores 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 goes, going on and becoming great, and YHWH of Hosts [is] with him.

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

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] 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 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 [is] Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, he [is] among the three mighty;

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

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,

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

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 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,

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

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

17 and David longs and says, “Who gives me water to drink from 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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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

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 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.

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

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

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 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 ones of the forces [are] Asahel brother of Joab, Elhanan son 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 Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

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

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

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

29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

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

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

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

31 Ithai son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin, 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 brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

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

33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

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

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

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

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

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

36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

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

37 Hezor the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,

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

38 Joel brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Haggeri,

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

40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

Ira and Gareb from Jattir [town];

41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,

Uriah, [Bathsheba’s husband], from the Heth people-group; 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, a leader from the tribe of Reuben, who had thirty [soldiers] with him;

43 Hanan son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

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

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

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

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

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

46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, sons 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 Jaasiel the Mesobaite.

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