1 Chronicles 11

1 Then did all Israel gather themselves together to David, unto Hebron, saying, —Lo! thy bone and thy flesh, are we.

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

2 Moreover also, in time past even when Saul was king, thou, wast he that led out and brought in Israel, —and Yahweh thy God said unto thee, Thou, shalt shepherd my people Israel, Yea, thou, shalt be chief ruler, 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 Thus came all the elders of Israel unto the king, to Hebron, and David solemnised to them a covenant in Hebron, before Yahweh, —and they anointed David to be king over Israel, according to the word of Yahweh, through 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 Then went David and all Israel to Jerusalem, the same, was Jebus, —where were the Jebusites, 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 said unto David, Thou shalt not come in hither, —But David captured the citadel of Zion, the same, 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 said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, first, shall become a chief, and a ruler, —So then Joab son of Zeruiah, went up first, and became a chief.

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 dwelt in the citadel, —for this cause, did they call 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 built the city round about, from Millo even as far as the circuit, —but, Joab, suffered the remainder of the city to live.

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 Thus did David wax greater and yet greater, —and, Yahweh of Hosts, was with him.

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

10 Now, these, are the chiefs of the heroes, that pertained to David, who held strongly with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, —according to the word of Yahweh, concerning 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 the number of the heroes who pertained to David, —Jashobeam son of a Hachmonite, chief of the thirty, the same, brandished his spear over three hundred—slain 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, was Eleazar son of Dodai, the Ahohite, —he, was among the three heroes;

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

13 he, was with David in Pas-dammim, where, the Philistines, were gathered together to battle, and there was a field-plot full of barley, —and, the people, fled, from before 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 so they took their stand in the midst of the plot and rescued it, and smote the Philistines, —and Yahweh wrought a great victory.

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 chiefs went down upon the rock, unto David, into the cave of Adullam, —a host of Philistines, being encamped in the vale 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 Now, David, then was in the stronghold, —and, a garrison of Philistines, then was in Bethlehem.

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 longed, and said—Who will give me to drink of the water, out of the well of Bethlehem, that is within 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 brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was within the gate, and bare it, and brought it in unto David, —yet would not David drink it, but poured it out unto Yahweh;

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 said—Far be it from me, of my God, that I should do this! The blood of these men, shall I drink, with their lives? For, with their lives, have they brought it! So he would not drink it. These things, did the three heroes.

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, was the chief of three, he, having brandished his spear against three hundred—who were slain, —and so, he, had 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 in the second rank, was he honourable, therefore became he their captain, —though, unto the [first] three, did he not attain.

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 valour, hero of many a deed, from Kabziel—he, smote the two [sons] of Ariel of Moab, he, also went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit, in time 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 he, also smote an Egyptian, a man of [great] stature, five cubits, and, in the hand of the Egyptian, was a spear like a weaver’s beam, so he went down unto him with a staff, —and wrested the spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, and slew him with his 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, did Benaiah son of Jehoiada, so, he, had a name among three heroes.

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

25 Among the thirty, lo! honourable, was he, but, unto the [first] three, did he not attain, —howbeit David set him over his council.

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

26 Now, the heroes of the forces, were, —Asahel, brother of Joab, Elhanan, son of Dodo, of Bethlehem;

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 Paltite;

Shammoth the Harodite, Helez the Pelonite,

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

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 torrents 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 Shageh, 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 Hezro, the Carmelite, Naarai, son of Ezbai;

Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai, the son of Ezbai,

38 Joel, brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri;

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

39 Zelek, the Ammonite, —Naharai, the Berothite, the armour-bearer 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, a chief of the Reubenites and over the thirty;

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

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

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

44 Uzzia, the Ashterathite, —Shama, and Jeiel, sons of Hotham, the Aroerite;

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

45 Jediael, son of Shimri, and Joha, his brother, 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, of Zobah.

Eliel and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.