1 Chronicles 11

1 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.

Then all Israel gathered themselves to David in Hebron, saying: We are thy bone, and thy flesh.

2 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.’”

Yesterday also, and the day before when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: for the Lord thy God said to thee: Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt; be ruler over them.

3 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.

So all the ancients of Israel came to the king to Hebron, and David made a covenant with them before the Lord: and they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke in the hand of Samuel.

4 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.

And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were the inhabitants of the land.

5 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’.

And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David: Thou shalt not come in here. But David took the castle of Sion, which is the city of David.

6 [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.

And he said: Whosoever shall first strike the Jebusites, shall be the head and chief captain. And Joab the son of Sarvia went up first, and was made the general.

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

And David dwelt in the castle, and therefore it was called the city of David.

8 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.

And he built the city round about from Mello all round, and Joab built the rest of the city.

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

And David went on growing and increasing, and the Lord of hosts was with him.

10 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.

These are the chief of the valiant men of David, who helped him to be made king over all Israel, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to Israel.

11 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.

And this is the number of the heroes of David: Jesbaam the son of Hachamoni the chief among the thirty: he lifted up his spear against three hundred wounded by him at one time.

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

And after him was Eleazar his uncle’s son the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.

13 [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,

He was with David in Phesdomim, when the Philistines were gathered to that place to battle: and the field of that country was full of barley, and the people fled from before the Philistines.

14 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.

But these men stood in the midst of the field, and defended it: and they slew the Philistines, and the Lord gave a great deliverance to his people.

15 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.

And three of the thirty captains went down to the rock, wherein David was, to the cave of Odollam, when the Philistines encamped in the valley of Raphaim.

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

And David was in a hold, and the garrison of the Philistines in Bethlehem.

17 [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!”

And David longed, and said: O that some man would give me water of the cistern of Bethlehem, which is in the gate.

18 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.

And these three broke through the midst of the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the cistern of Bethlehem, which was in the gate, and brought it to David to drink: and he would not drink of it, but rather offered it to the Lord,

19 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.

Saying: God forbid that I should do this in the sight of my God, and should drink the blood of these men: for with the danger of their lives they have brought me the water. And therefore he would not drink. These things did the three most valiant.

20 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.

And Abisai the brother of Joab, he was chief of three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he slew, and he was renowned among the three,

21 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.

And illustrious among the second three, and their captain: but yet he attained not to the first three.

22 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.

Banaias the son of Joiada, a most valiant man, of Cabseel, who had done many acts: he slew the two ariels of Moab: and he went down, and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in the time of snow.

23 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.

And he slew an Egyptian, whose stature was of five cubits, and who had a spear like a weaver’s beam: and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked away the spear, that he held in his hand, and slew him with his own spear.

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

These things did Banaias the son of Joiada, who was renowned among the three valiant ones,

25 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.

And the first among the thirty, but yet to the three he attained not: and David made him of his council.

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

Moreover the most valiant men of the army, were Asahel brother of Joab, and Elchanan the son of his uncle of Bethlehem,

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

Sammoth an Arorite, Helles a Phalonite,

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

Ira the son of Acces a Thecuite, Abiezer an Anathothite,

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

Sobbochai a Husathite, Ilai an Ahohite,

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

Maharai a Netophathite, Heled the son of Baana a Netophathite,

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

Ethai the son of Ribai of Gabaath of the sons of Benjamin, Banal a Pharathonite,

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

Hurai of the torrent Gaas, Abiel an Arbathite, Azmoth a Bauramite, Eliaba a Salabonite,

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

The sons of Assem a, Gezonite, Jonathan the son of Sage an Ararite,

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

Ahiam the son of Sachar an Ararite,

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

Eliphal the son of Ur,

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

Hepher a Mecherathite, Ahia a Phelonite,

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

Hesro a Carmelite, Naarai the son of Azbai,

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

Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibahar the son of Agarai.

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

Selec an Ammonite, Naharai a Berothite, the armourbearer of Joab the son of Sarvia.

40 Ira and Gareb from Jattir [town];

Ira a Jethrite, Gareb a Jethrite,

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

Urias a Hethite, Zabad the son of Oholi,

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

Adina the son of Siza a Rubenite the prince of the Rubenites, and thirty with him:

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

Hanan the son of Maacha, and Josaphat a Mathanite,

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

Ozia an Astarothite, Samma, and Jehiel the sons of Hotham an Arorite,

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

Jedihel the son of Zamri, and Jobs his brother a Thosaite,

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

Eliel a Mithumite, and Jeribai, and Josaia the sons of Elnaim, and Jethma a Moabite,

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

Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel of Masobia.