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.

And all Israel came to David in Chebron, saying, Behold, we [are] your bones and your 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.’”

And heretofore when Saul was king, you were he that led Israel in and out, and the Lord of Israel said to you, You shall feed my people Israel, and you shall be for a ruler over Israel.

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.

And all the elders of Israel came to the king to Chebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Chebron before the Lord: and they anointed David to be king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by 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 the king and his men went to Jerusalem, this [is] Jebus; and there the Jebusites the inhabitants of the land said to David,

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’.

You shall not enter in hither. But he took the strong hold of Sion: this [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 David said, Whoever first smites the Jebusite, even he shall be chief and captain. And Joab the son of Saruia went up first, and became chief.

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 lived in the strong hold; therefore he called it 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 fortified the city round about.

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

And David continued to increase, and the Lord Almighty [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.

And these [are] the chiefs of the mighty men, whom David had, who strengthened [themselves] with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning 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 list of the mighty [men] of David; Jesebada, son of Achaman, first of the thirty: he drew his sword once against three hundred whom he killed at one time.

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

And after him Eleazar son of Dodai, the Achochite: he was among the three mighty men.

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 Phasodamin, and the Philistines were gathered there to battle, and [there was] a portion of the field full of barley; and the people fled 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.

And he stood in the midst of the portion, and rescued it, and struck the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great deliverance.

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 chiefs went down to the rock to David, to the cave of Odollam, and the camp of the Philistines [was] in the giants' valley.

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

And David [was] then in the hold, and the garrison of the Philistines [was] then in Bethleem.

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, Who will give me water to drink of the well of Bethleem, that 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 the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, and they drew water out of the well that was in Bethleem, which was in the gate, and they took it, and came to David: but David would not drink it, and poured it out to the Lord, and said,

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.

God forbid that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men with their lives? for with [the peril of] their lives they brought it. So he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty [men].

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 Abisa the brother of Joab, he was chief of three: he drew his sword against three hundred slain at one time, and he had a name among the [second] 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.

He was more famous than the two [others] of the three, and he was chief [over] them; yet he reached 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.

And Banaia the son of Jodae was the son of a mighty man: many [were] his acts for Cabasael: he struck two lion-like men of Moab, and he went down and struck a lion in a pit on a snowy day.

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 struck an Egyptian, a wonderful man five cubits [high]; and in the hand of the Egyptian [there was] a spear like a weavers' beam; and Banaia went down to him with a staff, and took the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed 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 Banaia son of Jodae, and his name [was] among the three mighties.

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.

He was distinguished beyond the thirty, yet he reached not to the [first] three: and David set him over his family.

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

And the mighty [men] of the forces [were], Asael the brother of Joab, Eleanan the son of Dodoe of Bethleem,

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

Samaoth the Arorite, Chelles the Phelonite,

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

Ora the son of Ekkis the Thecoite, Abiezer the Anathothite,

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

Sobochai the Usathite, Eli the Achonite,

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

Marai the Netophathite, Chthaod the son of Nooza the Netophathite,

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

Airi the son of Rebie of the hill of Benjamin, Banaias the Pharathonite,

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

Uri of Nachali Gaas, Abiel the Garabaethite,

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

Azbon the Baromite, Eliaba the Salabonite,

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

the son of Asam the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Sola the Ararite,

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

Achim the son of Achar the Ararite, Elphat the son of Thyrophar

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

the Mechorathrite, Achia the Phellonite,

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

Esere the Charmadaite, Naarai the son of Azobai,

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

Joel the son of Nathan, Mebaal son of Agari,

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

Sele the son of Ammoni, Nachor the Berothite, armor-bearer to the son of Saruia,

40 Ira and Gareb from Jattir [town];

Ira the Jethrite, Gaber the Jethrite,

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

Uria the Chettite, Zabet son of Achaia,

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

Adina son of Saeza, a chief of Ruben, and thirty with him,

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

Anan the son of Moocha, and Josaphat the Matthanite,

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

Ozia the Astarothite, Samatha and Jeiel sons of Chotham the Ararite,

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

Jediel the son of Sameri, and Jozae his brother the Thosaite,

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

Eliel the Maoite, and Jaribi, and Josia his son, Ellaam, and Jethama the Moabite,

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

Daliel, and Obeth, and Jessiel of Mesobia.