1 Chronicles 11

1 Then all Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your flesh and bone.

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 In the recent past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led the Israelite army. Yahweh your God said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become a ruler 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 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them before Yahweh. They anointed David king over Israel. In this way, the word of Yahweh that had been declared by Samuel came true.

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 David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). Now the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there.

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 The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” But David took the stronghold of Zion, that 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 David had said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first will become chief and commander.” So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked first, so he was made the chief.

[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 Then David began to live in the stronghold. So they 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 He built the city all around from the Millo and back to the surrounding wall. Joab restored 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 David became greater and greater because Yahweh of hosts was with him.

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

10 These were the leaders David had, who showed themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, obeying the word of Yahweh concerning 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 This is a list of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, was commander of the officers. He killed three hundred men with his spear on one occasion.

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 After him was Eleazar son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.

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

13 He was with David at Pas Dammim, and there the Philistines assembled together for battle, where there was a barley field and the army fled from 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 They stood in the middle of the field. They defended it and cut down the Philistines and Yahweh rescued them with a great victory.

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 Then three of the thirty leaders went down to the rock to David, to the cave of Adullam. The army of the Philistines was camped 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 At that time David was in his stronghold, a cave, while the Philistines had established their camp at Bethlehem.

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

17 David was longing for water and said, “If only someone would give me water to drink from the well at Bethlehem, the well that is by 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 So these three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, the well at the gate. They took the water and brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to Yahweh.

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 Then he said, “May it be that I should never do this! Should I drink the blood of these men who have risked their lives?” Because they had put their lives at risk, David refused to drink it. These were the deeds of the three mighty men.

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 Abishai brother of Joab was captain over the Three. He once used his spear against three hundred and killed them. He is mentioned along with the 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 was given double honor and became their captain, even though he was not one of them.

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 was a brave warrior from Kabzeel, who did great deeds. He killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down into a pit and killed a lion on a day when the snow was falling.

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 He even killed an Egyptian, a man five cubits tall. The Egyptian had a spear like a weaver's beam, but he went down to him with only a staff. He seized the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed 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 Benaiah son of Jehoiada did these feats, and he was named alongside the three mighty men.

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

25 He was more highly regarded than the thirty soldiers in general, but he was not regarded quite as highly as the three mighty men. Yet David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

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 The mighty men were Asahel brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

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, Abiezer the Anathothite,

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

29 Sibbekai 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 Benjamin's descendants, 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 valleys 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 Shagee the Hararite,

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

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

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

36 Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

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

37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,

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

38 Joel brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri,

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

39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite (the armor bearer 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 (a chief of the Reubenites) and thirty with him,

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

43 Hanan son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

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

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

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

45 Jediael son of Shimri, Joha (his brother the Tizite),

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

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

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

47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

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