1 Chronicles 11
Amplified Bible
David Made King over All Israel
11 [a]Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.(A) 2 In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be prince and leader over My people Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant (solemn agreement) with them there before the Lord; and they anointed him king over Israel, in accordance with the word of the Lord through Samuel.(B)
Jerusalem, Capital City
4 Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. 5 Then the Jebusites said to David, “You shall not come in here.” But David captured the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). 6 Now David said, “Whoever strikes down a Jebusite first shall be chief and commander.” Joab the son of Zeruiah [David’s half sister] went up first, and so he was made chief. 7 Then David lived in the stronghold; so it was called the City of David. 8 He built the city around it, from the Millo (fortification) to the surrounding area; and Joab repaired the rest of the [old Jebusite] city. 9 David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.
David’s Mighty Men
10 Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who strongly supported him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, in accordance with the word of the Lord concerning Israel. 11 This is the list of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty [heroes]. He lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he killed at one time.
12 Next to him [in rank] was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at Pasdammim [where David had killed Goliath] and there the Philistines were gathered together for battle, and there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people [of Israel] fled before the Philistines. 14 But they took their stand in the midst of that plot and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the Lord rescued them by a great victory.(C)
15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem. 17 David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is next to the gate!” 18 Then the three [mighty men] broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was next to the gate, and brought it to David. But David would not drink it; he poured it out to the Lord [as an offering]; 19 and he said, “Far be it from me before my God that I would do this thing! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For they brought it at the risk of their lives.” So he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
20 Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the [other] [b]three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and he had a name as well as the three. 21 Of the three in the second [rank] he was the most honored and became their captain; however, he did not attain to the first three [Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah].
22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a courageous man of Kabzeel who had done great things, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. Also he went down and killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day. 23 He killed an Egyptian also, a man of great stature, five [c]cubits tall. In the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam, and Benaiah went down to him with [only] a staff (rod) and grabbed the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. 25 He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to [the rank of] the [first] three. David appointed him over his bodyguard.
26 Now the mighty men of the armies were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjamites, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah [David’s half sister], 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite [Bathsheba’s husband], Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty [heroes] with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and his brother Joha, the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel and Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 11:1 Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth, ruled over the tribes of Israel for two tumultuous years after his father’s death. His assassination (2 Sam 4) triggered Israel’s appeal to David.
- 1 Chronicles 11:20 So with MT, LXX; Syr thirty.
- 1 Chronicles 11:23 I.e. one cubit is approximately 18 in.
1 Chronicles 11
Complete Jewish Bible
11 Then all Isra’el gathered themselves to David in Hevron and said, “Here, we are your own flesh and bone. 2 In the past, even when Sha’ul was king, it was you who led Isra’el’s military campaigns; and Adonai your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Isra’el, and you will be chief over my people Isra’el.’” 3 So all the leaders of Isra’el came to the king in Hevron; and David made a covenant with them in Hevron in the presence of Adonai. Then they anointed David king over Isra’el, as Adonai had said through Sh’mu’el.
4 David and all Isra’el went to Yerushalayim, also known as Y’vus; and the Y’vusi, the inhabitants of that region, were there. 5 The inhabitants of Y’vus taunted David by saying, “You won’t get in here!” Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Tziyon, also known now as the City of David. 6 David said, “Whoever attacks the Y’vusi first will be commander-in-chief.” Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah attacked first and was made commander.
7 David lived in the stronghold; therefore they called it the City of David. 8 David built up the city around it, starting at the Millo [earth rampart] and going on around; while Yo’av repaired the rest of the city. 9 David grew greater and greater, because Adonai-Tzva’ot was with him.
10 These are David’s chief warriors, who, under his rulership, joined forces with him and with all Isra’el to make him king, as Adonai had said concerning Isra’el; 11 here is the list of David’s warrior-heroes:
Yashov‘am son of a Hakhmoni, the chief officer; he is the one who raised his spear against 300 men and killed them in a single encounter.
12 After him was El‘azar the son of Dodo the Achochi, one of the three warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas-Damim, where the P’lishtim had assembled for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley; and when the people fled from the P’lishtim, 14 they stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P’lishtim; and Adonai saved them with a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to the rock and came to David during harvest season at the cave of ‘Adulam when the army of the P’lishtim had set up camp in the Refa’im Valley. 16 At that time David was in the fortress, and the garrison of the P’lishtim was in Beit-Lechem. 17 David had a craving and said, “I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem!” 18 The three broke through the army of the P’lishtim, drew water from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem, took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it; instead, he poured it out to Adonai 19 and said, “My God forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of these men who went and put their lives in jeopardy? They risked their lives to bring it!” — and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did.
20 Avishai the brother of Yo’av was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three. 21 Of the three in the second rank he had the most honor and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three.
22 B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada, the son of a valiant man of Kavtze’el, was a man of many exploits. He struck down two lion-hearted men of Mo’av. One day when it was snowing, he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 23 Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man who was very tall, seven-and-a-half feet: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand the size of a weaver’s beam; he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 These are things that B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada did that earned him a name among the three warrior-heroes. 25 He had more honor than the thirty, but he did not achieve the status of the first three. David put him in command of his personal guard.
26 There were also these warrior-heroes:
‘Asah’el the brother of Yo’av,
Elchanan the son of Dodo, from Beit-Lechem,
27 Shammah the Harori,
Heletz the P’loni,
28 ‘Ira son of ‘Ikesh from T’koa,
Avi‘ezer from ‘Anatot,
29 Sibkhai the Hushati,
‘Ilai the Achochi,
30 Mahrai the N’tofati,
Heled the son of Ba‘anah the N’tofati,
31 Ittai the son of Rivai from Giv‘ah, from the descendants of Binyamin,
B’nayahu from Pir‘aton,
32 Hurai from the vadis of Ga‘ash,
Avi’el the ‘Arvati,
33 ‘Azmavet the Bacharumi
Elyachba the Sha‘alvoni,
34 the sons of Hashem the Gizoni,
Y’honatan the son of Shageh the Harari,
35 Achi’am the son of Sakhar the Harari,
Elifal the son of Ur,
36 Hefer the M’kherati,
Achiyah the P’loni,
37 Hetzro the Karmeli,
Na‘arai the son of Ezbai
38 Yo’el the brother of Natan,
Mivchar the son of Hagri,
39 Tzelek the ‘Amoni,
Nachrai the Be’eroti, armor-bearer of Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah,
40 ‘Ira the Yitri,
Garev the Yitri,
41 Uriyah the Hitti,
Zavad the son of Achlai,
42 ‘Adina the son of Shiza the Re’uveni, a leader among the Re’uveni,
and thirty with him,
43 Hanan the son of Ma‘akhah,
Yoshafat the Mitni,
44 ‘Uziyah the ‘Asht’rati
Shama and Ye‘i’el the sons of Hotam the ‘Aro‘eri,
45 Y’dia‘el the son of Shimri,
Yocha his brother, the Titzi,
46 Eli’el from Machavim,
Yerivai and Yoshavyah the sons of Elna‘am,
Yitmah the Mo’avi,
47 Eli’el,
‘Oved,
and Ya‘asi’el from M’tzovayah.
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