1 Chronicles 11
GOD’S WORD Translation
David Anointed King of Israel(A)
11 All Israel gathered around David at Hebron. “We are your own flesh and blood,” they said. 2 “Even in the past when Saul ruled, you were the one who led Israel on its campaigns to war. The Lord your God has said to you, ‘You will be shepherd of my people Israel, the leader of my people Israel.’ ”
3 All the leaders of Israel had come to Hebron. David made an agreement with them at Hebron in front of the Lord. So they anointed David king of Israel, as the Lord had spoken through Samuel.
David Captures Jerusalem(B)
4 David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites were living in that region. 5 They told David, “You will never get in here.” But David captured the fortress Zion (that is, the City of David).
6 Now, David said, “Whoever is the first to kill a Jebusite will be made a general and a prince.” Zeruiah’s son Joab was the first to go ⌞into Jerusalem⌟, so he became the general.
7 David lived in the fortress, so it was called the City of David. 8 He built the city ⌞of Jerusalem⌟ around it, starting from the Millo [a] and making a complete circuit. Joab rebuilt the rest of the city. 9 David continued to grow more powerful because the Lord of Armies was with him.
David’s Three Fighting Men(C)
10 Now, these were the commanders of David’s fighting men, who exercised power with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel they made him king according to the Lord’s word to Israel. 11 The first of David’s fighting men was Jashobeam, son of Hachmon, the leader of the three.[b] He used his spear to kill 300 men on one occasion. 12 Next in rank to him was Eleazar, another one of the three fighting men. He was the son of Dodo and grandson of Aho. 13 Eleazar was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. There was a field of ripe barley. When the troops fled from the Philistines, 14 they stood in the middle of the field and defended it by killing Philistines. So the Lord saved ⌞them⌟ with an impressive victory. 15 Once three of the thirty leading men went down to David’s rock at the cave of Adullam when the army of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. 16 While David was in the fortified camp, Philistine troops were in Bethlehem.
17 David was thirsty and said, “I wish I could have a drink of water from the cistern at the city gate of Bethlehem.” 18 So the three burst into the Philistine camp and drew water from the cistern. They brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out ⌞as an offering⌟ to the Lord 19 and said, “It’s unthinkable that I would do this, God. Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives? They had to risk their lives to get this water.” So he refused to drink it.
These are the things which the three fighting men did.
David’s Thirty Fighting Men(D)
20 Joab’s brother Abishai was the leader of the thirty. He used his spear to kill 300 men, but he was not one of the three, 21 although he was honored more than they were. So he became their captain but didn’t become a member of the three.
22 Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was from Kabzeel and was a brave man who did many things. He killed two distinguished soldiers from Moab. He also went into a cistern and killed a lion on the day it snowed. 23 He killed an eight-foot-tall Egyptian. The Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam in his hand. But Benaiah went to him with a club, grabbed the spear away from him, and killed him with it. 24 These are the things that Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, did. He was as famous as the three fighting men. 25 He was honored more than the thirty, but he was not a member of the three. David put him in charge of his bodyguards.
26 The distinguished fighting men were
Joab’s brother Asahel,
Elhanan (son of Dodo) from Bethlehem,
27 Shammoth from Harod,
Helez the Pelonite,
28 Ira (son of Ikkesh) from Tekoa,
Abiezer from Anathoth,
29 Sibbecai (son of Hushai),
Ilai (descendant of Ahohi),
30 Maharai from Netophah,
Heled (son of Baanah) from Netophah,
31 Ithai (son of Ribai) from Gibeah in Benjamin,
Benaiah from Pirathon,
32 Hurai from the Gaash ravines,
Abiel from Beth Arabah,
33 Azmaveth from Bahurim,
Eliahba from Shaalbon,
34 Bene Hashem from Gizon,
Jonathan (son of Shage the Hararite),
35 Ahiam (son of Sachar the Hararite),
Eliphal (son of Ur),
36 Hepher the Mecherathite,
Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hezro from Carmel,
Naari (son of Ezbai),
38 Joel (son of Nathan),
Mibhar (son of Hagri),
39 Zelek from Ammon,
Naharai from Beroth, armorbearer for Zeruiah’s son Joab,
40 Ira (descendant of Ithra),
Gareb (descendant of Ithra),
41 Uriah the Hittite,
Zabad (son of Ahlai),
42 Adina (son of Shiza) from the tribe of Reuben (who was leader of the tribe of Reuben and had his own group of thirty soldiers),
43 Hanan (son of Maacah),
and Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44 Uzzia from Ashteroth,
Shama and Jeiel (sons of Hotham from Aroer),
45 Jediael (son of Shimri) and
his brother Joha the Tizite,
46 Eliel the Mahavite,
Jeribai and Joshaviah (sons of Elnaam),
Ithmah from Moab,
47 Eliel,
Obed, and
Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Footnotes
- 11:8 The exact place referred to as “the Millo” is unknown.
- 11:11 2 Samuel 23:8, Greek; Masoretic Text “thirty.”
1 Chronicles 11
English Standard Version
David Anointed King
11 (A)Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. 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, (B)‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, (C)according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.
David Takes Jerusalem
4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, (D)that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, (E)the inhabitants of the land. 5 The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 6 David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first (F)shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. 7 And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. 8 And he built the city all around from the Millo in complete circuit, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. 9 And David (G)became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.
David's Mighty Men
10 (H)Now these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, (I)according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. 11 This is an account of David's mighty men: (J)Jashobeam, a (K)Hachmonite, was (L)chief of the three.[a] He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.
12 And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of (M)Dodo, the Ahohite. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim (N)when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. 14 But he took his[b] stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the (O)Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the (P)garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 17 And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” 18 Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord 19 and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
20 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty.[c] And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three. 21 He was the most renowned[d] of the thirty[e] and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.
22 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man[f] of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 23 And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits[g] tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear (Q)like a weaver's beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. 25 He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
26 The mighty men were (R)Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth of Harod,[h] Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, 32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 Hashem[i] the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of (S)Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, (T)Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty 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 Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 Compare 2 Samuel 23:8; Hebrew thirty, or captains
- 1 Chronicles 11:14 Compare 2 Samuel 23:12; Hebrew they… their
- 1 Chronicles 11:20 Syriac; Hebrew three
- 1 Chronicles 11:21 Compare 2 Samuel 23:19; Hebrew more renowned among the two
- 1 Chronicles 11:21 Syriac; Hebrew three
- 1 Chronicles 11:22 Syriac; Hebrew the son of a valiant man
- 1 Chronicles 11:23 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
- 1 Chronicles 11:27 Compare 2 Samuel 23:25; Hebrew the Harorite
- 1 Chronicles 11:34 Compare Septuagint and 2 Samuel 23:32; Hebrew the sons of Hashem
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