Chapter 11

David Becomes King.^{[a] 1} All of Israel gathered before David in Hebron and they said, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. ² Moreover, in times past, even when Saul was the king, you led Israel out and brought them in. The Lord, your God, said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel. You will be the ruler of my people Israel.’ ” ³ When all of the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron, he made a covenant before the Lord with them at Hebron. They anointed David as king over Israel, fulfilling the word of the Lord that had been spoken by Samuel.

David Conquers Jerusalem. ⁴ David and all of Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus. The Jebusites were the inhabitants of that land. ⁵ The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will never enter.” Nevertheless, David captured the citadel of Zion, that is, the City of David. ⁶ David had said, “Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will be the commander-in-chief.” Joab, the son of Zeruiah, led it so he became the commander.

⁷ David lived in the citadel, and thus it was called the City of David. ⁸ He built up the city around it, from Millo to the surrounding walls. Joab repaired the rest of the city. ⁹ David’s power grew and grew, for the Lord of hosts was with him.

¹⁰ David’s Brave Warriors. These were the leaders of David’s brave warriors. They made him and his kingdom strong, with all of Israel making him king, according to the word of the Lord about Israel. ^11 [b]This is the list of David’s brave warriors: Ishbaal, a Hachmonite, was the leader of the captains. He raised up his spear against three hundred men at one time and he slew them.

¹² After him there was Eleazar, the son of Dodo, who was one of the three mighty men. ¹³ He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. It was a field that was planted with barley, and the people fled before the Philistines. ¹⁴ They took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and slew the Philistines, for the Lord brought about a great deliverance.

¹⁵ Now three of the thirty captains came down to the cave of Adullam to be with David, while the army of the Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶ David was in the stronghold, and there was a Philistine outpost in Bethlehem. ¹⁷ David longed for water so he said, “Oh that you would give me some water to drink from the well that is at the gate of Bethlehem.” ¹⁸ The Three broke through the lines of the Philistine army and drew water from the well at the gate to Bethlehem. They took it and brought it to David, but David would not drink it. He poured it out before the Lord. ¹⁹ He said, “Far be it from me, my God, that I should do such a thing, that I would drink the blood of these men, for they risked their lives to bring it back.” Therefore, he would not drink it.

These are the deeds of the Three brave warriors. ²⁰ Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Three. He raised up his spear against three hundred men and he slew them. He was the most famous of the Three. ²¹ He was twice as honored as the Three, for he was their captain, even though he was not one of the Three.

²² Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was a brave warrior who performed many deeds. He was from Kabzeel. He slew two of Moab’s mightiest men. He also descended into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ²³ He also slew a very tall Egyptian who was five cubits tall. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand that was as big as a weaver’s beam. He attacked him with his staff, and he snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and slew him with his own spear. ²⁴ These were the deeds of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. He was as famous as the Three Brave Warriors. ²⁵ He was more greatly honored than any of the Thirty,^[c] but he did not belong to the Three. David assigned him to be in charge of his bodyguard.

²⁶ The brave warriors were: Asahel, the brother of Joab; Elhanan, the son of Dodo from Bethlehem; ²⁷ Shammoth the Harorite; Helez the Pelonite; ²⁸ Ira, the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; Abiezer from 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 from Gibeah in Benjamin; Benaiah the Pirathonite; ³² Hurai, from the Wadi 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; ⁴⁰ Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; ⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite; Zabad, the son of Ahlai; ⁴² Adina, the son of Shiza the Reubenite, who was the leader of the Reubenites and the Thirty with him; ⁴³ Hanan, the son of Maacah; Joshaphat the Mithnite; ⁴⁴ Uzzia the Ashterathite; Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham the Aroerite; ⁴⁵ Jediael, the son of Shimri; his brother Joha the Tizite; ⁴⁶ Eliel the Mahavite; Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam; Ithmah the Moabite; ⁴⁷ Eliel; Obed; and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.