大卫做以色列人的王

11 以色列人都聚集到希伯仑来见大卫,对他说:“我们是你的骨肉同胞。 从前,即使扫罗做王的时候,率领以色列人出征打仗的仍是你。你的上帝耶和华也曾应许让你做祂以色列子民的牧者和首领。” 以色列的长老都到希伯仑见大卫王,大卫与他们在耶和华面前立约,他们膏立大卫做以色列的王,这应验了耶和华借撒母耳所说的话。 大卫和以色列众人来到耶路撒冷,即耶布斯。那时耶布斯人住在那里。 耶布斯人对大卫说:“你攻不进来。”可是,大卫攻取了锡安的堡垒,即后来的大卫城。 大卫说:“谁先攻打耶布斯人,谁就做元帅。”洗鲁雅的儿子约押首先进攻,于是就做了元帅。 大卫占据了堡垒,因此那堡垒就叫大卫城。 大卫又从米罗开始,在四围修建城墙,其余的部分由约押修建。 大卫日渐强盛,因为万军之耶和华与他同在。

大卫的勇士

10 以下是大卫手下众勇士的统领,他们和以色列百姓竭力拥护大卫做王,正如耶和华对以色列的应许。 11 大卫的勇士有哈革摩尼人雅朔班,他是三勇士之首,曾在一次交战中挥矛刺死了三百人。 12 其次是亚合人朵多的儿子以利亚撒,他是三勇士之一。 13 他曾在巴斯·达闵与大卫一起抵抗非利士人。那里有一块大麦田,以色列人战败逃跑, 14 他们却坚守阵地,奋勇杀敌。耶和华使以色列人大获全胜。 15 一次,三十位勇士中有三位到亚杜兰洞附近的磐石那里见大卫,当时非利士的军队驻扎在利乏音谷。 16 那时大卫留守在堡垒里,非利士人的驻军在伯利恒。 17 大卫渴了,说:“真想有人打一些伯利恒城门旁的井水给我喝!” 18 那三位勇士就冲过非利士人的营地,到伯利恒城门旁的井打水,带回来给大卫。大卫却不肯喝,他把水浇奠在耶和华面前, 19 说:“我的上帝啊!这三人冒死去打水,这些水就像是他们的血,我决不能喝。”因此,大卫不肯喝。这是三勇士的事迹。

20 约押的兄弟亚比筛是这三个勇士的统领,他曾挥矛刺死三百人,在三勇士中出了名, 21 最有声望,因此做了他们的统领,只是不及前三位勇士。

22 甲薛人耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅是位勇士,做过非凡的事。他曾杀死摩押的两个勇猛战士,也曾在下雪天跳进坑中杀死一头狮子, 23 还曾杀死一个两米多高的埃及巨人。当时埃及人拿着织布机轴般粗的长矛,比拿雅只拿着棍子迎战,他夺了对方的长矛,用那矛刺死了对方。 24 这是耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅的事迹,他在这三个勇士中出了名, 25 比那三十个勇士更有声望,只是不及前三位勇士。大卫派他做护卫长。

26 其他勇士有约押的兄弟亚撒黑、伯利恒人朵多的儿子伊勒哈难、 27 哈律人沙玛、比伦人希利斯、 28 提哥亚人益吉的儿子以拉、亚拿突人亚比以谢、 29 户沙人西比该、亚合人以莱、 30 尼陀法人玛哈莱、尼陀法人巴拿的儿子希立、 31 便雅悯支派基比亚人利拜的儿子以太、比拉顿人比拿雅、 32 迦实溪人户莱、亚拉巴人亚比、 33 巴路米人押斯玛弗、沙本人以利雅哈巴、 34 基孙人哈深的众子、哈拉人沙基的儿子约拿单、 35 哈拉人沙甲的儿子亚希暗、吾珥的儿子以利法勒、 36 米基拉人希弗、比伦人亚希雅、 37 迦密人希斯罗、伊斯拜的儿子拿莱、 38 拿单的兄弟约珥、哈基利的儿子弥伯哈、 39 亚扪人洗勒、为洗鲁雅的儿子约押拿兵器的比录人拿哈莱、 40 以帖人以拉、以帖人迦立、 41 赫人乌利亚、亚莱的儿子撒拔、 42 示撒的儿子亚第拿——吕便支派中率领三十人的首领、 43 玛迦的儿子哈难、弥特尼人约沙法、 44 亚施他拉人乌西亚、亚罗珥人何坦的儿子沙玛和耶利、 45 提洗人申利的儿子耶叠和他的兄弟约哈、 46 玛哈未人以利业、伊利拿安的儿子耶利拜和约沙未雅、摩押人伊特玛、 47 以利业、俄备得和米琐巴人雅西业。

David becomes king[a]

11 Then all the Israelites came to David at Hebron. They said to him, ‘We all belong to the same family as you do. In the past, even when Saul was our king, you led the Israelites in war. The Lord your God said to you, “You will take care of my people, as a shepherd takes care of his sheep. You will rule over my people, Israel.” ’

So King David made an agreement with the leaders of Israel when they came to him at Hebron. They made promises in the Lord's name. Then they anointed David to be king over Israel. The Lord had told Samuel that this would happen.

David and his men attack Jerusalem

David and the whole Israelite army marched to attack Jerusalem. At that time, the city was called Jebus. The people who lived there were called Jebusites. The Jebusites said to David, ‘You will never get into our city.’ But David did get in and he took Zion, the city's strong place. It is now called the City of David.

David had said to his soldiers, ‘The man who attacks the Jebusites first will become the captain of my army.’ Zeruiah's son Joab attacked first. So he became the captain of the army.

David went to live in the strong place of the city. So people called it ‘The City of David’. David built more houses all around it, from the edge of the hill to the city's walls. Joab built up again the other buildings in the city. David became more and more powerful because the Lord Almighty was with him.

David's brave soldiers

10 These were the leaders of David's brave soldiers. They helped to make David's kingdom strong, so that he ruled over all the people in Israel. That is what the Lord had promised. 11 This is the list of David's brave soldiers:

Jashobeam belonged to Hakmoni's clan. He was the leader of David's officers. He used his spear to fight against 300 men in one battle and he killed all of them.

12 Eleazar was also a leader among the ‘Three Brave Soldiers’. He was Dodo's son, who belonged to Ahoah's clan. 13 Eleazar was with David at Pas-Dammim. The Philistine soldiers were ready to attack the Israelites. There was a field there with a lot of barley. The Israelites ran away from the Philistines. 14 But David and Eleazar stood in the middle of the field to stop the Philistines taking it for themselves. They killed the Philistines. The Lord saved them. He caused them to win a great battle.

15 There were 30 leaders among David's soldiers. Three of them went to be with David at Adullam's cave where there was a big rock. A group of Philistine soldiers had made their camp in Rephaim valley. 16 David was in his strong safe place. A group of Philistine soldiers had made their home in Bethlehem. 17 David was very thirsty. He said, ‘I want someone to bring water from the well near Bethlehem's gate for me to drink.’ 18 So the three soldiers fought through the Philistine camp and they reached Bethlehem's gate. They took some water from the well there and they carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it. He poured it on the ground as an offering to the Lord. 19 He said, ‘God knows that it is not right for me to drink this water. It would seem like the blood of the brave men who fetched it for me. The Philistines might have killed them on the way.’ So David refused to drink it.

That was one of the great things that those three brave soldiers did.

20 Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of David's 30 great soldiers. One time, he used his spear to fight 300 men and he killed them all. So he became as famous as the ‘Three Brave Soldiers’. 21 He was not one of the ‘Three Brave Soldiers’ but he received more honour than the other 30 great soldiers. So he became their leader.

22 Jehoiada's son, Benaiah, was also one of David's brave soldiers. He came from Kabzeel and he did many great things. He killed two of Moab's best soldiers. He also went down into a deep hole to kill a lion when snow was on the ground. 23 Benaiah also killed a very big Egyptian man who was 2.3 metres tall. The Egyptian held a spear that was thick and heavy, like a big tree. Benaiah attacked him with a heavy stick. He took the spear from the Egyptian's hand and he used it to kill him. 24 Those were some things that Jehoiada's son Benaiah did. He became as famous as the ‘Three Brave Soldiers’. 25 He received more honour than the other 30 great soldiers, but he did not belong to the ‘Three Brave Soldiers’. David made him the leader of his own special soldiers who were his guards.

26 These men were also David's great soldiers:

Joab's brother Asahel.

Elhanan, Dodo's son, from Bethlehem.

27 Shammoth, from Harod's clan.

Helez, from Pelon's clan.

28 Ira, Ikkesh's son, from Tekoa.

Abiezer, from Anathoth.

29 Sibbekai, from Hushah's clan.

Ilai, from Ahoah's clan.

30 Maharai, from Netophah.

Heled, Baanah's son, also from Netophah.

31 Ithai, Ribai's son, from Gibeah, in the land that belonged to Benjamin's tribe.

Benaiah, from Pirathon.

32 Hurai, from the valleys near Gaash.

Abiel, from Arbah's clan.

33 Azmaveth, from Baharum.

Eliahba, from Shaalbon.

34 Hashem's sons, who were Gizonites.

Shagee's son Jonathan, from Harar.

35 Sachar's son Ahiam, also from Harar.

Ur's son Eliphal.

36 Hepher, from Mekerath.

Ahijah, from Pelon's clan.

37 Hezro, from Carmel.

Ezbai's son Naarai.

38 Nathan's brother Joel.

Hagri's son Mibhar.

39 Zelek, from Ammon.

Naharai, from Beeroth. He carried Joab's weapons. (Joab was the son of Zeruiah.)

40 Ira and Gareb, from Jattir.

41 Uriah, the Hittite.

Ahlai's son Zabad.

42 Shiza's son Adina, from Reuben's tribe. He was the leader of Reuben's soldiers. He had 30 brave soldiers with him.

43 Maakah's son Hanan.

Joshaphat, from Mithna.

44 Uzzia, from Ashterath.

Shama and Jeiel, sons of Hotham, from Aroer.

45 Shimri's son Jediael.

Jediael's brother Joha, from Tiz.

46 Eliel, from Mahavah.

Elnaam's sons, Jeribai and Joshaviah.

Ithmah, from Moab.

47 Eliel and Obed.

Jaasiel, from Zobah.

Footnotes

  1. 11:1 The next ten chapters (chapters 11—20) describe the time when David ruled Israel as king.