1 Chronicles 11
Christian Standard Bible
David’s Anointing as King
11 All Israel(A) came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.[a] 2 Even previously when Saul was king, you were leading Israel out to battle and bringing us back. The Lord your God also said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be ruler over my people Israel.’”
3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. David made a covenant with them at Hebron in the Lord’s presence, and they anointed David king over Israel, in keeping with the Lord’s word through Samuel.(B)
David’s Capture of Jerusalem
4 David(C) and all Israel marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus); the Jebusites who inhabited the land were there.(D) 5 The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will never get in here.” Yet David did capture the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
6 David said, “Whoever is the first to kill a Jebusite will become chief commander.” Joab(E) son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became the chief.
7 Then David took up residence in the stronghold; therefore, it was called the city of David. 8 He built up the city all the way around, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding parts, and Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 David steadily grew more powerful,(F) and the Lord of Armies was with him.
Exploits of David’s Warriors
10 The following were the chiefs of David’s warriors who, together with all Israel, strongly supported him in his reign to make him king according to the Lord’s word about Israel.(G) 11 This(H) is the list of David’s warriors:
Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief(I) of the Thirty;[b] he wielded his spear against three hundred and killed them at one time.
12 After him, Eleazar son of Dodo(J) the Ahohite was one of the three warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines had gathered there for battle. There was a portion of a field full of barley, where the troops had fled from the Philistines.(K) 14 But Eleazar and David[c] took their stand in the middle of the field and defended it. They killed the Philistines, and the Lord gave them a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam,(L) while the Philistine army was encamped in Rephaim Valley.(M) 16 At that time David was in the stronghold,(N) and a Philistine garrison(O) was at Bethlehem. 17 David was extremely thirsty[d] and said, “If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!” 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord. 19 David said, “I would never do such a thing in the presence of my God! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” For they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.
20 Abishai,(P) Joab’s brother, was the leader of the Three.[e] He raised his spear against three hundred men and killed them, gaining a reputation among the Three. 21 He was more honored than the Three and became their commander even though he did not become one of the Three.
22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada(Q) was the son of a brave man[f] from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. Benaiah killed two sons of Ariel of Moab,[g] and he went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 23 He also killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall.[h] Even though the Egyptian had a spear in his hand like a weaver’s beam,(R) Benaiah went down to him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and then killed him with his own spear. 24 These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who had a reputation among the three warriors. 25 He was the most honored of the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
26 The best soldiers(S) were
Joab’s brother Asahel,(T)
Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
27 Shammoth the Harorite,
Helez the Pelonite,
28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
Abiezer the Anathothite,
29 Sibbecai the Hushathite,
Ilai the Ahohite,
30 Maharai the Netophathite,
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,
31 Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites,
Benaiah the Pirathonite,
32 Hurai from the wadis of Gaash,
Abiel the Arbathite,
33 Azmaveth the Baharumite,
Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
34 the sons of[i](U) Hashem the Gizonite,
Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,
35 Ahiam son of Sachar the Hararite,
Eliphal son of Ur,
36 Hepher the Mecherathite,
Ahijah the Pelonite,
37 Hezro the Carmelite,
Naarai son of Ezbai,
38 Joel the brother of Nathan,
Mibhar son of Hagri,
39 Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer for Joab son of Zeruiah,
40 Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite,
41 Uriah the Hethite,
Zabad son of Ahlai,
42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,
43 Hanan son of Maacah,
Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite,
Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
45 Jediael 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, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
1 Chronicles 11
Common English Bible
All Israel makes David king
11 All the Israelites gathered around David at Hebron. “We’re your own flesh and blood,” they said. 2 “In the past, even when Saul ruled over us, you were the one who led Israel. The Lord your God told you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become a leader over my people Israel.’” 3 So all of Israel’s elders came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them before the Lord. They anointed David to make him king over Israel, just as the Lord had promised through Samuel.
David captures Jerusalem
4 Then David and all Israel marched to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites lived. 5 The people who lived in Jebus told David, “You’ll never get in here!”
But David captured the mountain fortress of Zion, which became David’s City. 6 David had said, “The first one to kill a Jebusite will become commander in chief!” Joab, Zeruiah’s son, was the first to attack and so became commander in chief. 7 David occupied the fortress, so it was renamed David’s City. 8 He also built up the city on all sides, including its own foundations and the surrounding areas, while Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 David grew increasingly powerful, and the Lord of heavenly forces was with him.
David and his warriors
10 These are the commanders of David’s warriors who continued to support him while he was king. Together with all Israel, they made him king, as the Lord had promised Israel. 11 This is the list of David’s warriors:
Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was commander of the Thirty. He raised his spear against eight hundred, killing them on a single occasion.
12 Next in command came Eleazar, Dodo’s son the Ahohite, who was one of the three warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas-dammim. The Philistines were gathered there for battle, where part of a field was full of barley. When the people ran away from the Philistines, 14 he and David stood in the middle of the field, held their ground, and defeated the Philistines. So the Lord achieved a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty commanders went down from the rock to David at the fortress[a] of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines camped in the Rephaim Valley. 16 At that time David was in the fortress, and a Philistine fort was in Bethlehem. 17 David had a craving and said, “If only someone could give me a drink of water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 18 So the three warriors broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it and poured it out to the Lord.
19 “God forbid that I should do that,” he said. “Isn’t this the blood of men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Since they had brought it at the risk of their lives, David refused to drink it.
These were the kinds of things the three warriors did.
20 Abishai, Joab’s brother, was chief of the Thirty.[b] He raised his spear against the three hundred men he had slain, but he wasn’t considered one of the Three. 21 He was the most famous of the Thirty. He became their commander, but he wasn’t among the Three.
22 Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son from Kabzeel, was a hero who performed great deeds. He killed two of Moab’s leaders,[c] and on a snowy day went down into a pit where he killed a lion. 23 He also killed an Egyptian seven and a half feet tall, who was holding a spear like a weaver’s beam. Benaiah went down to him with a club, grabbed the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with it. 24 These were the exploits of Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son; he wasn’t considered one of the three warriors. 25 He was famous among the Thirty, but didn’t become one of the Three. David placed him in command of his own bodyguard.
26 The mighty warriors:
Asahel, Joab’s brother;
Elhanan, Dodo’s son from Bethlehem;
27 Shammoth from Haror;
Helez from Pelon;
28 Ira, Ikkesh’s son from Tekoa;
Abiezer from Anathoth;
29 Sibbecai the Hushathite;
Ilai from Ahoh;
30 Maharai from Netophah;
Heled, Baanah’s son from Netophah;
31 Ithai, Ribai’s son from Gibeah of the Benjaminites;
Benaiah from Pirathon;
32 Hurai from the Gaash ravines;
Abiel the Arbathite;
33 Azmaveth from Baharum;
Eliahba from Shaalbon;
34 Hashem[d] the Gizonite;
Jonathan, Shagee’s son from Harar;
35 Ahiam, Sachar’s son from Harar;
Eliphal, Ur’s son;
36 Hepher the Mecherathite;
Ahijah the Pelonite;
37 Hezro from Carmel;
Naarai, Ezbai’s son;
38 Joel, Nathan’s brother;
Mibhar, Hagri’s son;
39 Zelek the Ammonite;
Naharai from Beeroth, Zeruiah’s son and the armor-bearer for Joab;
40 Ira from Ither;
Gareb from Ither;
41 Uriah the Hittite;
Zabad, Ahlai’s son;
42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him;
43 Hanan, Maacah’s son;
Joshaphat the Mithnite;
44 Uzzia the Ashterathite;
Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite;
45 Jediael, Shimri’s son, and his brother Joha the Tizite;
46 Eliel the Mahavite;
Jeribai and Joshaviah, Elnaam’s sons;
Ithmah the Moabite;
47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 11:15 Or cave; cf 2 Sam 23:14
- 1 Chronicles 11:20 Syr; MT three
- 1 Chronicles 11:22 Heb Ariel
- 1 Chronicles 11:34 MT the family of Hashem
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