1 Chronicles 11
New King James Version
David Made King over All Israel(A)
11 Then (B)all Israel came together to David at Hebron, saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. 2 Also, in time past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord your (C)God said to you, ‘You shall (D)shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over My people Israel.’ ” 3 Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And (E)they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord [a]by (F)Samuel.
The City of David(G)
4 And David and all Israel (H)went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, (I)where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5 But the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not come in here!” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). 6 Now David said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be [b]chief and captain.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and became chief. 7 Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it [c]the City of David. 8 And he built the city around it, from [d]the Millo to the surrounding area. Joab [e]repaired the rest of the city. 9 So David (J)went on and became great, and the Lord of hosts was with (K)him.
The Mighty Men of David(L)
10 Now (M)these were the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to (N)the word of the Lord concerning Israel.
11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: (O)Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, (P)chief of [f]the captains; he had lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed by him at one time.
12 After him was Eleazar the son of (Q)Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at [g]Pasdammim. Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley. So the people fled from the Philistines. 14 But they [h]stationed themselves in the middle of that field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
15 Now three of the thirty chief men (R)went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines encamped (S)in the Valley of [i]Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 17 And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 18 So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. 19 And he said, “Far be it from me, O my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.
20 (T)Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of another [j]three. He had lifted up his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. 21 (U)Of the three he was more honored than the other two men. Therefore he became their captain. However he did not attain to the first three.
22 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who [k]had done many deeds. (V)He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 23 And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, [l]five cubits tall. In the Egyptian’s hand there was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 24 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. 25 Indeed he was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard.
26 Also the mighty warriors were (W)Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 [m]Shammoth the Harorite, (X)Helez the [n]Pelonite, 28 (Y)Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, (Z)Abiezer the Anathothite, 29 [o]Sibbechai the Hushathite, [p]Ilai the Ahohite, 30 (AA)Maharai the Netophathite, [q]Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 [r]Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin, (AB)Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 [s]Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, [t]Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the [u]Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 the sons of [v]Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shageh the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of [w]Sacar the Hararite, [x]Eliphal the son of [y]Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 [z]Hezro the Carmelite, [aa]Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the [ab]Berothite (the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 (AC)Uriah the Hittite, [ac]Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite (a chief of the Reubenites) and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maachah, 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, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 11:3 Lit. by the hand of Samuel
- 1 Chronicles 11:6 Lit. head
- 1 Chronicles 11:7 Zion, 2 Sam. 5:7
- 1 Chronicles 11:8 Lit. The Landfill
- 1 Chronicles 11:8 Lit. revived
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 So with Qr.; Kt., LXX, Vg. the thirty (cf. 2 Sam. 23:8)
- 1 Chronicles 11:13 Ephes Dammim, 1 Sam. 17:1
- 1 Chronicles 11:14 Lit. took their stand
- 1 Chronicles 11:15 Lit. Giants
- 1 Chronicles 11:20 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Syr. thirty
- 1 Chronicles 11:22 was great in deeds
- 1 Chronicles 11:23 About 7 1⁄2 feet
- 1 Chronicles 11:27 Shammah the Harodite, 2 Sam. 23:25
- 1 Chronicles 11:27 Paltite, 2 Sam. 23:26
- 1 Chronicles 11:29 Mebunnai, 2 Sam. 23:27
- 1 Chronicles 11:29 Zalmon, 2 Sam. 23:28
- 1 Chronicles 11:30 Heleb, 2 Sam. 23:29, or Heldai, 1 Chr. 27:15
- 1 Chronicles 11:31 Ittai, 2 Sam. 23:29
- 1 Chronicles 11:32 Hiddai, 2 Sam. 23:30
- 1 Chronicles 11:32 Abi-Albon, 2 Sam. 23:31
- 1 Chronicles 11:33 Barhumite, 2 Sam. 23:31
- 1 Chronicles 11:34 Jashen, 2 Sam. 23:32
- 1 Chronicles 11:35 Sharar, 2 Sam. 23:33
- 1 Chronicles 11:35 Eliphelet, 2 Sam. 23:34
- 1 Chronicles 11:35 Ahasbai, 2 Sam. 23:34
- 1 Chronicles 11:37 Hezrai, 2 Sam. 23:38
- 1 Chronicles 11:37 Paarai the Arbite, 2 Sam. 23:35
- 1 Chronicles 11:39 Beerothite, 2 Sam. 23:37
- 1 Chronicles 11:41 The last sixteen are not added in 2 Sam. 23.
1 Chronicles 11
New Catholic Bible
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.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 11:1 The difficulties attending the succession to Saul and the period in which the power of David was limited to the southern tribes (2 Sam 2–4) are deliberately passed over. The new king chosen by God is immediately presented as the sole head of the entire people of Israel (see 12:24f).
- 1 Chronicles 11:11 Three mighty men: the Chronicler in this case only mentions two men, Ishbaal and Eleazar. However, we know from 2 Sam 23:11 that Shammah was the third.
- 1 Chronicles 11:25 The Thirty: these would be David’s best military officers. The list of names in 2 Sam 23 differs somewhat from those given here.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

