1 Chronicles 11:10-47
New Living Translation
David’s Mightiest Warriors
10 These are the leaders of David’s mighty warriors. Together with all Israel, they decided to make David their king, just as the Lord had promised concerning Israel.
11 Here is the record of David’s mightiest warriors: The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three—the mightiest warriors among David’s men.[a] He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle.
12 Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai,[b] a descendant of Ahoah. 13 He was with David when the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas-dammim and attacked the Israelites in a field full of barley. The Israelite army fled, 14 but Eleazar and David[c] held their ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord saved them by giving them a great victory.
15 Once when David was at the rock near the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty—an elite group among David’s fighting men) went down to meet him there. 16 David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem.
17 David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. 19 “God forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men[d] who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.
David’s Thirty Mighty Men
20 Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty.[e] He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three. 21 Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three.
22 There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions[f] of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. 23 Once, armed only with a club, he killed an Egyptian warrior who was 7 1⁄2 feet[g] tall and who was armed with a spear as thick as a weaver’s beam. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it. 24 Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the three mightiest warriors. 25 He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard.
26 David’s mighty warriors also included:
Asahel, Joab’s brother;
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;
27 Shammah from Harod;[h]
Helez from Pelon;
28 Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa;
Abiezer from Anathoth;
29 Sibbecai from Hushah;
Zalmon[i] from Ahoah;
30 Maharai from Netophah;
Heled son of Baanah from Netophah;
31 Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah (in the land of Benjamin);
Benaiah from Pirathon;
32 Hurai from near Nahale-gaash[j];
Abi-albon[k] from Arabah;
33 Azmaveth from Bahurim[l];
Eliahba from Shaalbon;
34 the sons of Jashen[m] from Gizon;
Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar;
35 Ahiam son of Sharar[n] from Harar;
Eliphal son of Ur;
36 Hepher from Mekerah;
Ahijah from Pelon;
37 Hezro from Carmel;
Paarai[o] son of Ezbai;
38 Joel, the brother of Nathan;
Mibhar son of Hagri;
39 Zelek from Ammon;
Naharai from Beeroth, the armor bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah;
40 Ira from Jattir;
Gareb from Jattir;
41 Uriah the Hittite;
Zabad son of Ahlai;
42 Adina son of Shiza, the Reubenite leader who had thirty men with him;
43 Hanan son of Maacah;
Joshaphat from Mithna;
44 Uzzia from Ashtaroth;
Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham, from Aroer;
45 Jediael son of Shimri;
Joha, his brother, from Tiz;
46 Eliel from Mahavah;
Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam;
Ithmah from Moab;
47 Eliel and Obed;
Jaasiel from Zobah.[p]
Footnotes
- 11:11 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 2 Sam 23:8); Hebrew reads leader of the Thirty, or leader of the captains.
- 11:12 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:9 (see also 1 Chr 27:4); Hebrew reads Dodo, a variant spelling of Dodai.
- 11:14 Hebrew they.
- 11:19 Hebrew Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men?
- 11:20 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads the Three; also in 11:21.
- 11:22 Or two sons of Ariel.
- 11:23 Hebrew 5 cubits [2.3 meters].
- 11:27 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:25; Hebrew reads Shammoth from Haror.
- 11:29 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:28; Hebrew reads Ilai.
- 11:32a Or from the ravines of Gaash.
- 11:32b As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:31; Hebrew reads Abiel.
- 11:33 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:31; Hebrew reads Baharum.
- 11:34 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:32; Hebrew reads sons of Hashem.
- 11:35 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:33; Hebrew reads son of Sacar.
- 11:37 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:35; Hebrew reads Naarai.
- 11:47 Or the Mezobaite.
1 Chronicles 11:10-47
Common English Bible
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
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible