Chronological

David Becomes King over Israel^(A)

5 After this, all of the tribes of Israel assembled with David at Hebron and declared, “Look, we’re your own flesh and blood!^{[a] 2} Even back when Saul was our king, it was you who kept on leading Israel out to battle^[b] and bringing them back again.^[c] The Lord told you, ‘You yourself will shepherd my people Israel and serve as Commander-in-Chief^[d] over Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel approached the king at Hebron, where King David entered into a covenant with them in the presence of the Lord. Then they anointed David to be king over Israel.

David Establishes Jerusalem as His Capital^(B)

⁴ David began to reign when he was 30 years old, and he reigned 40 years. ⁵ He reigned over Judah for seven years and six months in Hebron, and he reigned over all of Israel including Judah for 33 years in Jerusalem. ⁶ Later, the king and his army marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites, who were inhabiting the territory at that time^[e] and who had told David, “You’re not coming in here! Even the blind and the lame could turn you away!” because they were thinking^[f] “David can’t come here.” ⁷ Even so, David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now known as^[g] the City of David.

⁸ At that time,^[h] David had said, “Whoever intends to attack the Jebusites will have to climb up the water shaft to attack the lame and blind, who hate David.”^[i]

Therefore they say, “The blind and lame are never to come into the house.” ⁹ David occupied^[j] the fortress, naming it the City of David. He^[k] built up the surroundings from the terrace ramparts^[l] inward. ¹⁰ David became more and more esteemed because the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies was with him.

David is Anointed King^(A)

11 Later on, all of Israel gathered together at Hebron in order to tell David, “Look, we’re your own flesh and blood!^{[a] 2} Even back when Saul was ruling as king, you kept on leading the army of Israel out to battle^[b] and bringing them in again.^[c] The Lord your God told you, ‘You yourself will shepherd my people Israel and will be Commander-in-Chief^[d] over my people Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel approached the king at Hebron, where David entered into a covenant in^[e] the presence of the Lord. Then they anointed David to be king over Israel, just as the Lord had sent word through^[f] Samuel.

David Captures Jerusalem

⁴ Later, David and all of Israel marched to Jerusalem (then known as Jebus, where the Jebusites lived when they inhabited the land). ⁵ The inhabitants of Jebus told David, “You’re not coming in here!” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, now known as the City of David.

⁶ David had announced, “Whoever first attacks the Jebusites will be appointed chief and commander.” When Zeruiah’s son Joab went up first, he became chief. ⁷ David occupied^[g] the fortress, so it was named the City of David after him. ⁸ He built up the walls surrounding the city in a complete circle from the terrace ramparts,^[h] and Joab repaired the rest of the city. ⁹ David became more and more prestigious because the Lord of the Heavenly Armies was with him.

David’s Elite Soldiers^(B)

¹⁰ These are the leaders of the elite warriors who were strong supporters of David in his kingdom, along with all of Israel, in keeping with the message from the Lord concerning Israel. ¹¹ This record of the warriors who were for David included^[i] Hachmoni’s son Jashobeam,^[j] leader of the platoons,^[k] who killed 300 with his spear in a single encounter.

¹² Next to him among the Three Warriors^[l] was Dodo^[m] the Ahohite’s son Eleazar. ¹³ He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were there to engage them in battle. There was a field planted with barley, and the army had run away from the Philistines, ¹⁴ but they took a defensive stand in the middle of the field and killed the Philistines while the Lord saved them by means of a great victory.^[n]

¹⁵ Later, the Three Warriors went down to David’s hideout^[o] at the cave of Adullam when the Philistine army was camping in the valley of giants.^{[p] 16} David was living in that stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was then at Bethlehem. ¹⁷ David expressed a longing, “Oh, how I wish someone would get me a drink of water from the Bethlehem well that’s by the city gate!” ¹⁸ So the Three Warriors broke through the Philistine ranks, drew some water from the Bethlehem well that was next to the city gate, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it, poured it out in the Lord’s presence, and ¹⁹ said in response, “May God forbid me to do this! I won’t drink the blood of these men, will I? After all, they risked their lives to bring it to me.”^[q] That’s why he wouldn’t drink it. The Three Warriors did these things.

David’s Other Valiant Soldiers^(C)

²⁰ Joab’s brother Abishai was the lieutenant^[r] in charge of the platoons. He used his spear to fight and kill 300 men, gaining a reputation distinct from the Three. ²¹ He was more well-known than the Three,^[s] but he never attained the stature of the Three.

²² Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, who was a valiant man, accomplished great things. He was from Kabzeel. He killed two men named^[t] Ariel from Moab^[u] and then he also went down into a pit and struck down a lion during a snow storm one day. ²³ He also killed a soldier^[v] from Egypt of enormous height—five cubits^[w] tall. The Egyptian carried a spear comparable in size to a weaver’s beam, but Benaiah attacked him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ²⁴ Benaiah did things like this and gained a reputation comparable to the Three Warriors. ²⁵ He was well known among the platoons, but he didn’t measure up to^[x] the Three Warriors. David placed him in charge of his security detail.

²⁶ The elite forces included Asahel (Joab’s brother), Dodo’s son Elhanan from Bethlehem, ²⁷ Shammoth from Haror,^[y] Helez the Pelonite,^{[z] 28} Ikkesh’s son Ira from Tekoa, Abiezer from Anathoth, ²⁹ Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, ³⁰ Maharai from Netophah, Baanah’s son Heled from Netophah, ³¹ Ribai’s son Ithai from Gibeah, controlled by^[aa] the descendants of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, ³² Hurai from the wadis^[ab] of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, ³³ Azmaveth from Baharum, Eliahba from Shaalbon, ³⁴ Hashem the Gizonite, Shagee the Hararite’s son Jonathan, ³⁵ Sachar the Hararite’s son Ahiam, Ur’s son Eliphal, ³⁶ Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, ³⁷ Hezro from Carmel, Ezbai’s son Naarai, ³⁸ Joel (Nathan’s brother), Hagri’s son Mibhar, ³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai from Beeroth, who was the armor-bearer for Zeruiah’s son Joab, ⁴⁰ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, ⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite, Ahlai’s son Zabad, ⁴² Shiza the Reubenite’s son Adina, a leader of the descendants of Reuben, along with thirty others with him, ⁴³ Maacah’s son Hanan, Joshaphat the Mithnite, ⁴⁴ Uzzia the Ashterathite, Hotham the Aroerite’s sons Shama and Jeiel, ⁴⁵ Shimri’s son Jediael and his brother Joha the Tizite, ⁴⁶ Eliel the Mahavite, Elnaam’s sons Jeribai and Joshaviah, Ithmah the Moabite, ⁴⁷ Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

David’s Time in the Wilderness^(D)

12 Here’s a list of those who came to David at Ziklag when he was unable to travel freely due to Saul son of Kish. They were among the elite soldiers who assisted him in battle. ² Equipped as archers, they could use both their right and left hands to shoot arrows and hurl stones. As descendants of Benjamin, they were Saul’s relatives. ³ Their leaders were Shemaah’s sons Ahiezer and Joash from Gibeah, Azmaveth’s sons Jeziel and Pelet, Beracah, Jehu from Anathoth, ⁴ Ishmaiah from Gibeon (who was one of the elite among the Thirty and in charge over them),^[ac] Jeremiah,^[ad] Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad from Gederah, ^5 [ae]Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite, ⁶ Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, the descendants of Korah, ⁷ and Jeroham’s sons Joelah and Zebadiah from Gedor.

⁸ Mighty and experienced warriors from the descendants of Gad joined David at his wilderness stronghold. They were expert handlers of both shield and spear, with hardened looks^[af] and as agile^[ag] as a gazelle on a mountain slope. ⁹ Their leader was Ezer, Obadiah was second, Eliab third, ¹⁰ Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, ¹¹ Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, ¹² Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, ¹³ Jeremiah tenth, and Machbannai eleventh. ¹⁴ These descendants of Gad were army leaders. The least of them^[ah] was equal to a hundred other soldiers^[ai] and the greatest to a thousand. ¹⁵ These men^[aj] crossed the Jordan in the first month of the year^[ak] during flood season and chased out everyone in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

¹⁶ Later, some descendants of Benjamin and Judah approached David at his stronghold, ¹⁷ and David went out to meet them. He told them, “If you’ve come in peace to be of help to me, then you’ll have my commitment.^[al] But if you’ve come to betray me to my enemies, even though I’m innocent of wrongdoing, then may the God of our ancestors watch and judge.”

¹⁸ Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, leader of the Thirty, and he said,

So David received them and assigned them to be officers over troops. ¹⁹ Some of the descendants of Manasseh joined^[am] David when he was going to fight against Saul, accompanied by the Philistines. Even so, David was of no help to them, because the Philistine rulers were counseled to send him away. They told themselves, “He’s going to go over to his master Saul at the cost of our heads.”

²⁰ As he traveled toward Ziklag, these descendants of Manasseh joined^[an] him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders in charge thousands in Manasseh. ²¹ They helped David against raiders, since they were all warriors and commanders in the army. ²² Indeed people kept coming to David every day to help him, until his army became a great, vast army.^[ao]

David’s Army at Hebron

²³ What follows is a listing of the divisions of battle-ready troops who joined David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, in accordance with what the Lord had spoken. ²⁴ The army of Judah, equipped with both shields and spears, numbered 6,800 warriors, ²⁵ the elite warriors of Simeon numbered 7,100, ²⁶ and the descendants of Levi numbered 4,600.

²⁷ Jehoiada, a senior officer^[ap] in the house of Aaron, brought^[aq] with him 3,700. ²⁸ Zadok, a young and valiant soldier, brought 22 commanders from his own ancestral house.

²⁹ The tribe of^[ar] Benjamin, relatives of Saul numbered 3,000, of whom most had remained allied to what remained of^[as] Saul’s dynasty.

³⁰ The tribe of Ephraim supplied^[at] 20,800 valiant soldiers who were well known in their ancestral households.

³¹ The half-tribe of Manasseh supplied 18,000, who had been appointed specifically to come and establish David as king.

³² The tribe of Issachar supplied 200 leaders, along with all of their relatives under their command. They kept up-to-date in their understanding of the times and knew what Israel should do.

³³ The tribe of Zebulun supplied 50,000 experienced troops, trained in the use of every kind of war weapon, in order to help David^[au] with undivided loyalty.

³⁴ The tribe of Naphtali supplied 1,000 commanders, accompanied by 37,000 troops armed with shields and spears.

³⁵ The tribe of Dan supplied 28,600 battle-ready troops.

³⁶ The tribe of Asher supplied 40,000 experienced, battle-ready troops.

³⁷ The tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with the half-tribe of Manasseh east of^[av] the Jordan supplied 120,000 men armed with every kind of war weapon.

³⁸ All these warriors arrived in battle order at Hebron, fully intending to establish David as king over all Israel. Furthermore, all of the rest of Israel were united in their intent to make David king. ³⁹ They spent three days eating and drinking with David, since their relatives had supplied provisions for them.

⁴⁰ Their neighbors came from as far away as the territories of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, bringing provisions loaded on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. They brought^[aw] abundant provisions of meal, fig bars, raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep, because there was joy in Israel.