Chronological

All Israel Anoints David King

5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke saying, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood. ² Even before, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and back. Also Adonai said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over Israel.’” ³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David cut a covenant with them at Hebron before Adonai. Then they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴ David was 30 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 40 years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years over all Israel and Judah.

Securing Jerusalem

⁶ Now the king and his soldiers marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the region. But they said to David, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and the lame could ward you off,” thinking, “David can’t get in here.” ⁷ Nevertheless, David did capture the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). ⁸ On that day David said, “Whoever would conquer the Jebusites must strike through the water shaft to those ‘lame and blind’ whom David’s soul despises.” That is why they used to say, “The blind or lame couldn’t get into the house.” ⁹ So David occupied the stronghold and renamed it the City of David. Then David fortified it all round from the Millo inward. ¹⁰ David continued to grow stronger, for Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot was with him.

David’s Rise and Capture of Zion

11 Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron, saying: “Behold, we are your own flesh and blood. ² In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one that led out and brought in Israel. Adonai your God also said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel and you shall be ruler over My people Israel.’”

³ When all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Adonai. They anointed David king over Israel, in keeping with the word of Adonai by the hand of Samuel.

⁴ Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem—that is Jebus, where the Jebusite inhabitants of the land lived. ⁵ Now the residents of Jebus said to David, “You cannot get in here!” Nevertheless David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David.

⁶ David had said, “Whoever strikes down the Jebusites first will be commander-in-chief.” So Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became commander. ⁷ David lived in the stronghold; for this reason it is called the city of David. ⁸ He fortified the city all around, from the Millo to the surrounding walls, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. ⁹ David grew more and more powerful because Adonai-Tzva’ot was with him.

David’s Mighty Men

¹⁰ Now these were chiefs of David’s mighty men, who strongly supported him in his kingdom, together with all Israel to make him king, according to the word of Adonai, over Israel. ¹¹ This is the list of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam the son of Hachmoni, was the chief of the 30; he wielded his spear against 300 and slew them all at one time. ¹² After him was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. ¹³ He was with David at Pas Dammim, when the Philistines assembled there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley where the army retreated from before the Philistines, ¹⁴ but they took a stand in the middle of the plot; they defended it and struck down the Philistines. Adonai delivered a great victory.

¹⁵ Three of the 30 leaders went down to David at the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶ At that time, David was in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem. ¹⁷ David had a craving and said, “If only someone would give me water to drink from the cistern by the gate in Bethlehem!” ¹⁸ So the three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the cistern by the gate in Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But David refused to drink it. He poured it out to Adonai ¹⁹ and said: “Far be it for me that I should do this before my God! Can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?”—for they brought it at the risk of their lives and he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the Three mighty men.

²⁰ Abishai, Joab’s brother, was chief of the Three. He once wielded his spear against 300 and slew them. Thus he won a name among the Three. ²¹ Of the Three, he was more highly esteemed than the other two and became their commander, even though he was not one of the three.

²² Beniah son of Jehoiada was a valiant man from Kabzeel who had done mighty deeds. He killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab, and went down and killed a lion inside a pit on a snowy day. ²³ He also killed the giant Egyptian man who was five cubits tall. In his hand the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam, yet Beniah attacked him with a club. He snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ²⁴ These were the exploits of Beniah son of Jehoiada, who gained renown among the three mighty men. ²⁵ Behold, he was more honorable than the 30, yet he was not one of the Three. Nevertheless, David set him over his bodyguard.

²⁶ The mighty men were:

Asael Joab’s brother,

Elhanan son of Dodo from 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 Mahrai the Netophathite,

Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

³¹ Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

Benaiah the Pirathonite,

³² Hurai of Nahale-gaash,

Abiel the Arbathite,

³³ Azmaveth the Baharumite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

³⁴ the sons of Hashem the Gizonite,

Jonathan son of Shageh the Hararite,

³⁵ Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite,

Eliphal son of Ur,

³⁶ Hepher the Meherathite,

Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷ Hezro the Carmelite,

Naarai the son of Ezbai,

³⁸ Joel the brother of Nathan,

Mibhar son of Hagri,

³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite,

Nahrai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

⁴⁰ Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite,

Zabad son of Ahlai,

⁴² Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and 30 with him,

⁴³ Hanan son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

⁴⁴ Uzzijah the Ashterathite,

Shama and Jeiel sons of Hotam the Aroerite,

⁴⁵ Jedaiael son of Shimri and Joha his brother the Tizite,

⁴⁶ Eliel the Mahavite,

Jeribai and Joshaviah, sons of Elnaam,

and Ithmah the Moabite;

⁴⁷ Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

All Israel Rallies to David

12 Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag when he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who assisted him in battle. ² They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left to sling stones and shoot arrows from the bow. They were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin. ³ Their chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah, Jehu the Anathothite, ⁴ Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the 30 and leading the 30, ⁵ Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite, ⁶ Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Hariphite, ⁷ Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam, the Korahites, ⁸ Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

⁹ Some of the Gadites there withdrew to follow David to the stronghold in the wilderness. They were valiant men trained for battle, armed with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains. ¹⁰ Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, ¹¹ Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, ¹² Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, ¹³ Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, ¹⁴ Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. ¹⁵ These were the Gadites, leaders of the army. The least was equal to 100 and the greatest to 1,000. ¹⁶ These were the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing its banks, routing all those in the valleys to the east and to the west.

¹⁷ Some of the children of Benjamin and also from Judah came to David at the stronghold. ¹⁸ David went out to meet them and answered them saying, “If you come to me in peace to support me, then my heart will be united with you. But if it is to betray me to my adversaries, when my hands have done no wrong, then may the God of our fathers take notice and judge.”

¹⁹ Then a spirit came upon Amasai, leader of the 30,

“We are yours, David,

on your side, son of Jesse.

Shalom, shalom to you,

and shalom to him who helps you,

for your God supports you!”

So David welcomed them and made them leaders of the troops.

²⁰ Some from Manasseh went over to David when he went with the Philistines to battle against Saul. But they did not help them because the Philistine rulers after consultation sent him away, saying: “It would cost us our heads if he defected to his master Saul.”

²¹ When he went to Ziklag, these from Manasseh joined him—Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, Zillethai, the leaders of thousands that were from Manasseh. ²² They helped David against the raiding bands, for all of them were valiant warriors and they were officers in the army. ²³ Day by day men came to David to help him until there was a great army like the army of God.

²⁴ These are the numbers of the heads of those armed for war who came to David in Hebron to transfer Saul’s kingdom to him, according to the word of Adonai:

²⁵ The sons of Judah that bore shield and spear were 6,800, armed for war;

²⁶ from the sons of Simeon, 7,100 brave warriors ready for war;

²⁷ from the sons of Levi 4,600; ²⁸ Jehoiada the leader of the Aaronides and with him 3,700; ²⁹ Zadok, a young mighty man of valor, with 22 commanders from his clan;

³⁰ from the sons of Benjamin, Saul’s kinsmen, 3,000 for up to that time the majority of them had kept their allegiance to Saul’s house;

³¹ from the sons of Ephraim 20,800 valliant warriors, famous men in their clan; ³² from the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000 who were designated by name to come and make David king;

³³ from the sons of Issachar—men who know how to interpret the signs of the times to determine what Israel should do—200 chiefs with all their kinsmen under their command;

³⁴ from Zebulun 50,000 warriors prepared for battle, arrayed with all types of weapons of war and ready to give their undivided loyalty;

³⁵ from Naphtali 1,000 officers, along with 37,000 with shield and spear;

³⁶ from the Danites, 28,600 equipped for battle;

³⁷ from Asher 40,000 experienced warriors arrayed for battle;

³⁸ and from beyond the Jordan, from the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh 120,000 armed with every type of weapons of war.

³⁹ All these fighting men, prepared for the battle line, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel were also of one heart to make David king. ⁴⁰ So they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had given them provision. ⁴¹ Moreover those who were near to them, from as far as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There was flour, pressed figs, raisins, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep in abundance—for indeed, there was joy in Israel.