1 Chronicles 11

1 Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.

2 Even in times past, while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And the LORD your God said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”

3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.

4 Then David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus), where the Jebusites inhabited the land.

5 The people of Jebus said to David, “You will never get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).

6 Now David had said, “Whoever is the first to strike down a Jebusite will become chief commander.” And Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and he became the chief.

7 So David took up residence in the fortress; that is why it was called the City of David.

8 He built up the city around it, from the supporting terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city.

9 And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of Hosts was with him.

10 Now these were the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who, together with all Israel, bolstered and strengthened his kingdom, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

11 This is the list of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the officers; he wielded his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed at one time.

12 Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men.

13 He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place with a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines.

14 But Eleazar and David stationed themselves in the middle of the field and defended it. They struck down the Philistines, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

16 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

17 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

18 So the Three broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,

19 saying, “Far be it from me, my God, to do this! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” Because they had brought it at the risk of their lives, David refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

20 Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Three, and he wielded his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.

21 He was doubly honored above the Three, and he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.

22 And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.

23 He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.

24 These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name along with the three mighty men.

25 He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.

26 Now these were the mighty men: Asahel the brother of Joab, 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 Benjamites, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

32 Hurai from the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34 the sons of 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 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, chief of the Reubenites, and the 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 ¶ Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we [are] thy bone and thy flesh.

2 And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou [wast] he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.

3 Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.

4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which [is] Jebus; where the Jebusites [were], the inhabitants of the land.

5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which [is] the city of David.

6 And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief.

7 And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David.

8 And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city.

9 So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts [was] with him.

10 ¶ These also [are] the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, [and] with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

11 And this [is] the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain [by him] at one time.

12 And after him [was] Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who [was one] of the three mighties.

13 He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.

14 And they set themselves in the midst of [that] parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved [them] by a great deliverance.

15 Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

16 And David [was] then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison [was] then at Bethlehem.

17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that [is] at the gate!

18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that [was] by the gate, and took [it], and brought [it] to David: but David would not drink [of] it, but poured it out to the LORD,

19 And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with [the jeopardy of] their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.

20 And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew [them], and had a name among the three.

21 Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the [first] three.

22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.

23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of [great] stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand [was] a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

24 These [things] did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.

25 Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the [first] three: and David set him over his guard.

26 Also the valiant men of the armies [were], Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite,

29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,

31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, [that pertained] to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34 The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage 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 Haggeri,

39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armourbearer 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, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

43 Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite,

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

46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.

1 And the Philistines fought against Israel: and they of Israel fled from before the Philistines: and the slain fell upon the mount.

2 But the Philistines went after Saul and his sons after them, and smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

3 And the battle was sore against Saul; and the archers came upon him, and he was wounded of the archers.

4 And Saul said unto his armourbearer, Put forth thy sword, and thrust me therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and deal shamefully with me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on the sword, and died.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house at the same time.

7 And when the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt within.

8 And the next morning the Philistines came to strip the slain, and found Saul and his sons lying in mount Gilboa;

9 And they stripped him, and put on his head, and on his weapons, and sent him abroad into the land of the Philistines, and proclaimed it before their idols, and before the people;

10 And they put his weapons in the house of their god, and they pinned his skull to the house of Dagon.

11 And all they that were at Jabesh in Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

12 And they arose, all the valiant men, and took the body of Saul and of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak of Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

13 So Saul died in his iniquity, which he had done against the LORD, in the word of the LORD, which he kept not, even that he asked the soothsayer

14 And asked not the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.