1 Chronicles 11

1All Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said: Look, we are your own flesh and blood.

2In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out to battle and brought them back. The LORD your God said to you: You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.

3So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them there before the LORD. They anointed David king over Israel, just as the LORD had promised through Samuel.

4David and all Israel marched to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites, the people living in that land, still remained.

5The people of Jebus said to David: You will not get in here. But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is the City of David.

6David said: Whoever attacks the Jebusites first will become commander-in-chief. Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he became the commander.

7David then took up residence in the fortress, and that is why it was called the City of David.

8He built up the city all around, from the terraces to the surrounding wall, and Joab restored the rest of the city.

9David grew more and more powerful, because the LORD of Heaven's Armies was with him.

10These were the chiefs of David's mighty warriors, who gave David strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, just as the LORD had promised concerning Israel.

11This is the list of David's mighty warriors: Jashobeam, a Hakmonite, was chief of the officers. He raised his spear against three hundred men and killed them in a single battle.

12Next was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mightiest warriors.

13He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. There was a field full of barley, and the army fled from the Philistines.

14But Eleazar and David stood their ground in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. The LORD gave them a great victory.

15Three of the thirty chief warriors went down to the rock, to David, at the cave of Adullam, while the Philistine army was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.

16At that time David was in the stronghold, and a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem.

17David longed for water and said: Oh, that someone would bring me water to drink from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!

18So the three warriors broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and carried it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the LORD

19And said: God forbid that I should do this! Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives? They risked their lives to bring it. So David would not drink it. These were the deeds of the three mightiest warriors.

20Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the chief of another group of three. He raised his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and he became as famous as the first three.

21He was more honored than the other two in his group of three and became their commander, but he was not included among the first three.

22Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave warrior from Kabzeel, and he did many great deeds. He struck down two champions of Moab. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

23He also killed an Egyptian who was about seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian had a spear like a weaver's beam in his hand, but Benaiah went to him with only a club, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.

24These were the deeds of Benaiah son of Jehoiada. He became as famous as the three mightiest warriors.

25He was more honored than the thirty warriors, but he was not included among the first three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

26The brave warriors also included: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

27Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

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

29Sibbekai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

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

31Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

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

33Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shageh the Hararite,

35Ahiam son of Sakar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur,

36Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

37Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,

38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri,

39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

41Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,

42Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, along with thirty men,

43Hanan son of Maakah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

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

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

47Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.