1 Chronicles 11

11 ¹Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron, saying, "Look, we are your bone and flesh. ²Even before, while Saul was king, you led Israel out and back. Your Father told you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel; you will be ruler over my people Israel.'"

³All Israel's elders came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before our Father. Then they anointed David king over Israel, as our Father had said through Samuel.

David Takes Zion: The City of David

⁴David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus), where the Jebusites, its residents, lived. ⁵Jebus's people told David, "You won't enter here." But David took the stronghold of Zion—the city of David. ⁶David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first becomes head and commander." Joab son of Zeruiah went up first and became head. ⁷David then settled in the stronghold; that is why it was called the city of David. ⁸He built the city all around, from the Millo to the encircling wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. ^a a v8 The Millo was a terraced fill structure built into the eastern slope of Jerusalem to expand and support the city. ⁹And David became more and more powerful, for the Father of heaven's armies was with him.

The Mighty Men Who Stood With David

¹⁰These are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, by our Father's word concerning Israel. ¹¹This is the list of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, head of the Three, used his spear to kill 300 men in a single encounter. ¹²After him, Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. ¹³He was with David at Pas-dammim when Philistines gathered there for battle, in a field full of barley; the people fled from the Philistines, ¹⁴but they stood their ground in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines; our Father saved them with a great victory.

¹⁵Three of the thirty top warriors went down to David at the rock by Adullam's cave, while a Philistine unit camped in the Rephaim Valley. ¹⁶At that time David was in the stronghold, and a Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁷David craved water: "If only someone would get me a drink from Bethlehem's well by the gate!"

¹⁸The three broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from Bethlehem's well by the gate, and brought it to David. But he wouldn't drink it—he poured it out to our Father. ¹⁹He said, "May my Father forbid it! Should I drink the blood of men who put their lives at risk? They brought it by risking their lives." So he refused to drink it. These were the deeds of the three warriors.

²⁰Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the Thirty. He used his spear to kill 300 men, and he made a name for himself among the Three. ²¹Most honored of the Thirty, he became their commander—yet not one of the Three.

²²Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant man from Kabzeel, did great deeds: he struck down two of Moab's mightiest, and went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ²³He also killed an Egyptian, a man of great size, about seven and a half feet tall, who had a spear like a weaver's beam. Benaiah went at him with a club, tore the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear. ^b b v23 A weaver's beam was the heavy wooden roller in a loom — used here to picture an exceptionally thick spear shaft. ²⁴These were Benaiah son of Jehoiada's deeds; he gained a name among the three mighty men. ²⁵He was honored above the Thirty, but not among the Three. David put him in charge of his own guard.

²⁶The mighty warriors were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem, ²⁷Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, ²⁸Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, ²⁹Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, ³⁰Maharai of Netophah, Heled son of Baanah of Netophah, ³¹Ithai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjaminites, Benaiah of Pirathon, ³²Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, ³³Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, ³⁴the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite, ³⁵Ahiam son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur, ³⁶Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, ³⁷Hezro of Carmel, Naarai son of Ezbai, ³⁸Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, ³⁹Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the 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, and thirty with him, ⁴³Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, ⁴⁴Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, ⁴⁵Jediael son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, ⁴⁶Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, ⁴⁷Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.