The Preacher's Bible

Then all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. ²In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. Jehovah your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’”

³So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah. They anointed David king over Israel, according to Jehovah’s word by Samuel. ⁴David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (also called Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. ⁵The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here!” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. The same is David’s city. ⁶David had said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.” Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief. ⁷David lived in the stronghold; therefore they called it David’s city. ⁸He built the city all around, from Millo even around; and Joab repaired the rest of the city. ⁹David grew greater and greater, for Jehovah of Armies was with him. ¹⁰Now these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who showed themselves strong with him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to Jehovah’s word concerning Israel.

¹¹This is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them at one time. ¹²After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. ¹³He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. ¹⁴They stood in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and Jehovah saved them by a great victory. ¹⁵Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem at that time. ¹⁷David longed, and said, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”

¹⁸The three broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, took it, and brought it to David; but David would not drink any of it, but poured it out to Jehovah, ¹⁹and said, “My God forbid me, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy?” For they risked their lives to bring it. Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.

²⁰Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the three; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three. ²¹Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, and was made their captain; however he wasn’t included in the three. ²²Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. ²³He killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high. In the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. ²⁴Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things and had a name among the three mighty men. ²⁵Behold, he was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three; and David set him over his guard.

²⁶The mighty men of the armies also include Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, ²⁷Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, ²⁸Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, ²⁹Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, ³⁰Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, ³¹Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, ³²Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, ³³Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, ³⁴the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, ³⁵Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, ³⁶Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, ³⁷Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, ³⁸Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, ³⁹Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite (the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), ⁴⁰Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, ⁴¹Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, ⁴²Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite (a chief of the Reubenites), and thirty with him, ⁴³Hanan the son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, ⁴⁴Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, ⁴⁵Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, ⁴⁶Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, ⁴⁷Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.