1 ChroniclesChapter 11

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¹Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron. They said, "Look, we are your own flesh and blood. ²Even in the past, when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And the LORD your God said to you, 'You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be their ruler.'" ³So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. There David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel. This was just what the LORD had said through Samuel. ⁴Then David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem. It was also called Jebus. The Jebusites lived in the land there. ⁵The people of Jebus said to David, "You'll never get in here." But David captured the fortress of Zion. It is also called the City of David. ⁶David had said, "The first man to kill a Jebusite will be the chief commander." Joab son of Zeruiah went up first. So he became the chief. ⁷Then David made his home in the fortress. That's why it was called the City of David. ⁸David built up the city around it, from the terraces to the wall around it. Joab repaired the rest of the city. ⁹David grew more and more great, because the LORD of Hosts was with him. ¹⁰These were the chiefs of David's mighty men. They and all Israel helped make his kingdom strong. This was just what the LORD had said about Israel. ¹¹Here is the list of David's mighty men. Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the officers. He used his spear against 300 men and killed them all at one time. ¹²Next in rank was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was one of the three mighty men. ¹³He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. There was a field full of barley there. The troops ran away from the Philistines. ¹⁴But Eleazar and David took their stand in the middle of the field and defended it. They struck down the Philistines. And the LORD gave them a great victory. ¹⁵Three of the thirty chief men went down to David. They went to the rock by the cave of Adullam. At that time a group of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶David was in his stronghold then. And a band of Philistine troops was in Bethlehem. ¹⁷David wished for water. He said, "Oh, if only someone would bring me a drink of water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem!" ¹⁸So the Three broke through the Philistine camp. They drew water from the well by the gate of Bethlehem and brought it back to David. But he would not drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the LORD. ¹⁹He said, "My God, I could never do this! How can I drink the blood of these men who put their lives in danger?" They had risked their lives to bring it, so David would not drink it. These were the brave deeds of the three mighty men. ²⁰Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Three. He used his spear against 300 men and killed them. He became as famous as the Three. ²¹He was given twice as much honor as the Three, and he became their commander. But he was not one of the Three. ²²Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave man from Kabzeel. He did many bold deeds. He struck down two of Moab's best warriors. And on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion. ²³He also struck down an Egyptian, a huge man about seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand as thick as a weaver's beam. But Benaiah went against him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.a ²⁴These were the brave deeds of Benaiah son of Jehoiada. He became as famous as the three mighty men. ²⁵He was the most honored of the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. David put him in charge of his guard. ²⁶These were the mighty men: 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, ²⁹Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, ³⁰Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, ³¹Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, ³²Hurai from the streams of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, ³³Azmaveth the Baharumite, 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 the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, ³⁸Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, ³⁹Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, who carried the armor of Joab son of Zeruiah, ⁴⁰Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, ⁴¹Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai, ⁴²Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, who was chief of the Reubenites, and the 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 his brother Joha the Tizite, ⁴⁶Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, ⁴⁷Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.