1 CHRONICLES CHAPTER 11

11 In time all the Israelites collected themselves together to David at Hebron, saying: "Look! We are your bone and your flesh. 2 Both yesterday and previously, even while Saul happened to be king, you were the one leading Israel out and bringing it in, and Jehovah your God proceeded to say to you, 'You yourself will shepherd my people Israel, and you yourself will become leader over my people Israel.'" 3 So all the older men of Israel came to the king at Hebron and David concluded a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; after which they anointed David as king over Israel, according to Jehovah's word by means of Samuel. 4 Later David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is to say, Jebus, where the Jebusites were the inhabitants of the land. 5 And the inhabitants of Jebus began to say to David: "You will not come in here." Just the same, David proceeded to capture the stronghold of Zion, that is to say, the City of David. 6 So David said: "Anyone striking the Jebusites first, he will become head and prince." And Joab the son of Zeruiah got to go up first, and he came to be head. 7 And David took up dwelling in the place difficult to approach. That is why they called it the City of David. 8 And he began to build the city all around, from the Mound even to the parts round about, but Joab himself brought to life the rest of the city. 9 And David went on getting greater and greater, for Jehovah of armies was with hi. 10 Now these are the heads of the mighty men that belonged to David, holding strongly with him in his kingship together with all Israel, to make him king according to Jehovah's word concerning Israel. 11 And this is the list of mighty men that belonged to David: Jashobea the son of Hachmonite, the head of the three. He was brandishing his spear over three hundred slain at one time. 12 And after him there was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was among the three mighty men. 13 He it was that happened to be with David at Pasdammim, where the Philistines had gathered themselves together for war. Now there happened to be a tract of the field full of barley, and the people, for their part, had fled because of the Philistines. 14 But he took his stand in the middle of the tract and delivered it, and kept striking down the Philistines, so "It is unthinkable on my part, as regards my God, to do this! Is it the blood of these men that I should drink at the risk of their souls? For it was at the risk of their souls that they brought it." And he did not consent to drink it. These are the things that the three mighty men did. 20 As for Abishai the brother of Joab, he himself became head of the three, and he was brandishing his spear over three hundred slain, and he had a reputation like the three. 21 Of the three he was more distinguishied than the two others, and he came to be a chief to them; and yet he did not come up to the [first] three. 22 As for Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, who did many deeds in Kabzeel, he himself struck down the two [sons] of Ariel of Moab; and he himself descended and struck down a lion inside a waterpit in the day of snowfall. 23 And he it was that struck down the Egyptian man, a man of extraordinary size, of five cubits. And in the hand of the Egyptian there was a spear like the beam of loom workers; yet he went on down to him with a rod and snatched the spear away from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three mighty men. 25 Although he was more distinguished than the thirty, yet to the rank of the [first] three he did not come. However, David put him over his own bodyguard. 26 As for the mighty men of the military forces, there 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 Anathothite, 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 of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 Hurai from the torrent valleys of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee 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 Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer 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 head of the Reubenites, by whom there were thirty; 43 Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham 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 Jaasiel the Mezobaite.