David Is King of All Israel
1 Chronicles 11, verse 1. Then all Israel came to David at Hebron, saying, “Indeed, we are your bone and your flesh. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 2. Also, in time past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led Israel in and out. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall feed My people Israel, and be a ruler over Israel.’” 1 Chronicles 11, verse 3. Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 4. And the king and all Israel went to Jerusalem—this is Jebu—and there the Jebusites were inhabiting the land. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 5. And the people inhabiting Jebu said to David, “You shall not enter here!” But he seized the stronghold of Mount Zion, which is the City of David. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 6. And David said, “Whoever first strikes the Jebusites shall be chief and captain.” And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went up first and became chief. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 7. Then David dwelt in the stronghold; thereafter he called it the City of David. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 8. And he waged war and took the city; around it he fortified the city. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 9. So David grew ever stronger, and the Lord Almighty was with him.
David's Mighty Men
1 Chronicles 11, verse 10. Now these were the heads of the mighty men whom David had with him, who strengthened themselves in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord regarding Israel. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 11. And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, chief of the captains; he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them at one time. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 12. After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 13. He was with David at Pasdammim, and the Philistines gathered there for battle, near a field full of barley. And the people fled from the sight of the Philistines. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 14. And he stood in the midst of the field and preserved it, and killed the Philistines. The Lord brought about a great deliverance. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 15. Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock towards David, to the cave of Adullam. The encampment of the Philistines was set up in the valley of Rephaim. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 16. David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 17. And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 1 Chronicles 11, verse 18. So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and took it and brought some to David. Nevertheless, David did not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 19. And he said, “God be merciful to me. Should I do what was spoken? Shall I drink the blood of these men with their lives? For they brought it with their lives in peril.” Therefore he was not willing to drink it. The three mighty men did these things. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 20. Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of another three. He had lifted up his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 21. Of the three he was more favored than the other two men, and was chief over them. But of the three of them, he did not go. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 22. Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two ruffians of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 23. And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, five cubits tall. In the hand of the Egyptian there was a spear like a weaver's beam, and he went down to him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 24. These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 25. Indeed, he was honored more than this thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his family. 1 Chronicles 11, verse 26. And the mighty warriors were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 27. Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 28. Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 29. Sibbechai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 30. Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 31. Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 32. Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 33. Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 34. the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shageh the Hararite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 35. Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 36. Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 37. Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 38. Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 39. Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite (the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), 1 Chronicles 11, verse 40. Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 41. Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 42. Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite (a chief of the Reubenites) and thirty with him, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 43. Hanan the son of Maachah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 44. Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 45. Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 46. Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 1 Chronicles 11, verse 47. Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.