11 aAll Israel gathered to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2Long before now, even when Saul was king, you were the leader of Israel; and the LORD your God said to you: You shall shepherd My people Israel; you shall be ruler of My people Israel.” 3All the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a pact with them in Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.
4David and all Israel set out for Jerusalem, that is Jebus, where the Jebusite inhabitants of the land lived. 5David was told by the inhabitants of Jebus, “You will never get in here!” But David captured the stronghold of Zion; it is now the City of David. 6David said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first will be the chief officer”; Joab son of Zeruiah attacked first, and became the chief.
7David occupied the stronghold; therefore it was renamed the City of David. 8David also fortified the surrounding area, from the Millo roundabout, and Joab rebuilt the rest of the city. 9David kept growing stronger, for the LORD of Hosts was with him.
10And these were David’s chief warriors who strongly supported him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.
11This is the list of David’s warriors: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni, the chief officer; he wielded his spear against three hundred and slew them all on one occasion. 12Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodo, the Ahohite; he was one of the three warriors. 13He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley there; the troops had fled from the Philistines, 14but they took their stand in the middle of the plot and defended it, and they routed the Philistines. Thus the LORD wrought a great victory.
15Three of the thirty chiefs went down to the rock to David, at the cave of Adullam, while a force of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16David was then in the stronghold, and a Philistine garrison was then at Bethlehem. 17David felt a craving and said, “If only I could get a drink of water from the cistern which is by the gate of Bethlehem!” 18So the three got through the Philistine camp, and drew water from the cistern which is by the gate of Bethlehem, and they carried it back to David. But David would not drink it, and he poured it out as a libation to the LORD. 19For he said, “God forbid that I should do this! Can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?”— for they had brought it at the risk of their lives, and he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.
20Abshai, the brother of Joab, was head of another three. He once wielded his spear against three hundred and slew them. He won a name among the three; 21among the three he was more highly regarded than the other two, and so he became their commander. However, he did not attain to the other three.
22Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a brave soldier who performed great deeds. He killed the two [sons] of Ariel of Moab. Once, on a snowy day, he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 23He also killed an Egyptian, a giant of a man five cubits tall. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, like a weaver’s beam, yet [Benaiah] went down against him with a club, wrenched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 24Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; and he won a name among the three warriors. 25He was highly regarded among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.b
26The valiant warriors: Asahel brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, 27Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, 28Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, 29Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30Mahrai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites, Benaiah of Pirathon, 32Hurai of Nahale-gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33Azmaveth the Bahrumite, Eliahba of Shaalbon, 34the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shageh the Hararite, 35Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur, 36Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, 38Joel brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, 39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite—the arms-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 chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him; 43Hanan son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite; 44Uzziah the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel sons of Hotham the Aroerite; 45Jedaiael son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite; 46Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai and Joshaviah sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite; 47Eliel, Obed, and Jaassiel the Mezobaite.
12 The following joined David at Ziklag while he was still in hiding from Saul son of Kish; these were the warriors who gave support in battle; 2they were armed with the bow and could use both right hand and left hand to sling stones or shoot arrows with the bow; they were kinsmen of Saul from Benjamin. 3At the head were Ahiezer and Joash, sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; and Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; and Beracah and Jehu of Anathoth; 4Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a warrior among the thirty, leading the thirty; 5Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad of Gederah; 6Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Hariphite; 7Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam the Korahites; 8Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham of Gedor.a 9Of the Gadites, there withdrew to follow David to the wilderness stronghold valiant men, fighters fit for battle, armed with shield and spear; they had the appearance of lions, and were as swift as gazelles upon the mountains: 10Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 11Mashmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 12Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 13Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 14Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. 15Those were the Gadites, heads of the army. The least was equal to a hundred, the greatest to a thousand. 16These were the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was at its crest, and they put to flight all the lowlanders to the east and west. 17Some of the Benjaminites and Judahites came to the stronghold to David, 18and David went out to meet them, saying to them, “If you come on a peaceful errand, to support me, then I will make common cause with you, but if to betray me to my foes, for no injustice on my part, then let the God of our fathers take notice and give judgment.” 19Then the spirit seized Amasai, chief of the captains:
“We are yours, David,
On your side, son of Jesse;
At peace, at peace with you,
And at peace with him who supports you,
For your God supports you.”
So David accepted them, and placed them at the head of his band.
20Some Manassites went over to David’s side when he came with the Philistines to make war against Saul, but they were of no help to them, because the lords of the Philistines in council dismissed him, saying, “He will go over to the side of his lord, Saul, and it will cost us our heads”; 21when he went to Ziklag, these Manassites went over to his side—Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of the clans of Manasseh.
22It was they who gave support to David against the band,b for all were valiant men; and they were officers of the force.
23Day in day out, people came to David to give him support, until there was an army as vast as the army of God.
24These are the numbers of the [men of the] armed bands who joined David at Hebron to transfer Saul’s kingdom to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD:
25Judahites, equipped with shield and spear—6,800 armed men; 26Simeonites, valiant men, fighting troops—7,100; 27of the Levites—4,600; 28Jehoiada, chief officer of the Aaronides; with him, 3,700; 29Zadok, a young valiant man, with his clan—22 officers; 30of the Benjaminites, kinsmen of Saul, 3,000 in their great numbers, hitherto protecting the interests of the house of Saul; 31of the Ephraimites, 20,800 valiant men, famous in their clans; 32of the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king; 33of the Issacharites, men who knew how to interpret the signs of the times, to determine how Israel
