1Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron , saying, Behold , we are thy bone and thy flesh . 2In times past , even when Saul was king , it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel : and Jehovah thy God said unto thee , Thou shalt be shepherd of my people Israel , and thou shalt 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 ; and they anointed David king over Israel , according to the word of Jehovah by Samuel .
David Captures Jerusalem
4And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem ( the same is Jebus ); and the Jebusites , the inhabitants of the land, were there . 5And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David , Thou shalt not come in hither . Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion ; the same is the city of David . 6And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain . And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first , and was made chief . 7And David dwelt in the stronghold ; therefore they called it the city of David .
David's Mighty Men
8And he built the city round about , from Millo even round about ; and Joab repaired the rest of the city . 9And David waxed greater and greater ; for Jehovah of hosts 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 the word of Jehovah concerning Israel . 11And this 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 slew them at one time . 12And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo , the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men .
The Exploits of the Mighty Men
13He was with David at Pasdammim , and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle , where was a plot of ground full of barley ; and the people fled from before the Philistines . 14And they stood in the midst of the plot , and defended it , and slew the Philistines ; and Jehovah saved them by a great victory . 15And three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David , into the cave of Adullam ; and the host of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim . 16And David was then in the stronghold , and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem . 17And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem , which is by the gate ! 18And the three brake through the host of the Philistines , and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem , that was by the gate , and took it , and brought it to David : but David would not drink thereof , but poured it out unto Jehovah , 19and said, My God forbid it me , that I should do this : shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy ? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it . Therefore he would not drink it . These things did the three mighty men . 20And Abishai, the brother of Joab , he was chief of the three ; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them , and had a name among the three . 21Of the three , he was more honorable than the two , and was made their captain : howbeit he attained not to the first three . 22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel , who had done mighty deeds , he slew the two sons of Ariel of Moab : he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow . 23And he slew an Egyptian , a man of great stature , five cubits high; and in the Egyptian ’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam ; and he went down to him with a staff , and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian ’s hand , and slew him with his own spear . 24These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , and had a name among the three mighty men . 25Behold , he was more honorable than the thirty , but he attained not to the first three : and David set him over his guard . 26Also the mighty men of the armies : Asahel the brother of Joab , Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem , 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 armorbearer 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 , and 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, and Obed , and Jaasiel the Mezobaite .