1Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron , saying , Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh . 2And moreover in time past , even when Saul was king , thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel : and the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel , and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel . 3Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron ; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD ; and they anointed David king over Israel , according to the word of the LORD by Samuel .
David Captures Jerusalem
4And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem , which is Jebus ; where the Jebusites were , the inhabitants of the land . 5And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David , Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion , which is the city of David . 6And David said , Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain . So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up , and was chief . 7And David dwelt in the castle ; therefore they called it the city of David .
David's Mighty Men
8And he built the city round about , even from Millo round about : and Joab repaired the rest of the city . 9So David waxed greater and greater : for the LORD of hosts was with him. 10These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom , and with all Israel , to make him king , according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel . 11And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam , an Hachmonite , the chief of the captains : he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time . 12And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo , the Ahohite , who was one of the three mighties .
The Exploits of the Mighty Men
13He was with David at Pas-dammim , and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle , where was a parcel of ground full of barley ; and the people fled from before the Philistines . 14And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel , and delivered it, and slew the Philistines ; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance . 15Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David , into the cave of Adullam ; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim . 16And David was then in the hold , and the Philistines’ garrison was then at Beth-lehem . 17And David longed , and said , Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem , that is at 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 of it, but poured it out to the LORD , 19And said , My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing : 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 these three mightiest . 20And Abishai the brother of Joab , he was chief of the three : for lifting up his spear against three hundred , he slew them , and had a name among the three . 21Of the three , he was more honourable than the two ; for he was 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 many acts ; he slew two lionlike men of Moab : also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day . 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 the name among the three mighties . 25Behold , he was honourable among the thirty , but attained not to the first three : and David set him over his guard . 26Also the valiant men of the armies were , 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 , Abi-ezer the Antothite , 29Sibbecai the Hushathite , Ilai the Ahohite , 30Maharai the Netophathite , Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite , 31Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah , that pertained to 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 Shage 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 Haggeri , 39Zelek the Ammonite , Naharai the Berothite , the armourbearer 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 captain of the Reubenites , and thirty with him, 43Hanan the son of Maachah , and Joshaphat the Mithnite , 44Uzzia the Ashterathite , Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan 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 Jasiel the Mesobaite .