The Anointing of David as King

¹ Then all Israel gathered to David in Hebron, saying, “Look—we are your flesh and bones.

² ⌞For some time now⌟,¹ even when Saul was king, you were ⌞the one who led the army of Israel in battle⌟.² And Yahweh your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel and will be leader over my people Israel.’ ”

1. Literally “also yesterday also in the past”
2. Literally “the one who went out and brought in Israel”

³ Then all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron in the presence of Yahweh. And they anointed David as king over Israel according to the word of Yahweh by the hand of Samuel.

⁴ And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is Jebus). And the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there.

⁵ And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not enter here.” But David captured the stronghold of Zion; that is, the city of David.

⁶ Then David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first will be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first and became chief.

⁷ And David lived in the fortress. Therefore they called it the city of David.

⁸ And he built the city all around from the Millo and up to the circuit. And Joab restored the remainder of the city.

⁹ And David ⌞became greater and greater⌟.¹ And Yahweh of hosts was with him.

1. Literally “increased certainly and in greatness”

David’s Mighty Men

¹⁰ Now these are the chiefs of the mighty men who were for David, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel to make him king according to the word of Yahweh concerning Israel.

¹¹ And this is the numbering of the mighty warriors who were for David: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the three. He himself raised his spear against three hundred whom he killed on one occasion.

¹² And after him was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was among the three mighty warriors.

¹³ He himself was with David at Pas-Dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for the battle. And there was a plot of the field filled with barley, and the people fled before the Philistines.

¹⁴ But they took their stand in the middle of the plot and defended it. And they killed the Philistines. And Yahweh saved them with a great victory.

¹⁵ And three of the thirty chiefs went down toward the rock to David at the cave of Adullam when the army of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

¹⁶ And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

¹⁷ And David had a craving, and he said, “Who could give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”

¹⁸ Then the three broke through into the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and brought it and came to David. But David would not drink it and poured it out before Yahweh.

¹⁹ And he said, “Far be it from me that I would do this before my God. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For ⌞at the risk of their lives⌟¹ they brought it.” And he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

1. Literally “against their lives”

²⁰ Now Abishai the brother of Joab was himself the head of the three.¹ And he roused himself with his spear against three hundred whom he killed and made a name for himself² among the three.

1. Other manuscripts have “thirty” which makes better sense in the context
2. According to the reading tradition (Qere)

²¹ ⌞He was twice as renowned⌟¹ among the three² and was their commander. But he did not attain to the three.

1. Literally “he was glorified double”
2. Other manuscripts have “thirty,” which makes better sense in the context

²² And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was ⌞a strong man⌟¹ from Kabzeel, one who did great deeds. He himself struck down two sons of Ariel of Moab. And he himself went down and struck down a lion within a pit on a snowy day.

1. Literally “a son of a strong man”

²³ And he himself struck down an Egyptian man, a large man five cubits tall. And in the hand of the Egyptian was a spear like a weaver’s beam. But he went down to him with a club and seized the spear from the hand of the Egyptian and killed him with his own spear.

²⁴ These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did and had a name among the three mighty warriors.

²⁵ He himself was certainly distinguished among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his bodyguard.

²⁶ Now the mighty warriors of the troops were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo from 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 Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

³² Hurai of the valleys of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

³³ Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

³⁴ the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jehonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,

³⁵ Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,

³⁶ Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷ Hezro the Carmelite, Naari the son of Ezbai,

³⁸ Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri,

³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the bearer of the weapons 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 leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

⁴³ Hanan the son of Maacah, Jehoshaphat 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, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite,

⁴⁷ Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.