¹ Then all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

² And 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 to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.¹²

1. in time...: Heb. both yesterday and the third day
2. feed: or, rule

³ Therefore 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.¹

1. by: Heb. by the hand of

⁴ And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus; where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.

⁵ And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come here. Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion, which is the city of David.

⁶ And David said, Whoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was chief.¹

1. chief: Heb. head

⁷ And David dwelt in the strong hold; therefore they called it the city of David.¹

1. it: that is, Zion

⁸ And he built the city all around, even from Millo all around: and Joab repaired the rest of the city.¹

1. repaired: Heb. revived

⁹ So David became greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts was with him.¹

1. waxed...: Heb. went in going and increasing

¹⁰ These 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.¹

1. strengthened...: or, held strongly with him

¹¹ And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.¹

1. an Hachmonite: or, son of Hachmoni

¹² And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.

¹³ He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.¹

1. Pasdammim: also called, Ephesdammim

¹⁴ And 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.¹²

1. set...: or, stood
2. deliverance: or, salvation

¹⁵ Now 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.¹

1. three...: or, three captains over the thirty

¹⁶ And David was then in the strong hold, and the Philistines’ garrison was then at Bethlehem.

¹⁷ And David longed, and said, O that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!

¹⁸ And the three broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, 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,

¹⁹ And 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 mighty men.¹

1. that have...: Heb. with their lives?

²⁰ And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.

²¹ Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: but he attained not to the first three.

²² Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many deeds; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.¹

1. who had...: Heb. great of deeds

²³ And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall; 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.¹

1. great...: Heb. measure

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

²⁵ Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.

²⁶ Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁷ Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,¹²³

1. Shammoth: or, Shammah
2. Harorite: or, Harodite
3. Pelonite: or, Paltite

²⁸ Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite,

²⁹ Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,¹²

1. Sibbecai: or, Mebunnai
2. Ilai: or, Zalmon

³⁰ Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,¹

1. Heled: or, Heleb

³¹ Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

³² Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,¹²

1. Hurai: or, Hiddai
2. Abiel: or, Abialbon

³³ Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

³⁴ The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite,¹

1. Hashem: or, Jashen

³⁵ Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,¹²³

1. Sacar: or, Sharar
2. Eliphal: or, Eliphelet
3. Ur: or, Ahasbai

³⁶ Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷ Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,¹²

1. Hezro: or Hezrai
2. Naarai: or Paarai the Arbite

³⁸ Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri,¹

1. the son...: or, the Haggerite

³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armourbearer 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 captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

⁴³ Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

⁴⁴ Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite,

⁴⁵ Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,¹

1. son...: or, Shimrite

⁴⁶ Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

⁴⁷ Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.