Chapter 11

Then all Israel gathered¹¹ themselves to David unto Hebron, saying,² Behold, we [are] thy bone and thy flesh.

And moreover in time past, ⁸⁰³² even when Saul was king, thou [wast] he that leddest out⁵⁶ and broughtest in⁵⁶ Israel: and the LORD thy God said⁴ unto thee, Thou shalt feed⁴ my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.

Therefore came⁴ all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made⁴ a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed⁴ David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.

And David and all Israel went⁴ to Jerusalem, which [is] Jebus; where the Jebusites [were], the inhabitants⁶ of the land.

And the inhabitants⁶ of Jebus said⁴ to David, Thou shalt not come⁴ hither. Nevertheless David took⁴ the castle of Zion, which [is] the city of David.

And David said,⁴ Whosoever smiteth⁵⁶ the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up,⁴ and was chief.

And David dwelt⁴ in the castle; therefore they called¹ it the city of David.

And he built⁴ the city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired¹⁷ the rest of the city.

So David waxed⁴ greater² and greater: for the LORD of hosts [was] with him.

These also [are] the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened¹⁰² themselves with him in his kingdom, [and] with all Israel, to make him king,⁵³ according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

And this [is] the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, ²⁴⁵³ the chief of the captains: ⁷⁹⁷⁰ he lifted up³¹ his spear against three hundred slain [by him] at one time.

And after him [was] Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who [was one] of the three mighties.

He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered⁸ together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled¹ from before the Philistines.

And they set¹⁰¹ themselves in the midst of [that] parcel, and delivered⁵⁵ it, and slew⁵⁵ the Philistines; and the LORD saved⁵⁵ [them] by a great deliverance.

Now three of the thirty captains went down⁴ to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped⁶ in the valley of Rephaim.

And David [was] then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison [was] then at Bethlehem.

And David longed,¹⁰¹ and said,⁴ Oh that one would give me drink⁵⁵ of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that [is] at the gate!

And the three brake through⁴ the host of the Philistines, and drew⁴ water out of the well of Bethlehem, that [was] by the gate, and took⁴ [it], and brought⁵⁵ [it] to David: but David would¹ not drink² [of] it, but poured it out¹⁷ to the LORD,

And said,⁴ My God forbid it me, that I should do² this thing: shall I drink⁴ the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with [the jeopardy of] their lives they brought⁵² it. Therefore he would¹ not drink² it. These things did¹ these three mightiest.

And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up³¹ his spear against three hundred, he slew [them], and had a name among the three.

Of the three, he was more honourable¹² than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained¹ not to the [first] three.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew⁵² two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down¹ and slew⁵² a lion in a pit in a snowy day.

And he slew⁵² an Egyptian, ³⁷⁶ a man of [great] stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand [was] a spear like a weaver's⁶ beam; and he went down⁴ to him with a staff, and plucked⁴ the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew⁴ him with his own spear.

These [things] did¹ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.

Behold, he was honourable¹² among the thirty, but attained¹ not to the [first] three: and David set⁴ him over his guard.

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

Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

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

Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

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

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

Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

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

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

Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,

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

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armourbearer^{6 3627} of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,

Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

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

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

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

Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.