1 Chronicles 11

₁All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, ‘We are your own flesh and blood. ₂In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord your God said to you, “You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.” ’

₃When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

₄David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites who lived there ₅said to David, ‘You will not get in here.’ Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion – which is the City of David.

₆David had said, ‘Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander-in-chief.’ Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command.

₇David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. ₈He built up the city around it, from the terraces to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. ₉And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord Almighty was with him.

₁₀These were the chiefs of David’s mighty warriors – they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the Lord had promised – ₁₁this is the list of David’s mighty warriors:

Jashobeam, a Hakmonite, was chief of the officers; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

₁₂Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. ₁₃He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. ₁₄But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

₁₅Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ₁₆At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ₁₇David longed for water and said, ‘Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!’ ₁₈So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the Lord. ₁₉‘God forbid that I should do this!’ he said. ‘Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?’ Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

₂₀Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. ₂₁He was doubly honoured above the Three and became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

₂₂Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ₂₃And he struck down an Egyptian who was five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ₂₄Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. ₂₅He was held in greater honour than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.