Chapter 11 - David anointed to be king over Israel
1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto 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 unto thee,
Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.
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.
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 hither.
Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion (which is the city of David).
6 And David said,
Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.
So Joab (the son of Zeruiah) went first up, and was chief.
7 And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David.
8 And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city.
9 So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD (of hosts) was with him.
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.
11 And 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.
12 And after him was Eleazar (the son of Dodo) the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.
13 He was with David at Pasdammim, 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.
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.
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.
16 And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.
17 And David longed, and said,
Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
18 And the three brake 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 mightiest.
20 And 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.
21 Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit 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 acts; he slew two [lionlike] men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.
23 And 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.
24 These things did Benaiah (the son of Jehoiada) and had the name among the three mighties.
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),
28 Ira (the son of Ikkesh) the Tekoite,
Abiezer (the Antothite),
29 Sibbecai (the Hushathite),
Ilai (the Ahohite),
30 Maharai (the Netophathite),
Heled (the son of Baanah) the Netophathite,
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),
33 Azmaveth (the Baharumite),
Eliahba (the Shaalbonite),
34 The sons (of Hashem) the Gizonite,
Jonathan (the son of Shage) the Hararite,
35 Ahiam (the son of Sacar) the Hararite,
Eliphal (the son of Ur),
36 Hepher (the Mecherathite),
Ahijah (the Pelonite),
37 Hezro (the Carmelite),
Naarai (the son of Ezbai),
38 Joel (the brother of Nathan),
Mibhar (the son of Haggeri),
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,
46 Eliel (the Mahavite) and
Jeribai, and Joshaviah (the sons of Elnaam) and
Ithmah (the Moabite),
47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel (the Mesobaite).