Chapter 11 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron,
saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
And moreover, in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leadest 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.
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.
And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the
Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.
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.
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.
And David dwelt in the castle, therefore they called it the city of
David.
And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about.
And Joab repaired the rest of the city.
So David waxed greater and greater.
For the Lord of hosts was with him.
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.
And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had.
Jehoiabim and Hachmanite, the chief of the captains, he lifted up his spear against
three hundred slain by him at one time.
And after him was Eliezer, the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the
three mighties.
He was with David at Pasdanim.
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.
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.
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.
And David was then in the hold.
And the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.
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.
And the three break 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,
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.
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.
Of the three he was more honorable than the two.
For he was their captain, albeit he attained not to the first three.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabziel, who had done many
acts.
He slew two lion-like men of Moab.
Also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.
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 the staff, and plucked the spear out of the
Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three
mightiest.
Behold, he was honorable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three.
And David set him over his guard.
Also the valiant men of the armies were Azahel, the brother of Joab.
Elhanan, the son of Dodo of Bethlehem.
Shammoth, the Herorite.
Heliz, the Pelonite.
Ira, the son of Ichish, the Tekhoite.
Abiezer, the Antithite.
Sibachai, the Hushethite.
Eilai, the Ahohite.
Meharai, the Natopphethite.
Helid, the son of Baena, the Natopphethite.
Ithai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah.
That pertain to the children of Benjamin.
Baneah, the Pirithonite.
Purai, of the brooks of Geash.
Abiel, the Arbethite.
Asmaveth, the Beheromite.
Eliabah, the Shealbanite.
The sons of Heshem, the Geizanite.
Jonathan, the son of Shegar, the Herorite.
Ahaiam, the son of Sekar, the Herorite.
Eliphal, the son of Ur.
Hepha, the Macarithite.
Ahijah, the Pelonite.
Hezro, the Carmelite.
Nehari, the son of Ezbi.
Joel, the brother of Nathan.
Mipha, the son of Hagarai.
Zelic, the Ammonite.
Nehari, the Berethite.
The armor-bearer of Joab, the son of Zeruiah.
Ira, the Ithrite.
Gerib, the Ithrite.
Uriah, the Hittite.
Zebad, the son of Arlai.
Adinah, the son of Shiza, the Reubenite.
The captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him.
Hanun, the son of Meachah.
And Joshaphat, the Mithnite.
Uzziah, the Ashtorethite.
Shema and Jehiel, the sons of Hotham, the Aroarite.
Judaiel, the son of Shimri.
And Johah, his brother, the Tizite.
Elial, the Maeovite.
And Jerobai and Joshuaiah, the sons of Elnaim.
And Ithmar, the Moabite.
Elial, and Obed, and Jeziel, the Masoobite.