New King James Version

New Living Translation

David Made King over All Israel

Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your flesh.

1

David Becomes King of All Israel

Then all Israel gathered before David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood.

2

Also, in time past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over My people Israel.’ ”

2

In the past,a even when Saul was king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD your God told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be the leader of my people Israel.’”

3

Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord [a]by Samuel.

3

So there at Hebron, David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel, just as the LORD had promised through Samuel.

4

The City of David

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

4

David Captures Jerusalem

Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called), where the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were living.

5

But the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not come in here!” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).

5

The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.

6

Now David said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be [b]chief and captain.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and became chief.

6

David had said to his troops, “Whoever is first to attack the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies!” And Joab, the son of David’s sister Zeruiah, was first to attack, so he became the commander of David’s armies.

7

Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it [c]the City of David.

7

David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the City of David.

8

And he built the city around it, from [d]the Millo to the surrounding area. Joab [e]repaired the rest of the city.

8

He extended the city from the supporting terracesb to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem.

9

So David went on and became great, and the Lord of hosts was with him.

9

And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

10

The Mighty Men of David

Now these were the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.

10

David’s Mightiest Warriors

These are the leaders of David’s mighty warriors. Together with all Israel, they decided to make David their king, just as the LORD had promised concerning Israel.

11

And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, chief of [f]the captains; he had lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed by him at one time.

11

Here is the record of David’s mightiest warriors: The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three — the mightiest warriors among David’s men.c He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle.

12

After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.

12

Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai,d a descendant of Ahoah.

13

He was with David at [g]Pasdammim. Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley. So the people fled from the Philistines.

13

He was with David when the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas-dammim and attacked the Israelites in a field full of barley. The Israelite army fled,

14

But they [h]stationed themselves in the middle of that field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

14

but Eleazar and Davide held their ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the LORD saved them by giving them a great victory.

15

Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines encamped in the Valley of [i]Rephaim.

15

Once when David was at the rock near the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty — an elite group among David’s fighting men) went down to meet him there.

16

David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

16

David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem.

17

And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”

17

David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.”

18

So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord.

18

So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the LORD.

19

And he said, “Far be it from me, O my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.

19

“God forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these menf who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.

20

Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of another [j]three. He had lifted up his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three.

20

David’s Thirty Mighty Men

Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty.g He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three.

21

Of the three he was more honored than the other two men. Therefore he became their captain. However he did not attain to the first three.

21

Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three.

22

Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who [k]had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

22

There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two championsh of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it.

23

And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, [l]five cubits tall. In the Egyptian’s hand there was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.

23

Once, armed only with a club, he killed an Egyptian warrior who was 7 1/2 feeti tall and who was armed with a spear as thick as a weaver’s beam. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.

24

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

24

Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the three mightiest warriors.

25

Indeed he was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard.

25

He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard.

26

Also the mighty warriors were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

26

David’s mighty warriors also included:
Asahel, Joab’s brother;
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;