David Becomes King of Israel and Judah
(2 Samuel 5.1-10)1 All the people of Israel went to David at Hebron and said to him, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In the past, even when Saul was still our king, you led the people of Israel in battle, and the Lord your God promised you that you would lead his people and be their ruler.” 3 So all the leaders of Israel came to King David at Hebron. He made a sacred alliance with them, they anointed him, and he became king of Israel, just as the Lord had promised through Samuel.
4 King David and all the Israelites went and attacked the city of Jerusalem. It was then known as Jebus, and the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were still living there. 5 The Jebusites told David he would never get inside the city, but David captured their fortress of Zion, and it became known as “David's City.” 6 David said, “The first man to kill a Jebusite will be commander of the army!” Joab, whose mother was Zeruiah, led the attack and became commander. 7 Because David went to live in the fortress, it came to be called “David's City.” 8 He rebuilt the city, starting at the place where land was filled in on the east side of the hill, and Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 David grew stronger and stronger, because the Lord Almighty was with him.
David's Famous Soldiers
(2 Samuel 23.8-39)10 This is the list of David's famous soldiers. Together with the rest of the people of Israel, they helped him become king, as the Lord had promised, and they kept his kingdom strong.
11 First was Jashobeam of the clan of Hachmon, the leader of “The Three.” He fought with his spear against three hundred men and killed them all in one battle. 12 Next among the famous “Three” was Eleazar son of Dodo, of the clan of Ahoh. 13 He fought on David's side against the Philistines at the battle of Pas Dammim. He was in a barley field when the Israelites started to run away, 14 so he and his men took a stand in the middle of the field and fought the Philistines. The Lord gave him a great victory.
15 One day three of the thirty leading soldiers went to a rock where David was staying near Adullam Cave, while a band of Philistines was camping in Rephaim Valley. 16 At that time David was on a fortified hill, and a group of Philistines had occupied Bethlehem. 17 David got homesick and said, “How I wish someone would bring me a drink of water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem!” 18 The three famous soldiers forced their way through the Philistine camp, drew some water from the well, and brought it back to David. But he would not drink it; instead he poured it out as an offering to the Lord 19 and said, “I could never drink this! It would be like drinking the blood of these men who risked their lives!” So he refused to drink it. These were the brave deeds of the three famous soldiers.
20 Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of “The Famous Thirty.” He fought with his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and became famous among “The Thirty.” 21 He was the most famous of “The Thirty” and became their leader, but he was not as famous as “The Three.”
22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel was a famous soldier; he did many brave deeds, including killing two great Moabite warriors. He once went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 23 He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man seven and a half feet tall, who was armed with a gigantic spear. Benaiah attacked him with a club, snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with it. 24 Those were the brave deeds of Benaiah, who was one of “The Thirty.” 25 He was outstanding among “The Thirty,” but not as famous as “The Three.” David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
26-47 These are the other outstanding soldiers:
Asahel, Joab's brother
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem
Shammoth from Harod
Helez from Pelet
Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa
Abiezer from Anathoth
Sibbecai from Hushah
Ilai from Ahoh
Maharai from Netophah
Heled son of Baanah from Netophah
Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin
Benaiah from Pirathon
Hurai from the valleys near Gaash
Abiel from Arbah
Azmaveth from Bahurum
Eliahba from Shaalbon
Hashem from Gizon
Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar
Ahiam son of Sachar from Harar
Eliphal son of Ur
Hepher from Mecherah
Ahijah from Pelon
Hezro from Carmel
Naarai son of Ezbai
Joel brother of Nathan
Mibhar son of Hagri
Zelek from Ammon
Naharai, Joab's armorbearer, from Beeroth
Ira and Gareb from Jattir
Uriah the Hittite
Zabad son of Ahlai
Adina son of Shiza (a leading member of the tribe of Reuben, with his own group of thirty soldiers)
Hanan son of Maacah
Joshaphat from Mithan
Uzzia from Ashterah
Shamma and Jeiel, sons of Hotham, from Aroer
Jediael and Joha, sons of Shimri, from Tiz
Eliel from Mahavah
Jeribai and Joshaviah, sons of Elnaam
Ithmah from Moab
Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel from Zobah
1 Then all Israel gathered themselues to Dauid vnto Hebron, saying, Beholde, we are thy bones and thy flesh. 2 And in time past, euen when Saul was King, thou leddest Israel out and in: and the Lord thy God sayde vnto thee, Thou shalt feede my people Israel, and thou shalt be captaine ouer my people Israel. 3 So came all the Elders of Israel to the King to Hebron, and Dauid made a couenant with them in Hebron before the Lord. And they anoynted Dauid King ouer Israel, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Samuel. 4 And Dauid and all Israel went to Ierusalem, which is Iebus, where were the Iebusites, the inhabitants of the land. 5 And the inhabitants of Iebus said to Dauid, Thou shalt not come in hither. Neuertheles Dauid tooke the towre of Zion, which is the city of Dauid. 6 And Dauid sayd, Whosoeuer smiteth the Iebusites first, shalbe the chiefe and captaine. So Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah went first vp, and was captaine. 7 And Dauid dwelt in the tower: therefore they called it the citie of Dauid. 8 And he built the citie on euery side, from Millo euen round about, and Ioab repaired the rest of the citie. 9 And Dauid prospered, and grewe: for the Lord of hostes was with him. 10 These also are the chiefe of the valiant men that were with Dauid, and ioyned their force with him in his kingdome with al Israel, to make him King ouer Israel, according to the worde of the Lord. 11 And this is the nomber of the valiant men whome Dauid had, Iashobeam the sonne of Hachmoni, the chiefe among thirtie: he lift vp his speare against three hundreth, whom he slewe at one time. 12 And after him was Eleazar the sonne of Dodo the Ahohite, which was one of the three valiant men. 13 He was with Dauid at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistims were gathered together to battel: and there was a parcell of ground full of barley, and the people fled before the Philistims. 14 And they stood in the middes of the field, and saued it, and slewe the Philistims: so the Lord gaue a great victorie. 15 And three of the thirtie captaines went to a rocke to Dauid, into the caue of Adullam. And the armie of the Philistims camped in the valley of Rephaim. 16 And when Dauid was in the hold, the Philistims garison was at Beth-lehem. 17 And Dauid longed, and said, Oh, that one would giue me to drinke of the water of the well of Beth-lehem that is at the gate. 18 Then these three brake thorowe the hoste of the Philistims, and drewe water out of the well of Beth-lehem that was by the gate, and tooke it and brought it to Dauid: but Dauid would not drinke of it, but powred it for an oblation to the Lord, 19 And said, Let not my God suffer me to do this: should I drinke the blood of these mens liues? for they haue brought it with the ieopardie of their liues: therefore he would not drinke it: these things did these three mightie men. 20 And Abishai the brother of Ioab, he was chiefe of the three, and he lift vp his speare against three hundreth, and slew them, and had the name among the three. 21 Among the three he was more honourable then the two, and he was their captaine: but he attained not vnto the first three. 22 Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada (the sonne of a valiant man) which had done many actes, and was of Kabzeel, he slewe two strong men of Moab: he went downe also and slewe a lion in the middes of a pit in time of snowe. 23 And he slewe an Egyptian, a man of great stature, euen fiue cubites long, and in the Egyptians hand was a speare like a weauers beame: and he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hand, and slewe him with his owne speare. 24 These things did Benaiah ye sonne of Iehoiada, and had the name among the three worthies. 25 Behold, he was honourable among thirtie, but he attained not vnto the first three. And Dauid made him of his counsell. 26 These also were valiant men of warre, Asahel the brother of Ioab, Elhanan the sonne of Dodo of Beth-lehem, 27 Shammoth the Harodite, Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira the sonne of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite, 29 Sibbecai the Husathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled ye sonne of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 Ithai the sonne of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Beniamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 Hurai of the riuers of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaueth the Baharumite, Elihaba the Shaalbonite, 34 The sonnes of Hashem the Gizonite, Ionathan the sonne of Shageh the Harite, 35 Ahiam the sonne of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the sonne of Vr, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahiiah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the sonne of Ezbai, 38 Ioel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the sonne of Haggeri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Nahrai the Berothite, the armour bearer of Ioab, the sonne of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Garib the Ithrite, 41 Vriah the Hittite, Zabad the sonne of Ahlai, 42 Adina the sonne of Shiza the Reubenite, a captaine of the Reubenites, and thirtie with him, 43 Hanan the sonne of Maachah, and Ioshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Vzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Ieiel the sonnes of Otham the Aroerite, 45 Iediael the sonne of Shimri, and Ioha his brother the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahauite, and Ieribai and Ioshauiah the sonnes of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel and Obed, and Iaasiel the Mesobaite.