David Anointed King of All Israel
And all Israel gathered to David at Hebron, saying, “Look — we are your bone and your flesh.
Even yesterday, even before — even when Saul was king — you were the one leading Israel out and bringing them in. And the LORD your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel, and you shall be leader over my people Israel.’”
And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and David cut a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David as king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Samuel.
David Conquers Jerusalem
And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem — that is, Jebus; and there the Jebusites were the inhabitants of the land.
And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not come in here.” But David captured the stronghold of Zion — that is, the city of David.
And David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusite first shall be head and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and became head.
And David lived in the stronghold; therefore they called it the city of David.
And he built the city all around, from the Millo even to the surrounding wall; and Joab restored the rest of the city.
And David went on and grew great — and the LORD of hosts was with him.
David’s Mighty Men
And these are the heads of the mighty men who were David’s, who held strong with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king — according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.
And this is the count of the mighty men who were David’s: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, head of the Three. He brandished his spear over three hundred slain at one time.
And after him, Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite; he was among the three mighty men.
He was with David at Pas-dammim, when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. And there was a plot of the field full of barley; and the people fled before the Philistines.
And they took their stand in the middle of the plot and delivered it, and struck down the Philistines; and the LORD saved with a great salvation.
And three of the thirty, the head men, went down over the rock to David, to the cave of Adullam, while the camp of the Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.
And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.
And David craved, and said, “Who will give me a drink of water from the cistern of Bethlehem, which is by the gate?”
And the Three broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the cistern of Bethlehem, which is by the gate; and they carried it and brought it to David. But David was not willing to drink it — and he poured it out to the LORD,
and said: “Far be it from me, before my God, to do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men at the price of their lives? For at the price of their lives they brought it.” And he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
And Abshai, the brother of Joab — he was head of the Three; and he brandished his spear over three hundred slain, and had a name among the Three.
Of the Three, he was more honored than the two, and became their commander; but to the Three he did not attain.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a man of valor, great in deeds, from Kabzeel — he struck down the two ariels of Moab; and he went down and struck down the lion inside the pit on the day of the snow.
And he struck down the Egyptian, a man of stature, five cubits tall; and in the hand of the Egyptian was a spear like a weavers’ beam. And he went down to him with a staff, and tore the spear from the hand of the Egyptian, and killed him with his own spear.
These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three mighty men.
Look — he was honored above the Thirty, but to the Three he did not attain. And David set him over his bodyguard.
And the mighty men of the forces: Asahel, the brother of Joab; Elhanan the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;
Shammoth the Harorite; Helez the Pelonite;
Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; Abiezer the Anathothite;
Sibbecai the Hushathite; Ilai the Ahohite;
Maharai the Netophathite; Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite;
Ithai the son of Ribai, from Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin; Benaiah the Pirathonite;
Hurai, from the ravines of Gaash; Abiel the Arbathite;
Azmaveth the Baharumite; Eliahba the Shaalbonite;
the sons of Hashem the Gizonite; Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite;
Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite; Eliphal the son of Ur;
Hepher the Mecherathite; Ahijah the Pelonite;
Hezro the Carmelite; Naarai the son of Ezbai;
Joel the brother of Nathan; Mibhar the son of Hagri;
Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah;
Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite;
Uriah the Hittite; Zabad the son of Ahlai;
Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a head of the Reubenites, and thirty with him;
Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite;
Uzzia the Ashterathite; Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham the Aroerite;
Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite;
Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam; and Ithmah the Moabite;
Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.