1Then all the people of Israel gathered to David at Hebron and said, "Look, we are your own flesh and blood.
2Even in the past, when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel in and out of battle. Yahweh your God told you, 'You will be the shepherd of my people Israel, and you will be the leader over my people Israel.'"
3So all the elders of Israel came to King David at Hebron. David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh, and they anointed David king over Israel, just as Yahweh had promised through Samuel.
4David and all of Israel went to Jerusalem (also called Jebus), where the Jebusites, who lived in the land, were.
5The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You will not enter here." Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.
6David said, "Whoever attacks the Jebusites first will become chief and captain." Joab, Zeruiah's son, was the first to go up, so he became chief.
7David lived in the fortress, so it was called the City of David.
8He built up the city all around, from Millo all the way around, and Joab repaired the rest of the city.
9David became more and more powerful, because Yahweh of Armies was with him.
10These are the leaders of David's mighty warriors who strongly supported him in his kingdom, along with all Israel, to make him king, according to Yahweh's word concerning Israel.
11This is the list of David's mighty warriors: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was the chief of the Thirty. He once used his spear to strike down three hundred men.
12After him was Eleazar, son of Dodo, an Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty warriors.
13He was with David at Pasdammim when the Philistines gathered for battle. There was a field full of barley there, and the people fled from the Philistines.
14But Eleazar stood in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. Yahweh gave them a great victory.
15Three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the rock into the cave of Adullam, while the Philistine army was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.
16At that time David was in the stronghold, and there was a Philistine garrison in Bethlehem.
17David longed for water and said, "I wish someone would give me water to drink from the well in Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"
18So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine army, drew water from the well in Bethlehem by the gate, and brought it to David. But David refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to Yahweh.
19David said, "My God forbid that I should do this! Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?" Because they risked their lives to bring it, he refused to drink it. These were the deeds of the three mighty men.
20Abishai, Joab's brother, was the leader of the three. He was famous among the three because he used his spear to kill 300 men.
21He was more honored than the other two and became their captain, but he was not counted among the top three.
22Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada from Kabzeel, was a brave man who performed great feats. He killed two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day.
23He killed an Egyptian, a very tall man, about seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian had a spear as thick as a weaver's beam. Benaiah approached him with only a staff, pulled the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and then killed him with his own spear.
24Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, did these things and became famous among the three mighty warriors.
25Indeed, he was more honored than the thirty mighty men, but he did not equal the top three. David put him in charge of his personal guard.
26The mighty men in the army also included Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan, the son of Dodo from Bethlehem;
27Shammoth the Harorite; Helez the Pelonite;
28Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; Abiezer the Anathothite;
29Sibbecai the Hushathite; Ilai the Ahohite;
30Maharai the Netophathite; Heled, the son of Baanah the Netophathite;
31Ithai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah of the people of Benjamin; Benaiah the Pirathonite;
32Hurai from the valleys of Gaash; Abiel the Arbathite;
33Azmaveth the Baharumite; Eliahba the Shaalbonite;
34the sons of Hashem the Gizonite; Jonathan, the son of Shagee the Hararite;
35Ahiam, the son of Sacar the Hararite; Eliphal, the son of Ur;
36Hepher the Mecherathite; Ahijah the Pelonite;
37Hezro the Carmelite; Naarai, the son of Ezbai;
38Joel, the brother of Nathan; Mibhar, the son of Hagri;
39Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai the Berothite, who was the armor-bearer for Joab, the son of Zeruiah;
40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
41Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,
42Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty others with him,
43Hanan son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel, sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
45Jediael son of Shimri, and his brother Joha the Tizite,
46Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah, sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,
47Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.