David Made King over All Israel

1Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron [a]and said, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. 2In times past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be leader over My people Israel.’” 3So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, in accordance with the word of the LORD through Samuel.

Jerusalem Is the Capital City

4Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. 5The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not enter here.” Nevertheless David took the mountain stronghold of Zion (that is, the city of David). 6Now David had said, “Whoever is first to [b]kill a Jebusite shall be chief and commander.” Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. 7Then David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. 8He [c]built the city all around, from the [d]Millo to the surrounding area; and Joab [e]repaired the rest of the city. 9And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of armies was with him.

David’s Mighty Men

10Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who remained faithful to him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, in accordance with the word of the LORD concerning Israel. 11These constitute the list of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he wielded his spear against three hundred [f]whom he killed at one time.

12After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was [g]one of the three mighty men. 13He was with David at [h]Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered together there to battle, and there was a plot of land full of barley; and the people fled from the Philistines. 14But they took their stand in the midst of the plot and defended it, and defeated the Philistines; and the LORD saved them with a great [i]victory.

15Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines was camping in the Valley of Rephaim. 16David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 17And David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 18So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David; however, David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; 19and he said, “Far be it from me before my God that I would do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who went [j]at the risk of their lives? For they brought it at the risk of their lives.” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.

20As for [k]Abshai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the [l]thirty, and he wielded his spear against three hundred [m]and killed them; and he had a name [n]as well as the [o]thirty. 21Of the three in the second rank he was the most honored, and he became their commander; however, he did not attain the reputation of the first three.

22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a warrior of Kabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck and killed the [p]two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and struck and killed a lion inside a pit on a snowy day. 23And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature [q]five cubits tall. Now in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name [r]as well as the three mighty men. 25Behold, he was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain the reputation of the first three; and David appointed him over his bodyguard.

26Now the mighty men of the armies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27[s]Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the [t]Pelonite, 28Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, 29[u]Sibbecai the Hushathite, [v]Ilai the Ahohite, 30Maharai the Netophathite, [w]Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32[x]Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, [y]Abiel the Arbathite, 33Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34the sons of [z]Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35Ahiam the son of [aa]Sacar the Hararite, [ab]Eliphal the son of Ur, 36Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37Hezro the Carmelite, [ac]Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43Hanan the son of Maacah and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45Jediael the son of Shimri and his brother Joha the Tizite, 46Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

[a] 1 Lit saying
[b] 6 Lit strike
[c] 8 Or fortified
[d] 8 I.e., terraced structure
[e] 8 Lit revived
[f] 11 Lit slain ones
[g] 12 Lit among
[h] 13 In 1 Sam 17:1, Ephes-dammim
[i] 14 Or salvation
[j] 19 Lit with their souls
[k] 20 In 2 Sam 23:18, Abishai
[l] 20 As in Syriac; MT three
[m] 20 Lit slain ones
[n] 20 Lit among the
[o] 20 As in Syriac; MT three
[p] 22 Or two lion-like heroes of
[q] 23 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
[r] 24 Lit among the
[s] 27 In 2 Sam 23:25, Shammah the Harodite
[t] 27 In 2 Sam 23:26, Paltite
[u] 29 In 2 Sam 23:27, Mebunnai
[v] 29 In 2 Sam 23:28, Zalmon
[w] 30 In 2 Sam 23:29, Heleb
[x] 32 In 2 Sam 23:30, Hiddai
[y] 32 In 2 Sam 23:31, Abi-albon
[z] 34 In 2 Sam 23:32, Jashen
[aa] 35 In 2 Sam 23:33, Sharar
[ab] 35 In 2 Sam 23:34, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai
[ac] 37 In 2 Sam 23:35, Paarai the Arbite