1 Chronicles 11:10-12:40

David’s Mighty Warriors 10These were the chiefs of David’s mighty warriors—they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the LORD had promised—

11this is the list of David’s mighty warriors: Jashobeam, Possibly a variant of Jashob-Baal a Hakmonite, was chief of the officers Or Thirty; some Septuagint manuscripts Three (see also 2 Samuel 23:8) ; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. 12Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. 13He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines.

14But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. 15Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 17David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 18So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD .

19“God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors. 20Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three.

21He was doubly honored above the Three and became their commander, even though he was not included among them. 22Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 23And he struck down an Egyptian who was five cubits That is, about 7 feet 6 inches or about 2.3 meters tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors.

25He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

26The mighty warriors were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

27Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

28Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, Abiezer from Anathoth,

29Sibbekai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

30Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

31Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

32Hurai from the ravines of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

33Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,

35Ahiam son of Sakar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur,

36Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

37Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai,

38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri,

39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

41Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,

42Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, who was chief of the Reubenites, and the thirty with him,

43Hanan son of Maakah, Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

45Jediael son of Shimri, his brother Joha the Tizite,

46Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47Eliel, Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Warriors Join David 1These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle;

2they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin): 3Ahiezer their chief and Joash the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berakah, Jehu the Anathothite, 4and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty warrior among the Thirty, who was a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite, In Hebrew texts the second half of this verse (Jeremiah… Gederathite) is numbered 12:5, and 12:5-40 is numbered 12:6-41. 5Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6Elkanah, Ishiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam the Korahites;

7and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

8Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains.

9Ezer was the chief, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third,

10Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

11Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

12Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

13Jeremiah the tenth and Makbannai the eleventh. 14These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand.

15It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west. 16Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold.

17David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”

18Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.” So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands. 19Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”) 20When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. 21They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army.

22Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God. Or a great and mighty army

Others Join David at Hebron 23These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the LORD had said:

24from Judah, carrying shield and spear—6,800 armed for battle;

25from Simeon, warriors ready for battle—7,100; 26from Levi—4,600, 27including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men,

28and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family;

29from Benjamin, Saul’s tribe—3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to Saul’s house until then;

30from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans—20,800;

31from half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king—18,000;

32from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;

33from Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty—50,000;

34from Naphtali—1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;

35from Dan, ready for battle—28,600;

36from Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle—40,000;

37and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon—120,000. 38All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. 39The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them. 40Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.