1 Chronicles 11

1 Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, and said, Truly, we are your bone and your flesh.

Then the people of Israel came to David at Hebron [town] and said to him, “Listen, we have the same ancestors [IDM] that you have.

2 In the past, when Saul was king, it was you who went at the head of Israel when they went out or came in; and the Lord your God said to you, You are to be the keeper of my people Israel, and their ruler.

In the past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led our Israeli [soldiers in our battles]. You are the one to whom Yahweh our God promised, ‘You will be the leader [MET] of my people; you will be their king.’”

3 So all the responsible men of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord; and they put the holy oil on David and made him king over Israel, as the Lord had said by Samuel.

So all the Israeli elders came to David at Hebron. And David made a sacred agreement with them while Yahweh was listening. They anointed him [with olive oil to set him apart] to be the king of the Israeli people. That is what Yahweh had previously told [the prophet] Samuel would happen.

4 Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (which is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the people of the land, were there.

David and all the Israeli [soldiers] [SYN] went to Jerusalem. [At that time, ] Jerusalem was called Jebus, and the people who lived there were the Jebus people-group.

5 And the people of Jebus said to David, You will not come in here. But still, David took the strong place of Zion, which is the town of David.

Those people said to David, “Your [soldiers] will not be able to get inside our city!” But David’s [soldiers] captured the city, even though it had strong walls around it, and since then it has been called ‘The City of David’.

6 And David said, The first to overcome the Jebusites will be chief and captain. And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went up first, and became chief.

[What happened was this: ]: David said [to his soldiers], “The one who leads [our soldiers] to attack the Jebus people-group will become the commander of all my army.” Joab, the son of Zeruiah, led the soldiers, so he became the commander of all the army.

7 And David took the strong tower for his living-place, so it was named the town of David.

[After they captured] the city which had strong walls around it, David moved there. That is why they named it ‘The City of David’.

8 And he took in hand the building of the town all round, starting from the Millo; and Joab put the rest of the town in order.

David’s workers rebuilt the city, starting where the land was filled in and extending to the wall that was around the city. Joab’s [men] repaired the other parts of the city.

9 And David became greater and greater in power, because the Lord of armies was with him.

David became more and more powerful/influential, because the Almighty Commander of the armies of angels was with/helping him.

10 Now these are the chief of David's men of war who were his strong supporters in the kingdom, and, with all Israel, made him king, as the Lord had said about Israel.

Yahweh had promised [that David would become the king]. And all the Israeli people (were happy that David was/supported David as) their king. There were many soldiers/warriors who helped David’s kingdom to remain strong.

11 This is the list of David's men of war: Ishbaal, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the three: he put to death three hundred at one time with his spear.

This is a list of the leaders of David’s [most mighty] warriors: Jashobeam was from the Hacmon clan. He was one of the leaders of David’s most powerful soldiers. One time he fought against 300 enemies and killed them all with his spear.

12 And after him was Eleazar, the son of Dodo the Ahohite, who was one of the three great fighters.

Another one was Eleazar, who was the son of Dodo from the clan of Ahoh.

13 He was with David at Pas-dammim, where the Philistines had come together for the fight, near a bit of land full of barley; and the people went in flight before the Philistines.

[One day] he was with David at Pas Dammim when the soldiers of Philistia gathered there for the battle. There was a field of barley there. At first the Israeli soldiers ran away from the soldiers of Philistia,

14 And he took up his position in the middle of the bit of land, and kept back their attack, and overcame the Philistines; and the Lord gave a great salvation.

but then David and Eleazar stopped in the middle of the field and fought to defend it and killed [many of] the soldiers of Philistia. Yahweh enabled them to win a great victory on that day.

15 And three of the thirty went down to David, to the rock, into the strong place of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines had taken up their position in the valley of Rephaim.

One time three of David’s thirty most mighty warriors came to David when he was camping next to the huge rock outside the cave near Adullam. At that same time, the army of Philistia had camped in the Rephaim Valley.

16 At that time David had taken cover in the strong place, and an armed force of the Philistines was in Beth-lehem.

David was in a fortress, and some of the soldiers of Philistia were occupying Bethlehem.

17 And David, moved by a strong desire, said, If only someone would give me a drink of the water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem by the doorway into the town!

[One day] David was very thirsty and said, “I wish that someone would bring me some water from the well near the gate at Bethlehem!”

18 So the three, forcing a way through the Philistine army, got water from the water-hole of Beth-lehem, by the doorway into the town, and took it back to David; but David would not take it, but made an offering of it, draining it out to the Lord,

So those three most outstanding warriors forced their way through the camp of Philistia soldiers and drew some water from the well, and brought it to David. But he would not drink it. Instead, he poured it out [on the ground to be an offering] to Yahweh.

19 Saying, By my God, far be it from me to do this! How may I take as drink the life-blood of these men who have put their lives in danger? so he did not take it. These things did the three great men of war.

He said, “Yahweh, it would certainly not be right for me to drink this water! That would be like [RHQ] drinking the blood of these men who were willing/ready to die for me!” So he refused to drink it. That was one of the things that those three most outstanding warriors did.

20 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty, for he put to death three hundred with his spear, but he had not a name among the three.

Joab’s [younger] brother Abishai was the leader of the 30 most mighty warriors. [One time] Abishai fought 300 [enemy] soldiers with his spear and killed them.

21 Of the thirty, he was the noblest, and was made their captain, but he was not equal to the first three.

So he became as famous as those three most outstanding warriors. He became their commander, even though he was not one of those three men.

22 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, a fighting-man of Kabzeel, had done great acts; he put to death two young lions going into their secret place; and he went down into a hole and put a lion to death in time of snow.

Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was a brave soldier from Kabzeel [town] who did heroic deeds. He killed two of the best warriors from [the] Moab [people-group]. One day he went down into a pit when snow was falling [on the ground] and killed a lion there.

23 And he made an attack on an Egyptian, a very tall man about five cubits high, armed with a spear like a cloth-worker's rod; he went down to him with a stick, and pulling his spear out of the hand of the Egyptian, put him to death with that same spear.

He also killed a soldier from Egypt who was (7-1/2 feet/2.3 meters) tall. The soldier from Egypt carried a spear that was as long as a weaver’s rod. Benaiah had [only] a club, but he grabbed the other man’s spear and killed him with it.

24 These were the acts of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, who had a great name among the thirty men of war.

Those are some of the things that Benaiah did. So he became as famous as the three mighty warriors.

25 He was honoured over the thirty, but he was not equal to the first three: and David put him over his servants.

He was more honored than the other members of the group of thirty most mighty warriors, but he did not become a member of the group of three most outstanding warriors. David appointed him to be the leader of his bodyguards.

26 And these were the great men of war: Asahel, the brother of Joab, Elhanan, the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,

These are the names of David’s mighty warriors: Asahel, the [younger] brother of Joab; Elhanan, the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;

27 Shammoth the Harodite, Helez the Pelonite,

Shammah, from [the] Harod [clan]; Helez, from [the] Pelon [clan];

28 Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite,

Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa [town]; Abiezer, from Anathoth [city];

29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

Sibbecai, from Hushah’s [clan]; Ilai from Ahoh’s clan;

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

Maharai, from Netophah [town]; Heled, the son of Baanah, also from Netophah [town];

31 Ithai, the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Ithai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah [town] in [the land that belonged to] the tribe of Benjamin; Benaiah, from Pirathon [town];

32 Hurai of Nahale-gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

Hurai, from the valleys near Gaash [Mountain]; Abiel from the clan of Arabah;

33 Azmaveth of Bahurim, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

Azmaveth, from Baharum [town]; Eliahba, from Shaalbon [town];

34 The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan, the son of Shage the Hararite,

The sons of Hashem from [the] Gizon [clan]; Jonathan the son of Shagee from the Harar [town/clan];

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

Ahiam the son of Sharar/Sacar, from Harar [town/clan]; Eliphal the son of Ur;

36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

Hepher from the Mekerath [clan]; Ahijah from the Pelon [clan/town];

37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai, the son of Ezbai,

Hezro from Carmel [city]; Naarai the son of Ezbai;

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

Joel the [younger] brother of Nathan; Mibhar the son of Hagri;

39 Zelek the Ammonite, and Naharai the Berothite, the servant who had the care of the arms of Joab, the son of Zeruiah;

Zelek from the Ammon people-group; Naharai, the man who carried Joab’s weapons, from Beeroth [town];

40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

Ira and Gareb from Jattir [town];

41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad, the son of Ahlai,

Uriah, [Bathsheba’s husband], from the Heth people-group; Zabad the son of Ahlai;

42 Adina, the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him;

Adina the son of Shiza, a leader from the tribe of Reuben, who had thirty [soldiers] with him;

43 Hanan, the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

Hanan the son of Maacah; Joshaphat from Mithna [town/clan];

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

Uzzia from Ashterath [town]; Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham, from Aroer [city];

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

Jediael the son of Shimri and his [younger] brother Joha, from Tiz [town/clan];

46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

Eliel from Mahavah [town/clan]; Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam; Ithmah from [the] Moab [region];

47 Eliel and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Eliel and Obed, and Jaasiel from Zobah [town/clan].