Read the Bible

¹ THEN all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, Behold, we are your blood and your flesh always;² And moreover in times past, even when Saul was king over us, it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD your God said to you. You shall feed my people Israel, and you shall be ruler over all the tribes of Israel.³ Wherefore all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they appointed David king over Israel. Thus the words of Samuel the prophet were confirmed, which he spoke in the name of the LORD.⁴ Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (which was formerly called Jebus) where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.⁵ And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, You shall not come in here. Nevertheless David gathered all the people together and took the city of Zion, which is called the city of David.⁶ And David said, Whoever smites a Jebusite person first shall be chief and commander of the army. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and King David appointed him chief and commander of the army.⁷ And David dwelt in the city of Zion; therefore they called it the city of David.⁸ And David built the city round about, even from Millo, which is outside; and David gave the east side of the city to the rest of the people who were in the villages.⁹ So David became greater and greater; and the LORD of hosts was with him.

¹⁰ These are the chiefs of Davids mighty men, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom and helped him to be made king over all Israel, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke concerning Israel.¹¹ And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: seated in the first rank, chief of thirty men, Gedho, a valiant man; he lifted up his spear and slew three hundred men in one hour.¹² And after him was Eleazar his uncles son, of the city of Dakhokh, who was over three hundred men.¹³ He was with David at Pasi-de-maya, when the Philistines were fighting there, where there was a field of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.¹⁴ And they set themselves in the midst of the field, and delivered it and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory.¹⁵ Now three of the thirty chieftains went down to David, into the cave of Arlam; and the host of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Gabarey.¹⁶ And David dwelt then in the tent, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.¹⁷ And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me a drink of water from the great cistern of Bethlehem that is at the gate of the city!¹⁸ And as soon as three men heard it, they broke through the camp of the Philistines, and went and drew water out of the cistern of Bethlehem that was by the gate of the city, and took it and brought it to David; but David would not drink of it, but poured it out in the presence of the LORD,¹⁹ And said, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing in the presence of my God; for these men went forth with the jeopardy of their lives. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three valiant men.²⁰ And Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of thirty; for he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and he was highly honored, promoted to be over thirty men.²¹ He was more honorable than the thirty men, and he became their chief and fought like thirty men.²² Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a valiant man of the province of Kabzeel who had done good deeds; he slew the two mighty men of Moab; also he went down and slew a lion in the midst of a forest on a snowy day.²³ And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptians hand was a spear like a weavers beam; and he went down against him with a staff, and took the spear out of the Egyptians hand and slew him with his own spear.²⁴ These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and was more renowned than the three valiant men.²⁵ And he was honorable among the three valiant men, for he fought like three mighty men; and David set him over his bodyguard and over the chiefs of the army;²⁶ Also the valiant men of the army were: Ashail the brother of Joab, Elhanan his uncles son of Bethlehem,²⁷ Shammoth of the mount, King Helez the Pelonite,²⁸ Ira the son of Ikkes of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth,²⁹ Sabbai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,³⁰ Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,³¹ Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the Benjamites, Benaiah the Pirathonite,³² Hadai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,³³ Uzban the Marhomite, Elipha the Shaalbonite,³⁴ The sons of Shem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage of mount Carmel,³⁵ Ahiram the son of Sacim of mount Beta, Elipon the son of Ur of Begarthon,³⁶ Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Hasarite,³⁷ Hezro the Carmelite, Lazar the Aobite,³⁸ Joel the brother of Nathan, Machad the Gaddite,³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite, Mahrai the Berothite, the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zuriah,⁴⁰ Ira the Ithrite, Garab the Ithrite,⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,⁴² Adina the son of Shara the Reubenite, of the house of Reubenites, and he was a captain over thirty men,⁴³ Hanan the son of Maachah, and Azrai the Anathotite,⁴⁴ Jehoshaphat the Ashterathite, Shama and Emael the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,⁴⁵ Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother,⁴⁶ Amozoth and Anael, Moham, Mozel, Ribai and his son Ashua; Ahmael and Jathmah the Moabites,⁴⁷ Eliel, Jathmah, Ober, Lasiel, and Ashkir.