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David Made King over All Israel

^1 (C1)Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron ^(F1)and said, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.² "In 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, '^(C1)You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be prince over My people Israel.'"³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and ^(C1)they anointed David king over Israel, ^(C2)according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.

Jerusalem, Capital City

⁴ Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (^(C1)that is, Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there.⁵ The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You shall not enter here." Nevertheless David captured the stronghold of Zion (that is, the city of David).⁶ Now David had said, "Whoever strikes down a Jebusite first shall be chief and commander." ^(C1)Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.⁷ Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David.⁸ He ^(F1)built the city all around, from the ^(F2)Millo even to the surrounding area; and Joab ^(F3)repaired the rest of the city.^9 (C1)David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him.

David's Mighty Men

^10 (C1)Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, ^(C2)according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.¹¹ These constitute the list of the mighty men whom David had: ^(C1)Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, ^(C2)the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred ^(F1)whom he killed at one time.

¹² After him was Eleazar the son of ^(C1)Dodo, the Ahohite, who was ^(F1)one of the three mighty men.¹³ He was with David at ^(F1)Pasdammim ^(C1)when the Philistines were gathered together there to battle, and there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled before the Philistines.¹⁴ They took their stand in the midst of the plot and defended it, and struck down the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great ^(F1)victory.

¹⁵ Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, while ^(C1)the army of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim.¹⁶ David was then in the stronghold, while ^(C1)the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.¹⁷ 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!"¹⁸ So 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; nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD;¹⁹ and he said, "Be it far from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who went ^(F1)at the risk of their lives? For at the risk of their lives they brought it." Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

²⁰ As for ^(F1)Abshai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the ^(F2)thirty, and he swung his spear against three hundred ^(F3)and killed them; and he had a name as well as the ^(F2)thirty.²¹ Of the three in the second rank he was the most honored and became their commander; however, he did not attain to the first three.

^22 (C1)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck down the ^(F1)two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and ^(F2)killed a lion inside a pit on a snowy day.²³ He ^(F1)killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature five ^(F2)cubits tall. Now in the Egyptian's hand was ^(C1)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 ^(F1)killed him with his own spear.²⁴ These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men.²⁵ Behold, he was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three; and David appointed him over his guard.

²⁶ Now the mighty men of the armies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,^27 (F1)Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the ^(F2)Pelonite,²⁸ Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite,^29 (F1)Sibbecai the Hushathite, ^(F2)Ilai the Ahohite,³⁰ Maharai the Netophathite, ^(F1)Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,³¹ Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,^32 (F1)Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, ^(F2)Abiel the Arbathite,³³ Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,³⁴ the sons of ^(F1)Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,³⁵ Ahiam the son of ^(F1)Sacar the Hararite, ^(F2)Eliphal the son of Ur,³⁶ Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,³⁷ Hezro the Carmelite, ^(F1)Naarai the son of Ezbai,³⁸ Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri,³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,⁴⁰ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,⁴² Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,⁴³ Hanan the son of Maacah and Joshaphat the Mithnite,⁴⁴ Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,⁴⁵ Jediael the son of Shimri and Joha his brother, the Tizite,⁴⁶ Eliel the Mahavite and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,⁴⁷ Eliel and Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.