¶ Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron², saying, Behold,³ we are thy bone and thy flesh.

And moreover in time past⁴, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt⁵ feed⁶ my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.

Therefore came all the elders⁷ of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made⁸ a covenant with them in Hebron before⁹ the LORD; and they anointed¹⁰ David king over Israel, according¹¹ to the word of the LORD by¹² Samuel.

And David¹³ and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus¹⁴; where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants¹⁶ of the land.

And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt¹⁷ not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle¹⁸ of Zion, which is the city¹⁹ of David.

And David said, Whosoever²⁰ smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief²¹ and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief.

And David dwelt²² in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David²³.

And he built the city round about, even from Millo²⁴ round about: and Joab repaired²⁵ the rest of the city.

So David waxed greater and greater²⁶: for²⁷ the LORD of hosts was with him.

¶ These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with²⁹ him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king, according³⁰ to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam³¹, an Hachmonite³², the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.

And after him was Eleazar³³ the son of Dodo³⁵, the Ahohite³⁶, who was one of the three³⁷ mighties.

He was with David at Pasdammim³⁸, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.

And they set⁴⁰ themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance⁴¹.

Now three of the thirty captains⁴² went down to the rock to David, into the cave⁴³ of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the⁴⁴ valley of Rephaim⁴⁵.

And David was then in the hold⁴⁷, and the Philistines⁴⁸' garrison was then at Bethlehem.

And David longed⁴⁹, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water⁵⁰ of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!

And the three brake⁵¹ through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured⁵² it out to the LORD,

And said, My God⁵³ forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I⁵⁴ drink the blood of these men that have put their lives⁵⁵ in jeopardy⁵⁶? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These⁵⁷ things did these three mightiest.

¶ And Abishai⁵⁸ the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.

Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit⁵⁹ he attained not to the first three.

Benaiah⁶⁰ the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel⁶¹, who had done many acts⁶²; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a⁶³ lion in a pit in a snowy day.

And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature⁶⁴, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear⁶⁵ like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him⁶⁶ with his own spear.

These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three⁶⁷ mighties.

Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained⁶⁸ not to the first three: and David⁶⁹ set him over his guard.

Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel⁷⁰ the brother of Joab, Elhanan⁷¹ the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

Shammoth⁷² the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite⁷⁴,

Ira⁷⁶ the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite⁷⁷,

Sibbecai⁷⁹ the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

¶ Maharai⁸¹ the Netophathite, Heled⁸² the son of Baanah the Netophathite,

Ithai⁸⁵ the son of Ribai of Gibeah, that pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Hurai⁸⁷ of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

Azmaveth the Baharumite⁹⁰, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

The sons of Hashem⁹² the Gizonite⁹⁴, Jonathan⁹⁵ the son of Shage⁹⁶ the Hararite⁹⁷,

Ahiam the son of Sacar⁹⁸ the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,

Hepher¹⁰¹ the Mecherathite¹⁰², Ahijah¹⁰³ the Pelonite¹⁰⁴,

Hezro¹⁰⁵ the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,

Joel¹⁰⁷ the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri,

Zelek¹⁰⁹ the Ammonite¹¹⁰, Naharai¹¹¹ the Berothite¹¹², the armourbearer of Joab¹¹³ the son of Zeruiah¹¹⁴,

¶ Ira the Ithrite¹¹⁵, Gareb the Ithrite,

Uriah¹¹⁷ the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,

Adina¹¹⁸ the son of Shiza¹¹⁹ the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

Hanan¹²⁰ the son of Maachah¹²¹, and Joshaphat¹²² the Mithnite¹²³,

Uzzia¹²⁴ the Ashterathite¹²⁵, Shama¹²⁶ and Jehiel¹²⁷ the sons of Hothan¹²⁸ the Aroerite¹³⁰,

Jediael¹³² the son of Shimri¹³³, and Joha his brother, the Tizite¹³⁵,

Eliel¹³⁶ the Mahavite¹³⁷, and Jeribai¹³⁸, and Joshaviah¹³⁹, the sons of Elnaam¹⁴⁰, and Ithmah¹⁴¹ the Moabite¹⁴²,

Eliel¹⁴³, and Obed¹⁴⁴, and Jasiel¹⁴⁵ the Mesobaite¹⁴⁷.