David Anointed King of All Israel
(2 Samuel 5:1–5)

1And all Israel came together to David at Hebron, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. 2Even in time past,† even before, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel. And YHWH your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be ruler over My people Israel.’”

3And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the face of YHWH. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of YHWH by Samuel.

David Conquers Jerusalem
(2 Samuel 5:6–11)

4And David went, and all Israel, to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, and there were the Jebusite, those dwelling in the land.

5And those dwelling in Jebus said to David, “You shall not come in here.”

And David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).

6And David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusite first shall be head and chief.”

And Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and he became head.

7And David dwelt in the stronghold; upon thus they called it the City of David. 8And he built the city around it, from the Millo† and to the surrounding area, and Joab repaired the rest of the city.

9And David went, going on and becoming great, and YHWH of Hosts was with him.

David’s Mighty Men
(2 Samuel 23:8–39)

10And these were the heads of the mighty who were unto David, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king according to the word of YHWH concerning Israel. 11And these are the numbers of the mighty men whom David had:

Jashobeam son of a Hachmonite, chief of the captains;† he lifted up his spear against three hundred, whom he wounded at one time.

12And after him was Eleazar son of Dodo† the Ahohite—he was among the three mighty men. 13He was with David at Pas-dammim, and the Philistines were gathered there for battle. And a portion of ground there was full of barley, and the people fled from the Philistines. 14And they stationed themselves† in the midst of the portion, and snatched it up, and struck the Philistines. And YHWH brought about a great victory.

15And three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the camp of the Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 17And David longed and said, “Who will give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”

18And the Three broke through the camp of the Philistines, and they drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and they lifted it and brought it to David. And David would not drink it, and he poured it out to YHWH, 19and he said, “Far be it from me, my God, that I should do this; shall I drink the blood of these men with their lives? For with their lives they brought it.” And he would not drink it.

These things were done by the three mighty men.

20And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the Three,† and He wielded his spear against three hundred, killed them, and won a name among the three. 21He was doubly honored above the three, and he became captain unto them. And to the Three he did not attain.

22Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a man of valor, of great deeds, from Kabzeel: He struck down two champions of Moab,† and He went down and killed the lion in the midst of a pit on the day of the snow. 23And he killed an Egyptian, a man of measure five by the cubit,† and in the hand of the Egyptian was a spear like a weavers’ beam. And he went down to him with a staff and wrested the spear from the hand of the Egyptian, and he killed him with his own spear. 24These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and to him was a name among the three mighty men. 25Indeed he was more honored than the thirty, and to the three he did not attain. And David set him over his guard.

26And the mighty men of the armies:

Asah-el the brother of Joab,

Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

27Shammoth the Harorite,†

Helez the Pelonite,

28Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Abiezer the Anathothite,

29Sibbechai the Hushathite,

Ilai the Ahohite,

30Maharai the Netophathite,

Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

31Ithai† son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin,

Benaiah the Pirathonite,

32Hurai† of the brooks† of Gaash,

Abiel† the Arbathite,

33Azmaveth the Baharumite,†

Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34the sons of Hashem† the Gizonite,

Jonathan son of Shageh the Hararite,

35Ahiam son of Sachar† the Hararite,

Eliphal son of Ur,

36Hepher the Mecherathite,

Ahijah the Pelonite,

37Hezro the Carmelite,

Naarai son of Ezbai,

38Joel the brother of Nathan,

Mibhar son of Hagri,

39Zelek the Ammonite,

Naharai the Beerothite, bearer of the armor of Joab son of Zeruiah,

40Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

41Uriah the Hittite,

Zabad son of Ahlai,

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

43Hanan son of Maacah,

and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44Uzzia the Ashterathite,

Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

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

46Eliel the Mahavite,

and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam,

and Ithmah the Moabite,

47Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Footnotes:

2 Or For some time
8 That is, the terrace
11 Or of the Thirty; some LXX manuscripts of the Three; see 2 Samuel 23:8.
12 Dodo is a variant of Dodai; see 1 Chronicles 27:4.
14 Literally But they stationed themselves
20 Hebrew; Syriac the Thirty; also in verse 21
22 Or two sons of Ariel of Moab
23 5 cubits is approximately 7 feet 6 inches or 229 centimeters tall.
27 Shammoth the Harorite is a variant of Shammah the Harodite; see 2 Samuel 23:25.
31 Ithai is a variant of Ittai; see 2 Samuel 23:29.
32 Hurai is a variant of Hiddai; see 2 Samuel 23:30.
32 Or from the ravines
32 Abiel is a variant of Abi-albon; see 2 Samuel 23:31.
33 Baharumite is a variant of Barhumite; see 2 Samuel 23:31.
34 Hashem is a variant of Jashen; see LXX and 2 Samuel 23:32.
35 Sachar is a variant of Sharar; see 2 Samuel 23:33.