| New Living Translation | English Standard Version |
| 1Then all Israel gathered before David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. | 1Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. |
| 2In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD your God told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be the leader of my people Israel.’” | 2In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’” |
| 3So there at Hebron, David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel, just as the LORD had promised through Samuel. David Captures Jerusalem | 3So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel. |
| 4Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called), where the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were living. | 4And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. |
| 5The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David. | 5The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. |
| 6David had said to his troops, “Whoever is first to attack the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies!” And Joab, the son of David’s sister Zeruiah, was first to attack, so he became the commander of David’s armies. | 6David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief. |
| 7David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the City of David. | 7And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. |
| 8He extended the city from the supporting terraces to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem. | 8And he built the city all around from the Millo in complete circuit, and Joab repaired the rest of the city. |
| 9And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD of Heaven’s Armies was with him. David’s Mightiest Warriors | 9And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him. |
| 10These are the leaders of David’s mighty warriors. Together with all Israel, they decided to make David their king, just as the LORD had promised concerning Israel. | 10Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. |
| 11Here is the record of David’s mightiest warriors: The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three—the mightiest warriors among David’s men. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. | 11This is an account of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time. |
| 12Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. | 12And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite. |
| 13He was with David when the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas-dammim and attacked the Israelites in a field full of barley. The Israelite army fled, | 13He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. |
| 14but Eleazar and David held their ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the LORD saved them by giving them a great victory. | 14But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the LORD saved them by a great victory. |
| 15Once when David was at the rock near the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty—an elite group among David’s fighting men) went down to meet him there. | 15Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. |
| 16David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem. | 16David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. |
| 17David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” | 17And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” |
| 18So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the LORD. | 18Then the three mighty men broke through the camp 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 it. He poured it out to the LORD |
| 19“God forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three. David’s Thirty Mighty Men | 19and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. |
| 20Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three. | 20Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three. |
| 21Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three. | 21He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three. |
| 22There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. | 22And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. |
| 23Once, armed only with a club, he killed an Egyptian warrior who was 7 1/2 feet tall and who was armed with a spear as thick as a weaver’s beam. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it. | 23And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver’s beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. |
| 24Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the three mightiest warriors. | 24These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. |
| 25He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard. | 25He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard. |
| 26David’s mighty warriors also included: Asahel, Joab’s brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem; | 26The mighty men were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, |
| 27Shammah from Harod; Helez from Pelon; | 27Shammoth of Harod, Helez the Pelonite, |
| 28Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; Abiezer from Anathoth; | 28Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, |
| 29Sibbecai from Hushah; Zalmon from Ahoah; | 29Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, |
| 30Maharai from Netophah; Heled son of Baanah from Netophah; | 30Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah, |
| 31Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah (in the land of Benjamin); Benaiah from Pirathon; | 31Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, |
| 32Hurai from near Nahale-gaash ; Abi-albon from Arabah; | 32Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, |
| 33Azmaveth from Bahurim ; Eliahba from Shaalbon; | 33Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, |
| 34the sons of Jashen from Gizon; Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar; | 34Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, |
| 35Ahiam son of Sharar from Harar; Eliphal son of Ur; | 35Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, |
| 36Hepher from Mekerah; Ahijah from Pelon; | 36Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, |
| 37Hezro from Carmel; Paarai son of Ezbai; | 37Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai, |
| 38Joel, the brother of Nathan; Mibhar son of Hagri; | 38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, |
| 39Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth, the armor bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; | 39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, |
| 40Ira from Jattir; Gareb from Jattir; | 40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, |
| 41Uriah the Hittite; Zabad son of Ahlai; | 41Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, |
| 42Adina son of Shiza, the Reubenite leader who had thirty men with him; | 42Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, |
| 43Hanan son of Maacah; Joshaphat from Mithna; | 43Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, |
| 44Uzzia from Ashtaroth; Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham, from Aroer; | 44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, |
| 45Jediael son of Shimri; Joha, his brother, from Tiz; | 45Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, |
| 46Eliel from Mahavah; Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam; Ithmah from Moab; | 46Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, |
| 47Eliel and Obed; Jaasiel from Zobah. | 47Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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