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1 Chronicles 11 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

David Anointed King

1Ch 11:1Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh.
1Ch 11:2In 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.’”
1Ch 11:3So 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.

David Takes Jerusalem

1Ch 11:4And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.
1Ch 11:5The 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.
1Ch 11:6David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.
1Ch 11:7And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David.
1Ch 11:8And he built the city all around from the Millo in complete circuit, and Joab repaired the rest of the city.
1Ch 11:9And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him.

David’s Mighty Men

1Ch 11:10Now 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.
1Ch 11:11This is an account of David’s mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the three.[fn] He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.
1Ch 11:12And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite.
1Ch 11:13He 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.
1Ch 11:14But he took his[fn] stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the LORD saved them by a great victory.
1Ch 11:15Three 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.
1Ch 11:16David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.
1Ch 11:17And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”
1Ch 11:18Then 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
1Ch 11:19and 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.
1Ch 11:20Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty.[fn] And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three.
1Ch 11:21He was the most renowned[fn] of the thirty[fn] and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.
1Ch 11:22And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man[fn] 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.
1Ch 11:23And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits[fn] 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.
1Ch 11:24These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men.
1Ch 11:25He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
1Ch 11:26The mighty men were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
1Ch 11:27Shammoth of Harod,[fn] Helez the Pelonite,
1Ch 11:28Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth,
1Ch 11:29Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
1Ch 11:30Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah,
1Ch 11:31Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon,
1Ch 11:32Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,
1Ch 11:33Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
1Ch 11:34Hashem[fn] the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,
1Ch 11:35Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,
1Ch 11:36Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
1Ch 11:37Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai,
1Ch 11:38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri,
1Ch 11:39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
1Ch 11:40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
1Ch 11:41Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,
1Ch 11:42Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,
1Ch 11:43Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,
1Ch 11:44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
1Ch 11:45Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,
1Ch 11:46Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,
1Ch 11:47Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
ESV Footnotes
Compare 2 Samuel 23:8; Hebrew thirty, or captains
Compare 2 Samuel 23:12; Hebrew they… their
Syriac; Hebrew three
Compare 2 Samuel 23:19; Hebrew more renowned among the two
Syriac; Hebrew three
Syriac; Hebrew the son of a valiant man
A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
Compare 2 Samuel 23:25; Hebrew the Harorite
Compare Septuagint and 2 Samuel 23:32; Hebrew the sons of Hashem
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1 Chronicles Chapter 11 — Additional Translations: