1Then all Israel gathered to David at Hebron. They said, "Look, we are your own bone and your own flesh."
2"In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in. And the LORD your God said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be ruler over my people Israel.'"
3So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, just as the LORD had said through Samuel.
4David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus. The Jebusites lived there; they were the people of the land.
5The people of Jebus said to David, "You will not come in here." But David took the stronghold of Zion, which is the city of David.
6David said, "Whoever attacks the Jebusites first will be chief and captain." So Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and he became chief.
7David lived in the stronghold, so they called it the city of David.
8He built up the city all around, from Millo round about. And Joab repaired the rest of the city.
9So David grew greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts was with him.
10These are the chief of the mighty men whom David had. They gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, just as the LORD had said about Israel.
11This is the number of the mighty men whom David had. Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the captains. He lifted up his spear against three hundred men and killed them at one time.
12After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.
13He was with David at Pasdammim, where the Philistines had gathered for battle. There was a field full of barley there, and the people fled from the Philistines.
14But they took their stand in the middle of that field. They defended it and killed the Philistines, and the LORD saved them with a great victory.
15Three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam. The army of the Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim.
17David longed for water and said, "If only someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, the one by the gate."
18So the three broke through the army of the Philistines. They drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, the one by the gate, and carried it back to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the LORD,
19and said, "My God forbid that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who put their lives in danger? For they brought it at the risk of their lives." So he would not drink it. These were the things the three mighty men did.
20Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and he had a name among the three.
21Of the three, he was more honoured than the other two, and he was their captain. But he did not reach the rank of the first three.
22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was the son of a brave man of Kabzeel. He had done many deeds. He killed two lionlike men of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day.
23He killed an Egyptian, a very tall man, five cubits high. In the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam. Benaiah went down to him with a staff, pulled the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.
24These were the things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three mighty men.
25He was honoured among the thirty, but he did not reach the rank of the first three. And David put him in charge of his guard.
26The brave men of the armies were these: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
27Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,
28Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite,
29Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
30Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,
31Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, which belonged to the children 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 the son of Shage the Hararite,
35Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,
36Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
37Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,
39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, who carried the armour of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
41Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,
42Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,
43Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,
44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite,
45Jediael the 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 Jasiel the Mesobaite.