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1 Chronicles 10-12
New English Translation

Saul’s Death

10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel. The Israelites fled before the Philistines and many of them fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines stayed right on the heels of[a] Saul and his sons. They[b] struck down Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. 3 The battle was thick[c] around Saul; the archers spotted him and wounded him.[d] 4 Saul told his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and stab me with it. Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come and torture me.”[e] But his armor-bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons died; his whole household[f] died together. 7 When all the Israelites who were in the valley saw that the army[g] had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. The Philistines came and occupied them.

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip loot from the corpses, they discovered Saul and his sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped his corpse, and then carried off his head and his armor. They sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines proclaiming the news to their idols and their people. 10 They placed his armor in the temple of their gods[h] and hung his head in the temple of Dagon. 11 When all the residents of Jabesh Gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the warriors went and recovered the bodies of Saul and his sons[i] and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their remains[j] under the oak tree in Jabesh and fasted for seven days.

13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and did not obey the Lord’s instructions; he even tried to conjure up underworld spirits.[k] 14 He did not seek the Lord’s guidance, so the Lord[l] killed him and transferred the kingdom to David son of Jesse.

David Becomes King

11 All Israel joined David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood![m] 2 In the past, even when Saul was king, you were Israel’s commanding general.[n] The Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over my people Israel.’” 3 When all the leaders[o] of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord. They anointed David king over Israel, in keeping with the Lord’s message that came through Samuel.[p]

David Conquers Jerusalem

4 David and the whole Israelite army[q] advanced to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus).[r] (The Jebusites, the land’s original inhabitants, lived there.)[s] 5 The residents of Jebus said to David, “You cannot invade this place!” But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). 6 [t] David said, “Whoever attacks[u] the Jebusites first will become commanding general!”[v] So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked[w] first and became commander.[x] 7 David lived in the fortress; for this reason it is called the City of David. 8 He built up the city around it, from the terrace to the surrounding walls;[y] Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 David’s power steadily grew, for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was with him.[z]

David’s Warriors

10 These were the leaders of David’s warriors who, together with all Israel, stood courageously with him in his kingdom by installing him as king, in keeping with the Lord’s message concerning Israel. 11 This is the list of David’s warriors:[aa]

Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was head of the officers.[ab] He killed 300 men with his spear in a single battle.[ac]

12 Next in command[ad] was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was one of the three elite warriors. 13 He was with David in Pas Dammim[ae] when the Philistines assembled there for battle. In an area of the field that was full of barley, the army retreated before the Philistines, 14 but then they made a stand in the middle of that area. They defended it[af] and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.[ag]

15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the rocky cliff at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine force was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. 16 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 17 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink[ah] from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!” 18 So the three elite warriors[ai] broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate. They carried it back to David, but David refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord 19 and said, “God forbid that I should do this![aj] Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?”[ak] Because they risked their lives to bring it to him, he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors.[al]

20 Abishai the brother of Joab was head of the three[am] elite warriors. He killed 300 men with his spear[an] and gained fame along with the three elite warriors.[ao] 21 From[ap] the three he was given double honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of them.[aq]

22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave warrior from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab;[ar] he also went down and killed a lion inside a cistern on a snowy day. 23 He even killed an Egyptian who was 7½ feet[as] tall. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom; Benaiah attacked[at] him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who gained fame along with the three elite warriors. 25 He received honor from[au] the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

26 The mighty warriors were:

Asahel the brother of Joab,

Elhanan son of Dodo, from Bethlehem,

27 Shammoth the Harorite,[av]

Helez the Pelonite,[aw]

28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Abiezer the Anathothite,

29 Sibbekai[ax] the Hushathite,

Ilai[ay] the Ahohite,

30 Maharai the Netophathite,

Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

31 Ithai[az] son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjaminite territory,

Benaiah the Pirathonite,

32 Hurai[ba] from the valleys of Gaash,

Abiel[bb] the Arbathite,

33 Azmaveth the Baharumite,[bc]

Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34 the sons of Hashem[bd] the Gizonite,

Jonathan son of Shageh[be] the Hararite,

35 Ahiam son of Sakar[bf] the Hararite,

Eliphal son of Ur,[bg]

36 Hepher the Mekerathite,

Ahijah the Pelonite,

37 Hezro[bh] the Carmelite,

Naarai son of Ezbai,

38 Joel the brother of Nathan,[bi]

Mibhar son of Hagri,

39 Zelek the Ammonite,

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

40 Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

41 Uriah the Hittite,

Zabad son of Achli,

42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, leader of the Reubenites and the thirty warriors with him,

43 Hanan son of Maacah,

Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44 Uzzia the Ashterathite,

Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

45 Jediael son of Shimri,

and Joha his brother, the Tizite,

46 Eliel the Mahavite,

and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam,

and Ithmah the Moabite,

47 Eliel,

and Obed,

and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Warriors Who Joined David at Ziklag

12 These were the men who joined David in Ziklag, when he was banished[bj] from the presence of Saul son of Kish. (They were among the warriors who assisted him in battle. 2 They were armed with bows and could shoot arrows or sling stones right or left-handed. They were fellow tribesmen of Saul from Benjamin.[bk]) These were:[bl]

3 Ahiezer, the leader, and Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, Jehu the Anathothite,

4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, one of the thirty warriors and their leader, (12:5)[bm] Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,

5 (12:6) Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite,

6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites,

7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

8 Some of the Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were warriors who were trained for battle; they carried shields and spears. They were as fierce as lions and could run as quickly as gazelles across the hills.[bn] 9 Ezer was the leader, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third, 10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13 Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbannai the eleventh. 14 These Gadites were military leaders; the least led a hundred men, the greatest a thousand.[bo] 15 They crossed the Jordan River[bp] in the first month,[bq] when it was overflowing its banks, and routed those living in all the valleys to the east and west.[br]

16 Some from Benjamin and Judah also came to David’s stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and said,[bs] “If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you.[bt] But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you,[bu] may the God of our ancestors[bv] take notice and judge!” 18 But a spirit[bw] empowered[bx] Amasai, the leader of the group of warriors known as the Thirty, and he said:[by]

“We are yours, O David!

We support[bz] you, O son of Jesse!

May you greatly prosper.[ca]

May those who help you prosper.[cb]

Indeed[cc] your God helps you!”

So David accepted them and made them leaders of raiding bands.

19 Some men from Manasseh joined[cd] David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (But in the end they did not help the Philistines because, after taking counsel, the Philistine lords sent David away, saying, “It would be disastrous for us if he deserts to his master Saul.”)[ce] 20 When David[cf] went to Ziklag, the men of Manasseh who joined him were Adnach, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders of 1,000 soldiers each in the tribe of Manasseh. 21 They helped David fight against raiding bands, for all of them were warriors and leaders in the army. 22 Each day men came to help David until his army became very large.[cg]

Support for David in Hebron

23 The following is a record of the armed warriors who came with their leaders and joined David in Hebron in order to make David king in Saul’s place, in accordance with the Lord’s decree:[ch]

24 From Judah came 6,800 trained warriors carrying shields and spears.[ci]

25 From Simeon there were 7,100 warriors.

26 From Levi there were 4,600. 27 Jehoiada, the leader of Aaron’s descendants, brought 3,700 men with him, 28 along with Zadok, a young warrior, and 22 leaders from his family.

29 From Benjamin, Saul’s tribe,[cj] there were 3,000, most of whom, up to that time, had been loyal to Saul.[ck]

30 From Ephraim there were 20,800 warriors, who had brought fame to their families.[cl]

31 From the half-tribe of Manasseh there were 18,000 who had been designated by name to come and make David king.

32 From Issachar there were 200 leaders and all their relatives at their command—they understood the times and knew what Israel should do.[cm]

33 From Zebulun there were 50,000 warriors who were prepared for battle, equipped with all kinds of weapons, and ready to give their undivided loyalty.[cn]

34 From Naphtali there were 1,000 officers, along with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears.

35 From Dan there were 28,600 men prepared for battle.

36 From Asher there were 40,000 warriors prepared for battle.

37 From the other side of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 men armed with all kinds of weapons.

38 All these men were warriors who were ready to march.[co] They came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel by acclamation;[cp] all the rest of the Israelites also were in agreement that David should become king.[cq] 39 They spent three days feasting[cr] there with David, for their relatives had given them provisions. 40 Also their neighbors, from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. There were large supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, olive oil, beef, and lamb,[cs] for Israel was celebrating.[ct]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 10:2 tn Heb “stuck close after.”
  2. 1 Chronicles 10:2 tn Heb “the Philistines.” The translation has substituted the pronoun “they” to avoid redundancy.
  3. 1 Chronicles 10:3 tn Heb “heavy.”
  4. 1 Chronicles 10:3 tn Heb “and they found him, the ones who shoot with the bow, and he was in pain from the ones shooting.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 10:4 tn Heb “so these uncircumcised ones might not come and abuse me.”
  6. 1 Chronicles 10:6 tn Heb “all his house.” This is probably to be understood as a general summary statement. It could include other males in Saul’s household besides his three sons, cf. 1 Sam 31:6. If it refers only to the male members of his household who would have stood in succession to the throne (cf. NLT, “bringing his dynasty to an end,”) even here there is an exception, since one of Saul’s sons, Eshbaal (or “Ishbosheth” in 2 Sam 2:8) was not killed in the battle and became king over Israel, which he ruled for two years (2 Sam 2:10) until he was assassinated by Rechab and Baanah (2 Sam 4:5-6). The tribe of Judah never acknowledged Ishbosheth as king; instead they followed David (2 Sam 2:10).
  7. 1 Chronicles 10:7 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the army) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. 1 Chronicles 10:10 tn Or “god.” The Hebrew term may be translated as singular or plural depending on the context.
  9. 1 Chronicles 10:12 tn Heb “arose and carried away the corpse of Saul and the corpses of his sons.”
  10. 1 Chronicles 10:12 tn Heb “their bones.”
  11. 1 Chronicles 10:13 tn Heb “and Saul died in his unfaithfulness by which he acted unfaithfully against the Lord, concerning the Lord’s message which he did not keep, also to inquire of a medium to seek [an oracle].” The LXX adds “and the prophet Samuel answered him.” The text alludes to the incident recorded in 1 Sam 28.
  12. 1 Chronicles 10:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  13. 1 Chronicles 11:1 tn Heb “look, your bone and your flesh [are] we.”
  14. 1 Chronicles 11:2 tn Heb “you were the one who led out and the one who brought in Israel.”
  15. 1 Chronicles 11:3 tn Heb “elders.”
  16. 1 Chronicles 11:3 tn Heb “by the hand of Samuel.”
  17. 1 Chronicles 11:4 tn Heb “all Israel.”
  18. 1 Chronicles 11:4 sn Jebus was an older name for the city of Jerusalem (cf. Josh 15:8; Judg 1:21).
  19. 1 Chronicles 11:4 tn Heb “and there [were] the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land.”
  20. 1 Chronicles 11:6 sn Verse 6 inserts into the narrative parenthetical information about Joab’s role in the conquest of the city. Verse 7 then picks up where v. 5 left off.
  21. 1 Chronicles 11:6 tn Or perhaps “strikes down.”
  22. 1 Chronicles 11:6 tn Heb “head and officer.”
  23. 1 Chronicles 11:6 tn Heb “went up.”
  24. 1 Chronicles 11:6 tn Heb “head.”
  25. 1 Chronicles 11:8 tn Heb “to that which surrounds.” On the referent here as “the surrounding walls,” see HALOT 740 s.v. סָבִיב.
  26. 1 Chronicles 11:9 tn Heb “and David went, going and becoming great, and the Lord of Heaven’s Armies [traditionally, Lord of hosts] was with him.”
  27. 1 Chronicles 11:11 tn Heb “and these are the number of the warriors who were David’s.”
  28. 1 Chronicles 11:11 tc The marginal reading (Qere) has “officers;” the consonantal text (Kethib) has “the Thirty” (see v. 15).
  29. 1 Chronicles 11:11 tn Heb “he was wielding his spear against 300, [who were] slain at one time.”
  30. 1 Chronicles 11:12 tn Heb “after him.”
  31. 1 Chronicles 11:13 tc Some read here “Ephes Dammim.” See 1 Sam 17:1.
  32. 1 Chronicles 11:14 tn Heb “delivered it.”
  33. 1 Chronicles 11:14 tn Heb “and the Lord delivered [with] a great deliverance.”
  34. 1 Chronicles 11:17 tn Heb “Who will give me water to drink?” On the rhetorical use of מִי (mi) here, see BDB 566 s.v. f.
  35. 1 Chronicles 11:18 tn Heb “the three,” referring to the three elite warriors mentioned in v. 12.
  36. 1 Chronicles 11:19 tn Heb “Far be it to me from my God from doing this.”
  37. 1 Chronicles 11:19 tn Heb “with their lives.” The same expression occurs later in this verse.
  38. 1 Chronicles 11:19 tn Heb “These things the three warriors did.”
  39. 1 Chronicles 11:20 tc The Syriac reads “thirty” here and at the beginning of v. 21; this reading is followed by some English translations (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
  40. 1 Chronicles 11:20 tn Heb “he was wielding his spear against three hundred, [who were] slain.”
  41. 1 Chronicles 11:20 tn Heb “and to him [reading with the Qere] there was a name among the three.”
  42. 1 Chronicles 11:21 tn Or “more than.”
  43. 1 Chronicles 11:21 tn Heb “of the three.”
  44. 1 Chronicles 11:22 tc Heb “the two of Ariel, Moab.” The precise meaning of אֲרִיאֵל (ʾariʾel) is uncertain; some read “warrior.” The present translation assumes that the word is a proper name and that בְּנֵי (bene, “sons of”) has accidentally dropped from the text by homoioarcton (note the preceding שְׁנֵי, shene).
  45. 1 Chronicles 11:23 tn Heb “5 cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, this individual would be 7.5 feet (2.3 m) tall.
  46. 1 Chronicles 11:23 tn Heb “went down to.”
  47. 1 Chronicles 11:25 tn Or “more than.”
  48. 1 Chronicles 11:27 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:25 has the variant spelling of “Shammah.”
  49. 1 Chronicles 11:27 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:26 has the variant spelling of “Paltite.”
  50. 1 Chronicles 11:29 tn In 2 Sam 23:27 this individual’s name is given as “Mebunnai.”
  51. 1 Chronicles 11:29 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:28 has the variant “Zalmon.”
  52. 1 Chronicles 11:31 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:29 has the variant spelling “Ittai.”
  53. 1 Chronicles 11:32 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:28 has the variant spelling “Hiddai.”
  54. 1 Chronicles 11:32 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:31 has the variant spelling “Abi-Albon.”
  55. 1 Chronicles 11:33 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:31 has the variant spelling “Barhumite.”
  56. 1 Chronicles 11:34 tn In 2 Sam 23:32 this individual’s name is given as “Jashen.”
  57. 1 Chronicles 11:34 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:33 has the variant spelling “Shammah.”
  58. 1 Chronicles 11:35 tn In 2 Sam 23:33 this individual’s name is given as “Sharar.”
  59. 1 Chronicles 11:35 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:34 has the variant “Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite.”
  60. 1 Chronicles 11:37 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:35 has the variant spelling “Hezrai.”
  61. 1 Chronicles 11:38 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 23:36 has the variant “Igal son of Nathan from Zobah.”
  62. 1 Chronicles 12:1 tn Heb “kept from.”
  63. 1 Chronicles 12:2 tn Heb “ones armed with bow[s], using the right hand and the left hand with stones and with arrows with the bow, from the brothers of Saul from Benjamin.”
  64. 1 Chronicles 12:2 tn The words “These were” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons, because of the length of the intervening material since the beginning of the verse.
  65. 1 Chronicles 12:4 sn In the Hebrew text (BHS) a verse division occurs at this point, and for the remainder of the chapter the verse numbers of the Hebrew Bible differ by one from the English Bible. Thus 1 Chr 12:4b ET = 12:5 HT, and 12:5-40 ET = 12:6-41 HT. Beginning with 13:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
  66. 1 Chronicles 12:8 tn Heb “warriors, men of battle for war, prepared with shield and spear, and [like] the face of a lion were their faces, and like gazelles on the hills to hurry.”
  67. 1 Chronicles 12:14 tn Heb “one for a hundred the small, and the great for a thousand.” Another option is to translate the preposition ל (lamed) as “against” and to understand this as a hyperbolic reference to their prowess: “the least could stand against a hundred, the greatest against a thousand.”
  68. 1 Chronicles 12:15 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity.
  69. 1 Chronicles 12:15 sn That is, March-April.
  70. 1 Chronicles 12:15 tn Heb “and they chased all the valleys to the east and to the west.”
  71. 1 Chronicles 12:17 tn Heb “and David went out before them and answered and said to them.”
  72. 1 Chronicles 12:17 tn Heb “there will be to me concerning you a heart for unity.”
  73. 1 Chronicles 12:17 tn Heb “with no violence in my hands.”
  74. 1 Chronicles 12:17 tn Heb “fathers.”
  75. 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Perhaps “the Spirit,” but the text has simply רוּחַ (ruakh) with no article (suggesting an indefinite reference).
  76. 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Heb “clothed.”
  77. 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn The words “and he said” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  78. 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Heb “are with.”
  79. 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Heb “Peace, peace to you.” The Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is repeated to emphasize degree.
  80. 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Heb “and peace to the one who helps you.”
  81. 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Or “for.”
  82. 1 Chronicles 12:19 tn Heb “fell upon,” here in a good sense.
  83. 1 Chronicles 12:19 tn Heb “and they did not help them for by counsel they sent him away, the lords of the Philistines, saying, ‘With our heads he will fall to his master Saul.’”
  84. 1 Chronicles 12:20 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  85. 1 Chronicles 12:22 tn Heb “for at the time of day in a day they were coming to David to help him until [there was] a great camp like the camp of God.” The term אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim, “God”) is probably used idiomatically here to indicate the superlative.
  86. 1 Chronicles 12:23 tn Heb “these are the numbers of the heads of the forces armed for battle [who] came to David in Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him according to the mouth of the Lord.”
  87. 1 Chronicles 12:24 tn Heb “the sons of Judah, carrying shield and spear, [were] 6,800 armed for battle.”
  88. 1 Chronicles 12:29 tn Heb “from the sons of Benjamin, the brothers of Saul.”
  89. 1 Chronicles 12:29 tn Heb “and until then, the majority of them were keeping the charge of the house of Saul.”
  90. 1 Chronicles 12:30 tn Heb “men of names for the house of their fathers.”
  91. 1 Chronicles 12:32 tn Heb “from the sons of Issachar, knowers of understanding for times to know what Israel should do, their heads [were] 200, and all their brothers according to their mouth.”
  92. 1 Chronicles 12:33 tn Heb “from Zebulun, those going out for battle, prepared for war with all weapons of war, 50,000, and to help without a heart and a heart.”
  93. 1 Chronicles 12:38 tc Heb “all these [were] men of war, helpers of the battle line.” The present translation assumes an emendation of עֹדְרֵי (ʿodere, “helpers of”) to עֹרְכֵי, (ʿorekhe, “prepared for”).
  94. 1 Chronicles 12:38 tn Heb “with a complete heart they came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel.”
  95. 1 Chronicles 12:38 tn Heb “and also all the rest of Israel [was of] one mind to make David king.”
  96. 1 Chronicles 12:39 tn Heb “eating and drinking.”
  97. 1 Chronicles 12:40 tn Heb “cattle and sheep.”
  98. 1 Chronicles 12:40 tn Heb “for there was joy in Israel.”
Listen to 1 Chronicles 10-12
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1 Chronicles 10-12
New International Version

Saul Takes His Life(A)

10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him.

4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together.

7 When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news among their idols and their people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of Dagon.(B)

11 When all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead(C) heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones under the great tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

13 Saul died(D) because he was unfaithful(E) to the Lord; he did not keep(F) the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium(G) for guidance, 14 and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned(H) the kingdom(I) over to David son of Jesse.

David Becomes King Over Israel(J)

11 All Israel(K) came together to David at Hebron(L) and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.(M) And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd(N) my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.(O)’”

3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed(P) David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

David Conquers Jerusalem(Q)

4 David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites(R) who lived there 5 said to David, “You will not get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.

6 David had said, “Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander in chief.” Joab(S) son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command.

7 David then took up residence in the fortress, and so it was called the City of David. 8 He built up the city around it, from the terraces[a](T) to the surrounding wall, while Joab restored the rest of the city. 9 And David became more and more powerful,(U) because the Lord Almighty was with him.

David’s Mighty Warriors(V)

10 These were the chiefs of David’s mighty warriors—they, together with all Israel,(W) gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the Lord had promised(X)— 11 this is the list of David’s mighty warriors:(Y)

Jashobeam,[b] a Hakmonite, was chief of the officers[c]; he raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

12 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. 14 But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.(Z)

15 Three of the thirty chiefs came down to David to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley(AA) of Rephaim. 16 At that time David was in the stronghold,(AB) and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 17 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured(AC) it out to the Lord. 19 “God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

20 Abishai(AD) the brother of Joab was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. 21 He was doubly honored above the Three and became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel,(AE) performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.(AF) 23 And he struck down an Egyptian who was five cubits[d] tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod(AG) in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. 25 He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

26 The mighty warriors were:

Asahel(AH) the brother of Joab,

Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

27 Shammoth(AI) the Harorite,

Helez the Pelonite,

28 Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,

Abiezer(AJ) from Anathoth,

29 Sibbekai(AK) the Hushathite,

Ilai the Ahohite,

30 Maharai the Netophathite,

Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,

31 Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,

Benaiah(AL) the Pirathonite,(AM)

32 Hurai from the ravines of Gaash,

Abiel the Arbathite,

33 Azmaveth the Baharumite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite,

Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite,

35 Ahiam son of Sakar the Hararite,

Eliphal son of Ur,

36 Hepher the Mekerathite,

Ahijah the Pelonite,

37 Hezro the Carmelite,

Naarai son of Ezbai,

38 Joel the brother of Nathan,

Mibhar son of Hagri,

39 Zelek the Ammonite,

Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

40 Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

41 Uriah(AN) the Hittite,

Zabad(AO) son of Ahlai,

42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, who was chief of the Reubenites, and the thirty with him,

43 Hanan son of Maakah,

Joshaphat the Mithnite,

44 Uzzia the Ashterathite,(AP)

Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

45 Jediael son of Shimri,

his brother Joha the Tizite,

46 Eliel the Mahavite,

Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam,

Ithmah the Moabite,

47 Eliel, Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

Warriors Join David

12 These were the men who came to David at Ziklag,(AQ) while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; 2 they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed;(AR) they were relatives of Saul(AS) from the tribe of Benjamin):

3 Ahiezer their chief and Joash the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berakah, Jehu the Anathothite, 4 and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty warrior among the Thirty, who was a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,[e](AT) 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Ishiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam the Korahites; 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.(AU)

8 Some Gadites(AV) defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions,(AW) and they were as swift as gazelles(AX) in the mountains.

9 Ezer was the chief,

Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third,

10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

13 Jeremiah the tenth and Makbannai the eleventh.

14 These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred,(AY) and the greatest for a thousand.(AZ) 15 It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks,(BA) and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

16 Other Benjamites(BB) and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”

18 Then the Spirit(BC) came on Amasai,(BD) chief of the Thirty, and he said:

“We are yours, David!
    We are with you, son of Jesse!
Success,(BE) success to you,
    and success to those who help you,
        for your God will help you.”

So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.

19 Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”)(BF) 20 When David went to Ziklag,(BG) these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. 22 Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God.[f]

Others Join David at Hebron

23 These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron(BH) to turn(BI) Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the Lord had said:(BJ)

24 from Judah, carrying shield and spear—6,800 armed for battle;

25 from Simeon, warriors ready for battle—7,100;

26 from Levi—4,600, 27 including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men, 28 and Zadok,(BK) a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family;

29 from Benjamin,(BL) Saul’s tribe—3,000, most(BM) of whom had remained loyal to Saul’s house until then;

30 from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans—20,800;

31 from half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king—18,000;

32 from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do(BN)—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;

33 from Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty—50,000;

34 from Naphtali—1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;

35 from Dan, ready for battle—28,600;

36 from Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle—40,000;

37 and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon—120,000.

38 All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel.(BO) All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. 39 The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking,(BP) for their families had supplied provisions for them. 40 Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies(BQ) of flour, fig cakes, raisin(BR) cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy(BS) in Israel.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 11:8 Or the Millo
  2. 1 Chronicles 11:11 Possibly a variant of Jashob-Baal
  3. 1 Chronicles 11:11 Or Thirty; some Septuagint manuscripts Three (see also 2 Samuel 23:8)
  4. 1 Chronicles 11:23 That is, about 7 feet 6 inches or about 2.3 meters
  5. 1 Chronicles 12:4 In Hebrew texts the second half of this verse (Jeremiah … Gederathite) is numbered 12:5, and 12:5-40 is numbered 12:6-41.
  6. 1 Chronicles 12:22 Or a great and mighty army
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