| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Then all Israel gathered before David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. | 1All Israel joined David at Hebron and said, "Look, we are your very flesh and blood! |
| 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 the past, even when Saul was king, you were Israel's commanding general. The LORD your God said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel; you will rule 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 | 3When all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made an agreement with them in Hebron before the LORD. They anointed David king over Israel, just as the LORD had announced through 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. | 4David and the whole Israelite army advanced to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). (The Jebusites, the land's original inhabitants, lived there.) |
| 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 residents of Jebus said to David, "You cannot invade this place!" But David captured the fortress 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 attacks the Jebusites first will become commanding general!" So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked first and became commander. |
| 7David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the City of David. | 7David lived in the fortress; for this reason it is called the City of David. |
| 8He extended the city from the supporting terraces to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem. | 8He built up the city around it, from the terrace to the surrounding walls; Joab restored 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 | 9David's power steadily grew, for the LORD who commands armies 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. | 10These were the leaders of David's warriors who helped establish and stabilize his rule over all Israel, in accordance with the LORD's word. |
| 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 the list of David's warriors: Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was head of the officers. He killed three hundred men with his spear in a single battle. |
| 12Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. | 12Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was one of the three elite warriors. |
| 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 in Pas Dammim when the Philistines assembled there for battle. In an area of the field that was full of barley, the army retreated before 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 then they made a stand in the middle of that area. They defended it and defeated the Philistines; the LORD gave them 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 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. |
| 16David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem. | 16David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in 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.” | 17David was thirsty and said, "How I wish someone would give me some water to drink from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city 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. | 18So the three elite warriors 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“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, "God forbid that I should do this! Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?" Because they risked their lives to bring it to him, he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors. |
| 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. | 20Abishai the brother of Joab was head of the three elite warriors. He killed three hundred men with his spear and gained fame along with the three elite warriors. |
| 21Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three. | 21From the three he was given double honor and he became their officer, even though he was not one of them. |
| 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. | 22Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave warrior from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab; he also went down and killed a lion inside a cistern on a snowy day. |
| 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. | 23He even killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian had a spear as big as the crossbeam of a weaver's loom; Benaiah attacked him with a club. He grabbed 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. | 24Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who gained fame along with the three elite warriors. |
| 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 received honor from the thirty warriors, though he was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his bodyguard. |
| 26David’s mighty warriors also included: Asahel, Joab’s brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem; | 26The mighty warriors were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo, from Bethlehem, |
| 27Shammah from Harod; Helez from Pelon; | 27Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, |
| 28Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; Abiezer from Anathoth; | 28Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, |
| 29Sibbecai from Hushah; Zalmon from Ahoah; | 29Sibbekai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, |
| 30Maharai from Netophah; Heled son of Baanah from Netophah; | 30Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, |
| 31Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah (in the land of Benjamin); Benaiah from Pirathon; | 31Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjaminite territory, Benaiah the Pirathonite, |
| 32Hurai from near Nahale-gaash ; Abi-albon from Arabah; | 32Hurai from the valleys of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, |
| 33Azmaveth from Bahurim ; Eliahba from Shaalbon; | 33Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, |
| 34the sons of Jashen from Gizon; Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar; | 34the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shageh the Hararite, |
| 35Ahiam son of Sharar from Harar; Eliphal son of Ur; | 35Ahiam son of Sakar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur, |
| 36Hepher from Mekerah; Ahijah from Pelon; | 36Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, |
| 37Hezro from Carmel; Paarai son of Ezbai; | 37Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, |
| 38Joel, the brother of Nathan; Mibhar son of Hagri; | 38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, |
| 39Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth, the armor bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; | 39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab 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 son of Achli, |
| 42Adina son of Shiza, the Reubenite leader who had thirty men with him; | 42Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, leader of the Reubenites and the thirty warriors with him, |
| 43Hanan son of Maacah; Joshaphat from Mithna; | 43Hanan son of Maacah, 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 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. |
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