May 10
     1 Chronicles 11:1 — 13:14

11 In time all the Israelites collected themselves together to David at Hebron, saying: “Look! We are your bone and your flesh. 2 Both yesterday and previously, even while Saul happened to be king, you were the one leading Israel out and bringing it in; and Jehovah your God proceeded to say to you, ‘You yourself will shepherd my people Israel, and you yourself will become leader over my people Israel.’” 3 So all the older men of Israel came to the king at Hebron and David concluded a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; after which they anointed David as king over Israel, according to Jehovah’s word by means of Samuel.

4 Later David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is to say, Jebus, where the Jebusites were the inhabitants of the land. 5 And the inhabitants of Jebus began to say to David: “You will not come in here.” Just the same, David proceeded to capture the stronghold of Zion, that is to say, the City of David. 6 So David said: “Anyone striking the Jebusites first, he will become head and prince.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah got to go up first, and he came to be head. 7 And David took up dwelling in the place difficult to approach. That is why they called it the City of David. 8 And he began to build the city all around, from the Mound even to the parts round about, but Joab himself brought to life the rest of the city. 9 And David went on getting greater and greater, for Jehovah of armies was with him.

10 Now these are the heads of the mighty men that belonged to David, holding strongly with him in his kingship together with all Israel, to make him king according to Jehovah’s word concerning Israel. 11 And this is the list of the mighty men that belonged to David: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, the head of the three. He was brandishing his spear over three hundred slain at one time. 12 And after him there was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was among the three mighty men. 13 He it was that happened to be with David at Pas-dammim, where the Philistines had gathered themselves together for war. Now there happened to be a tract of the field full of barley, and the people, for their part, had fled because of the Philistines. 14 But he took his stand in the middle of the tract and delivered it, and kept striking down the Philistines, so that Jehovah saved with a great salvation.

15 And three of the thirty head ones proceeded to go down to the rock, to David at the cave of Adullam, while a camp of the Philistines was camping in the low plain of Rephaim. 16 And David was then in the place hard to approach; and a garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 17 After a while David showed his craving and said: “O that I might have a drink of the water from the cistern of Bethlehem, which is at the gate!” 18 At that the three forced their way into the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the cistern of Bethlehem, which is at the gate, and came carrying and bringing it to David. And David did not consent to drink it, but poured it out to Jehovah. 19 And he went on to say: “It is unthinkable on my part, as regards my God, to do this! Is it the blood of these men that I should drink at the risk of their souls? For it was at the risk of their souls that they brought it.” And he did not consent to drink it. These are the things that the three mighty men did.

20 As for Abishai the brother of Joab, he himself became head of the three; and he was brandishing his spear over three hundred slain, and he had a reputation like the three. 21 Of the three he was more distinguished than the two others, and he came to be a chief to them; and yet he did not come up to the [first] three.

22 As for Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, who did many deeds in Kabzeel, he himself struck down the two [sons] of Ariel of Moab; and he himself descended and struck down a lion inside a waterpit in the day of snowfall. 23 And he it was that struck down the Egyptian man, a man of extraordinary size, of five cubits. And in the hand of the Egyptian there was a spear like the beam of loom workers; yet he went on down to him with a rod and snatched the spear away from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three mighty men. 25 Although he was more distinguished than the thirty, yet to the rank of the [first] three he did not come. However, David put him over his own bodyguard.

26 As for the mighty men of the military forces, there were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abi-ezer the Anathothite, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 Hurai from the torrent valleys of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a head of the Reubenites, by whom there were thirty; 43 Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the 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.

12 And these are the ones that came to David at Ziklag while he was still under restrictions because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, the helpers in the warfare, 2 armed with the bow, using the right hand and using the left hand with stones or with arrows in the bow. They were of the brothers of Saul, of Benjamin. 3 There was the head Ahiezer and Joash the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, and Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah and Jehu the Anathothite, 4 and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty and over the thirty; and Jeremiah and Jahaziel and Johanan and Jozabad the Gederathite, 5 Eluzai and Jerimoth and Bealiah and Shemariah and Shephatiah the Hariphite, 6 Elkanah and Isshiah and Azarel and Joezer and Jashobeam, the Korahites, 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

8 And there were some of the Gadites that separated themselves to David’s side at the place difficult to approach in the wilderness, valiant, mighty men, army men for the war, keeping the large shield and the lance ready, whose faces were the faces of lions, and they were like the gazelles upon the mountains for speed. 9 Ezer was the head, Obadiah the second, 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, Machbannai the eleventh. 14 These were of the sons of Gad, heads of the army. The least one was equal to a hundred, and the greatest to a thousand. 15 These are the ones that crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they then chased away all those of the low plains, to the east and to the west.

16 And some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah proceeded to come clear to the place difficult to approach, to David. 17 Then David went out before them and answered and said to them: “If it is for peace that YOU have come to me to help me, my own heart will become at unity with YOU. But if it is to betray me to my adversaries when there is no wrong on my palms, let the God of our forefathers see to it and set it in order.” 18 And spirit itself enveloped Amasai, the head of the thirty:

“Yours [we are], O David, and with you [we are], O son of Jesse.

Peace, peace be yours, and peace to the one helping you,

For your God has helped you.”

So David received them and put them among the heads of the troops.

19 And there were some of Manasseh that deserted to David when he came with the Philistines against Saul for battle; but he did not help them, for on counsel the axis lords of the Philistines sent him away, saying: “At the risk of our own heads he will desert to his lord Saul.” 20 When he came to Ziklag there deserted to him from Manasseh Adnah and Jozabad and Jediael and Michael and Jozabad and Elihu and Zillethai, heads of the thousands that belonged to Manasseh. 21 And they, for their part, were of help to David against the marauder band, because all of them were mighty men of valor, and they came to be chiefs in the army; 22 for day by day people kept coming to David to help him, until it was a great camp, like the camp of God.

23 And these were the numbers of the heads of those equipped for the army that came to David at Hebron to turn the kingship of Saul over to him according to Jehovah’s order. 24 The sons of Judah carrying the large shield and the lance were six thousand eight hundred, equipped for the army. 25 Of the sons of Simeon the mighty men of valor of the army were seven thousand one hundred.

26 Of the sons of the Levites four thousand six hundred. 27 And Jehoiada was the leader [of the sons] of Aaron, and with him there were three thousand seven hundred. 28 Also Zadok a young man, mighty in valor, and the house of his forefathers, twenty-two chiefs.

29 And of the sons of Benjamin, the brothers of Saul, there were three thousand, and up till then the greater number of them were keeping strict watch of the house of Saul. 30 And of the sons of Ephraim there were twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, men of fame, by the house of their forefathers.

31 And of the half tribe of Manasseh there were eighteen thousand that had been designated by name to come to make David king. 32 And of the sons of Issachar having a knowledge of how to discern the times to know what Israel ought to do, there were two hundred head ones of theirs, and all their brothers were at their orders. 33 Of Zebulun those going out to the army, drawing up in battle formation with all the weapons of war, there were fifty thousand, and for flocking together [to David] they were not of a double heart. 34 And of Naphtali there were a thousand chiefs, and with them with the large shield and the spear there were thirty-seven thousand. 35 And of the Danites those drawing up in battle formation were twenty-eight thousand six hundred. 36 And of Asher those going out to the army for drawing up in battle formation were forty thousand.

37 And from across the Jordan of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh with all the weapons of the military army there were a hundred and twenty thousand. 38 All these were men of war, flocking together in battle line; with a complete heart they came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel; and also all the remainder of Israel were of one heart for making David king. 39 And they continued there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers had made preparation for them. 40 And also those near to them, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food upon asses and upon camels and upon mules and upon cattle, eatables of flour, cakes of pressed figs and cakes of raisins and wine and oil and cattle and sheep in great quantity, for there was rejoicing in Israel.

13 And David proceeded to consult with the chiefs of the thousands and of the hundreds and with every leader; 2 and David went on to say to all the congregation of Israel: “If it seems good to YOU and it is acceptable with Jehovah our God, let us send to our brothers that are left over in all the lands of Israel and with them [to] the priests and the Levites in their cities with pasture grounds, that they may collect themselves together to us. 3 And let us bring the ark of our God around to ourselves.” For they had not cared for it in the days of Saul. 4 So all the congregation said to do that way, for the thing seemed right in the eyes of all the people. 5 Accordingly David congregated all Israel from the river of Egypt as far as the entering of Hamath, to bring the ark of the [true] God from Kiriath-jearim.

6 And David and all Israel proceeded to go up to Baalah, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of the [true] God, Jehovah, sitting on the cherubs, where [his] name is called on. 7 However, they had the ark of the [true] God ride upon a new wagon from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were leading the wagon. 8 And David and all Israel were celebrating before the [true] God with full power and with songs and with harps and with stringed instruments and with tambourines and with cymbals and with trumpets. 9 And they came gradually as far as the threshing floor of Chidon, and Uzzah now thrust his hand out to grab hold of the Ark, for the bulls nearly caused an upset. 10 At that Jehovah’s anger blazed against Uzzah, so that he struck him down because he had thrust his hand out upon the Ark, and he died there before God. 11 And David became angry because Jehovah had broken through in a rupture against Uzzah; and that place came to be called Perez-uzzah down to this day.

12 And David became afraid of the [true] God on that day, saying: “How shall I bring the ark of the [true] God to me?” 13 And David did not remove the Ark to himself at the City of David, but he carried it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14 And the ark of the [true] God kept dwelling with the household of Obed-edom, at his house three months; and Jehovah kept blessing the household of Obed-edom and all that was his.