1 Então os líderes de Israel foram ter com David em Hebrom e disseram-lhe assim: Somos teus parentes, e mesmo quando Saul era rei, eras tu quem conduzia os nossos exércitos à batalha e os tornavas a trazer em segurança. Foi a ti que o Senhor teu Deus disse, 'Serás o pastor do meu povo Israel. Serás o seu rei.'3 David fez uma aliança com eles perante o Senhor; e eles ungiram-no rei de Israel, tal como o Senhor dissera a Samuel. Depois David e os líderes foram a Jerusalém (ou Jebus, como era habitualmente chamada) onde os jebusitas, os que tinham habitado originalmente na terra, viviam. Mas o povo de Jebus recusou deixá-los entrar. Por isso David capturou a fortaleza de Sião, chamada mais tarde a cidade de David, dizendo para os seus homens: O primeiro que matar um jebusita tornar-se-á comandante-em-chefe! Joabe, o filho de Zeruía, foi o primeiro; por isso se tornou general do exército de David. David ficou a viver nessa fortaleza e essa é a razão por que essa área de Jerusalém é chamada cidade de David. Estendeu a área de urbanização à volta da fortaleza, enquanto que Joabe reconstruiu o resto de Jerusalém.9 David tornou-se cada vez mais famoso e poderoso, porque o Senhor dos exércitos celestiais era com ele.10 São os seguintes os nomes de alguns dos mais bravos guerreiros de David (os quais também encorajaram os líderes de Israel a fazer David rei, tal como o Senhor aliás dissera que havia de acontecer):11 Jasobeão (filho de um homem de Hacmom) era o líder dos três maiores heróis de entre os homens de David. Uma vez matou 300 homens com a sua lança.12 O segundo desses três maiores foi Elazar (filho de Dodo), um membro do sub-clã de Aió. Estava com David na batalha contra os filisteus em Pasdamim. O exército israelita encontrava-se num campo de cevada, e começava já a fugir dos filisteus. Ele contudo pôs-se no meio do campo, defendendo-o tenazamente e ferindo os filisteus. Em consequência o Senhor deu-lhes uma grande vitória.15 Numa outra vez, três homens, pertencentes ao grupo dos trinta , foi ter com David, quando este vivia escondido na gruta de Adulão. Os filisteus estavam acampados no vale de Refaim; David no momento do acontecimento encontrava-se numa fortaleza. Uns guerreiros filisteus tinham ocupado Belém. David a certa altura expressou o seguinte desejo: Quem me dera poder beber da água daquele poço de Belém que está junto à porta!18 Então esses três homens romperam através desse posto avançado dos filisteus, tiraram água do poço e trouxeram-na a David! David contudo recusou; em vez de a beber, derramou-a como oferta perante o Senhor, dizendo: Nunca faria tal coisa! Nunca beberia uma água que representa afinal o sangue destes homens, que arriscaram as suas vidas para a ir buscar!20 Abisai, irmão de Joabe, foi comandante desses trinta. Ganhou esse lugar de liderança entre os trinta, matando 300 homens com a sua lança numa só ocasião. Era não só o chefe deles como o mais famoso dos trinta; contudo não atingiu o prestígio dos três, já referidos.22 Benaia, cujo pai foi um valente guerreiro de Cabzeel, matou os dois famosos gigantes de Moabe. Também conseguiu matar um leão numa cova, numa altura em que tinha caido muita neve. Noutra ocasião matou um egípcio que media dois metros e meio de altura, e cuja lança era tão grossa como uma barra de tecelão. Benaia dirigiu-se contra ele tendo apenas na mão uma vara, e conseguiu arrancar ao outro a lança, com que acabou por o matar. Foi quase tão grande como os referidos três, e era muito famoso entre os trinta. David fê-lo capitão da sua guarda pessoal.

1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David to Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.2 And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.3 Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel.4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus; where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David.6 And David said, Whoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was chief.7 And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it, The city of David.8 And he built the city around, even from Millo around: and Joab repaired the rest of the city.9 So David became greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts was with him.10 These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam a Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.13 He was with David at Pas-dammim, and there the Philistines were gathered to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines.14 And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance.15 Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.16 And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Beth-lehem.17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, that is at the gate!18 And the three broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD,19 And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.20 And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.21 Of the three, he was more honorable than the two; for he was their captain: but he attained not to the first three.22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lion-like men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.25 Behold, he was honorable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.26 Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Antothite,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, that pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,32 Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,34 The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite,35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphel 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 Haggeri,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 captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,43 Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite,45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,46 Eliel the Mehavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,47 Eliel, and Obed, and Jasiel the Mesobaite.