Daily Text and Bible Reading: Sunday, May 11 [Press play below]

11.1 In time all the Israelites gathered to David at Hebron and said: “Look! We are your own bone and flesh.
11.2 In times past while Saul was king, you were the one who was leading Israel on its campaigns. And Jehovah your God said to you: ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become leader over my people Israel.’”
11.3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah. Then they anointed David as king over Israel, according to Jehovah’s word through Samuel.
11.4 Later David and all Israel set out for Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were inhabiting the land.
11.5 The inhabitants of Jebus taunted David: “You will never come in here!” However, David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now the City of David.
11.6 So David said: “Whoever is the first to strike the Jebusites will become chief and prince.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and he became the chief.
11.7 Then David took up residence in the stronghold. That is why they called it the City of David.
11.8 He began to build up the city all around, from the Mound to the areas around it, and Joab restored the rest of the city.
11.9 Thus David became greater and greater, and Jehovah of armies was with him.
11.10 Now these are the heads of David’s mighty warriors, who gave him strong support in his kingship, together with all Israel, to make him king according to Jehovah’s word concerning Israel.
11.11 This is the list of David’s mighty warriors: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, the head of the three. He brandished his spear over 300 slain at one time.
11.12 Next to him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was among the three mighty warriors.
11.13 He was with David at Pas-dammim, where the Philistines had gathered together for war. Now there was a plot of land full of barley, and the people had fled because of the Philistines.
11.14 But he took his stand in the middle of the field and defended it and kept striking down the Philistines, so that Jehovah brought about a great victory.
11.15 Three of the 30 headmen went down to the rock, to David at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine army was camped in the Valley of Rephaim.
11.16 David was then in the stronghold, and a garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem.
11.17 Then David expressed his longing: “If only I could have a drink of the water from the cistern by the gate of Bethlehem!”
11.18 At that the three forced their way into the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the cistern by the gate of Bethlehem and brought it to David; but David refused to drink it and poured it out to Jehovah.
11.19 He said: “It is unthinkable on my part from the standpoint of my God to do this! Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives? For it was at the risk of their lives that they brought it.” So he refused to drink it. These are the things that his three mighty warriors did.
11.20 Abishai the brother of Joab became head of another three; he brandished his spear over 300 slain, and he had a reputation like the three.
11.21 Of the other three, he was more distinguished than two of them, and he was their chief; yet he did not attain to the rank of the first three.
11.22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a courageous man who performed many exploits in Kabzeel. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab, and he descended into a waterpit on a snowy day and killed a lion.
11.23 He also struck down an Egyptian man of extraordinary size—five cubits tall. Though the Egyptian had a spear in his hand like the beam of loom workers, he went against him with a rod and snatched the spear away from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.
11.24 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and he had a reputation like that of the three mighty warriors.
11.25 Although he was distinguished even more than the thirty, he did not attain to the rank of the three. However, David appointed him over his own bodyguard.
11.26 The mighty warriors of the military forces were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
11.27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,
11.28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abi-ezer the Anathothite,
11.29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,
11.30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,
11.31 Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjaminites, Benaiah the Pirathonite,
11.32 Hurai of the wadis of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,
11.33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
11.34 the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite,
11.35 Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,
11.36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,
11.37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,
11.38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri,
11.39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah;
11.40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
11.41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,
11.42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a head of the Reubenites, and 30 with him;
11.43 Hanan the son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite,
11.44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham the Aroerite;
11.45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother the Tizite;
11.46 Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite;
11.47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

12.1 These were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was unable to move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish, and they were among the mighty warriors who supported him in battle.
12.2 They were armed with the bow, and they could use both the right hand and the left hand to sling stones or to shoot arrows with the bow. They were of the brothers of Saul, from Benjamin.
12.3 The head was Ahiezer, along with Joash, both sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth, Beracah, Jehu the Anathothite,
12.4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty warrior among the thirty and over the thirty; also Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,
12.5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Hariphite,
12.6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;
12.7 and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
12.8 Some of the Gadites went over to David’s side at the stronghold in the wilderness; they were mighty warriors, soldiers trained for war, standing ready with the large shield and the lance, whose faces were like those of lions and who were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains.
12.9 Ezer was the head, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
12.10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,
12.11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
12.12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,
12.13 Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.
12.14 These were of the Gadites, heads of the army. The least one was equal to 100, and the greatest to 1,000.
12.15 These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing its banks, and they chased away all those living in the lowlands, to the east and to the west.
12.16 Some of the men of Benjamin and Judah also came to David at his stronghold.
12.17 Then David went out before them and said to them: “If you have come to me in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you. But if it is to betray me to my adversaries when my hands have done no wrong, let the God of our forefathers see it and judge.”
12.18 Then the spirit came upon Amasai, the head of the thirty: “We are yours, O David, and we are with you, O son of Jesse. Peace, peace be yours, and peace to the one helping you, For your God is helping you.” So David received them and appointed them among the heads of the troops.
12.19 Some from Manasseh also deserted to David when he came with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but he did not help the Philistines, for after consultation, the lords of the Philistines sent him away, saying: “He will desert to his lord Saul, and it will cost us our heads.”
12.20 When he went to Ziklag, these deserted to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, heads of the thousands of Manasseh.
12.21 They helped David against the marauder band, because all of them were mighty, courageous men, and they became chiefs in the army.
12.22 Day after day people kept coming to David to help him until it was a camp as great as the camp of God.
12.23 This is the number of the heads of those armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn the kingship of Saul over to him according to Jehovah’s order.
12.24 The men of Judah carrying the large shield and the lance were 6,800, armed for battle.
12.25 Of the Simeonites, the mighty, courageous men of the army were 7,100.
12.26 Of the Levites, 4,600.
12.27 Jehoiada was the leader of the sons of Aaron, and with him were 3,700,
12.28 as well as Zadok, a mighty and courageous young man, along with 22 chiefs from his paternal house.
12.29 Of the Benjaminites, the brothers of Saul, there were 3,000, of whom the greater number had previously been guarding the interests of the house of Saul.
12.30 Of the Ephraimites, there were 20,800 mighty, courageous men of fame among their paternal houses.
12.31 Of the half tribe of Manasseh, there were 18,000 who had been designated by name to come to make David king.
12.32 Of the tribe of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do, there were 200 of their headmen, and all their brothers were under their command.
12.33 Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who could serve in the army, drawing up in battle formation with all the weapons of war, all joining David with undivided loyalty.
12.34 Of Naphtali, there were 1,000 chiefs, and with them were 37,000 with the large shield and the spear.
12.35 Of the Danites, those drawing up in battle formation were 28,600.
12.36 And of Asher, those who could serve in the army for drawing up in battle formation were 40,000.
12.37 From across the Jordan, of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 soldiers with all kinds of weapons of war.
12.38 All of these were men of war, joining together in battle line; they came with a complete heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel, and also all the rest of Israel were united in wanting to make David king.
12.39 And they remained there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers had made preparation for them.
12.40 Also those near them, and even those as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and cattle—provisions of flour, cakes of pressed figs and raisins, wine, oil, and cattle and sheep in great quantity, for there was rejoicing in Israel.