The Reign of David

B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, the son of a valiant man of Kavtze'el, was a man of many exploits. He struck down two lion-hearted men of Mo'av. One day when it was snowing, he went down into a pit and killed a lion.

Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man of intimidating appearance: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, and he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear

These are things that B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada did that earned him a name among the three warrior-heroes.

He had more honor than the thirty, but he did not achieve the status of the first three. David put him in command of his personal guard.

'Asah'el the brother of Yo'av was one of the thirty, Elchanan the son of Dodo of Beit-Lechem,

Shammah the Harodi, Elika the Harodi,

Heletz the Palti, 'Ira son of 'Ikesh from T'koa,

Avi'ezer from 'Anatot, M'vunai the Hushati,

Tzalmon the Achochi, Mahrai the N'tofati,

Helev the son of Ba'anah the N'tofati, Ittai the son of Rivai from Giv'ah, of the people of Binyamin,

B'nayahu from Pir'aton, Hiddai from the vadis of Ga'ash,

Avi-'Alvon the 'Arvati, 'Azmavet the Barchumi,

Elyachba the Sha'alvoni, of the sons of Yashen, Y'honatan,

Shammah the Harari, Achi'am the son of Sharar the Arari,

Elifelet the son of Achasbai the son of the Ma'akhati, Eli'am the son of Achitofel from Giloh, thirty-seven in all.

Hetzrai from Karmel, Pa'arai the Arbi,

Yig'al the son of Natan of Tzovah, Bani the Gadi

Tzelek the 'Amoni, Nachrai the Be'eroti, armor-bearer for Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah,

'Ira the Yitri, Garev the Yitri, an

Uriyah the Hitti

The anger of ADONAI blazed up against Isra'el, so he moved David to act against them by saying, "Go, take a census of Isra'el and Y'hudah."

The king said to Yo'av the commander of the army, who was with him, "Go systematically through all the tribes of Isra'el, from Dan to Be'er-Sheva; and take a census of the population; so that I can know how many people there are."

Yo'av said to the king, "May ADONAI your God add to the people a hundredfold, no matter how many there are; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king take pleasure in doing this?"

However, the king's word prevailed against Yo'av and the army officers. So Yo'av and the army officers went out from the king's presence to take a census of the people of Isra'el.

They crossed the Yarden and pitched camp in 'Aro'er, to the south of the city in the Vadi of Gad; went on to Ya'zer;