12. He took his stand in the midst of the plot of land, defended it, and defeated the Philistines. The Lord brought about a great victory.
13. Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David at the cave of Adullam during the harvest. Now the Philistine army was in the Valley of Rephaim.
14. At that time, David was in the stronghold while the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.
15. David said longingly, “O that someone would give me a drink of water from the well in Bethlehem by the gate!”
16. The three warriors breached the Philistine camp and drew up water from the well in Bethlehem by the gate, and they brought it to David. However, he was not willing to drink it, so he poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord.
17. He said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, to drink this, the blood of the men who risked their lives.” So he was not willing to drink it.These things the three warriors did.
18. Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and won a name beside the three.
19. Was he more honored than the three? He became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.
20. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done great acts. He struck down two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.
21. He struck down an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff, seized the spear from the Egyptian, and killed him with his own spear.
22. These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did and won for himself a name alongside the three.
23. He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. So David set him over his bodyguard.
24. Among the thirty wereAsahel the brother of Joab,Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25. Shammah the Harodite,Elika the Harodite,
26. Helez the Paltite,Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27. Abiezer the Anathothite,Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28. Zalmon the Ahohite,Maharai the Netophathite,
29. Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,Ithai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of Benjamin,
30. Benaiah the Pirathonite,Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash,