13. During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
14. At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.
15. David longed for water and said, ‘Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!’
16. So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord.
17. ‘Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!’ he said. ‘Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?’ And David would not drink it.Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.
18. Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three.
19. Was he not held in greater honour than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.
20. Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.
21. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.
22. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors.
23. He was held in greater honour than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
24. Among the Thirty were:Asahel the brother of Joab,Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,
25. Shammah the Harodite,Elika the Harodite,
26. Helez the Paltite,Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,
27. Abiezer from Anathoth,Sibbekai the Hushathite,