David’s Mighty Men^(A)

¹⁰ Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened him in his kingdom, along with all Israel, to establish him as king according to the word of the Lord to Israel. ¹¹ These make up the number of the mighty men who fought for David:

Jashobeam, the son of Hakmoni, the head of the thirty, who lifted his spear in triumph over three hundred slain at one time.

¹² After him was Eleazar, the son of Dodai the Ahohite, who was among the three mighty men. ¹³ He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a piece of ground full of barley. Now the men fled from the Philistines. ¹⁴ But they stood their ground in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the Lord saved them by a great victory.

¹⁵ Now three of the thirty captains climbed down the rock to David at the cave of Adullam while the camp of the Philistines was set up in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶ (At that time, David was in the stronghold, but a garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem.) ¹⁷ Now David was overcome with longing and said, “Who will get me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate?” ¹⁸ These three broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and carried it back to David. However, he was not willing to drink it but poured out the water to the Lord. ¹⁹ For he said, “Far be it from me before my God to do this. Should I drink the life blood of these men who put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it.

The three mighty men did these things.

²⁰ Also Abishai himself, the brother of Joab, was a captain of the three who lifted his spear in triumph over three hundred slain and was given a name among the three. ²¹ He was honored as a leader by the second company of the three, but he did not attain to the first three.

²² Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He killed two Moabite warriors. Indeed, once he went down into a well and struck a lion on a snowy day. ²³ And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits^[a] tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver’s beam, and he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. ²⁴ Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, did these things, and won a name among the three mighty men. ²⁵ Out of the thirty captains, he himself was honored, and although he did not attain to the three, David set him over his guard.