2 Samuel 23:13-23

Revised Standard Version

¹³ And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Reph′aim. ¹⁴ David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ And David said longingly, “O that some one would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!” ¹⁶ Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the Lord, ¹⁷ and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

¹⁸ Now Abi′shai, the brother of Jo′ab, the son of Zeru′iah, was chief of the thirty.^[a] And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and slew them, and won a name beside the three. ¹⁹ He was the most renowned of the thirty,^[b] and became their commander; but he did not attain to the three.

²⁰ And Benai′ah the son of Jehoi′ada was a valiant man^[c] of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he smote two ariels^[d] of Moab. He also went down and slew a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. ²¹ And he slew an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but Benai′ah went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear. ²² These things did Benai′ah the son of Jehoi′ada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. ²³ He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.