2 Samuel 23:8-23 - David's Faithful Soldiers

⁸ These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Joseb-Bassebeth, Tachkemonite the chief of the captains: he was Adino the Eznite; he fought against eight hundred, slain by him at one time.

⁹ And after him, Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite: he was one of the three mighty men with David, when they had defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone up. ¹⁰ He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

¹¹ And after him, Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite: the Philistines were gathered into a troop, and there was there a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people had fled before the Philistines; ¹² and he stood in the midst of the plot and delivered it, and smote the Philistines, and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance.

¹³ And three of the thirty chiefs went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, when the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ And David was then in the stronghold; and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me to drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate! ¹⁶ And the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; however he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Jehovah. ¹⁷ And he said, Be it far from me, Jehovah, that I should do this thing! is it not the blood of the men that went at the risk of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

¹⁸ And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the chief of three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred and slew them; and he had a name among the three. ¹⁹ Was he not most honourable of three? and he was their captain; but he did not attain to the first three.

²⁰ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, son of a valiant man, great in exploits, of Kabzeel: he it was that smote two lions of Moab; and he went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. ²¹ He also smote the Egyptian, an imposing man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. ²² These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he had a name among the three mighty men. ²³ He was honoured above the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David set him in his council.