David's Mighty Men
8 1These are the names of the mighty men whom David had:
2Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.
9
And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of
3Dodo, son of
4Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew.
10
He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the LORD brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.
11
And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the
5Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines.
12
But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD worked a great victory.
13
And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the
6cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped
7in the Valley of Rephaim.
14
David was then
8in the stronghold, and
9the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem
15
And David said longingly, "Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that 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 that was by the gate and carried 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
10the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
18
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three.
19
He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to
11the three
20
And
12Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of
13Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.
21
And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear
22
These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, 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.
24
14Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25
15Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod,
26
Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh
16of Tekoa,
27
Abiezer
17of Anathoth, Mebunnai
18the Hushathite,
28
Zalmon
19the Ahohite, Maharai
20of Netophah,
29
Heleb the son of Baanah
21of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of
22Gibeah of the people of Benjamin,
30
Benaiah
23of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of
24Gaash,
31
Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of
25Bahurim,
32
Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
33
26Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,
34
Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai
27of Maacah,
28Eliam the son of
29Ahithophel of Gilo,
35
Hezro
30of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite,
36
Igal the son of Nathan
31of Zobah, Bani the Gadite
37
Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai
32of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,
38
33Ira the
34Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite
39
35Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.