IV Maccabees 3:4-14

4 Any one of you may not be able to eradicate malice, but reasoning has force to work with you to prevent you yielding to malice.

5 For reasoning is not an eradicator, but an antagonist of the passions.

6 And this may be more clearly comprehended from the thirst of king David.

7 For after David had been attacking the Philistines the whole day, he with the soldiers of his nation slew many of them;

8 then when evening came, sweating and very weary, he came to the royal tent, about which the entire host of our ancestors was encamped.

9 Now all the rest of them were at supper;

10 but the king, being very much athirst, although he had numerous springs, could not by their means quench his thirst;

11 but a certain irrational longing for the water in the enemy's camp grew stronger and fiercer upon him, and consumed him with languish.

12 Wherefore his body-guards being troubled at this longing of the king, two valiant young soldiers, reverencing the desire of the king, put on their panoplies, and taking a pitcher, got over the ramparts of the enemies:

13 and unperceived by the guardians of the gate, they went throughout the whole camp of the enemy in quest.

14 And having boldly discovered the fountain, they filled out of it the draught for the king.