⁸ When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.

David's Mighty Men

^10 (A)Now these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, ^(B)according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel. ¹¹ This is an account of David's mighty men: ^(C)Jashobeam, a ^(D)Hachmonite, was ^(E)chief of the three.^[a] He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.

¹² And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of ^(F)Dodo, the Ahohite. ¹³ He was with David at Pas-dammim ^(G)when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. ¹⁴ But he took his^[b] stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.

¹⁵ Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the cave of Adullam, when the army of Philistines was encamped in the ^(H)Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶ David was then in the stronghold, and the ^(I)garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. ¹⁷ And David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” ¹⁸ 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 took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord ¹⁹ and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

²⁰ Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the thirty.^[c] And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three. ²¹ He was the most renowned^[d] of the thirty^[e] and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three.

²² And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man^[f] of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. ²³ And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits^[g] tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear ^(J)like a weaver's beam, 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. ²⁴ These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. ²⁵ He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.

²⁶ The mighty men were ^(K)Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, ²⁷ Shammoth of Harod,^[h] Helez the Pelonite, ²⁸ Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, Abiezer of Anathoth, ²⁹ Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, ³⁰ Maharai of Netophah, Heled the son of Baanah of Netophah, ³¹ Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah of Pirathon, ³² Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, ³³ Azmaveth of Baharum, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, ³⁴ Hashem^[i] the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, ³⁵ Ahiam the son of Sachar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, ³⁶ Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, ³⁷ Hezro of Carmel, Naarai the son of Ezbai, ³⁸ Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of ^(L)Hagri, ³⁹ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, ⁴⁰ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, ⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite, ^(M)Zabad the son of Ahlai, ⁴² Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, ⁴³ Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, ⁴⁴ Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, ⁴⁵ Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, ⁴⁶ Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, ⁴⁷ Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

⁶ David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first ^(A)shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.

David's Mighty Men

^8 (A)These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: ^(B)Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three.^[a] He wielded his spear^[b] against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

⁹ And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of ^(C)Dodo, son of ^(D)Ahohi. 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 ^(E)Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi,^[c] 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 ^(F)cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped ^(G)in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ David was then ^(H)in the stronghold, and ^(I)the 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 ^(J)the 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.^[d] And he wielded his spear against three hundred men^[e] and killed them and won a name beside the three. ¹⁹ He was the most renowned of the thirty^[f] and became their commander, but he did not attain to ^(K)the three.

²⁰ And ^(L)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man^[g] of ^(M)Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels^[h] 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 (N)Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, ^25 (O)Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, ²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh ^(P)of Tekoa, ²⁷ Abiezer ^(Q)of Anathoth, Mebunnai ^(R)the Hushathite, ²⁸ Zalmon ^(S)the Ahohite, Maharai ^(T)of Netophah, ²⁹ Heleb the son of Baanah ^(U)of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of ^(V)Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, ³⁰ Benaiah ^(W)of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of ^(X)Gaash, ³¹ Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of ^(Y)Bahurim, ³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, ^33 (Z)Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, ³⁴ Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai ^(AA)of Maacah, ^(AB)Eliam the son of ^(AC)Ahithophel the Gilonite, ³⁵ Hezro^{[i] (AD)}of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, ³⁶ Igal the son of Nathan ^(AE)of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, ³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai ^(AF)of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, ^38 (AG)Ira the ^(AH)Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, ^39 (AI)Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.