David’s Elite Soldiers^(A)

⁸ Here’s a list of the names of David’s special forces: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahkemonite^[a] was head of the Three;^[b] he was nicknamed Adino the Eznite^[c] because he killed 800 men in a single battle engagement.

⁹ Next was Dodai^[d] the Ahohite’s son Eleazar. Eleazar, who also was one of the Three, was with David when they challenged the Philistines. When the Philistines had assembled in battle array, the Israeli army retreated, ¹⁰ but Eleazar remained standing right where he was and fought so hard against the Philistines that he became exhausted—he couldn’t even let go of his sword! The Lord magnificently delivered them that day. After Eleazar had won the battle, the other soldiers returned, but only to strip the weapons and armor from the dead.^[e]

¹¹ Next was Shammah, Agee the Hararite’s son. One time the Philistines assembled to fight^[f] in a field where lentils had been growing. Israel’s army retreated from the Philistines, ¹² but Shammah stood his ground in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. And the Lord brought about a great victory.

¹³ One day while the Philistine army was camping in the valley of giants,^[g] three of the 30 leaders joined David at the cave of Adullam. ¹⁴ David was living in that stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was then at Bethlehem.

¹⁵ David expressed his longing, “Oh, how I wish someone would get me a drink of water from the Bethlehem well that’s by the city gate!” ¹⁶ So the Three elite warriors broke through the Philistine ranks, drew some water from the Bethlehem well that was next to the city gate, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out in the Lord’s presence, ¹⁷ and said, “The Lord forbid that I drink this—this is the blood of men who endangered their own lives!” The Three elite warriors did these things.