2 Samuel 23:8-39

Complete Jewish Bible

⁸ Following are the names of David’s warrior-heroes:

Yoshev-Bashevet the Tach’kmoni, chief of the three, also known as ‘Adino the ‘Etzni; he is the one who came against 800 men, whom he killed in a single encounter.

⁹ After him was El‘azar the son of Dodo the son of Achochi, one of the three warriors with David when they put their lives in jeopardy against the P’lishtim who were there assembled for battle, while the men of Isra’el had gone away. ¹⁰ He stood firm and attacked the P’lishtim until his hand went into spasm, so that he couldn’t let go of his sword. Adonai accomplished a great victory that day; but the people didn’t return until he had finished, and then only to plunder the bodies of the dead.

¹¹ After him was Shammah the son of Age the Harari. The P’lishtim had assembled at Lechi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the P’lishtim. ¹² But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P’lishtim; and Adonai brought about a great victory.

¹³ During harvest season three of the thirty leaders went down and came to David at the cave of ‘Adulam when a company of P’lishtim had set up camp in the Refa’im Valley. ¹⁴ At that time David was in the fortress, and the garrison of the P’lishtim was in Beit-Lechem. ¹⁵ David had a craving and said, “I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem!” ¹⁶ The three warrior-heroes broke through the army of the P’lishtim, drew water from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem, took it and brought it to David. But he wouldn’t drink it. Instead, he poured it out to Adonai ¹⁷ and said, “Adonai! Heaven forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of men who went and put their lives in jeopardy?”— and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did. ¹⁸ Avishai the brother of Yo’av, the son of Tz’ruyah, was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three. ¹⁹ He had the most honor of these three and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three.

²⁰ B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada, the son of a valiant man of Kavtze’el, was a man of many exploits. He struck down two lion-hearted men of Mo’av. One day when it was snowing, he went down into a pit and killed a lion. ²¹ Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man of intimidating appearance: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, and he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. ²² These are things that B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada did that earned him a name among the three warrior-heroes. ²³ He had more honor than the thirty, but he did not achieve the status of the first three. David put him in command of his personal guard.

thirty-seven in all.