¹⁷ And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” ¹⁸ So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. ¹⁹ And he said, “Far be it from me, O my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.

⁶ Now David said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be ^[a]chief and captain.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and became chief.

Rabbah Is Captured^(A)

²⁶ Now ^(B)Joab fought against ^(C)Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city. ²⁷ And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city’s water supply. ²⁸ Now therefore, gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name.” ²⁹ So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it. ^30 (D)Then he took their king’s crown from his head. Its weight was a talent of gold, with precious stones. And it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the ^[a]spoil of the city in great abundance. ³¹ And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them cross over to the brick works. So he did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

David, Bathsheba, and Uriah

11 It happened in the spring of the year, at the ^(A)time when kings go out to battle, that ^(B)David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged ^(C)Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

²⁴ And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city, and ^(A)we will show you mercy.” ²⁵ So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go.

^12 (A)Then Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife.”