¹⁰The chiefs of David’s mighty men and the whole community of Israel helped David greatly. They helped him become king over the entire land. That’s exactly what the Lord had promised him. ¹¹Here is a list of David’s mighty men.

Jashobeam was chief of the officers. He was a Hacmonite. He used his spear against 300 men. He killed all of them at one time.

¹²Next to him was Eleazar. He was one of the three mighty men. He was the son of Dodai, the Ahohite. ¹³Jashobeam was with David at Pas Dammim. The Philistines had gathered there for battle. Israel’s troops ran away from the Philistines. At the place where that happened, there was a field that was full of barley. ¹⁴The three mighty men took their stand in the middle of the field. They didn’t let the Philistines capture it. They struck them down. The Lord helped them win a great battle.

¹⁵David was near the rock at the cave of Adullam. Three of the 30 chiefs came down to him there. A group of Philistines was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁶At that time David was in his usual place of safety. Some Philistine troops were stationed at Bethlehem.

¹⁷David longed for water. He said, “I wish someone would get me a drink of water from the well that is near the gate of Bethlehem!”

¹⁸So the Three fought their way past the Philistine guards. They got some water from the well that was near the gate of Bethlehem. They took the water back to David.

But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord. ¹⁹“I would never drink that water!” David said. “It would be like drinking the blood of these men. They put their lives in danger by going to Bethlehem.” The men had put their lives in danger by bringing the water back. So David wouldn’t drink it.

Those were some of the brave things the three mighty men did.

²⁰Abishai was chief over the Three. He was the brother of Joab. He used his spear against 300 men. He killed all of them. So he became as famous as the Three were. ²¹He was honored twice as much as the Three. He became their commander. But he wasn’t included among them.

²²Benaiah was a great hero from Kabzeel. He was the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah did many brave things. He struck down two of Moab’s best fighting men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day. He killed a lion there.

²³And Benaiah struck down an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian was holding a spear as big as a weaver’s rod. Benaiah went out to fight against him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand. Then he killed him with it.

²⁴Those were some of the brave things Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, did. He too was as famous as the three mighty men were. ²⁵He was honored more than any of the Thirty. But he wasn’t included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his own personal guards.

²⁶Here is a list of David’s mighty men.

Asahel, the brother of Joab

Elhanan, the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem

²⁷Shammoth, the Harorite

Helez, the Pelonite

²⁸Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa

Abiezer from Anathoth

²⁹Sibbecai, the Hushathite

Ilai, the Ahohite

³⁰Maharai from Netophah

Heled, the son of Baanah, from Netophah

³¹Ithai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah in Benjamin

Benaiah from Pirathon

³²Hurai from the valleys of Gaash

Abiel, the Arbathite

³³Azmaveth, the Baharumite

Eliahba, the Shaalbonite

³⁴the sons of Hashem, the Gizonite

Jonathan, the son of Shagee, the Hararite

³⁵Ahiam, the son of Sacar, the Hararite

Eliphal, the son of Ur

³⁶Hepher, the Mekerathite

Ahijah, the Pelonite

³⁷Hezro from Carmel

Naarai, the son of Ezbai

³⁸Joel, the brother of Nathan

Mibhar, the son of Hagri

³⁹Zelek from Ammon

Naharai, from Beeroth, who carried the armor of Joab, the son of Zeruiah

⁴⁰Ira, the Ithrite

Gareb, the Ithrite

⁴¹Uriah, the Hittite

Zabad, the son of Ahlai

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