The Reign of David

David had a craving and said, "I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem!"

The three 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 David would not drink it; instead, he poured it out to ADONAI

and said, "My God forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of these men who went and put their lives in jeopardy? They risked their lives to bring it!"- and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did.

Avishai the brother of Yo'av was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three.

Of the three in the second rank he had the most honor and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three.

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.

Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man who was very tall, seven-and-a-half feet: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand the size of a weaver's beam; he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

These are things that B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada did that earned him a name among the three warrior-heroes.

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.

There were also these warrior-heroes: 'Asah'el the brother of Yo'av, Elchanan the son of Dodo, from Beit-Lechem,

Shammah the Harori, Heletz the P'loni,

'Ira son of 'Ikesh from T'koa, Avi'ezer from 'Anatot,

Sibkhai the Hushati, 'Ilai the Achochi,

Mahrai the N'tofati, Heled the son of Ba'anah the N'tofati,

Ittai the son of Rivai from Giv'ah, from the descendants of Binyamin, B'nayahu from Pir'aton,

Hurai from the vadis of Ga'ash, Avi'el the 'Arvati,

'Azmavet the Bacharumi Elyachba the Sha'alvoni,

the sons of Hashem the Gizoni, Y'honatan the son of Shageh the Harari,

Achi'am the son of Sakhar the Harari, Elifal the son of Ur,

Hefer the M'kherati, Achiyah the P'loni,

Hetzro the Karmeli, Na'arai the son of Ezbai

Yo'el the brother of Natan, Mivchar the son of Hagri,

Tzelek the 'Amoni, Nachrai the Be'eroti, armor-bearer of Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah,

'Ira the Yitri, Garev the Yitri,

Uriyah the Hitti, Zavad the son of Achlai,