16. At that time David was in his usual place of safety. Some Philistine troops were stationed at Bethlehem.
17. David 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!"
18. So 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.
20. Abishai 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.
21. He was honored twice as much as the Three. He became their commander. But he wasn't included among them.
22. Benaiah 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.
23. And 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.
24. Those were some of the brave things Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, did. He too was as famous as the three mighty men were.
25. He 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.