Bethlehem

¹⁶ At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

¹⁷ David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

¹⁸ So the Three broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,

¹⁹ saying, “Far be it from me, my God, to do this! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” Because they had brought it at the risk of their lives, David refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

²⁶ Now these were the mighty men: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁷ Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

So Samuel did what the LORD had said and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?”

¹⁴ And David was the youngest. The three oldest had followed Saul,

¹⁵ but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.

If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’

²⁸ Jonathan answered, “David urgently requested my permission to go to Bethlehem,

²⁹ saying, ‘Please let me go, because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brothers.’ That is why he did not come to the king’s table.”

⁶ He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

⁷ Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

Later, they took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.

¹⁴ At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

¹⁵ David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

¹⁶ So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,

¹⁷ saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

²⁴ Now these were members of the Thirty: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,