¹² But the man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels^[a] were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.^[b]’

¹³ And if I had put my life in jeopardy^[a]—and nothing is hidden from the king^(A)—you would have kept your distance from me.”

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 warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured^(A) it out before the Lord.