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13 Three of the Thirty chiefs went down to David in the cave of Adullam during the harvest, while a Philistine clan was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.(A) 14 David was then in the stronghold, and there was a garrison of Philistines in Bethlehem. 15 Now David had a craving and said, “If only someone would give me a drink of water from the cistern by the gate of Bethlehem!” 16 Thereupon the three warriors broke through the encampment of the Philistines, drew water from the cistern by the gate of Bethlehem, and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it, and instead poured it out[a] to the Lord, 17 saying: “The Lord forbid that I do such a thing! Could I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” So he refused to drink it.

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Footnotes

  1. 23:16 Poured it out: as a libation.

13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam,(A) while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.(B) 14 At that time David was in the stronghold,(C) and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.(D) 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(E) it out before the Lord. 17 “Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood(F) of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.

Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

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