1 Chronicles 12

1 Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle;

Now these are those who came to David to Ziklag while he was a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish. They were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.

2 they were archers using both the right and left hands to sling stones and shoot arrows; and they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin):

They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow. They were of Saul’s relatives of the tribe of Benjamin.

3 Ahiezer their chief and Joash, who were the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite;

The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite;

4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the Thirty and a leader over the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite;

Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader of the thirty; Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite;

5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite;

Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Haruphite;

6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites;

Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;

7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

8 Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were mighty men of valor, trained for battle, experts with the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains:

Some Gadites joined David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains:

9 Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third,

Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

13 Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh.

Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbannai the eleventh.

14 These Gadites were army commanders, the least of whom was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand.

These of the sons of Gad were captains of the army. He who was least was equal to one hundred, and the greatest to one thousand.

15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.

These are those who went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all who lived in the valleys, both toward the east and toward the west.

16 Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold.

Some of the children of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.

17 And David went out to meet them, saying, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free of violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you.”

David went out to meet them, and answered them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers see this and rebuke it.”

18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you.” So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.

Then the Spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, and he said, “We are yours, David, and on your side, you son of Jesse. Peace, peace be to you, and peace be to your helpers; for your God helps you.” Then David received them and made them captains of the band.

19 Some from Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (They did not help the Philistines because the Philistine rulers consulted and sent David away, saying, “It will cost us our heads if he defects to his master Saul.”)

Some of Manasseh also joined David when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle, but they didn’t help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away after consultation, saying, “He will desert to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.”

20 When David went to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh.

As he went to Ziklag, some from Manasseh joined him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands who were of Manasseh.

21 They helped David against the raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and commanders in the army.

They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and were captains in the army.

22 For at that time men came to David day after day to help him, until he had a great army, like the army of God.

For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like God’s army.

23 Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD:

These are the numbers of the heads of those who were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to Yahweh’s word.

24 From Judah: 6,800 armed troops bearing shields and spears.

The children of Judah who bore shield and spear were six thousand eight hundred, armed for war.

25 From Simeon: 7,100 mighty men of valor, ready for battle.

Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the war: seven thousand one hundred.

26 From Levi: 4,600,

Of the children of Levi: four thousand six hundred.

27 including Jehoiada, leader of the house of Aaron, with 3,700 men,

Jehoiada was the leader of the household of Aaron; and with him were three thousand seven hundred,

28 and Zadok, a mighty young man of valor, with 22 commanders from his own family.

and Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father’s house twenty-two captains.

29 From Benjamin, the kinsmen of Saul: 3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to the house of Saul up to that time.

Of the children of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives: three thousand, for until then, the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to Saul’s house.

30 From Ephraim: 20,800 mighty men of valor, famous among their own clans.

Of the children of Ephraim: twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses.

31 From the half-tribe of Manasseh: 18,000 designated by name to come and make David king.

Of the half-tribe of Manasseh: eighteen thousand, who were mentioned by name, to come and make David king.

32 From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their kinsmen at their command.

Of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their heads were two hundred; and all their brothers were at their command.

33 From Zebulun: 50,000 fit for service, trained for battle with all kinds of weapons of war, who with one purpose were devoted to David.

Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the army, who could set the battle in array with all kinds of instruments of war: fifty thousand who could command and were not of double heart.

34 From Naphtali: 1,000 commanders, accompanied by 37,000 men with shield and spear.

Of Naphtali: one thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty-seven thousand.

35 From Dan: 28,600 prepared for battle.

Of the Danites who could set the battle in array: twenty-eight thousand six hundred.

36 From Asher: 40,000 fit for service, prepared for battle.

Of Asher, such as were able to go out in the army, who could set the battle in array: forty thousand.

37 And from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh there: 120,000 armed with every kind of weapon of war.

On the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, with all kinds of instruments of war for the battle: one hundred twenty thousand.

38 All these men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of the Israelites were of one mind to make David king.

All these were men of war who could order the battle array, and came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

39 They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them.

They were there with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brothers had supplied provisions for them.

40 And their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—abundant supplies of flour, fig cakes and raisin cakes, wine and oil, oxen and sheep. Indeed, there was joy in Israel.

Moreover those who were near to them, as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought bread on donkeys, on camels, on mules, and on oxen: supplies of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep in abundance; for there was joy in Israel.