1 Chronicles 12

1 The following is a list of the men who joined David when he was at Ziklag, still hiding from Saul, son of Kish. They were some of the leading warriors who fought on David's side.

Also these camen to Dauid in Sichelech, whanne he fledde yit fro Saul, the sone of Cys; whiche weren strongeste men and noble fiyterys,

2 They were all skilled archers, and could shoot arrows or slingshots with their right or their left hands. They were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin.

beendynge bouwe, and castynge stoonys with slyngis with euer either hond, and dressynge arowis; of the britheren of Saul of Beniamyn,

3 Ahiezer was their leader, then Joash; the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite;

the prince Achieser, and Joas, the sones of Samaa of Gabaath, and Jazachel, and Phallech, the sones of Azmod, and Barachie, and Jehu of Anathot;

4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, (a strong warrior among the Thirty, and leader over the Thirty); Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite;

also Samay of Gabaon was the strongeste among thretti and aboue thretti; Jeremy, and Jezihel, and Johannan, and Zebadga Zerothites,

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

Elusay, and Jerymoth, and Baalia, and Samaria, and Saphia Araphites,

6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam (they were Korahites);

Elchana, and Jesia, and Azrahel, and Jezer, and Jesbaam of Taremy,

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

and Joelam, and Sabadia, the sones of Jeroam of Jedor.

8 Some warriors from the tribe of Gad went over to David's side when he was at the stronghold in the desert. They were strong and experienced warriors, battle-hardened, experts in the use of shields and spears. Their faces looked as fierce as lions, and they ran as fast as gazelles in the mountains.

But also of Gaddi strongeste men, and beste fiyteris, holdynge scheld and spere, fledden ouer to Dauid, whanne he was hid in deseert; the faces of hem as the face of a lioun, and thei weren swift as capretis in hillis.

9 Ezer the was the leader, Obadiah (second), Eliab (third),

Ozer was the prince, Obdias the secounde, Eliab the thridde,

10 Mishmannah (fourth), Jeremiah (fifth),

Masmana the fourthe, Jeremye the fyuethe,

11 Attai (sixth), Eliel (seventh),

Becchi the sixte, Heliel the seuenthe,

12 Johanan (eighth), Elzabad (ninth),

Johannan the eiythe, Helzedad the nynthe,

13 Jeremiah (tenth), Machbannai (eleventh).

Jeremye the tenthe, Bachana the euleuenthe;

14 These warriors from Gad were army officers. The least able of them was in charge of 100 men; the best was in charge of 1,000.

these of the sones of Gad weren princes of the oost; the laste was souereyn ouer an hundrid knyytis, and the moost was souereyn ouer a thousynde.

15 These were ones who crossed the Jordan River in the first month of the year when it overflows its banks. They chased out all the people living in the valley, both to the east and to the west.

These it ben that passiden ouer Jordan in the firste monethe, whanne it was wont to flowe ouer hise brynkis; and thei dryueden awei alle men that dwelliden in the valeis at the eest coost and west coost.

16 Some others from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah also came to join David at the stronghold.

Sotheli also men of Beniamyn and of Juda camen to the stronge hoold, whereyn Dauid dwellide.

17 David went out to meet them and told them, “If you've come in peace to help me, we can be friends. But if you've come to betray me to my enemies, even though I've done no wrong, then may the God of our fathers see what you're doing and condemn you.”

And Dauid yede out ayens hem, and seide, If ye `ben comyn pesible to me, for to helpe me, myn herte be ioyned to you; forsothe if ye setten aspies to me for myn aduersaries, sithen Y haue not wickidnesse in the hondis, God of our fadris se and deme.

18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the leader of the Thirty. “We are yours, David, and we are with you, son of Jesse! May peace, prosperity, and success be yours and those who help you, for God is the one who is helping you.” So David allowed them to join him, and put them in charge of his bands of raiders.

Forsothe the spirit clothide Amasay, the prynce among thritti, and he seide, A! Dauid, we ben thin, and thou, sone of Ysai, we schulen be with thee; pees, pees to thee, and pees to thin helperis, for thi Lord God helpith thee. Therfor Dauid resseyuede hem, and made princes of the cumpeny.

19 Others came over to David's side from the tribe of Manasseh and joined him when he went with Philistines to attack Saul. However, the Philistine rulers eventually decided to send them away, saying to themselves, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts us and goes over to his master Saul.”

Forsothe men of Manasses fledden ouer to Dauid, whanne he cam with Filisteis to fiyte ayens Saul, and he fauyte not with hem, for after that the princes of Filisteis hadden take counsel, thei senten hym ayen, and seiden, With perel of oure heed he schal turne ayen to Saul his lord.

20 The following is a list of the men from Manasseh who went over to David's side as he returned to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders of thousands in Manasseh.

Therfor whanne Dauid turnede ayen in to Sichelech, men of Manasses fledden ouer to hym, Eduas, and Jozabad, Jedihel, and Mychael, and Naas, and Jozabath, and Helyu, and Salathi, princes of knyytis in Manasses.

21 They helped David against raiders for they were all strong and experienced warriors and commanders in the army.

These men yauen help to Dauid ayens theues; for alle weren strongeste men, and thei weren maad prynces in the oost.

22 Men arrived daily to help David until he had a large army, like the army of God.

But also bi ech dai men camen to Dauid, for to helpe hym, til that the noumbre was maad greet as the oost of God.

23 This is a list of the numbers of armed warriors who came and joined David in Hebron to turn over Saul's kingdom to him, as the Lord had said.

Also this is the noumbre of princes of the oost that camen to Dauid, whanne he was in Ebron, that thei schulden translate the rewme of Saul to hym, bi the word of the Lord; the sones of Juda,

24 From the tribe of Judah, 6,800 warriors carrying shields and spears.

berynge scheeld and spere, sixe thousynde and eiyte hundrid, redi to batel;

25 From the tribe of Simeon, 7,100 strong warriors.

of the sones of Simeon, seuene thousinde and an hundrid, of strongeste men to fiyte;

26 From the tribe of Levi, 4,600,

of the sones of Leuy, foure thousynde and sixe hundrid;

27 including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, and with him 3,700,

also Joiada, prince of the generacioun of Aaron, and thre thousynd and seuene hundrid with hym;

28 and Zadok, a strong young warrior, with 22 members of his family, all officers.

also Sadoch, a child of noble wit, and the hows of his fadir, twei and twenti princes;

29 From the tribe of Benjamin, from among Saul's relatives, 3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to Saul up until this time.

forsothe of the sones of Beniamyn, britheren of Saul, thre thousynde; for a greet part of hem suede yit the hows of Saul;

30 From the tribe of Ephraim, 20,800 strong warriors, each highly regarded in his own clan.

forsothe of the sones of Effraym, twenti thousynde and eiyte hundrid, strongeste men in bodili myyt, men named in her meynees;

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

and of the half part of the lynage of Manasses, eiytene thousynde; alle camen bi her names, to make Dauid kyng;

32 From the tribe of Issachar came leaders who knew and could understand the signs of the times and what Israel should do—a total of 200 leaders of the tribe together with their relatives.

also of the sones of Ysacar, two hundrid princes, lernd men, that knewen ech tyme to comaunde what the puple of Israel ouyt to do; sotheli al the residue lynage suede the counseils of hem;

33 From the tribe of Zebulun, 50,000 warriors. They were fully armed and battle-ready, and totally dedicated.

forsothe of Zabulon camen fifti thousynde in to helpe, not in double herte, which yeden out to batel, and stoden in the scheltrun, and weren maad redi with armuris of batel;

34 From the tribe of Naphtali, 1,000 officers and 37,000 warriors carrying shields and spears.

and of Neptalym a thousynde prynces, and with hem camen seuene and thritti thousynde men, arayed with scheeld and speere;

35 From the tribe of Dan, 28,600 warriors, all battle-ready.

also of Dan, eiyte and twenti thousynde and sixe hundrid men, maad redi to batel;

36 From the tribe of Asher, 40,000 experienced warriors, all battle-ready.

and of Aser fourti thousynde men, goynge out to batel, and stirynge to batel in the scheltrun.

37 From the east side of the Jordan River, from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 120,000 warriors carrying all kinds of weapons.

Forsothe biyende Jordan, of the sones of Ruben, and of Gad, and of the half part of the lynage of Manasses, sixe scoore thousynde men, araied with armuris of batel.

38 All these men came to Hebron dressed for battle, completely committed to making David king. All of Israel agreed that David should become king.

Alle these men werriouris and redi to batel camen with perfit herte in to Ebron, to make Dauid kyng on al Israel; but also alle the residue of Israel weren of oon herte, that Dauid schulde be maad king on al Israel.

39 They stayed three days there, eating and drinking together, for their relatives had provided them with supplies.

And thei weren ther at Dauid thre daies, and eten and drunken; for her britheren hadden maad redi to hem;

40 Their neighbors, even as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, arrived bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. They had plenty of flour, fig cakes, bunches of raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, and sheep, for Israel was so happy.

but also thei that weren niy hem, til to Isacar and Zabulon and Neptalym, brouyten looues on assis, and camelis, and mulis, and oxis, for to ete; mele, bundelis of pressid figis, dried grapis, wyn, oile, oxis and wetheres, to al plentee; for ioy was in Israel.