1 Chronicles 12

1 David went to Ziklag [town] to escape from [King] Saul. While he was there, many warriors came and joined him, and they helped him when he fought battles.

Also, these went to David at Ziklag, while he was still fleeing from Saul, the son of Kish. And they were very strong and distinguished fighters,

2 They carried bows [and arrows]. They were able to shoot arrows and to sling stones. They could use either their right arms or their left arms to do that. They were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin.

bending the bow, and using either hand in casting stones with slings, and shooting arrows. From the brothers of Saul, out of Benjamin:

3 Their leader was Ahiezer. Next in command was Joash. They were both sons of Shemaah from Gibeah [city]. [These are the names of some of those warriors: ] Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu from Anathoth [town];

the leader was Ahiezer, with Joash, sons of Shemaah from Gibeah, and Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah and Jehu, from Anathoth.

4 Ishmaiah from the Gibeon [city], who was a leader of the thirty mighty warriors; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah [town];

Also, there was Ishmaiah, from Gibeon, the strongest among the thirty and over the thirty; Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Jozabad, from Gederah;

5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph [town];

and Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah, the Haruphites;

6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam, who were descendants of Korah;

Elkanah, and Isshiah, and Azarel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, from Carehim;

7 Joelah and Zebadiah, who were sons of Jeroham, from Gedor [town].

and also Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham, from Gedor.

8 Some men from the tribe of Gad [east of the Jordan River] joined David when he was at his fortress in [the caves in] the desert. They were brave warriors who were trained for fighting battles and able to use shields and spears well. They [SYN] were as fierce as [SIM, MTY] lions, and they could run as fast as [HYP, SIM] deer/gazelles on the hills/mountains.

Then too, from Gad, there went over to David, when he was hiding in the desert, very robust men, who were excellent fighters, taking hold of shield and spear; their faces were like the faces of a lion, and they were swift like the roe deer upon the mountains.

9 Ezer was their leader. Next in command was Obadiah. Next was Eliab.

Ezer was the leader, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

10 Next was Mishmannah. Next was Jeremiah.

Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

11 Next was Attai. Next was Eliel.

Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

12 Next was Johanan. Next was Elzabad.

Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

13 Next was [another man whose name was] Jeremiah. The last was Macbannai.

Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.

14 Those men from the tribe of Gad were all army officers. Some of them commanded 1,000 soldiers, and some of them commanded 100 soldiers.

These were from the sons of Gad, leaders of the army. The least was in charge of one hundred soldiers, and the greatest was in charge of one thousand.

15 They crossed [to the west side of] the Jordan [River] during March, [at the time of the year] when the river was flooded. They chased from there all the people who lived in the valleys on both sides of the river.

These are the ones who crossed over the Jordan in the first month, when it is accustomed to overflow its banks. And they put to flight all those who were staying in the valleys, to the eastern region and to the west.

16 Some other men from the tribe of Benjamin and from Judah also came to David in his fortress.

Then some from Benjamin and from Judah also arrived at the stronghold where David was staying.

17 David went out [of the cave] to meet them and said to them, “If you have come peacefully to help me, I am eager to have you join with me. But if you have come to enable my enemies to capture me, even though I [SYN] have not done anything to harm you, I hope/wish that the God whom our ancestors (worshiped/belonged to) will see it and condemn/punish you.”

And David went out to meet them, and he said: “If you have arrived peacefully, so as to be a help to me, may my heart be joined to you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, though I have no iniquity in my hands, may the God of our fathers see and judge.”

18 Then [God’s] Spirit came upon Amasai, who was another leader of the thirty [greatest warriors], and he said, “David, we want to be with you; you who are the son of Jesse, we will join you. We know that things will go very well [DOU] for you and for those who are with you, because your God is helping you.”

Truly, the Spirit clothed Amasai, the leader among the thirty, and he said: “O David, we are yours! O son of Jesse, we are for you! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers. For your God helps you.” Therefore, David received them, and he appointed them as leaders of troops.

19 So David welcomed those men, and he appointed them to be leaders of his soldiers. Some men from the tribe of Manasseh also joined David when he went with the soldiers of Philistia to fight against Saul’s [army]. But David and his men did not really help the army of Philistia. After the leaders of Philistia talked [about David and his soldiers], they sent David away. They said, “If David joins his master Saul again, we will all be killed {his army will kill all of us}!”

Moreover, some from Manasseh crossed over to David, when he went forth with the Philistines against Saul, so that he might fight. But he did not fight with them. For the leaders of the Philistines, taking counsel, sent him back, saying, “To the peril of our own heads, he will return to his lord, Saul.”

20 When David went to Ziklag, these were the men from the tribe of Manasseh who went with him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, [another man whose name was] Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. Each of them had been a commander of 1,000 men [in Saul’s army].

And so, when he returned to Ziklag, some fled over to him from Manasseh: Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Adnah, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders of thousands in Manasseh.

21 They were all brave soldiers, and they helped David to fight against the groups of men who roamed throughout the country, robbing people. So those men became commanders in David’s army.

These offered assistance to David against the robbers. For all were very strong men, and they became leaders in the army.

22 Every day more men joined David’s men, and his army became large, like [SIM] the army of God (OR, a very huge army).

Then, too, some came to David throughout each day, in order to help him, until they became a great number, like the army of God.

23 These are the numbers of soldiers who were ready for battle who joined David at Hebron [city]. They came to help him to become the king of Israel to replace Saul, as Yahweh had promised would happen.

Now this is the number of the leaders of the army who went to David when he was at Hebron, so that they might transfer the kingdom of Saul to him, in accord with the word of the Lord:

24 There were 6,800 men from Judah, who carried shields and spears.

the sons of Judah, carrying shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred, equipped for battle;

25 There were 7,100 men from the tribe of Simeon. They were all strong warriors trained to fight battles.

from the sons of Simeon, very strong men for the fight, seven thousand one hundred;

26 There were 4,600 men from the tribe of Levi.

from the sons of Levi, four thousand six hundred;

27 Jehoiada, who was a leader descended from Aaron, was in that group of descendants of Levi, and there were 3,700 men with him.

as well as Jehoiada, a leader from the stock of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred;

28 Zadok, a strong young soldier, was also in that group, and there were 22 other leaders from his clan who came with him.

and then Zadok, a youth of distinguished qualities, and the house of his father, twenty-two leaders;

29 There were 3,000 men from the tribe of Benjamin who were Saul’s relatives. Most of them had previously wanted one of Saul’s descendants to be the king.

and from the sons of Benjamin, brothers of Saul, three thousand, for still a great part of them were following the house of Saul.

30 There were 20,800 men from the tribe of Ephraim who were all brave warriors and trained for fighting battles and famous in their own clans.

Then from the sons of Ephraim, there were twenty thousand eight hundred, very strong and robust men, renowned among their kindred.

31 There were 18,000 men from the half of the tribe of Manasseh [that lived west of the Jordan River]. They were all chosen to go and help David become the king.

And out of the one half tribe of Manasseh, eighteen thousand, each by their names, went forth so that they might appoint David as king.

32 There were 200 men who were leaders from the tribe of Issachar, along with their relatives. Those leaders always knew what the Israelis should do, and they knew the right time to do it.

Also, from the sons of Issachar, there were learned men, who knew each of the times, in order to anticipate what Israel ought to do, two hundred leaders. And all the remainder of the tribe were following their counsel.

33 There were 55,000 men from the tribe of Zebulun. They were all experienced warriors and knew how to use all kinds of weapons well. They were completely loyal to David.

Then, from Zebulun, there were those who went forth to battle, and who were standing in a battle line, prepared with the weapons of warfare; these fifty thousand arrived to assist, without duplicity of heart.

34 There were 1,000 officers from the tribe of Naphtali. With them were 37,000 soldiers, each carrying shields and spears.

And from Naphtali, there were one thousand leaders; and with them were thirty-seven thousand, prepared with shield and spear.

35 There were 28,600 soldiers from the tribe of Dan, all trained to fight battles.

And then from Dan, there were twenty-eight thousand six hundred, ready for battle.

36 There were 47,000 experienced soldiers from the tribe of Asher, all trained to fight battles.

And from Asher, there were forty thousand, going forth to fight, and summoned to the battle line.

37 There were also 120,000 soldiers from the area east of the Jordan [River who joined David]. They were from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the eastern half of the tribe of Manasseh. They had all kinds of weapons.

Then, across the Jordan, there were, from the sons of Reuben, and from Gad, and from the one half tribe of Manasseh, one hundred twenty thousand, prepared with the weapons of warfare.

38 All those men were soldiers who volunteered to be in David’s army. They came to Hebron wanting very much to enable David to be the king of all of the Israeli people.

All these men of war, equipped for the fight, went with a perfect heart to Hebron, so that they might appoint David as king over all of Israel. Then, too, all the remainder of Israel were of one heart, so that they might make David king.

39 The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, because their families had given them food to take with them.

And they were in that place with David for three days, eating and drinking. For their brothers had made preparations for them.

40 Also, their fellow Israelis came from as far away as the area where the tribes of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali lived, bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. They brought a lot of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, [olive] oil, cattle and sheep. And throughout Israel, the people were very joyful.

Moreover, those who were near to them, even as far as Issachar, and Zebulun, and Naphtali, were bringing, on donkeys and camels and mules and oxen, bread for their provisions, with grain, dried figs, dried grapes, wine, oil, and oxen and sheep, with all abundance. For indeed, there was joy in Israel.