1 Chronicles 12

1 These were the men who came to David to Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish. They were among the soldiers, his helpers in battle.

Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still shut up, because of Saul, the son of Kish; they were among the strong men, his helpers in war.

2 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 Benjamites, Saul's fellow tribesmen.

They were armed with bows, and were able to send stones, and arrows from the bow, with right hand or left: they were Saul's brothers, of Benjamin.

3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, both sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite. There were Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth. There were also Berakah, Jehu the Anathothite,

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

4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a soldier among the thirty (and in command of the thirty); Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,

And Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a great man among the thirty, and their chief; and Jeremiah and Jehaziel and Johanan and Jozabad the Gederathite;

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

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

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

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

7 Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

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

8 Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were fighting men, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear; whose faces were as fierce as the faces of lions. They were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.

And some of the Gadites, siding with David, went to his strong place in the waste land, great and strong men, trained for war, expert in the use of arms, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were quick-footed like roes on the mountains;

9 There were Ezer the leader, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

Ezer their 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, Makbannai the eleventh.

Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.

14 These sons of Gad were leaders of the army. The least led a hundred, and the greatest led a thousand.

These Gadites were captains of the army; the least of them was captain over a hundred men, and the greatest over a thousand.

15 They crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it overflowed its banks, and chased away all those living in the valleys, both toward the east and toward the west.

It was they who went over Jordan in the first month, when the river was overflowing, and put to flight all the people of the valleys, to the east and to the west.

16 Some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.

And some of the children of Benjamin and Judah came to David in his strong place.

17 David went out to meet them and addressed them: “If you have come in peace to me to help me, you may join me. But if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, may the God of our ancestors see and rebuke you, since I have done no wrong.”

And David went out to them, and said to them, If you have come in peace to give me help, my heart will be united with yours; but if you have come to give me up to those who would take my life, though my hands are clean from wrongdoing, then may the God of our fathers see it and give you punishment.

18 Then the Spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the thirty. Amasai said, “We are yours, David. We are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace, may peace be to whoever helps you. May peace be to your helpers, for your God is helping you.” Then David received them and made them commanders over his men.

Then the spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, We are yours, David, we are on your side, O son of Jesse: may peace be with you and peace be with your helpers; for God is your helper. Then David took them into his army and made them captains of the band.

19 Some from Manasseh also deserted to David when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle. Yet they did not help the Philistines, because the Philistine lords consulted with each other and sent David away. They said, “He will desert to his master Saul at the risk of our lives.”

And some of the men of Manasseh came over to David, when he went with the Philistines to the war against Saul, but he gave them no help: for the lords of the Philistines, after discussion, sent him away, saying, He will go back to his master Saul, at the price of our lives.

20 When he went to Ziklag, the men of Manasseh who joined him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains over thousands of Manasseh.

Then when he went back to Ziklag, there came over to him, of the men of Manasseh, Adnah and Jozabad and Jediael and Michael and Jozabad and Elihu and Zillethai, captains of thousands from the armies of Manasseh.

21 They helped David fight against the roving bands, for they were fighting men. Later they became commanders in the army.

And they gave David help against the armed bands, for they were all great men of war, and captains in the army.

22 Day after day, men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like the army of God.

And from day to day more supporters came to David, till he had a great army like the army of God.

23 This is the record of the armed soldiers for war, who came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, which carried out Yahweh's word.

These are the numbers of the chiefs of the armed men, ready for war, who came to David at Hebron, to give the kingdom of Saul into his hands, as the Lord had said.

24 From Judah those who carried shield and spear were 6,800, armed for war.

There were six thousand, eight hundred spearmen of the children of Judah, armed for war;

25 From the Simeonites there were 7,100 fighting men.

Seven thousand, one hundred of the children of Simeon, great men of war;

26 From the Levites there were 4,600 fighting men.

Of the children of Levi, four thousand, six hundred.

27 Jehoiada was the leader of Aaron's descendants, and with him were 3,700.

And Jehoiada, chief of the family of Aaron, and with him three thousand, seven hundred men;

28 With Zadok, a young, strong, and courageous man, were twenty-two leaders from his father's family.

And Zadok, a young man, great and strong in war, with twenty-two captains from his father's people.

29 From Benjamin, Saul's tribe, were three thousand. Most of them had remained loyal to Saul until this time.

And of the children of Benjamin, the brothers of Saul, three thousand; for up to that time the greater part of them had been true to Saul.

30 From the Ephraimites there were 20,800 fighting men, men who were famous in their fathers' houses.

And of the children of Ephraim, twenty thousand, eight hundred great men of war, men of great name in their families.

31 From the half tribe of Manasseh there were eighteen thousand famous men who came to make David king.

And from the half-tribe of Manasseh, eighteen thousand, listed by name, came to make David king.

32 From Issachar, there were two hundred leaders who had understanding of the times and knew what Israel ought to do. All their relatives were under their command.

And of the children of Issachar, there were two hundred chiefs, men who had expert knowledge of the times and what it was best for Israel to do, and all their brothers were under their orders.

33 From Zebulun there were fifty thousand fighting men, prepared for battle, with all the weapons of war, and ready to give undivided loyalty.

Of Zebulun, there were fifty thousand men, who went out with the army, expert in ordering the fight, to give help with all sorts of arms; true-hearted men.

34 From Naphtali there were one thousand officers, and with them thirty-seven thousand men with shields and spears.

And of Naphtali, a thousand captains with thirty-seven thousand spearmen.

35 From the Danites there were 28,600 men prepared for battle.

And of the Danites, twenty-eight thousand, six hundred, expert in ordering the fight.

36 From Asher there were forty thousand men prepared for battle.

And of Asher, forty thousand who went out with the army, expert in ordering the fight.

37 From the other side of the Jordan, from the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 men armed with all kinds of weapons for battle.

From the other side of Jordan, there were a hundred and twenty thousand of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the men of the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every sort of instrument of war.

38 All these soldiers, equipped for battle, came to Hebron with firm intentions to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of Israel were in agreement to make David king also.

All these men of war, expert in ordering the fight, came to Hebron with the full purpose of making David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were united in their desire to make David king.

39 They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their relatives had sent them with provisions.

For three days they were there with David, feasting at his table, for their brothers had made ready food for them.

40 In addition, those who were near to them, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen, and cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep, for Israel was celebrating.

And those who were near, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came with food on asses and camels and mules and oxen, with meal for food and cakes of figs and masses of grapes, and wine and oil and oxen and sheep in great numbers, for there was joy in Israel.