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 they who came unto David, to Ziklag, he yet being shut up, because of Saul son of Kish, —and, they, were among the heroes, helpers in the 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.

armed with the bow, using right hand or left with stones, and with arrows in the bow, —of the brethren of Saul, out 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,

the chief, Ahiezer, and Joash, sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, and Jeziel and Pelet, 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 hero among the thirty, and over the thirty, —and Jeremiah and Jahaziel, 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, 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, of the Gadites, there separated themselves unto David, to the stronghold towards the desert, heroes of valour, men of war, for battle, men that could handle shield and spear, —and, faces of lions, were their faces, and, like gazelles upon the mountains, were they, for swiftness:

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

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

10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

Mashmannah, 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, were of the sons of Gad, chiefs of the host, —one to a hundred, the least, and, the greatest, to 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.

These, are they who passed over the Jordan, in the first month, when, it, was full, over all its banks, —and they put to flight all them of the vales, to the east and to the west.

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

And there came, of the sons of Benjamin, and Judah, as far as the stronghold, unto David.

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 forth to meet them, and responded, and said to them, If, peaceably, ye are come unto me, to help me, I shall have towards you, a heart for unity, —but, if to betray me to mine adversaries, there being no violence in my hands, may the God of our fathers see and rebuke!

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, clothed Amasai, chief of the thirty, Thine, O David, Yea, with, thee, O son of Jesse! Prosperity, prosperity to thee, And prosperity to thy helpers, For thy God, hath helped thee: So David accepted them, and set them among the chiefs 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, of Manasseh, there fell away unto David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle, but they helped them not, —for the lords of the Philistines advisedly sent him away, saying, At the price of our heads, he might fall away to his master, Saul.

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.

When he went into Ziklag, there fell away unto him, of Manasseh, Adnah and Jozabad, and Jediael and Michael and Jozabad, and Elihu and Zillethai, —chiefs of the thousands that pertained to Manasseh;

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

and, they, helped with David, against the [marauding] band, for, heroes of valour, were they all, —and they became captains in the host;

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

for, from day to day, there came unto David, to help him, —until it was a great camp, like a camp 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.

And, these, are the numbers of the chiefs armed for war, they came unto David, to Hebron, —to turn round the kingdom of Saul unto him, according to the bidding of Yahweh:

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

Sons of Judah, bearers of shield and spear, six thousand and eight hundred, armed for war.

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

Of sons of Simeon, heroes of valour for the war, seven thousand, and one hundred.

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

Of the sons of Levi, four thousand, and six hundred.

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

And Jehoiada, was chief ruler for Aaron, —and, with him, three thousand and seven hundred;

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

and Zadok, a young man, a hero of valour, —and the house of his father, captains twenty and two.

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

And, of the sons of Benjamin, brethren of Saul, three thousand, —and, hitherto, the greater part of them, had been keeping the charge of the house of Saul.

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

And, of the sons of Ephraim, twenty thousand, and eight hundred, —heroes of valour, men of renown, to their ancestral house.

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

And, of the half tribe of Manasseh, eighteen thousand, who were distinguished by name, coming in 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 sons of Issachar, such as were of good understanding of the times, to know what Israel, should do, their chiefs, were two hundred, and, all their brethren, were at their bidding.

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—such as were ready to go forth in host, expert for battle with all weapons of war, fifty thousand, —and for setting in array, not of two minds!

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, —and, with them, with shield and spear, thirty-seven thousand.

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

And, of the Danite, expert for war, twenty-eight thousand, and six hundred.

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

And, of Asher, such as were ready to go forth in host to set in array for battle, forty thousand.

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.

And, from over the Jordan, of the Reubenites and Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of weapons of war for battle, a hundred and twenty thousand.

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, being men of war, expert in setting in battle-array, with a perfect heart, came to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel, —moreover also, all the rest of Israel, were of one heart to make David king.

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

So they were there, with David, three days, eating and drinking, —for their brethren had made preparation 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.

Moreover also, they who were near of kin unto them, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing bread, on asses and on camels and on mules and on oxen, meal-food, cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep—in abundance, —for there was joy Israel.