First Book of Chronicles 12

¹ These are the men who rallied to David at Ziklag when he was still kept from the presence of Saul son of Kish; they were champions, a standby in battle,

² who could handle the bow with right hand or with left, who could use stones or arrows. Of the kinsmen of Saul the Benjaminite:

³ Ahiezer the leader, and Joash, sons of Hasshemar from Gibeah, Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth, Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth,

⁴ Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a champion among the Thirty, and over the Thirty;

⁵ Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan and Jozabad from Gederoth

⁶ Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah from Hariph,

⁷ Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, Korahites,

⁸ Joelah, Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

⁹ Some Gadites seceded to David in the stronghold in the wilderness. They were stout fighting men and trained, well used to shield and spear. Lions they were in aspect, and, for speed, gazelles on the mountains.

¹⁰ Ezer was the leader, Obadiah second, Eliab third,

¹¹ Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,

¹² Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,

¹³ Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth,

¹⁴ Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh.

¹⁵ These sons of Gad were troop commanders, each one in command, the lesser of a hundred, the greater of a thousand.

¹⁶ These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it overflows its course, and put to flight all who lived on its banks, both east and west.

¹⁷ Certain Benjaminites, too, and Judaeans came to David in the stronghold.

¹⁸ David went forward to them and addressed them. ‘If you come to me as friends’ he said ‘to give me help, then I am ready to join with you. But if it is to betray me to my enemies, when I have done no wrong, then may the God of our ancestors take note and give judgement.’

¹⁹ Then the spirit took possession of Amasai, leader of the Thirty: ‘Go forth, David! Peace be with you, son of Jesse! Peace to you, peace to him that helps you, for your help is your God.’ David accepted them and added them to his other company commanders.

²⁰ Certain Manassites deserted to David as he was setting out with the Philistines to fight Saul. But he gave them no help because the Philistine chiefs, after consultation, dismissed him. ‘If he deserted to his master Saul’ they said ‘it would cost us our heads.’

²¹ He was on his way to Ziklag when these Manassites deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, Zillethai, commanders of thousands in Manasseh.

²² This was a reinforcement for David and his troops, since they were all valiant champions and became officers in the army.

²³ Indeed reinforcements reached David every day, so that his camp grew into a camp of prodigious size.

²⁴ These are the figures from the roll of warriors equipped for battle who joined David at Hebron to transfer Saul’s kingship to him in accordance with the order of Yahweh:

²⁵ Sons of Judah carrying shield and spear: six thousand eight hundred warriors equipped for battle;

²⁶ of the sons of Simeon; seven thousand one hundred champions valiant in war;

²⁷ of the sons of Levi: four thousand six hundred,

²⁸ in addition to Jehoiada, in command of the Aaronites, with three thousand seven hundred of these,

²⁹ Zadok, a young and valiant champion, and twenty-two commanders of his family;

³⁰ of the sons of Benjamin: three thousand kinsmen of Saul, most of them hitherto in the service of the House of Saul;

³¹ of the sons of Ephraim: twenty thousand eight hundred valiant champions, men famous in their families;

³² of the half-tribe of Manasseh: eighteen thousand men assigned by name to go and proclaim David king;

³³ of the sons of Issachar, sound judges of the times when Israel should take action, and the way to do it: two hundred chiefs and all their kinsmen under their command;

³⁴ of Zebulun: fifty thousand men fit for service, marshalled for battle, with warlike weapons of every kind, staunch-hearted auxiliaries;

³⁵ of Naphtali: a thousand commanders, and with them thirty-seven thousand men armed with shield and spear;

³⁶ of the Danites: twenty-eight thousand six hundred men marshalled for battle;

³⁷ of Asher: forty thousand men fit for service, marshalled for battle;

³⁸ from Transjordania: a hundred and twenty thousand men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, with warlike weapons of every kind.

³⁹ All these fighting men, marshalled reinforcements, came to Hebron with the purpose and determination to proclaim David king over all Israel; and the rest of Israel, too, were all of one mind in making David king.

⁴⁰ For three days they stayed there, eating and drinking with David. Their kinsmen had made preparations for them;

⁴¹ furthermore, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali their neighbours brought provisions, by donkey and camel, mule and ox – flour cakes, fig cakes, bunches of raisins, wine, oil, quantities of oxen and sheep; for there was joy in Israel.