1 Chronicles Chapter 12
Warriors Join David
1 These are men that came over to David at Ziklag, while he still couldn’t move around freely because of Saul. They were among the elite soldiers that helped him during war. 2 They used bows. With either hand they could sling stones and shoot arrows. They were Saul’s relatives from Benjamin. 3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah and Jehu the Anathothite; 4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite,
an elite soldier among the 30 and a leader over them. Then came Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite, 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, the Korahites; 7 Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jerobam of Gedor.
8 From Gad, brave soldiers came over to David in the stronghold in the open country. They were men trained in war, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like lions’ faces. They were as fast as gazelles on the mountains. 9 Numbered 1-11, they were Ezer, Obadiah, Eliab, 10 Mishmannah, Jeremiah, 11 Attai, Eliel, 12 Johanan, Elzabad, 13 Jeremiah, and Machbannai. 14 They were commanders in the army. The least was worth 100; the best was worth 1,000. 15 They crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was flooding and put to flight everybody in the valleys to the east and the west. 1 Ch 12:1-15
16 Then some men from Benjamin and Judah came to David’s stronghold. 17 He went out to meet them,
“If you come peacefully to help me, my heart will be with yours. But if you’ve come to betray me to my adversaries, since I haven’t done anything wrong, may the God of our ancestors look at it and decide.”
18 The Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the 30,
“We’re yours, David;
we’re with you, Ben-Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
and peace to the One that helps you.
Indeed, your God helps you!”
David accepted them and made them captains of the band. 1 Ch 12:16-18
19 From Manasseh also some came over to David when he was going with the Philistines to fight Saul. (But he didn’t end up helping them, because the lords of the Philistines conferred and sent him away, “He might desert to his Saul and turn on us.”) 20 As he was going to Ziklag, these came over to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, commanders of thousands in Manasseh. 21 They helped him against the bands of raiders, because they were fearless soldiers and commanders in the army. 22 Daily, men kept coming over to help David, till there was a large army like God’s army.
23 These are the divisions of armed troops that came to David in Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him like Yahveh said:
24 from Judah: 6,800 armed troops that carried shield and spear;
25 from Simeon: 7,100 fearless soldiers;
26 from Levi: 4,600;
27 from Jehoiada, leader of Aaron’s house: 3,700;
28 and Zadok, a fearless young soldier, of his family: 22 captains;
29 from Benjamin: 3,000 of Saul’s relatives, the greater part previously allied with Saul’s house.
30 from Ephraim: 20,800 fearless soldiers, famous in their families;
31 from the Manasseh half-tribe: 18,000 men picked by name to make David king;
32 from Issachar: 200 chiefs that understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do; with their relatives at their command;
33 from Zebulun: 50,000 seasoned troops, ready for battle and equipped with all kinds of weapons; who helped David wholeheartedly.
34 from Naphtali: 1,000 captains and 37,000 that carried shield and spear;
35 from Dan: 28,600 equipped for battle;
36 from Asher: 40,000 seasoned troops ready for battle;
37 from beyond the Jordan—Reuben, Gad, and the Manasseh half-tribe: 120,000 armed with all kinds of weapons. 1 Ch 12:19-37
38 These battle-ready men came to Hebron fully intending to make David king over all Israel. The rest in Israel were also intent on making him king. 39 They were there with him three days, eating and drinking, because their relatives had made preparations for them. 40 People nearby and as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—great amounts of cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep. There was happiness in Israel. 1 Ch 12:38-40