Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
1 Chronicles 12
These are people who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still kept back because of Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who helped in battle:
armed with bows, able to use the right hand and the left with stones and arrows from the bow. They were from Saul’s kindred, from Benjamin:
Ahiezer was the chief, and Joash, sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah and Jehu the Anathothite;
and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a warrior among the Thirty and over the Thirty;
Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite;
Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite;
Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;
and Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
From the Gadites, some separated themselves to David at the wilderness stronghold: mighty warriors, men of war, equipped with shield and spear; their faces were like the faces of lions, and they were swift as gazelles on the mountains.
Ezer was the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third,
Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,
Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,
Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth,
Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh.
These were from the Gadites, heads of the army. The least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand.
These were the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it overflowed all its banks, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
Some of the Benjaminites and Judeans came to David at the stronghold.
David went out to meet them and answered them: “If you have come to me in peace, to help me, my heart will be united with you. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies, though there is no violence in my hands, may the God of our ancestors see it and rebuke you.”
Then the spirit clothed Amasai, chief of the Thirty:
To you, David,
and with you, son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
and peace to people who help you,
for your God helps you.
So David received them and made them leaders of the raiding bands.
Some from Manasseh joined David when he went with the Philistines against Saul for battle, though they did not help them. For the rulers of the Philistines, after taking counsel, sent him away, saying, “At the cost of our heads he will fall away to his lord Saul.”
When he went to Ziklag, these from Manasseh joined him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, commanders of thousands from Manasseh.
They helped David against the raiding band, for all of them were mighty warriors, and they became commanders in the army.
For day after day people came to David to help him, until there was a great camp, like the camp of God.
These are the numbers of the heads of the armed warriors who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, according to the word of the LORD:
From the people of Judah, carrying shield and spear: six thousand eight hundred armed for war.
From the people of Simeon, mighty warriors for war: seven thousand one hundred.
From the Levites: four thousand six hundred.
Jehoiada was leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three thousand seven hundred.
Zadok was a young and mighty warrior, and from his ancestral house came twenty-two commanders.
From the Benjaminites, Saul’s kindred: three thousand. Until then, most of them had been keeping watch over Saul’s house.
From the Ephraimites: twenty thousand eight hundred mighty warriors, men of renown in their ancestral houses.
From half the tribe of Manasseh: eighteen thousand, designated by name to come and make David king.
From the Issacharites, people who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: two hundred chiefs, with all their kindred under their command.
From Zebulun, people who went out for military service, arraying themselves for battle with every kind of weapon of war: fifty thousand, ready to give support without a divided heart.
From Naphtali: one thousand commanders, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear.
From the Danites, arrayed for battle: twenty-eight thousand six hundred.
From Asher, people who went out for military service, to array themselves for battle: forty thousand.
From beyond the Jordan, from the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, equipped with every weapon of war: one hundred twenty thousand.
All these men of war, arrayed in battle formation, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of Israel also had one heart to make David king.
They were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their kindred had prepared provisions for them.
Also those near them, as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and cattle: flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep in abundance. For there was joy in Israel.