1 Chronicles 12–14

12Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war. ²They 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 of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin. ³The chief was Ahiezer; then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah, and Jehu the Anathothite, ⁴and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty, and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite, ⁵Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite, ⁶Elkanah, and Isshiah, and Azarel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites, ⁷and Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

⁸And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David to the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, that could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains; ⁹Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, ¹⁰Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, ¹¹Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, ¹²Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, ¹³Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. ¹⁴These of the sons of Gad were captains of the host: he that was least was equal to a hundred, and the greatest to a thousand. ¹⁵These are they that went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.

¹⁶And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the stronghold unto David. ¹⁷And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you; but if ye be come to betray me to mine adversaries, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it. ¹⁸Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

¹⁹Of Manasseh also there fell away some to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they helped them not; for the lords of the Philistines upon advisement sent him away, saying, He will fall away to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads. ²⁰As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands that were of Manasseh. ²¹And they helped David against the band of rovers: for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the host. ²²For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great host, like the host of God.

²³And these are the numbers of the heads of them that were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of Jehovah. ²⁴The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, armed for war. ²⁵Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the war, seven thousand and one hundred. ²⁶Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred. ²⁷And Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron; and with him were three thousand and seven hundred, ²⁸and Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father’s house twenty and two captains. ²⁹And of the children of Benjamin, the brethren of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses. ³¹And of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were mentioned by name, to come and make David king. ³²And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. ³³Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, with all manner of instruments of war, fifty thousand, and that could order the battle array, and were not of double heart. ³⁴And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty and seven thousand. ³⁵And of the Danites that could set the battle in array, twenty and eight thousand and six hundred. ³⁶And of Asher, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, forty thousand. ³⁷And on the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, a hundred and twenty thousand.

³⁸All these being men of war, that could order the battle array, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king. ³⁹And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brethren had made preparation for them. ⁴⁰Moreover they that were nigh unto them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, victuals of meal, cakes of figs, and clusters of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep in abundance: for there was joy in Israel.

13And David consulted with the captains of thousands and of hundreds, even with every leader. ²And David said unto all the assembly of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and if it be of Jehovah our God, let us send abroad every where unto our brethren that are left in all the land of Israel, with whom the priests and Levites are in their cities that have suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us; ³and let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we sought not unto it in the days of Saul. ⁴And all the assembly said that they would do so; for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. ⁵So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor the brook of Egypt even unto the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. ⁶And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God Jehovah that sitteth above the cherubim, that is called by the Name. ⁷And they carried the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. ⁸And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, even with songs, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

⁹And when they came unto the threshing-floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put forth his hand to the ark; and there he died before God. ¹¹And David was displeased, because Jehovah had broken forth upon Uzza; and he called that place Perez-uzza, unto this day. ¹²And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me? ¹³So David removed not the ark unto him into the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹⁴And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months: and Jehovah blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had.

14And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and masons, and carpenters, to build him a house. ²And David perceived that Jehovah had established him king over Israel; for his kingdom was exalted on high, for his people Israel’s sake.

³And David took more wives at Jerusalem; and David begat more sons and daughters. ⁴And these are the names of the children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, ⁵and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpelet, ⁶and Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia, ⁷and Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

⁸And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David: and David heard of it, and went out against them. ⁹Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁰And David inquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And Jehovah said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thy hand. ¹¹So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and David said, God hath broken mine enemies by my hand, like the breach of waters. Therefore they called the name of that place Baal-perazim. ¹²And they left their gods there; and David gave commandment, and they were burned with fire.

¹³And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. ¹⁴And David inquired again of God; and God said unto him, Thou shalt not go up after them: turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees. ¹⁵And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle; for God is gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines. ¹⁶And David did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer. ¹⁷And the fame of David went out into all lands; and Jehovah brought the fear of him upon all nations.