1 Chronicles 12:1–22

David’s Early Followers from the Tribe of Benjamin

12David was living in Ziklag, where he had gone to escape from King Saul. There he was joined by many experienced, reliable soldiers, ²members of the tribe of Benjamin, to which Saul belonged. They could shoot arrows and sling stones either right-handed or left-handed. ³They were under the command of Ahiezer and Joash, sons of Shemaah, from Gibeah.

These were the soldiers:

Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth;

Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth;

⁴Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a famous soldier and one of the leaders of “The Thirty”;

Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johannan, and Jozabad, from Gederah;

⁵Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah, from Hariph;

⁶Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, of the clan of Korah;

⁷Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham, from Gedor.

David’s Followers from the Tribe of Gad

⁸These are the names of the famous, experienced soldiers from the tribe of Gad who joined David’s troops when he was at the desert fort. They were experts with shields and spears, as fierce-looking as lions and as quick as mountain deer. ^9–13They were ranked in the following order: Ezer, Obadiah, Eliab, Mishmannah, Jeremiah, Attai, Eliel, Johanan, Elzabad, Jeremiah, and Machbannai.

¹⁴Some of these men from the tribe of Gad were senior officers in command of a thousand men, and others were junior officers in command of a hundred. ¹⁵In the first month of one year, the time when the River Jordan overflowed its banks, they crossed the river, scattering the people who lived in the valleys both east and west of the river.

Followers from Benjamin and Judah

¹⁶Once a group of men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah went out to the fort where David was. ¹⁷David went to meet them and said, “If you are coming as friends to help me, you are welcome here. Join us! But if you intend to betray me to my enemies, even though I have not tried to hurt you, the God of our ancestors will know it and punish you.”

¹⁸God’s spirit took control of one of them, Amasai, who later became the commander of “The Thirty”, and he called out,

“David son of Jesse, we are yours!

Success to you and those who help you!

God is on your side.”

David welcomed them and made them officers in his army.

Followers from Manasseh

¹⁹Some soldiers from the tribe of Manasseh went over to David’s side when he was marching out with the Philistines to fight King Saul. Actually he did not help the Philistines, for their kings were afraid that he would betray them to his former master Saul, so they sent him back to Ziklag. ²⁰These are the soldiers from Manasseh who went over to David’s side when he was returning: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. In Manasseh they had all commanded units of a thousand men. ²¹They served David as officers over his troops,^m because they were all outstanding soldiers. Later they were officers in the Israelite army. ²²Almost every day new men joined David’s forces, so that his army was soon enormous.