1 Chronicles 12–14

12TH CHAPTER

The Men Who Helped David Become King

¹These are the men who came to David at Ziklag when he was banished by Saul, son of Kish. They were among the soldiers who went into battle with David. ²They were armed with bows and could sling stones or shoot arrows with either their right or their left hands. They were Saul’s relatives, ⸤from the tribe of⸥ Benjamin. ³Ahiezer was the leader, then Joash (they were the sons of Shemaah from Gibeah), Azmaveth’s sons Jeziel and Pelet, Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth, ⁴Ishmaiah from Gibeon (one of the thirty fighting men and one of their leaders),^aJeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah, ⁵Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph, ⁶Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam (Korah’s descendants), ⁷and Joelah and Zebadiah, Jeroham’s sons from Gedor. 

⁸Some men left Gad to join David at the fortified camp in the desert. They were warriors, trained soldiers, able to fight with shields and spears. They looked like lions and were as fast as gazelles on the hills. ⁹Ezer was the first of these soldiers. The second was Obadiah. The third was Eliab. ¹⁰The fourth was Mishmannah. The fifth was Jeremiah. ¹¹The sixth was Attai. The seventh was Eliel. ¹²The eighth was Johanan. The ninth was Elzabad. ¹³The tenth was Jeremiah. The eleventh was Machbannai. ¹⁴These descendants of Gad were army officers. The least able one was in command of 100 men, and the best one was in command of 1,000. ¹⁵In the first month of the year, these men crossed the Jordan River when it was flooding its banks. They chased away all the people in the valleys to the east and west. 

¹⁶Some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the fortified camp. ¹⁷David went to meet them. He told them, “If you’ve come to help me as friends would, then you may join me. But if you’ve come to betray me to my enemies, even though I haven’t committed a crime, may the God of our ancestors see this and judge you.” 

¹⁸Then the Spirit gave Amasai, the leader of the thirty, the strength ⸤to say⸥, 

“We are yours, David. 

We are with you, son of Jesse. 

Success, success to you! 

Success to those who help you, 

because your God is helping you.” 

So David welcomed them and made them officers over his troops. 

¹⁹Some men from Manasseh had deserted ⸤Saul’s army⸥ to join David when he went with the Philistines to attack Saul. (However, David didn’t help the Philistines because their rulers sent him away after considering the matter. They said, “It will cost us our heads when he deserts and joins his master Saul.”) ²⁰When David went to Ziklag, these men from Manasseh deserted to join him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. Each one was an officer over 1,000 men in Manasseh. ²¹They helped David fight raiding parties because they were all warriors, commanders in the army. ²²From day to day, men came to help David until he had an army as large as God’s army. 

²³These are the numbers of the men equipped for war. The men joined David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingship over to David, as the Lord had said. 

²⁴From Judah’s descendants there were 6,800 men equipped for war. They carried shields and spears. 

²⁵From Simeon’s descendants there were 7,100 warriors. 

²⁶From Levi’s descendants there were 4,600 ²⁷as well as Jehoiada (leader of Aaron’s families). With him there were 3,700 men, ²⁸and Zadok, a young warrior from whose family came 22 officers. 

²⁹From Benjamin’s descendants, Saul’s relatives, there were 3,000 men, though most of them remained loyal to Saul’s family. ³⁰From Ephraim’s descendants there were 20,800 warriors who were famous among their families. 

³¹From half of the tribe of Manasseh there were 18,000 who had been designated by name to make David king. 

³²From Issachar’s descendants there were 200 leaders who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. Their relatives were under their command. 

³³From Zebulun there were 50,000 experienced soldiers. They were equipped for battle with every kind of weapon. Their loyalty was unquestioned. 

³⁴From Naphtali there were 1,000 commanders. With them were 37,000 who fought with shields and spears. 

³⁵From Dan there were 28,600 ready for battle. 

³⁶From Asher there were 40,000 experienced soldiers ready for battle. 

³⁷From the east side of the Jordan River, from Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 soldiers ready to fight with all kinds of weapons. 

³⁸All of these soldiers, who were prepared for battle, came with a single purpose to Hebron—to make David king of all Israel. The rest of Israel also had agreed to make David king. ³⁹They ate and drank with David for three days because their relatives ⸤in Judah⸥ had provided enough for them. ⁴⁰Also, their neighbors as far as the territories of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. There was plenty of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, and sheep, because Israel was celebrating. 

13TH CHAPTER

David Has the Ark Brought to Obed Edom’s House—2 Samuel 6:1–11

¹David consulted with every officer who commanded a regiment or battalion. ²Then he told the whole assembly of Israel, “If you approve and if the Lord our God has consented,we will send ⸤an invitation⸥ to the rest of our relatives in every region of Israel and to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasturelands so that they may join us. ³Then we’ll bring back our God’s ark, which we ignored while Saul was king.” 

⁴The whole assembly agreed to this because the people considered it the right thing to do. ⁵So David gathered all Israel from the Shihor River near Egypt to the border of Hamath in order to bring God’s ark from Kiriath Jearim. 

⁶David and all Israel went to Baalah in Kiriath Jearim, which is in Judah, to bring God’s ark ⸤to Jerusalem⸥. (The Lord is enthroned over the angels^b⸤on the ark⸥ where his name is used.) ⁷David and his men put God’s ark on a new cart from Abinadab’s home. Uzzah and Ahio guided the cart. ⁸David and all Israel were celebrating in God’s presence with all their might, with songs, with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 

⁹But when they came to Chidon’s threshing floor,^cthe oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out to grab the ark. ¹⁰The Lord became angry with Uzzah and killed him for reaching for the ark. He died in God’s presence. 

¹¹David was angry because the Lord had struck Uzzah so violently. (That place is still called Perez Uzzah ^[The Striking of Uzzah^[ today.) ¹²David was afraid of God that day. “How can I bring God’s ark to my ⸤city⸥?” he asked. ¹³So he didn’t bring God’s ark to his ⸤home⸥, the City of David. Instead, he rerouted it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath. ¹⁴God’s ark stayed at the home of Obed Edom with his family for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed Edom’s family and everything he owned. 

14TH CHAPTER

David’s Palace, Wives, and Children in Jerusalem—2 Samuel 5:11–16

¹King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedarwood, masons, and carpenters to build a palace for David. ²So David realized that the Lord had established him as king of Israel and that his kingdom was made famous for the sake of Israel, the Lord’s people. 

³David married more wives in Jerusalem and fathered more sons and daughters. ⁴These are the names of the children who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet. 

David Defeats the Philistines—2 Samuel 5:17–25

⁸When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, all of them came to attack David. But David heard about it and went out to meet them. ⁹The Philistines had come and raided the valley of Rephaim. 

¹⁰David asked God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” 

The Lord answered him, “Attack! I will hand them over to you.” 

¹¹So David ⸤and his men⸥ attacked and defeated the Philistines at Baal Perazim. David said, “Using my power like an overwhelming flood, God has overwhelmed my enemies.” That is why they call that place Baal Perazim ^[The Lord Overwhelms^[. ¹²The Philistines left their gods there, so David ordered that the gods be burned. 

¹³The Philistines again raided the valley. ¹⁴Once more David asked God. 

God answered him, “Don’t go after them. Circle around, and come at them in front of the balsam trees. ¹⁵As you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out and fight because God has gone ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army.” 

¹⁶David did as God ordered him, and his men defeated the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. ¹⁷David’s fame spread through all lands, and the Lord made all the nations fear him.