1 Chronicles 12:1–22

David’s Mighty Men

^1aNow these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.

²They were equipped with bows, ^ausing both the right hand and the left to sling stones and to shoot arrows from the bow; ^bthey were Saul’s relatives from 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. ¹Then Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,

⁵¹Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite,

⁶Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, the Korahites,

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

⁸From the Gadites, mighty men of valor separated themselves to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, men of war who had gone out for military duty, who could ¹handle large shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and ^athey were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains.

⁹Ezer was the first, 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 chiefs of the army; ^ahe who was least was equal to one hundred and the greatest to one thousand.

^15aThese are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks and they made all those in the valleys flee, both to the east and to the west.

¹⁶Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.

¹⁷David went out before them, and he answered and said to them, “If you come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no violence in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and reprove.”

¹⁸And ^athe Spirit clothed ^bAmasai, who was the chief of the thirty, and he said,

“We are yours, O David,

And with you, O son of Jesse!

^cPeace, peace to you,

And peace to him who helps you;

Indeed, your God helps you!”

Then David received them and made them chiefs of the band.

^19aNow from Manasseh also some defected to David when he was about to go to battle with the Philistines against Saul. But they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines after counsel sent him away, saying, “At the cost of our heads he may defect to his master Saul.”

²⁰As he went to Ziklag there defected to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands who belonged to Manasseh.

²¹They helped David against ^athe marauding band, for they were all mighty men of valor, and were commanders in the army.

²²For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great camp ^alike the camp of God.