¹Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war. ²They were bowmen, and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul’s kinsmen. ³The chief was Ahi-ezer, then Joash, both sons of Shemaah of Gibe-ah; also Jezi-el and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu of Anathoth, ⁴Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah, ⁵Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite; ⁶Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Jo-ezer, and Jashobe-am, the Korahites; ⁷and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

⁸From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains: ⁹Ezer the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third, ¹⁰Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, ¹¹Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, ¹²Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, ¹³Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh. ¹⁴These Gadites were officers of the army, the lesser over a hundred and the greater over a thousand. ¹⁵These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

¹⁶And some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. ¹⁷David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in friendship to help me, my heart will be knit to you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no wrong in my hands, then may the God of our fathers see and rebuke you.” ¹⁸Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the thirty, and he said,

“We are yours, O David;

and with you, O son of Jesse!

Peace, peace to you,

and peace to your helpers!

For your God helps you.”

Then David received them, and made them officers of his troops.

¹⁹Some of the men of Manasseh deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. (Yet he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines took counsel and sent him away, saying, “At peril to our heads he will desert to his master Saul.”) ²⁰As he went to Ziklag these men of Manasseh deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jedia-el, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. ²¹They helped David against the band of raiders; for they were all mighty men of valor, and were commanders in the army. ²²For from day to day men kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.

²³These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops, who came to David in Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord. ²⁴The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were six thousand eight hundred armed troops. ²⁵Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, seven thousand one hundred. ²⁶Of the Levites four thousand six hundred. ²⁷The prince Jehoiada, of the house of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred. ²⁸Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own father’s house. ²⁹Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, three thousand, of whom the majority had hitherto kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰Of the Ephraimites twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses. ³¹Of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were expressly named to come and make David king. ³²Of Issachar men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. ³³Of Zebulun fifty thousand seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose. ³⁴Of Naphtali a thousand commanders with whom were thirty-seven thousand men armed with shield and spear. ³⁵Of the Danites twenty-eight thousand six hundred men equipped for battle. ³⁶Of Asher forty thousand seasoned troops ready for battle. ³⁷Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand men armed with all the weapons of war.

³⁸All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David king over all Israel; likewise all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king. ³⁹And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had made preparation for them. ⁴⁰And also their neighbors, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on asses and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of meal, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

Chapter 13

¹David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. ²And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brethren who remain in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasture lands, that they may come together to us. ³Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us; for we neglected it in the days of Saul.” ⁴All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. ⁶And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord who sits enthroned above the cherubim. ⁷And they carried the ark of God upon a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart. ⁸And David and all Israel were making merry before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.

⁹And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and he smote him because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. ¹¹And David was angry because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place is called Perez-uzza to this day. ¹²And David was afraid of God that day; and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” ¹³So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹⁴And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months; and the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had.

Chapter 14

¹And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also masons and carpenters to build a house for him. ²And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

³And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David begot more sons and daughters. ⁴These are the names of the children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵Ibhar, Elishu-a, Elpelet, ⁶Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

⁸When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of 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, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.” ¹¹And he went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there; and David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. ¹²And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned.

¹³And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley. ¹⁴And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; go around and come upon them opposite the balsam trees. ¹⁵And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to smite the army of the Philistines.” ¹⁶And David did as God commanded him, and they smote the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer. ¹⁷And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations.

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