Chapter 12

David’s Supporters in Ziklag

1 aNow 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.

2 They 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 kinsmen from Benjamin.

3 The 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,

4 and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty. 1Then Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,

5 1Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite,

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

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

8 From the Gadites there 1came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and athey were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains.

9 Ezer was the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

13 Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.

14 These of the sons of Gad were 1captains of the army; ahe who was least was equal to a hundred and the greatest to a thousand.

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

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

17 David went out to meet them, 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 1wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and decide.”

18 Then athe Spirit 1came upon 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 2captains of the band.

19 aFrom 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 consultation sent him away, saying, “At the cost of our heads he may defect to his master Saul.”

20 As he went to Ziklag there defected to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, 1captains of thousands who belonged to Manasseh.

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

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

Supporters Gathered at Hebron

23 Now these are the numbers of the 1divisions equipped for war, awho came to David at Hebron, bto turn the kingdom of Saul to him, caccording to the 2word of the Lord.

24 The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800, equipped for war.

25 Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100.

26 Of the sons of Levi 4,600.

27 Now Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were 3,700,

28 also aZadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father’s house twenty-two captains.

29 Of the sons of Benjamin, aSaul’s kinsmen, 3,000; for until now bthe greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.

30 Of the sons of Ephraim 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ households.

31 Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king.

32 Of the sons of Issachar, amen who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.

33 Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who went out in the army, who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David 1with aan undivided heart.

34 Of Naphtali there were 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 with shield and spear.

35 Of the Danites who could draw up in battle formation, there were 28,600.

36 Of Asher there were 40,000 who went out in the army to draw up in battle formation.

37 From the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.

38 All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with aa perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king.

39 They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them.

40 Moreover those who were near to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, abrought food on donkeys, camels, mules and on oxen, great quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen and sheep. There was joy indeed in Israel.