The First Book of the Chronicles

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 12 -

And these [are] those coming to David at Ziklag, while shut up because of Saul son of Kish, and they [are] among the mighty ones, helping the battle,

armed with bow, right and left handed, with stones, and with arrows, with bows, of the brothers of Saul, of Benjamin.

The head [is] Ahiezer, and Joash, sons of Shemaab the Gibeathite, and Jeziel, and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth, and Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite,

and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty one among the thirty, and over the thirty, and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite.

Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite;

Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam the Korahites,

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

And of the Gadite there have been separated to David, to the fortress, to the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men of the host for battle, setting in array buckler and spear, and their faces [are as] the face of the lion, and as roes on the mountains for speed:

Ezer the head, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.

These [are] of the sons of Gad, heads of the host; the least [is] one of one hundred, and the greatest, of one thousand;

these [are] they who have passed over the Jordan in the first month—and it is full over all its banks—and cause all [those in] the valley to flee to the east and to the west.

And [some] from the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold,

and David goes out before them, and answers and says to them, “If you have come to me for peace, to help me, I have a heart to unite with you; and if to betray me to my adversaries—without violence in my hands—the God of our fathers sees and reproves.”

And the Spirit has clothed Amasai, head of the captains: “To you, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse—peace! Peace to you, and peace to your helper, for your God has helped you”; and David receives them, and puts them among the heads of the troop.

And [some] from Manasseh have defected to David in his coming with the Philistines against Israel to battle—and they did not help them, for by counsel the princes of the Philistines sent him away, saying, “He defects with our heads to his master Saul.”

In his going to Ziglag there have fallen to him from Manasseh: Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zillthai, heads of the thousands who [are] of Manasseh;

and they have helped with David over the troop, for all of them [are] mighty men of valor, and they are captains in the host,

for at that time, day by day, they come to David to help him, until it is a great camp, like a camp of God.

David’s Army Grows at Hebron

And these [are] the numbers of the head, of the armed men of the host; they have come to David at Hebron to turn around the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the mouth of YHWH.

The sons of Judah, carrying buckler and spear, [are] six thousand and eight hundred, armed ones of the host.

Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the host, [are] seven thousand and one hundred.

Of the sons of Levi [are] four thousand and six hundred;

and Jehoiada [is] the leader of the Aaronite, and with him [are] three thousand and seven hundred,

and Zadok, a young man, a mighty man of valor, and of the house of his father [are] twenty-two heads.

And of the sons of Benjamin, brothers of Saul, [are] three thousand, and until now their greater part are keeping the charge of the house of Saul.

And of the sons of Ephraim [are] twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valor, men of renown, according to the house of their fathers.

And of the half of the tribe of Manasseh [are] eighteen thousand, who have been defined by name, to come to cause David to reign.

And of the sons of Issachar, having understanding for the times, to know what Israel should do; their heads [are] two hundred, and all their brothers [are] at their command.

Of Zebulun, going forth to the host, arranging battle with all instruments of battle, [are] fifty thousand, and keeping rank without a double heart.

And of Naphtali, one thousand heads, and with them, with buckler and spear, [are] thirty-seven thousand.

And of the Danite, arranging battle, [are] twenty-eight thousand and six hundred.

And of Asher, going forth to the host, to arrange battle, [are] forty thousand.

And from beyond the Jordan, of the Reubenite, and of the Gadite, and of the half of the tribe of Manasseh, with all instruments of the host for battle, [are] one hundred and twenty thousand.

All these [are] men of war, keeping rank—they have come to Hebron with a perfect heart, to cause David to reign over all Israel, and also all the rest of Israel [are] of one heart, to cause David to reign,

and they are there, with David, three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers have prepared for them.

And also those near to them—to Issachar, and Zebulun, and Naphtali—are bringing in bread on donkeys, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen—food of fine flour, fig-cakes and grape-cakes, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep, in abundance, for joy [is] in Israel.

Now these are those who came to David to Ziklag while he was a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish. They were among the mighty men, his helpers in war.

They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow. They were of Saul’s relatives of the tribe of Benjamin.

The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite;

Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader of the thirty; Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite;

Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Haruphite;

Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;

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

Some Gadites joined David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains:

Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbannai the eleventh.

These of the sons of Gad were captains of the army. He who was least was equal to one hundred, and the greatest to one thousand.

These are those who went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all who lived in the valleys, both toward the east and toward the west.

Some of the children of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.

David went out to meet them, and answered them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers see this and rebuke it.”

Then the Spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, and he said, “We are yours, David, and on your side, you son of Jesse. Peace, peace be to you, and peace be to your helpers; for your God helps you.” Then David received them and made them captains of the band.

Some of Manasseh also joined David when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle, but they didn’t help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away after consultation, saying, “He will desert to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.”

As he went to Ziklag, some from Manasseh joined him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands who were of Manasseh.

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

For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like God’s army.

David’s Army Grows at Hebron

These are the numbers of the heads of those who were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the LORD’s word.

The children of Judah who bore shield and spear were six thousand eight hundred, armed for war.

Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the war: seven thousand one hundred.

Of the children of Levi: four thousand six hundred.

Jehoiada was the leader of the household of Aaron; and with him were three thousand seven hundred,

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

Of the children of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives: three thousand, for until then, the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to Saul’s house.

Of the children of Ephraim: twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses.

Of the half-tribe of Manasseh: eighteen thousand, who were mentioned by name, to come and make David king.

Of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their heads were two hundred; and all their brothers were at their command.

Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the army, who could set the battle in array with all kinds of instruments of war: fifty thousand who could command and were not of double heart.

Of Naphtali: one thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty-seven thousand.

Of the Danites who could set the battle in array: twenty-eight thousand six hundred.

Of Asher, such as were able to go out in the army, who could set the battle in array: forty thousand.

On the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, with all kinds of instruments of war for the battle: one hundred twenty thousand.

All these were men of war who could order the battle array, and came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

They were there with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brothers had supplied provisions for them.

Moreover those who were near to them, as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought bread on donkeys, on camels, on mules, and on oxen: supplies of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep in abundance; for there was joy in Israel.