1 Chronicles 12-14

Amplified Bible

David’s Supporters in Ziklag

12 These are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he still concealed himself from Saul the son of Kish; they were among the courageous men who helped him in battle. ² They were armed with bows, and could use the right hand or the left to sling stones and shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul’s relatives from [the tribe of] Benjamin. ³ The chief was Ahiezer and then Joash, the sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, and Jehu of Anathoth, ⁴ Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the thirty, and [a leader] over them; ^[a]Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah, ^5 [b]Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite, ⁶ Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites, ⁷ and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

⁸ Courageous men from the Gadites came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as 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 from the sons (descendants) of Gad were captains of the army; he who was least was ^[c]equal to a hundred, and the greatest was equal to a thousand. ¹⁵ These are the men who crossed over the Jordan in the first month when it had overflowed all its banks and they put to flight all those in the valleys, east and west.

¹⁶ Then some of the ^[d]men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. ¹⁷ David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no violence or wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on [what you are doing] and punish [you].” ¹⁸ Then the [Holy] Spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, and he said,

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

¹⁹ Some [of the men] of Manasseh also defected to David when he came with the Philistines to go to battle against Saul. But David’s men did not [actually] assist the Philistines, for the lords (governors) of the Philistines after consultation sent him away, saying, “At the cost of our heads he may defect to his master Saul.”^{(A) 20} As David went to Ziklag, these men defected to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands who belonged to Manasseh. ²¹ They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all courageous men, and [all seven] became commanders in his army. ²² For day by day men kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like the army of God.

Supporters Gathered at Hebron

²³ These are the numbers of the [armed] units equipped for war who came to David at Hebron to turn [over] the kingdom of Saul to him, in accordance with the word of the Lord. ²⁴ Those of the tribe of Judah who carried shield and spear were 6,800, armed for war; ²⁵ of the tribe of Simeon, brave warriors, 7,100; ²⁶ of the tribe of Levi, 4,600. ²⁷ Jehoiada was the leader of [the house of] Aaron, and with him were 3,700, ²⁸ and Zadok, a courageous young man, and twenty-two captains from his father’s house. ²⁹ Of the tribe of Benjamin, the relatives of [King] Saul, 3,000; for until now the majority of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. ³⁰ Of the tribe of Ephraim, 20,800, courageous men, famous in their fathers’ houses. ³¹ Of the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king. ³² Of the tribe of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, two hundred chiefs; and all their relatives were at their command; ³³ of the tribe of Zebulun, there were 50,000 in military service who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David, men with ^[e]an undivided heart. ³⁴ Of the tribe of Naphtali, there were 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 [of the rank and file armed] with shield and spear. ³⁵ Of the tribe of Dan, 28,600 men who could draw up in battle formation. ³⁶ Of the tribe of Asher, 40,000 men in military service, able to draw up in battle formation. ³⁷ From the other side [east] of the Jordan River, of [the tribes of] Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 120,000 men, armed with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.

³⁸ All these, being men of war arrayed in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect (committed) heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were also of one mind to make David king. ³⁹ They were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their relatives had prepared for them. ⁴⁰ Also those who were [living] near them [from] as far as [the tribes of] Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen, abundant supplies of flour, cakes of figs and raisins, wine, [olive] oil, oxen, and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

Peril in Transporting the Ark

13 David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. ² David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the Lord our God, let us send word everywhere to our fellow countrymen who remain in all the land of Israel, and to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, so that they may meet with us; ³ and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, ^[f]for we did not seek it during the days of Saul.” ⁴ Then all the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵ So David gathered all Israel together, from the Shihor [watercourse] of Egypt, to the entrance of Hamath [in the north], to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. ⁶ 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 the Lord who sits enthroned above the cherubim, the ark which is called by His name. ⁷ They ^[g]carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio [his brother] drove the cart. ⁸ David and all Israel celebrated [joyfully] before God with all their might, with songs, lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

⁹ When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold and steady the ark, for the oxen [that were drawing the cart] ^[h]nearly overturned it. ¹⁰ The anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, and He struck him down because he touched the ark; and there he died before God.^{(B) 11} David became angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzza; so that place is called ^[i]Perez-uzza to this day. ¹² David was afraid of God that day, and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home with me?” ¹³ So David did not bring the ark with him to the City of David, but took it aside to the house of ^[j]Obed-edom the Gittite.^{(C) 14} So the ark of God remained with the ^[k]family of Obed-edom in his house three months; and the Lord ^[l]blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he had.

David’s Family Enlarged

14 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar timbers, masons and carpenters, to build a house (palace) for him. ² And David understood that the Lord had established and confirmed him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel.

³ Then David took more wives at Jerusalem, and he became the father of more sons and daughters. ⁴ Now these are the ^[m]names of the children born [to him] in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷ Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

Philistines Defeated

⁸ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went up in search of David; and he heard about it and went out against them. ⁹ Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁰ So David inquired of God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You hand them over to me?” Then the Lord said to him, “Go up, and I will hand them over to you.” ¹¹ So Israel came up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. Then David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore they named that place ^[n]Baal-perazim. ¹² The Philistines abandoned their gods (idols) there; so David gave a command and they were burned in a fire [as the Law of Moses required].^(D)

¹³ The Philistines again made a raid in the valley. ¹⁴ So David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “Do not go up after them; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. ¹⁵ It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the Philistine army.” ¹⁶ So David did just as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer. ¹⁷ Then David’s fame spread into all the lands; and the Lord caused all nations to fear him.