David’s Time in the Wilderness^(A)

12 Here’s a list of those who came to David at Ziklag when he was unable to travel freely due to Saul son of Kish. They were among the elite soldiers who assisted him in battle. ² Equipped as archers, they could use both their right and left hands to shoot arrows and hurl stones. As descendants of Benjamin, they were Saul’s relatives. ³ Their leaders were Shemaah’s sons Ahiezer and Joash from Gibeah, Azmaveth’s sons Jeziel and Pelet, Beracah, Jehu from Anathoth, ⁴ Ishmaiah from Gibeon (who was one of the elite among the Thirty and in charge over them),^[a] Jeremiah,^[b] Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad from Gederah, ^5 [c]Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite, ⁶ Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, the descendants of Korah, ⁷ and Jeroham’s sons Joelah and Zebadiah from Gedor.

⁸ Mighty and experienced warriors from the descendants of Gad joined David at his wilderness stronghold. They were expert handlers of both shield and spear, with hardened looks^[d] and as agile^[e] as a gazelle on a mountain slope. ⁹ Their leader was Ezer, Obadiah was second, Eliab third, ¹⁰ Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, ¹¹ Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, ¹² Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, ¹³ Jeremiah tenth, and Machbannai eleventh. ¹⁴ These descendants of Gad were army leaders. The least of them^[f] was equal to a hundred other soldiers^[g] and the greatest to a thousand. ¹⁵ These men^[h] crossed the Jordan in the first month of the year^[i] during flood season and chased out everyone in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

¹⁶ Later, some descendants of Benjamin and Judah approached David at his stronghold, ¹⁷ and David went out to meet them. He told them, “If you’ve come in peace to be of help to me, then you’ll have my commitment.^[j] But if you’ve come to betray me to my enemies, even though I’m innocent of wrongdoing, then may the God of our ancestors watch and judge.”

¹⁸ Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, leader of the Thirty, and he said,

So David received them and assigned them to be officers over troops. ¹⁹ Some of the descendants of Manasseh joined^[k] David when he was going to fight against Saul, accompanied by the Philistines. Even so, David was of no help to them, because the Philistine rulers were counseled to send him away. They told themselves, “He’s going to go over to his master Saul at the cost of our heads.”

²⁰ As he traveled toward Ziklag, these descendants of Manasseh joined^[l] him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders in charge thousands in Manasseh. ²¹ They helped David against raiders, since they were all warriors and commanders in the army. ²² Indeed people kept coming to David every day to help him, until his army became a great, vast army.^[m]