1 Chronicles 12:1-22
New English Translation
Warriors Who Joined David at Ziklag
12 These were the men who joined David in Ziklag, when he was banished[a] from the presence of Saul son of Kish. (They were among the warriors who assisted him in battle. 2 They were armed with bows and could shoot arrows or sling stones right or left-handed. They were fellow tribesmen of Saul from Benjamin.[b]) These were:[c]
3 Ahiezer, the leader, and Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, Jehu the Anathothite,
4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, one of the thirty warriors and their leader, (12:5)[d] Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,
5 (12:6) Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite,
6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites,
7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
8 Some of the Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were warriors who were trained for battle; they carried shields and spears. They were as fierce as lions and could run as quickly as gazelles across the hills.[e] 9 Ezer was the leader, Obadiah the second in command, 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, and Machbannai the eleventh. 14 These Gadites were military leaders; the least led a hundred men, the greatest a thousand.[f] 15 They crossed the Jordan River[g] in the first month,[h] when it was overflowing its banks, and routed those living in all the valleys to the east and west.[i]
16 Some from Benjamin and Judah also came to David’s stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and said,[j] “If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you.[k] But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you,[l] may the God of our ancestors[m] take notice and judge!” 18 But a spirit[n] empowered[o] Amasai, the leader of the group of warriors known as the Thirty, and he said:[p]
“We are yours, O David!
We support[q] you, O son of Jesse!
May you greatly prosper.[r]
May those who help you prosper.[s]
Indeed[t] your God helps you!”
So David accepted them and made them leaders of raiding bands.
19 Some men from Manasseh joined[u] David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (But in the end they did not help the Philistines because, after taking counsel, the Philistine lords sent David away, saying, “It would be disastrous for us if he deserts to his master Saul.”)[v] 20 When David[w] went to Ziklag, the men of Manasseh who joined him were Adnach, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders of 1,000 soldiers each in the tribe of Manasseh. 21 They helped David fight against raiding bands, for all of them were warriors and leaders in the army. 22 Each day men came to help David until his army became very large.[x]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Chronicles 12:1 tn Heb “kept from.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:2 tn Heb “ones armed with bow[s], using the right hand and the left hand with stones and with arrows with the bow, from the brothers of Saul from Benjamin.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:2 tn The words “These were” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons, because of the length of the intervening material since the beginning of the verse.
- 1 Chronicles 12:4 sn In the Hebrew text (BHS) a verse division occurs at this point, and for the remainder of the chapter the verse numbers of the Hebrew Bible differ by one from the English Bible. Thus 1 Chr 12:4b ET = 12:5 HT, and 12:5-40 ET = 12:6-41 HT. Beginning with 13:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
- 1 Chronicles 12:8 tn Heb “warriors, men of battle for war, prepared with shield and spear, and [like] the face of a lion were their faces, and like gazelles on the hills to hurry.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:14 tn Heb “one for a hundred the small, and the great for a thousand.” Another option is to translate the preposition ל (lamed) as “against” and to understand this as a hyperbolic reference to their prowess: “the least could stand against a hundred, the greatest against a thousand.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:15 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity.
- 1 Chronicles 12:15 sn That is, March-April.
- 1 Chronicles 12:15 tn Heb “and they chased all the valleys to the east and to the west.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:17 tn Heb “and David went out before them and answered and said to them.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:17 tn Heb “there will be to me concerning you a heart for unity.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:17 tn Heb “with no violence in my hands.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:17 tn Heb “fathers.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Perhaps “the Spirit,” but the text has simply רוּחַ (ruakh) with no article (suggesting an indefinite reference).
- 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Heb “clothed.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn The words “and he said” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
- 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Heb “are with.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Heb “Peace, peace to you.” The Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is repeated to emphasize degree.
- 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Heb “and peace to the one who helps you.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:18 tn Or “for.”
- 1 Chronicles 12:19 tn Heb “fell upon,” here in a good sense.
- 1 Chronicles 12:19 tn Heb “and they did not help them for by counsel they sent him away, the lords of the Philistines, saying, ‘With our heads he will fall to his master Saul.’”
- 1 Chronicles 12:20 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Chronicles 12:22 tn Heb “for at the time of day in a day they were coming to David to help him until [there was] a great camp like the camp of God.” The term אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim, “God”) is probably used idiomatically here to indicate the superlative.
1 Chronicles 12:1-22
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
David’s Followers in the Wilderness
12 The following are those who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul son of Kish; they were among the mighty warriors who helped him in war.(A) 2 They were archers and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right hand or the left; they were Benjaminites, Saul’s kindred.(B) 3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, both sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; also Jeziel and Pelet sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu of Anathoth, 4 Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a warrior among the Thirty and a leader over the Thirty; Jeremiah,[a] Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah, 5 Eluzai,[b] Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
8 From 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 on the mountains:(C) 9 Ezer the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third, 10 Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, 11 Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, 12 Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, 13 Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh. 14 These Gadites were officers of the army, the least equal to a hundred and the greatest to a thousand. 15 These 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.(D)
16 Some Benjaminites and Judahites came to the stronghold to David. 17 David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in friendship, to help me, then my heart will be knit to you, but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, though my hands have done no wrong, then may the God of our ancestors see and give judgment.” 18 Then the spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said,[c]
“We are yours, O David,
and with you, O son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
and peace to the one who helps you!
For your God is the one who helps you.”
Then David received them and made them officers of his troops.(E)
19 Some of the Manassites 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, “He will desert to his master Saul at the cost of our heads.”)(F) 20 As he went to Ziklag these Manassites deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of the thousands in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against the band of raiders,[d] for they were all warriors and commanders in the army.(G) 22 Indeed, from day to day people kept coming to David to help him until there was a great army, like an army of God.
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