1 Chronicles 12-14

21st Century King James Version

12 Now these are they that came to David at Ziklag, while he yet kept himself hidden because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.

² They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin.

³ The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite,

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

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

⁶ Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;

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

⁸ And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into his hideout in the wilderness men of might and men of war fit for the battle, who could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains:

⁹ Ezer 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, Machbanai the eleventh.

¹⁴ These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host; one of the least was over a hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.

¹⁵ These are the ones who went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all those of the valleys, both toward the east and toward the west.

¹⁶ And there came some of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hideout unto David.

¹⁷ And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, “If ye have come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you; but if ye have come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon and rebuke it.”

¹⁸ Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, “Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse. Peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee.” Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

¹⁹ And there fell away some of Manasseh to David when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle; but they helped them not, for the lords of the Philistines, upon advisement, sent him away, saying, “He will return to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.”

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

²¹ And they helped David against the band of the rovers; for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the host.

²² For at that time day by day they came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.

²³ And these are the numbers of the armed groups ready for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord.

²⁴ The children of Judah who bore shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready, armed for the war.

²⁵ Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the war, seven thousand and one hundred.

²⁶ Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.

²⁷ And Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred;

²⁸ and Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and from his father’s house twenty and two captains.

²⁹ And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand; for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the watch of the house of Saul.

³⁰ And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous throughout the house of their fathers.

³¹ And of the halftribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were expressed by name to come and make David king.

³² And of the children of Issachar, who were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.

³³ Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war with all instruments of war, fifty thousand who could keep rank; they were not of double heart.

³⁴ And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear, thirty and seven thousand.

³⁵ And of the Danites, expert in war, twenty and eight thousand and six hundred.

³⁶ And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.

³⁷ And on the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites, and of the halftribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, a hundred and twenty thousand.

³⁸ All these men of war, who could keep rank, 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.

³⁹ And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.

⁴⁰ Moreover those who were nigh to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly; for there was joy in Israel.

13 And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.

² And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, “If it seem good unto you, and if it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us.

³ And let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul.”

⁴ And all the congregation said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵ So David gathered all Israel together from Shihor of Egypt, even unto the entrance of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.

⁶ And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God the Lord, who dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.

⁷ And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab; and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.

⁸ And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing and with harps, and with psalteries and with timbrels, and with cymbals and with trumpets.

⁹ And when they came unto the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled.

¹⁰ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and He smote him because he put his hand to the ark; and there he died before God.

¹¹ And David was displeased, because the Lord had broken forth upon Uzza. Therefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day.

¹² And David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?”

¹³ So David brought not the ark home with him to the City of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.

¹⁴ And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obededom and all that he had.

14 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars with masons and carpenters to build him a house.

² And David perceived that the Lord had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high because of His people Israel.

³ And David took more wives at Jerusalem; and David begot more sons and daughters.

⁴ Now these are the names of his children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon,

⁵ and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpelet,

⁶ and Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

⁷ and Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

⁸ And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it and went out against them.

⁹ And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁰ And David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And wilt Thou deliver them into mine hand?” And the Lord said unto him, “Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand.”

¹¹ So they came up to Baalperazim, and David smote them there. Then David said, “God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters.” Therefore they called the name of that place Baalperazim [that is, A place of breaches].

¹² And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.

¹³ And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.

¹⁴ Therefore David inquired again of God, and God said unto him, “Go not up after them; turn away from them and come upon them opposite the mulberry trees.

¹⁵ And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle; for God has gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.”

¹⁶ David therefore did as God commanded him; and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer.

¹⁷ And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations.