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David and His Mighty Men at Ziklag

12 Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag while he was still shut up because of Saul,[a] the son of Kish. And they were the mighty warriors helping with the war. They were armed with the bow, able to shoot right-handed or left-handed, slinging stones or shooting arrows with the bow; they were kinsmen of Saul from Benjamin. The leader was Ahiezer, then Jehoash, sons of Shemaah the Gibeonite; Jeiel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite; Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty warrior among the thirty who was over the thirty;[b] Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite; [c] Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Hariphite; Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam the Korahites; Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from the Gedor.

And from the Gadites, valiant mighty warriors, soldiers fit for war,[d] expert with shield and spear, defected to David at the fortress toward the wilderness. And they had faces like lions[e] and were swift as gazelles upon the mountains. Ezer the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third, 10 Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, 11 Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, 12 Jehonan eighth, Elzabad ninth, 13 Jeremiah tenth, Macbannai eleventh. 14 These were the sons of Gad, leaders of the army. The smallest one was as a hundred, and the greatest as a thousand. 15 These were they who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was filled over its banks. And they put to flight all who were in the valley to the east and to the west.

16 And some of the sons of Benjamin and from Judah came to the fortress, to David. 17 And David went out to meet them[f] and answered and said to them, “If you come in peace to me, to help me, my heart will be joined with you,[g] but if you come to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no wrong on my hands, may the God of our fathers see and pass judgment.” 18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the thirty who said:

We are yours, O David!
And we are with you, O son of Jesse!
Peace! Peace to you, and peace to those who help you,
for your God helps you.”

So David appointed them as heads of the troops.

19 And some Manassites deserted to David when he came with the Philistines to the battle against Saul, but he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines sent him away upon counsel, saying, “He will desert to his master Saul at the cost of our heads.” 20 When he went to Ziklag some Manassites deserted to him: Adnah, Jehozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, heads of the thousands that were for Manasseh. 21 And they themselves helped David against the troops, for all of them were mighty men of strength and were commanders in the army. 22 Day in and day out[h] they came to David to help him until there was a great army, like the army of God.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 12:1 Literally “of the face of Saul”
  2. 1 Chronicles 12:4 1 Chronicles 12:5 begins here in the Hebrew Bible
  3. 1 Chronicles 12:5 1 Chronicles 12:5–40 in the English Bible is 12:6–41 in the Hebrew Bible
  4. 1 Chronicles 12:8 Literally “men of battle for the war”
  5. 1 Chronicles 12:8 Literally “faces of a lion were their faces”
  6. 1 Chronicles 12:17 Literally “before them”
  7. 1 Chronicles 12:17 Literally “the heart will be to me to you together”
  8. 1 Chronicles 12:22 Literally “for to the time of day to the day”

12 Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, [a]while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war. They [b]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 brethren of Benjamin. The chief was Ahiezer; then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah, and Jehu the Anathothite, and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty, and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite, Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite, Elkanah, and Isshiah, and Azarel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites, and Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David to the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, that could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains: Ezer the chief, 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 of the sons of Gad were captains of the host: he that was least was [c]equal to a hundred, and the greatest [d]to a thousand. 15 These are they that went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east and toward the west.

16 And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the stronghold unto David. 17 And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you; but if ye be come to betray me to mine adversaries, seeing there is no [e]wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it. 18 Then the Spirit [f]came upon Amasai, who was chief of the [g]thirty, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

19 Of Manasseh also there fell away some 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 fall away 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 thousands that were of Manasseh. 21 And they helped David against the band of rovers: for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the host. 22 For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great host, like the host of God.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 12:1 Hebrew being yet shut up
  2. 1 Chronicles 12:2 Or, drew the bow
  3. 1 Chronicles 12:14 Or, over
  4. 1 Chronicles 12:14 Or, over
  5. 1 Chronicles 12:17 Or, violence
  6. 1 Chronicles 12:18 Hebrew clothed.
  7. 1 Chronicles 12:18 Another reading is, captains.