1 Chronicles 12:23-40

International Children’s Bible

Others Join David at Hebron

²³ These are the numbers of the men who joined David at Hebron. They came ready for battle. They came to help turn the kingdom of Saul over to David. The Lord had said this would happen.

²⁴ There were 6,800 men with their weapons from the people of Judah. They carried shields and spears.

²⁵ There were 7,100 men from the people of Simeon. They were warriors ready for war.

²⁶ There were 4,600 men from the people of Levi. ²⁷ Jehoiada, a leader from Aaron’s family, was in that group. There were 3,700 with him. ²⁸ Zadok was also in that group. He was a strong young warrior. He came with 22 leaders from his family.

²⁹ There were 3,000 men from the people of Benjamin. They were Saul’s relatives. And most of them had remained loyal to Saul’s family until then.

³⁰ There were 20,800 men from the people of Ephraim. They were brave warriors. They were famous men in their own family groups.

³¹ There were 18,000 men from the western half-tribe of Manasseh. Each man was especially chosen to make David king.

³² There were 200 leaders from the family of Issachar. They knew what Israel should do. And they knew the right time to do it. Their relatives were with them and under their command.

³³ There were 50,000 men from the people of Zebulun. They were trained soldiers. They were trained to use every kind of weapon of war. They followed David completely.

³⁴ There were 1,000 officers from the people of Naphtali. They had 37,000 men with them who carried shields and spears.

³⁵ There were 28,600 men from the people of Dan. They were ready for war.

³⁶ There were 40,000 trained soldiers from the people of Asher. They were ready for war.

³⁷ There were 120,000 men from the east side of the Jordan River. They were from the people of Reuben, Gad and the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh. They had every kind of weapon.

³⁸ All these fighting men were ready to go to war. They came to Hebron fully agreed to make David king of all Israel. All the other Israelites also agreed to make David king. ³⁹ The men spent three days there with David. They ate and drank, because their relatives had prepared food for them. ⁴⁰ Also, their neighbors brought food. They came from as far as the areas belonging to Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali. They brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. They brought much flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, oil, cows and sheep. This was because the people of Israel were very happy.