Beginning

12 Following are the men who joined David at Ziklag while he was still being kept away from Sha’ul the son of Kish; they were among the warriors who helped him fight his battles. ² They were archers who could use either hand to sling stones or shoot arrows from a bow; they were Sha’ul’s kinsmen from Binyamin. ³ Their leader was Achi‘ezer, then Yo’ash, the sons of Sh’ma‘ah the Giv‘ati, Y’zi’el, Pelet, the sons of ‘Azmavet, B’rakhah, Yehu from ‘Anatot, ⁴ Yishma‘yah the Giv‘oni, one of the strongest of the thirty and commander of the thirty, ^5 (4b) Yirmeyah, Yachzi’el, Yochanan, Yozavad from G’derah, ^6 (5) El‘uzai, Yerimot, B‘alyah, Sh’maryah, Sh’fatyah the Harufi, ^7 (6) Elkanah, Yishiyahu, ‘Azar’el, Yo‘ezer, Yashov‘am the Korchi, ^8 (7) and Yo‘elah and Z’vadyah the sons of Yerocham from G’dor.

^9 (8) From the Gadi a number of strong, brave, trained fighting men defected to David at the fortress in the desert. They could handle shield and spear, they were as fierce as lions, and they were as fast as deer on the hills: ^10 (9) ‘Ezer was the leader, ‘Ovadyah was second, Eli’av third, ^11 (10) Mishmanah fourth, Yirmeyah fifth, ^12 (11) ‘Atai sixth, Eli’el seventh, ^13 (12) Yochanan eighth, Elzavad ninth, ^14 (13) Yirmeyah tenth, and Makhbanai eleventh. ^15 (14) These descendants of Gad were army commanders; the least of them was worth a hundred, and the greatest worth a thousand. ^16 (15) These are the men who crossed the Yarden during the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks, and drove out all those who lived in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.

^17 (16) From the descendants of Binyamin and Y’hudah a number came to David at the fortress. ^18 (17) When David went out to meet them, he said, “If you are coming to me in peace to help me, my heart will be bonded to yours. But if you are coming to betray me to my enemies, then, since I have done nothing wrong, may the God of our fathers see it and judge.” ^19 (18) Then the Spirit covered ‘Amasai the chief commander, and he said:

David welcomed them and made them senior officers.

^20 (19) From M’nasheh some defected to David when he was about to go with the P’lishtim to fight against Sha’ul; but they ended up not helping them; because the rulers of the P’lishtim, after consultation, sent David away, saying, “He will defect to his master Sha’ul at the cost of our heads.” ^21 (20) As he was on his way to Ziklag, those who defected to him from M’nasheh included ‘Adnach, Yozavad, Y’dia‘el, Mikha’el, Yozavad, Elihu and Tziltai, commanders of thousands from M’nasheh. ^22 (21) They helped David against the raiding band, for they were all strong, brave men who were commanders in the army.

^23 (22) Indeed, reinforcements to assist David reached him daily, until there was a great army, like the army of God. ^24 (23) Following are the numbers of those who came armed for war to David in Hevron, in order to transfer to him the kingdom of Sha’ul, according to what Adonai had said.

^25 (24) The descendants of Y’hudah bearing shields and spears numbered 6,800, armed for war.

^26 (25) Of the descendants of Shim‘on, strong, brave men for war, there were 7,100.

^27 (26) Of the descendants of Levi, there were 4,600. ^28 (27) Y’hoyada was the leader of the house of Aharon, and with him were 3,700; ^29 (28) also Tzadok, a young man, strong and brave, with twenty-two commanders from his father’s family.

^30 (29) Of the descendants of Binyamin the kinsmen of Sha’ul, there were 3,000; for up until then, the majority of them had remained loyal to the house of Sha’ul.

^31 (30) Of the descendants of Efrayim, there were 20,800 strong, brave men, well known in their fathers’ families.

^32 (31) Of the half-tribe of M’nasheh, 18,000 were designated by name to come and make David king.

^33 (32) Of the descendants of Yissakhar, men who understood the times and knew what Isra’el ought to do, there were 200 leaders, and all their kinsmen were under their command.

^34 (33) Of Z’vulun, 50,000 men were fit for military service, experienced in war and able to use all kinds of weapons; they were brave, and none was doubleminded.

^35 (34) Of Naftali, there were 1,000 officers, and with them 37,000 troops having shields and spears.

^36 (35) Of Dan, 28,600 were experienced in war.

^37 (36) Of Asher, 40,000 men were fit for military service and experienced in war.

^38 (37) On the other side of the Yarden, from the Re’uveni, the Gadi and the half-tribe of M’nasheh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons for battle.

^39 (38) All these soldiers who were experienced in war came to Hevron wholeheartedly to make David king over all Isra’el, and all the rest from Isra’el were single-hearted in wanting to make David king. ^40 (39) They remained there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them. ^41 (40) Moreover, those who were near them — and even those as far as Yissakhar, Z’vulun and Naftali — brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen: baked goods, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, and oxen and sheep in abundance; for there was joy in Isra’el.

13 David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds — with every leader. ² Then David said to the entire assembly of Isra’el, “If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of Adonai our God, let’s send messengers to the rest of our kinsmen in the land of Isra’el, and also to the cohanim and L’vi’im in their cities with surrounding open land, asking them to join us; ³ and let’s bring back the ark of our God to ourselves, since we didn’t go after it when Sha’ul was king.” ⁴ The whole assembly said they would do this, for in the view of all the people it seemed right.

⁵ So David summoned all Isra’el to come together, from Shichor in Egypt all the way to the entrance of Hamat, to bring the ark of God from Kiryat-Ye‘arim. ⁶ David went up with all Isra’el to Ba‘alah, that is, Kiryat-Ye‘arim, which belonged to Y’hudah, to bring up from there the ark of God, Adonai, who is enthroned above the k’ruvim, bearing the Name. ⁷ They set the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Avinadav, with ‘Uza and Achyo, the sons of Avinadav, driving the cart. ⁸ David and all Isra’el celebrated in the presence of God with all their strength, with songs, lyres, lutes, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.

⁹ When they arrived at Kidon’s threshing-floor, the oxen stumbled; and ‘Uza put out his hand to steady the ark. ¹⁰ But Adonai’s anger blazed up against ‘Uza, and he struck him down, because he had put out his hand and touched the ark, so that he died there before God. ¹¹ It upset David that Adonai had broken out against ‘Uza; that place has been called Peretz-‘Uza [breaking-out of ‘Uza] ever since. ¹² That day, God frightened David; he asked, “How can I bring the ark of God to me?” ¹³ So David didn’t bring the ark into the City of David; rather, David carried it aside into the house of ‘Oved-’Edom the Gitti. ¹⁴ The ark of God stayed with the family of ‘Oved-’Edom the Gitti in his house for three months; and Adonai blessed the household of ‘Oved-’Edom and all he had.

14 Huram king of Tzor sent envoys to David with cedar logs, and with them stonemasons and carpenters, to build him a palace. ² David then knew that Adonai had set him up as king over Isra’el; because, for the sake of his people Isra’el, his royal power had been greatly increased.

³ David took more concubines and wives in Yerushalayim, and David became father of more sons and daughters. ⁴ Here are the names of the children born to him in Yerushalayim: Shamua, Shovav, Natan, Shlomo, ⁵ Yivchar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶ Nogah, Nefeg, Yafia, ⁷ Elishama, Be‘elyada and Elifelet.

⁸ When the P’lishtim heard that David had been anointed king over all Isra’el, all the P’lishtim went up in search of David. On hearing of it, David went to attack them. ⁹ Now the P’lishtim came and made a raid in the Refa’im Valley. ¹⁰ David consulted God, asking, “Should I attack the P’lishtim? Will you hand them over to me?” Adonai answered David, “Attack; I will hand them over to you.” ¹¹ So they went up to Ba‘al-P’ratzim, and David defeated them there. David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my power like a river breaking through its banks.” This is why they called the place Ba‘al-P’ratzim [Lord of breaking through]. ¹² The P’lishtim had left their gods there, so David gave an order, and they were burned up completely.

¹³ The P’lishtim came up again and raided the valley. ¹⁴ David consulted God again, but God told him, “Don’t attack them! Turn away from them, and engage them opposite the balsam trees. ¹⁵ When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out, and attack; because God has gone out ahead of you to defeat the army of the P’lishtim.” ¹⁶ David did as God had ordered him to do and pursued his attack on the army of the P’lishtim from Giv‘on to Gezer.

¹⁷ So David’s reputation spread to all countries, and Adonai brought the fear of him on all nations.