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12 These are the names of the famous warriors who joined David at Ziklag while he was hiding from King Saul.[a] 2 All of them were expert archers and slingers, and they could use their left hands as readily as their right! Like King Saul, they were all of the tribe of Benjamin.
3-7 Their chief was Ahiezer, son of Shemaah from Gibeah. The others were:
His brother Joash; Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu from Anathoth; Ishmaiah from Gibeon (a brave warrior rated as high or higher than The Thirty); Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad from Gederah; Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah from Haruph; Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam—all Korahites; Joelah and Zebadiah (sons of Jeroham from Gedor).
8-13 Great and brave warriors from the tribe of Gad also went to David in the wilderness. They were experts with both shield and spear and were “lion-faced men, swift as deer upon the mountains.”
Ezer was the chief;
Obadiah was second in command;
Eliab was third in command;
Mishmannah was fourth in command;
Jeremiah was fifth in command;
Attai was sixth in command;
Eliel was seventh in command;
Johanan was eighth in command;
Elzabad was ninth in command;
Jeremiah was tenth in command;
Machbannai was eleventh in command.
14 These men were army officers; the weakest was worth a hundred normal troops, and the greatest was worth a thousand! 15 They crossed the Jordan River during its seasonal flooding and conquered the lowlands on both the east and west banks.
16 Others came to David from Benjamin and Judah. 17 David went out to meet them and said, “If you have come to help me, we are friends; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our fathers see and judge you.”
18 Then the Holy Spirit came upon them, and Amasai, a leader of The Thirty, replied,
“We are yours, David;
We are on your side, son of Jesse.
Peace, peace be unto you,
And peace to all who aid you;
For your God is with you.”
So David let them join him, and he made them captains of his army.
19 Some men from Manasseh deserted the Israeli army and joined David just as he was going into battle with the Philistines against King Saul. But as it turned out, the Philistine generals refused to let David and his men go with them. After much discussion they sent them back, for they were afraid that David and his men would imperil them by deserting to King Saul.
20 Here is a list of the men from Manasseh who deserted to David as he was en route to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, Zillethai.
Each was a high-ranking officer of Manasseh’s troops. 21 They were brave and able warriors, and they assisted David when he fought against the Amalek raiders at Ziklag.[b]
22 More men joined David almost every day until he had a tremendous army—the army of God. 23 Here is the registry of recruits who joined David at Hebron. They were all anxious to see David become king instead of Saul, just as the Lord had said would happen.
24-37 From Judah, 6,800 troops armed with shields and spears.
From the tribe of Simeon, 7,100 outstanding warriors.
From the Levites, 4,600.
From the priests—descendants of Aaron—there were 3,700 troops under the command of Zadok, a young man of unusual courage, and Jehoiada. (He and twenty-two members of his family were officers of the fighting priests.)
From the tribe of Benjamin, the same tribe Saul was from, there were 3,000. (Most of that tribe retained its allegiance to Saul.)
From the tribe of Ephraim, 20,800 mighty warriors, each famous in his respective clan.
From the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000 were sent for the express purpose of helping David become king.
From the tribe of Issachar there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives—all men who understood the temper of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.
From the tribe of Zebulun there were 50,000 trained warriors; they were fully armed and totally loyal to David.
From Naphtali there were 1,000 officers and 37,000 troops equipped with shields and spears.
From the tribe of Dan there were 28,600 troops, all of them prepared for war.
From the tribe of Asher, there were 40,000 trained and ready troops.
From the other side of the Jordan River—where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh lived—there were 120,000 troops equipped with every kind of weapon.
38 All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king of Israel. In fact, all of Israel was ready for this change. 39 They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made for their arrival. 40 People from nearby and from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep were brought to the celebration, for joy had spread throughout the land.
13 After David had consulted with all of his army officers, 2 he addressed the assembled men of Israel as follows:
“Since you think that I should be your king, and since the Lord our God has given his approval, let us send messages to our brothers throughout the land of Israel, including the priests and Levites, inviting them to come and join us. 3 And let us bring back the Ark of our God, for we have been neglecting it ever since Saul became king.”
4 There was unanimous consent, for everyone agreed with him. 5 So David summoned the people of Israel from all across the nation[c] so that they could be present when the Ark of God was brought from Kiriath-jearim.
6 Then David and all Israel went to Baalah (i.e., Kiriath-jearim) in Judah to bring back the Ark of the Lord God enthroned above the Guardian Angels.[d] 7 It was taken from the house of Abinadab on a new cart. Uzza and Ahio drove the oxen. 8 Then David and all the people danced before the Lord with great enthusiasm, accompanied by singing and by zithers, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 9 But as they arrived at the threshing floor of Chidon, the oxen stumbled and Uzza reached out his hand to steady the Ark. 10 Then the anger of the Lord blazed out against Uzza, and killed him because he had touched the Ark. And so he died there before God. 11 David was angry at the Lord for what he had done to Uzza and he named the place “The Outbreak Against Uzza.” And it is still called that today.
12 Now David was afraid of God and asked, “How shall I ever get the Ark of God home?”
13 Finally he decided to take it to the home of Obed-edom the Gittite instead of bringing it to the City of David. 14 The Ark remained there with the family of Obed-edom for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his family.
14 King Hiram of Tyre sent masons and carpenters to help build David’s palace and he supplied him with much cedar lumber. 2 David now realized why the Lord had made him king and why he had made his kingdom so great; it was for a special reason—to give joy to God’s people!
3 After David moved to Jerusalem, he married additional wives and became the father of many sons and daughters.
4-7 These are the names of the sons born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada, Eliphelet.
8 When the Philistines heard that David was Israel’s new king, they mobilized their forces to capture him. But David learned that they were on the way, so he called together his army. 9 The Philistines were raiding the valley of Rephaim, 10 and David asked the Lord, “If I go out and fight them, will you give me the victory?”
And the Lord replied, “Yes, I will.”
11 So he attacked them at Baal-perazim and wiped them out. He exulted, “God has used me to sweep away my enemies like water bursting through a dam!” That is why the place has been known as Baal-perazim ever since (meaning, “The Place of Breaking Through”).
12 After the battle the Israelis picked up many idols left by the Philistines, but David ordered them burned.
13 Later the Philistines raided the valley again, 14 and again David asked God what to do.
The Lord replied, “Go around by the mulberry trees and attack from there. 15 When you hear a sound like marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that is your signal to attack, for God will go before you and destroy the enemy.”
16 So David did as the Lord commanded him; and he cut down the army of the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 David’s fame spread everywhere, and the Lord caused all the nations to fear him.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.