Beginning
Chapter 12
David’s First Followers. 1 These were the men who came to David while he was at Ziklag, a fugitive from Saul, the son of Kish. They were the brave warriors who helped him in battle. 2 They were armed with bows, and they could sling stones or shoot arrows from a bow with their right hand or their left. They were kinsmen of Saul from Benjamin.
3 Ahiezer was their leader, and then Joash, who were the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite. There were Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite; 4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a brave warrior from among the Thirty and the leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite; 5 Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah; Isshiah; Azarel; Joezer; Jashobeam the Korahite; 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
8 Some Gadites joined David in the wilderness. They were brave men, warriors ready for battle, able to handle the shield and the spear. Their faces were as fierce as the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles upon the mountains. 9 Ezer was the first; Obadiah was the second; Eliab was the third; 10 Mishmannah was the fourth; Jeremiah was the fifth; 11 Attai was the sixth; Eliel was the seventh; 12 Johanan was the eighth; Elzabad was the ninth; 13 Jeremiah the tenth; and Machbannai the eleventh. 14 These Gadites were captains of the army. The weakest of them was worth a hundred, the strongest was worth a thousand. 15 They were crossing over the Jordan during the first month when it was overflowing its banks, and they put to flight everyone who was living in the valleys to the east and the west.
16 Some other Benjaminites and Judahites also went out to David in his stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and he said to them, “If you have come to me in peace, to help me, then your heart will be one with my heart. But if you are here to betray me to my enemies even though my hands are innocent, may the God of our fathers see it and rebuke you.”
18 The Spirit then came upon Amasai, the leader of the captains, and he said,
“We are yours, David.
We will be with you, O son of Jesse.
May it go well with you,
and may it go well with those who help you,
for your God will help you.”
David received them and made them captains of his raiding parties.
19 Some men from Manasseh went over to David when he went to the Philistines to fight against Saul. He, however, did not help them because the lords of the Philistines had discussed it and sent him away saying, “It would cost us our heads if he were to defect to his master Saul.”
20 These were the men of Manasseh who went over to him in Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. They were captains of the thousands in Manasseh. 21 They helped David fight against the raiding parties, and they were brave warriors, all of them captains of the army.
22 From that time on, more men would arrive daily to help David until he had a large army, like an army of God.[a]
23 Assembly at Hebron. These are the numbers of the bands of those who came to David in Hebron ready for battle. They turned Saul’s kingdom over to him, according to the word of the Lord.
24 From Judah, there were six thousand, eight hundred men bearing shield and spear, ready for battle. 25 From Simeon there were seven thousand, one hundred brave warriors, ready for battle. 26 From Levi there were four thousand, six hundred men. 27 These included Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites, and with him there were three thousand, seven hundred men. 28 There was Zadok, a young man who was a brave warrior, with twenty-two captains from his father’s household. 29 From Benjamin, Saul’s kinsmen, there were three thousand men, most of whom had remained faithful to the house of Saul until then. 30 From Ephraim there were twenty thousand, eight hundred brave warriors who were famous in their ancestral clans. 31 There were eighteen thousand men from one-half of the tribe of Manasseh. They were designated by name to go and make David king. 32 From Issachar there were two hundred leaders with their brethren under them. They understood well the time and what Israel should do.[b] 33 From Zebulun there were fifty thousand experienced fighters ready to go into battle. They had every different type of weapon, and they were of undivided loyalty. 34 From Naphtali there were one thousand captains along with thirty-seven thousand men armed with shield and spear. 35 From Dan there were twenty-eight thousand, six hundred men, ready for battle. 36 From Asher there were forty thousand experienced fighters ready for battle. 37 From the eastern side of the Jordan, there were one hundred and twenty thousand men armed with every different type of weapon from Reuben, Gad, and one-half of the tribe of Manasseh.
38 All of these were well-trained fighting men. They came to Hebron for they wholeheartedly wanted to make David king over all of Israel. The rest of Israel was in agreement to make David king.[c] 39 They spent three days eating and drinking with David (for their brethren had provided provisions for them). 40 Their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on their donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen: plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep, for joy had spread throughout Israel.
Chapter 13
The Ark Is Returned to Jerusalem.[d] 1 After David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds and with all of the leaders, 2 he spoke to the assembly of Israel, saying, “If you feel that this is good, for the Lord, our God, has willed it, then let us send messengers to the rest of our brethren throughout the land of Israel, including the priests and the Levites who are in their cities and pastures, so that they can come and join us. 3 Let us bring the Ark of God to where we are, for they did not make inquiry at it during the reign of Saul.”
4 The whole assembly said that they would do this, for all of the people considered it to be the right thing to do. 5 David assembled all of Israel, from the Shihor[e] in Egypt up to Lebo-hamath, to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. 6 David and all of the Israelites with him went to Baalah of Judah, that is, Kiriath-jearim, to bring up from there the Ark of God, the Lord, who dwells between the cherubim where his name is proclaimed. 7 They carried the Ark of the Lord on a new cart to the house of Abinadab. Uzzah and Ahio drove the cart. 8 David and all of Israel played before the Lord with all their might, singing and playing on the harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.
9 When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to grab the Ark because the oxen had stumbled. 10 The Lord’s anger blazed against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had touched the Ark.[f] He died there before the Lord. 11 David was disturbed because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, which is why that place is called Perez-uzzah up to the present day.
12 David was afraid of the Lord that day, saying, “How shall I bring the Ark of God to myself?” 13 He did not take the Ark with him into the City of David. He had it carried into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 14 The Ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom, in his house, for three months. The Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he owned.
Chapter 14
David in Jerusalem. 1 Now Hiram, the king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, along with cedar wood, masons, and carpenters to build him a palace. 2 David knew that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
3 In Jerusalem David married more wives, and he had more sons and daughters. 4 These were the names of the children who were born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
David’s Victory over the Philistines. 8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over all of Israel, all of the Philistines went up to seek out David. David heard about it and went out to meet them. 9 The Philistines arrived and spread themselves out in the Valley of Rephaim.
10 David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go out against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lord answered them, “Go up, I will deliver them into your hands.”[g]
11 They went up to Baal-perazim, and there David defeated them. David said, “God has broken my enemies by my hand, just as when waters break forth.” This is why that place is called Baal-perazim. 12 They had left their gods there, and David gave an order that they be burned in the fire.
13 Still another time the Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley. 14 David inquired of God again, and God said to him, “Do not attack them directly, but circle around them and attack them from behind the balsam trees. 15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, go forth into battle, for God has gone forth before you to strike down the Philistines.”
16 David did as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from Gibeon all the way to Gezer. 17 David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord caused all of the nations to fear him.
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