1 Chronicles 12

¹ These are those who came to David at Ziklag while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish. They were among the mighty men, helpers in battle.

² They were armed with bows and could use both the right hand and the left to sling stones and shoot arrows from the bow. They were from Saul's relatives, from Benjamin:

³ The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, both sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu the Anathothite,

⁴ Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,

⁵ Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite,

⁶ Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites,

⁷ and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

⁸ From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty warriors, trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles on the mountains:

⁹ 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 Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand.

¹⁵ These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.

¹⁶ Some of the Benjaminites and Judahites came to David at the stronghold.

¹⁷ David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when there is no violence in my hands, may the God of our fathers see it and bring judgment."

¹⁸ Then the Spirit clothed Amasai, chief of the thirty, and he said:
"We are yours, David!
We are with you, son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
and peace to those who help you,
for your God helps you."
Then David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.

¹⁹ Some from Manasseh defected to David when he came with the Philistines to battle against Saul. But they did not help the Philistines, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away after taking counsel, saying, "At the cost of our heads he will defect to his master Saul."

²⁰ As he went to Ziklag, those from Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh.

²¹ They helped David against the raiding bands, for they were all mighty warriors, and they became commanders in the army.

²² For day after day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like the army of God.

²³ These are the numbers of the heads of those armed for war who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul's kingdom over to him, according to the word of the LORD:

²⁴ From the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear: six thousand eight hundred, armed for war.

²⁵ From the sons of Simeon, mighty warriors for war: seven thousand one hundred.

²⁶ From the sons of Levi: four thousand six hundred.

²⁷ Jehoiada was leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were three thousand seven hundred.

²⁸ Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his father's house.

²⁹ From the sons of Benjamin, Saul's relatives: three thousand, for until then the majority of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.

³⁰ From the sons of Ephraim: twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty warriors, famous men in their fathers' houses.

³¹ From the half-tribe of Manasseh: eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king.

³² From the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: two hundred chiefs, and all their relatives were under their command.

³³ From Zebulun: fifty thousand who went out in the army, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with an undivided heart.

³⁴ From Naphtali: one thousand commanders, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear.

³⁵ From the Danites: twenty-eight thousand six hundred equipped for battle.

³⁶ From Asher: forty thousand who went out in the army, equipped for battle.

³⁷ From beyond the Jordan, from the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh: one hundred and twenty thousand with every kind of weapon of war.

³⁸ All these men of war, in battle formation, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of Israel also were of one mind to make David king.

³⁹ They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their relatives had prepared for them.

⁴⁰ And also those who were near to them, as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen — abundant provisions of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.