David's Army Expands
1 Chronicles 12, verse 1. Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish. They were among the mighty men, helpers in the war, 1 Chronicles 12, verse 2. being armed with bows for shooting arrows and using either the right hand or the left for slinging stones. They were of Benjamin, Saul's brethren. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 3. The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah and Jehu the Anathothite; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 4. Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 5. Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 6. Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 7. Elkanah, Jisshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 8. and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 9. Some Gadites joined David in the wilderness, strong, mighty men of war, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains: 1 Chronicles 12, verse 10. Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 1 Chronicles 12, verse 11. Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 1 Chronicles 12, verse 12. Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 1 Chronicles 12, verse 13. Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 1 Chronicles 12, verse 14. Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 15. These were from the sons of Gad, captains of the army; the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 16. These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 17. Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to aid David at the stronghold. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 18. David went out and met them, and addressed them by saying, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no guile in my hands, may the God of our fathers observe and bring judgment.” 1 Chronicles 12, verse 19. And the Spirit came upon Amasai, a captain of the thirty, and he said: “Go, you and your people, David, son of Jesse, Peace, peace be to you, And peace to your helpers, For your God has helped you.” And David received them and made them captains of the forces. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 20. And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, “He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.” 1 Chronicles 12, verse 21. When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 22. And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 23. For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.
The Soldiers at Hebron
1 Chronicles 12, verse 24. Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war and that came to David at Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord: 1 Chronicles 12, verse 25. of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred armed for war; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 26. of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 27. of the sons of Levi, four thousand six hundred; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 28. Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites, and with him three thousand seven hundred; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 29. Zadok, a young man, a valiant warrior, and from his father's house, twenty-two captains; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 30. of the sons of Benjamin, relatives of Saul, three thousand—until then the greatest part of them had remained loyal to the house of Saul; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 31. of the sons of Ephraim, twenty thousand eight hundred mighty men of valor, noted men throughout the house of their fathers; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 32. of the half-tribe of Manasseh, eighteen thousand who were designated by name to come and make David king; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 33. of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred, and all their brethren were at their command; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 34. of Zebulun, there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 35. of Naphtali, one thousand captains, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 36. of the Danites who could keep battle formation, twenty-eight thousand six hundred; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 37. of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation, forty thousand; 1 Chronicles 12, verse 38. of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the Jordan, one hundred twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 39. All these men of war who could keep ranks came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 40. All these men of war who could keep ranks in a peaceful spirit came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel; and they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them. 1 Chronicles 12, verse 41. Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen; provisions of flour, cakes of figs, cakes of raisins, wine, oil, and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.