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v1
Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag while he was still shut up because of Saul, ^[Literally “of the face of Saul”] the son of Kish. And they were the mighty warriors helping with the war.
v2
They were armed with the bow, able to shoot right-handed or left-handed, slinging stones or shooting arrows with the bow; they were kinsmen of Saul from Benjamin.
v3
The leader was Ahiezer, then Jehoash, sons of Shemaah the Gibeonite; Jeiel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite;
v4
Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty warrior among the thirty who was over the thirty; ^[1 Chronicles 12:5 begins here in the Hebrew Bible] Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite;
v5
^[1 Chronicles 12:5–40 in the English Bible is 12:6–41 in the Hebrew Bible] Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Hariphite;
v6
Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam the Korahites;
v7
Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from the Gedor.
v8
And from the Gadites, valiant mighty warriors, soldiers fit for war, ^[Literally “men of battle for the war”] expert with shield and spear, defected to David at the fortress toward the wilderness. And they had faces like lions ^[Literally “faces of a lion were their faces”] and were swift as gazelles upon the mountains.
v9
Ezer the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third,
v10
Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,
v11
Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,
v12
Jehonan eighth, Elzabad ninth,
v13
Jeremiah tenth, Macbannai eleventh.
v14
These were the sons of Gad, leaders of the army. The smallest one was as a hundred, and the greatest as a thousand.
v15
These were they who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was filled over its banks. And they put to flight all who were in the valley to the east and to the west.
v16
And some of the sons of Benjamin and from Judah came to the fortress, to David.
v17
And David went out to meet them ^[Literally “before them”] and answered and said to them, “If you come in peace to me, to help me, my heart will be joined with you, ^[Literally “the heart will be to me to you together”] but if you come to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no wrong on my hands, may the God of our fathers see and pass judgment.”
v18
Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the thirty who said: “We are yours, O David! And we are with you, O son of Jesse! Peace! Peace to you, and peace to those who help you, for your God helps you.” So David appointed them as heads of the troops.
v19
And some Manassites deserted to David when he came with the Philistines to the battle against Saul, but he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines sent him away upon counsel, saying, “He will desert to his master Saul at the cost of our heads.”
v20
When he went to Ziklag some Manassites deserted to him: Adnah, Jehozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, heads of the thousands that were for Manasseh.
v21
And they themselves helped David against the troops, for all of them were mighty men of strength and were commanders in the army.
v22
Day in and day out ^[Literally “for to the time of day to the day”] they came to David to help him until there was a great army, like the army of God.
v23
And these are the numbers of the chiefs of those prepared for the army who came to David at Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him according to the word of Yahweh.
v24
The sons of Judah bearing shield and spear: six thousand eight hundred armed troops.
v25
From the men of Simeon, mighty warriors of strength for war: seven thousand one hundred.
v26
From the Levites: four thousand six hundred.
v27
Jehoiada the chief officer of the house of Aaron, and with him, three thousand seven hundred.
v28
And Zadok, a young man, a mighty warrior of strength, and the house of his father: twenty-two commanders.
v29
From the men of Benjamin, kinsmen of Saul, three thousand, and even still ^[Literally “and even they”] the majority of them remained loyal ^[Literally “keeping the responsibility”] to the house of Saul.
v30
And from the men of Ephraim: twenty thousand eight hundred mighty warriors of strength, famous men in the house of their fathers.
v31
And from the half-tribe of Manasseh: eighteen thousand who were designated by name to come to make David king.
v32
And from the men of Issachar: men who were skilled in understanding the times ^[Literally “men who knew the understanding of the times”] to know what Israel should do. Their chiefs were two hundred, and all their kinsmen were under their command.
v33
From Zebulun, those who went out armed, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war: fifty thousand to help David with singleness of purpose. ^[Literally “with not heart and heart”]
v34
From Naphtali: one thousand commanders; and those with them with shield and spear: thirty-seven thousand.
v35
From the Danites, those equipped for battle: twenty-eight thousand six hundred.
v36
And from Asher, those who went out armed and prepared for battle: forty thousand.
v37
And from beyond the Jordan, from the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, with all their weapons of war for battle: one hundred and twenty thousand.
v38
All these were men of war arrayed in battle line with a whole heart. ^[Literally “with heart well”] They came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel had one heart to make David king.
v39
And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen were prepared for them.
v40
And also their relatives, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, on camels, on mules, and on oxen—provisions of flour, cakes of figs, raisin cakes, wine and oil, cattle and sheep in abundance, for there was great joy in Israel.