1 Chronicles 12

Names of David's Warriors 1 Chronicles 12:3–7

³Verse 3. The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite; ⁴Verse 4. Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader of the thirty; Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite; ⁵Verse 5. Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Haruphite; ⁶Verse 6. Elkanah, Isshiah Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; ⁷Verse 7. and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

Gadites Join David 1 Chronicles 12:8–14

⁸Verse 8. Some Gadites joined David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains: ⁹Verse 9. Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, ¹⁰Verse 10. Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, ¹¹Verse 11. Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, ¹²Verse 12. Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, ¹³Verse 13. Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbannai the eleventh.

¹⁴Verse 14. These of the sons of Gad were captains of the army: he who was least was equal to one hundred, and the greatest to one thousand.

Crossing the Jordan 1 Chronicles 12:15–22

¹⁵Verse 15. These are those who went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all who lived in the valleys, both toward the east and toward the west. ¹⁶Verse 16. Some of the children of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. ¹⁷Verse 17. David went out to meet them, and answered them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers see this and rebuke it.”

¹⁸Verse 18. Then the Spirit came on Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, and he said, “We are yours, David, and on your side, you son of Jesse. Peace, peace be to you, and peace be to your helpers; for your God helps you.” Then David received them, and made them captains of the band. ¹⁹Verse 19. Some of Manasseh also joined David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle; but they didn’t help them; for the lords of the Philistines sent him away after consultation, saying, “He will desert to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.”

²⁰Verse 20. As he went to Ziklag, some from Manasseh joined him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands who were of Manasseh. ²¹Verse 21. They helped David against the band of rovers; for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the army. ²²Verse 22. For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like God’s army.

Numbers of the Warriors 1 Chronicles 12:23–32

²³Verse 23. These are the numbers of the heads of those who were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to Yahweh’s word. ²⁴Verse 24. The children of Judah who bore shield and spear were six thousand eight hundred, armed for war. ²⁵Verse 25. Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the war, seven thousand one hundred. ²⁶Verse 26. Of the children of Levi four thousand six hundred. ²⁷Verse 27. Jehoiada was the leader of the household of Aaron; and with him were three thousand seven hundred, ²⁸Verse 28. and Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father’s house twenty-two captains.

²⁹Verse 29. Of the children of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives, three thousand: for until then, the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to Saul’s house. ³⁰Verse 30. Of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses. ³¹Verse 31. Of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were mentioned by name, to come and make David king. ³²Verse 32. Of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their heads were two hundred; and all their brothers were at their command.

Celebration and Provision 1 Chronicles 12:33–40

³³Verse 33. Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the army, who could set the battle in array, with all kinds of instruments of war, fifty thousand, and who could command and were not of double heart. ³⁴Verse 34. Of Naphtali one thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty-seven thousand. ³⁵Verse 35. Of the Danites who could set the battle in array, twenty-eight thousand six hundred. ³⁶Verse 36. Of Asher, such as were able to go out in the army, who could set the battle in array, forty thousand. ³⁷Verse 37. On the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, with all kinds of instruments of war for the battle, one hundred twenty thousand.

³⁸Verse 38. All these were men of war, who could order the battle array, and came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king. ³⁹Verse 39. They were there with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brothers had supplied provisions for them. ⁴⁰Verse 40. Moreover those who were near to them, as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, brought bread on donkeys, on camels, on mules, and on oxen: supplies of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep in abundance; for there was joy in Israel.