1 Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag,
while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish: and they were among
the mighty men, helpers of the war.
2 They were armed with bows, and could use both
the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows
out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.
3 The
chief was Ahiezer,
then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons
of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Antothite,
4 And
Ismaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; and
Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite,
5 Eluzai,
and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite,
6 Elkanah,
and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korhites,
7 And
Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
8 And
of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the
wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for
the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the
faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the
mountains;
9 Ezer
the first, 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, Machbanai the eleventh.
14 These were of
the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over
an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.
15 These are they
that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks;
and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward
the east, and toward the west.
16 And
there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David.
17 And
David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come
peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to
betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our
fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.
18 Then
the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side,
thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to
thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made
them captains of the band.
19 And
there fell some of
Manasseh to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle:
but they helped them not: for the lords of the Philistines upon advisement sent
him away, saying, He will fall to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our
heads.
20 As
he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and
Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zilthai, captains of the
thousands that were of Manasseh.
21 And
they helped David against the band of the rovers: for they were all
mighty men of valour, and were captains in the host.
22 For
at that time
day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a
great host, like the host of God.
23 And
these are the
numbers of the bands that were ready armed to the war, and came
to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word
of the LORD.
24 The
children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready
armed to the war.
25 Of
the children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand and
one hundred.
26 Of
the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.
27 And
Jehoiada was the
leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred;
28 And
Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his father's house twenty and two
captains.
29 And
of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto
the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.
30 And
of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of
valour, famous throughout the house of their fathers.
31 And
of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed by name,
to come and make David king.
32 And
of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times,
to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two
hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
33 Of
Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of
war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart.
34 And
of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty and
seven thousand.
35 And
of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight thousand and six hundred.
36 And
of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.
37 And
on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the
half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle,
an hundred and twenty thousand.
38 All
these men of war, that could keep rank, 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.
39 And
there they were with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren
had prepared for them.
40 Moreover
they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and
Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat,
meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and
sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.
