1 Chronicles 12

1 These are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still shut away from the face of Saul son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war, 2 armed with the bow from the right hand and from the left, slingers with stones and shooters with bows. Of the brothers of Saul, of Benjamin:

3 Ahiezer the leader, and Joash son of Asma the Gebothite; Joel and Jophalet, sons of Azmoth; Berechiah, and Jeul the Anathothite; [a] 4 and Shemaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty and over the thirty; 5 Jeremiah, Jeziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gadarathite; [b] 6 Eliazai, Jarimoth, Baaliah, Samariah, and Shephatiah the Charaiphite; [c] 7 Elkanah, Jesuni, Ozriel, Joazar, and Jesboam, the Korahites; 8 and Elia and Zebadiah, sons of Iraam, sons of Gedor. [d]

9 And from the Gadites men set themselves apart and went over to David out of the wilderness — strong men, mighty men drawn up for war, carrying shields and spears. Their faces were like the face of a lion, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains. [e] 10 Azer the leader, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 11 Masemanne the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 12 Eththi the sixth, Eliab the seventh, 13 Johanan the eighth, Eliazer the ninth, 14 Jeremiah the tenth, Machabannai the eleventh. [f] 15 These were from the sons of Gad, commanders of the army: the least of them over a hundred, and the greatest over a thousand. [g] 16 These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had filled every one of its banks, and they drove out everyone living in the valleys, from the east to the west. [h]

17 And some of the sons of Benjamin and of Judah came to help David. 18 And David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace, let my heart be at one with you. But if you have come to hand me over to my enemies, with no truth in your hand, may the God of our fathers see it and call you to account.” [i] 19 And a spirit clothed Amasai, the leader of the thirty, and he said, “Go, you and your people, David son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to those who help you, for your God has helped you.” And David welcomed them and made them commanders of the forces. [j]

20 And from Manasseh men came over to David when the Philistines came against Saul to war; but he did not help them, because the commanders of the Philistines took counsel and said, “He will go back to his master Saul with the heads of these men.” [k] 21 As he was going to Ziklag, there came over to him from Manasseh: Edna, Jozabath, Jodiel, Michael, Josabeth, Elimuth, and Selathi. These are the heads of the thousands of Manasseh. [l] 22 And they fought at David’s side against the raiding party, for they were all mighty in strength, and they were leaders in the army and in the fighting force. [m] 23 For day after day men kept coming to David, until there was a great force, like the force of God.

24 And these are the names of the commanders of the army who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord. 25 The sons of Judah, carrying shields and spears: 6,800, mighty in the battle line. 26 Of the sons of Simeon, mighty in strength for the battle line: 7,100. 27 Of the sons of Levi: 4,600; 28 and Jehoiada, the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him 3,700; 29 and Zadok, a young man mighty in strength, and twenty-two leaders of his father’s house. 30 And from the sons of Benjamin, the brothers of Saul: 3,000 — and most of them were still keeping watch over the house of Saul.

31 And from the sons of Ephraim: 20,800, mighty in strength, men of renown in their fathers’ houses. 32 And from the half-tribe of Manasseh: 18,000, who were named by name to make David king. 33 And from the sons of Issachar, men who knew understanding for the times, who knew what Israel should do concerning their rulers: two hundred, and all their brothers with them. [n] 34 And from Zebulun, going out in the battle line of war with every weapon of war: 50,000, to help David without wavering. [o] 35 And from Naphtali: a thousand leaders, and with them 37,000 with shields and spears. 36 And from the Danites, drawn up for war: 28,800. 37 And from Asher, going out to help in war: 40,000. 38 And from beyond the Jordan — from Reuben and the Gadites and from the half-tribe of Manasseh — with every weapon of war: 120,000.

39 All these were men of war, drawn up in the battle line with a peaceable soul, and they came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel; and the rest of Israel were of one soul to make David king. 40 And they were there three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers had made preparations for them. 41 And their neighbors, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought them provisions on camels and donkeys and mules and young bulls: flour, cakes of pressed figs, raisins, wine and oil, young bulls and sheep in abundance — for there was joy in Israel.