David’s Time in the Wilderness

(1 Samuel 22:1-2)

1Here’s a list of those who came to David at Ziklag when he was unable to travel freely due to Saul son of Kish. They were among the elite soldiers who assisted him in battle. 2Equipped as archers, they could use both their right and left hands to shoot arrows and hurl stones. As descendants of Benjamin, they were Saul’s relatives. 3Their leaders were Shemaah’s sons Ahiezer and Joash from Gibeah, Azmaveth’s sons Jeziel and Pelet, Beracah, Jehu from Anathoth, 4Ishmaiah from Gibeon (who was one of the elite among the Thirty and in charge over them),a Jeremiah,b Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad from Gederah, 5c Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite, 6Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, the descendants of Korah, 7and Jeroham’s sons Joelah and Zebadiah from Gedor.

8Mighty and experienced warriors from the descendants of Gad joined David at his wilderness stronghold. They were expert handlers of both shield and spear, with hardened looksd and as agilee as a gazelle on a mountain slope. 9Their leader was Ezer, Obadiah was second, Eliab third, 10Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, 11Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, 12Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, 13Jeremiah tenth, and Machbannai eleventh. 14These descendants of Gad were army leaders. The least of themf was equal to a hundred other soldiersg and the greatest to a thousand. 15These menh crossed the Jordan in the first month of the yeari during flood season and chased out everyone in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

16Later, some descendants of Benjamin and Judah approached David at his stronghold, 17and David went out to meet them. He told them, “If you’ve come in peace to be of help to me, then you’ll have my commitment.j But if you’ve come to betray me to my enemies, even though I’m innocent of wrongdoing, then may the God of our ancestors watch and judge.”

18Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, leader of the Thirty, and he said,

“David, we belong to you;

we’re with you, son of Jesse!

Peace, peace to you,

and peace to the one who helps you!

For your deliverer is your God.”

So David received them and assigned them to be officers over troops. 19Some of the descendants of Manasseh joinedk David when he was going to fight against Saul, accompanied by the Philistines. Even so, David was of no help to them, because the Philistine rulers were counseled to send him away. They told themselves, “He’s going to go over to his master Saul at the cost of our heads.”

20As he traveled toward Ziklag, these descendants of Manasseh joinedl him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders in charge thousands in Manasseh. 21They helped David against raiders, since they were all warriors and commanders in the army. 22Indeed people kept coming to David every day to help him, until his army became a great, vast army.m

David’s Army at Hebron

23What follows is a listing of the divisions of battle-ready troops who joined David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, in accordance with what the LORD had spoken. 24The army of Judah, equipped with both shields and spears, numbered 6,800 warriors, 25the elite warriors of Simeon numbered 7,100, 26and the descendants of Levi numbered 4,600.

27Jehoiada, a senior officern in the house of Aaron, broughto with him 3,700. 28Zadok, a young and valiant soldier, brought 22 commanders from his own ancestral house.

29The tribe ofp Benjamin, relatives of Saul numbered 3,000, of whom most had remained allied to what remained ofq Saul’s dynasty.

30The tribe of Ephraim suppliedr 20,800 valiant soldiers who were well known in their ancestral households.

31The half-tribe of Manasseh supplied 18,000, who had been appointed specifically to come and establish David as king.

32The tribe of Issachar supplied 200 leaders, along with all of their relatives under their command. They kept up-to-date in their understanding of the times and knew what Israel should do.

33The tribe of Zebulun supplied 50,000 experienced troops, trained in the use of every kind of war weapon, in order to help Davids with undivided loyalty.

34The tribe of Naphtali supplied 1,000 commanders, accompanied by 37,000 troops armed with shields and spears.

35The tribe of Dan supplied 28,600 battle-ready troops.

36The tribe of Asher supplied 40,000 experienced, battle-ready troops.

37The tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with the half-tribe of Manasseh east oft the Jordan supplied 120,000 men armed with every kind of war weapon.

38All these warriors arrived in battle order at Hebron, fully intending to establish David as king over all Israel. Furthermore, all of the rest of Israel were united in their intent to make David king. 39They spent three days eating and drinking with David, since their relatives had supplied provisions for them.

40Their neighbors came from as far away as the territories of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, bringing provisions loaded on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. They broughtu abundant provisions of meal, fig bars, raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep, because there was joy in Israel.