New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1The following men joined David at Ziklag while he was hiding from Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who fought beside David in battle.

1Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.

2All of them were expert archers, and they could shoot arrows or sling stones with their left hand as well as their right. They were all relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin.

2They were equipped with bows, using both the right hand and the left to sling stones and to shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul's kinsmen from Benjamin.

3Their leader was Ahiezer son of Shemaah from Gibeah; his brother Joash was second-in-command. These were the other warriors: Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu from Anathoth;

3The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah and Jehu the Anathothite,

4Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a famous warrior and leader among the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah;

4and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty. Then Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,

5Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph;

5Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite,

6Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites;

6Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, the Korahites,

7Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

7and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

8Some brave and experienced warriors from the tribe of Gad also defected to David while he was at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were expert with both shield and spear, as fierce as lions and as swift as deer on the mountains.

8From the Gadites there came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains.

9Ezer was their leader. Obadiah was second. Eliab was third.

9Ezer was the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

10Mishmannah was fourth. Jeremiah was fifth.

10Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

11Attai was sixth. Eliel was seventh.

11Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

12Johanan was eighth. Elzabad was ninth.

12Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

13Jeremiah was tenth. Macbannai was eleventh.

13Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.

14These warriors from Gad were army commanders. The weakest among them could take on a hundred regular troops, and the strongest could take on a thousand!

14These of the sons of Gad were captains of the army; he who was least was equal to a hundred and the greatest to a thousand.

15These were the men who crossed the Jordan River during its seasonal flooding at the beginning of the year and drove out all the people living in the lowlands on both the east and west banks.

15These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.

16Others from Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold.

16Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.

17David went out to meet them and said, “If you have come in peace to help me, we are friends. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our ancestors see it and punish you.”

17David went out to meet them, and said to them, "If you come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and decide."

18Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the leader of the Thirty, and he said, “We are yours, David! We are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace and prosperity be with you, and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you.” So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops.

18Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was the chief of the thirty, and he said, "We are yours, O David, And with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to him who helps you; Indeed, your God helps you!" Then David received them and made them captains of the band.

19Some men from Manasseh defected from the Israelite army and joined David when he set out with the Philistines to fight against Saul. But as it turned out, the Philistine rulers refused to let David and his men go with them. After much discussion, they sent them back, for they said, “It will cost us our heads if David switches loyalties to Saul and turns against us.”

19From Manasseh also some defected to David when he was about to go to battle with the Philistines against Saul. But they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines after consultation sent him away, saying, "At the cost of our heads he may defect to his master Saul."

20Here is a list of the men from Manasseh who defected to David as he was returning to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. Each commanded 1,000 troops from the tribe of Manasseh.

20As he went to Ziklag there defected to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, captains of thousands who belonged to Manasseh.

21They helped David chase down bands of raiders, for they were all brave and able warriors who became commanders in his army.

21They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the army.

22Day after day more men joined David until he had a great army, like the army of God.

22For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God.

23These are the numbers of armed warriors who joined David at Hebron. They were all eager to see David become king instead of Saul, just as the LORD had promised.

23Now these are the numbers of the divisions equipped for war, who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD.

24From the tribe of Judah, there were 6,800 warriors armed with shields and spears.

24The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800, equipped for war.

25From the tribe of Simeon, there were 7,100 brave warriors.

25Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100.

26From the tribe of Levi, there were 4,600 warriors.

26Of the sons of Levi 4,600.

27This included Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, who had 3,700 under his command.

27Now Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were 3,700,

28This also included Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 members of his family who were all officers.

28also Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father's house twenty-two captains.

29From the tribe of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives, there were 3,000 warriors. Most of the men from Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul until this time.

29Of the sons of Benjamin, Saul's kinsmen, 3,000; for until now the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.

30From the tribe of Ephraim, there were 20,800 brave warriors, each highly respected in his own clan.

30Of the sons of Ephraim 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers' households.

31From the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, 18,000 men were designated by name to help David become king.

31Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king.

32From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.

32Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.

33From the tribe of Zebulun, there were 50,000 skilled warriors. They were fully armed and prepared for battle and completely loyal to David.

33Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who went out in the army, who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David with an undivided heart.

34From the tribe of Naphtali, there were 1,000 officers and 37,000 warriors armed with shields and spears.

34Of Naphtali there were 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 with shield and spear.

35From the tribe of Dan, there were 28,600 warriors, all prepared for battle.

35Of the Danites who could draw up in battle formation, there were 28,600.

36From the tribe of Asher, there were 40,000 trained warriors, all prepared for battle.

36Of Asher there were 40,000 who went out in the army to draw up in battle formation.

37From the east side of the Jordan River—where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh lived—there were 120,000 troops armed with every kind of weapon.

37From the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.

38All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king.

38All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king.

39They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival.

39They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them.

40And people from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, sheep, and goats were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel.

40Moreover those who were near to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and on oxen, great quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen and sheep. There was joy indeed in Israel.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org