Divrei-HamYamim Alef (1 Ch) 12
12
1Following are the men who joined David at Ziklag while he was still being kept away from Sha’ul the son of Kish; they were among the warriors who helped him fight his battles. 2They were archers who could use either hand to sling stones or shoot arrows from a bow; they were Sha’ul’s kinsmen from Binyamin. 3Their leader was Achi‘ezer, then Yo’ash, the sons of Sh’ma‘ah the Giv‘ati, Y’zi’el, Pelet, the sons of ‘Azmavet, B’rakhah, Yehu from ‘Anatot, 4Yishma‘yah the Giv‘oni, one of the strongest of the thirty and commander of the thirty, 5Yirmeyah, Yachzi’el, Yochanan, Yozavad from G’derah, 6El‘uzai, Yerimot, B‘alyah, Sh’maryah, Sh’fatyah the Harufi, 7Elkanah, Yishiyahu, ‘Azar’el, Yo‘ezer, Yashov‘am the Korchi, 8and Yo‘elah and Z’vadyah the sons of Yerocham from G’dor.
9From the Gadi a number of strong, brave, trained fighting men defected to David at the fortress in the desert. They could handle shield and spear, they were as fierce as lions, and they were as fast as deer on the hills: 10‘Ezer was the leader, ‘Ovadyah was second, Eli’av third, 11Mishmanah fourth, Yirmeyah fifth, 12‘Atai sixth, Eli’el seventh, 13Yochanan eighth, Elzavad ninth, 14Yirmeyah tenth, and Makhbanai eleventh. 15These descendants of Gad were army commanders; the least of them was worth a hundred, and the greatest worth a thousand. 16These are the men who crossed the Yarden during the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks, and drove out all those who lived in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.
17From the descendants of Binyamin and Y’hudah a number came to David at the fortress. 18When David went out to meet them, he said, “If you are coming to me in peace to help me, my heart will be bonded to yours. But if you are coming to betray me to my enemies, then, since I have done nothing wrong, may the God of our fathers see it and judge.” 19Then the Spirit covered ‘Amasai the chief commander, and he said:
“We are yours, David;
on your side, son of Yishai!
Peace, peace to you,
and peace to your helpers;
for your God helps you.”
David welcomed them and made them senior officers.
20From M’nasheh some defected to David when he was about to go with the P’lishtim to fight against Sha’ul; but they ended up not helping them; because the rulers of the P’lishtim, after consultation, sent David away, saying, “He will defect to his master Sha’ul at the cost of our heads.” 21As he was on his way to Ziklag, those who defected to him from M’nasheh included ‘Adnach, Yozavad, Y’dia‘el, Mikha’el, Yozavad, Elihu and Tziltai, commanders of thousands from M’nasheh. 22They helped David against the raiding band, for they were all strong, brave men who were commanders in the army.
23Indeed, reinforcements to assist David reached him daily, until there was a great army, like the army of God. 24Following are the numbers of those who came armed for war to David in Hevron, in order to transfer to him the kingdom of Sha’ul, according to what Adonai had said.
25The descendants of Y’hudah bearing shields and spears numbered 6,800, armed for war.
26Of the descendants of Shim‘on, strong, brave men for war, there were 7,100.
27Of the descendants of Levi, there were 4,600. 28Y’hoyada was the leader of the house of Aharon, and with him were 3,700; 29also Tzadok, a young man, strong and brave, with twenty-two commanders from his father’s family.
30Of the descendants of Binyamin the kinsmen of Sha’ul, there were 3,000; for up until then, the majority of them had remained loyal to the house of Sha’ul.
31Of the descendants of Efrayim, there were 20,800 strong, brave men, well known in their fathers’ families.
32Of the half-tribe of M’nasheh, 18,000 were designated by name to come and make David king.
33Of the descendants of Yissakhar, men who understood the times and knew what Isra’el ought to do, there were 200 leaders, and all their kinsmen were under their command.
34Of Z’vulun, 50,000 men were fit for military service, experienced in war and able to use all kinds of weapons; they were brave, and none was doubleminded.
35Of Naftali, there were 1,000 officers, and with them 37,000 troops having shields and spears.
36Of Dan, 28,600 were experienced in war.
37Of Asher, 40,000 men were fit for military service and experienced in war.
38On the other side of the Yarden, from the Re’uveni, the Gadi and the half-tribe of M’nasheh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons for battle.
39All these soldiers who were experienced in war came to Hevron wholeheartedly to make David king over all Isra’el, and all the rest from Isra’el were single-hearted in wanting to make David king. 40They remained there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them. 41Moreover, those who were near them — and even those as far as Yissakhar, Z’vulun and Naftali — brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen: baked goods, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, and oxen and sheep in abundance; for there was joy in Isra’el.
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Divrei-HamYamim Alef (1 Ch) 12: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish Bible1 Chronicles 12
12
David's Men at Ziklag
1Some time earlier, David had gone to live in the town of Ziklag to escape from King Saul. While David was there, several brave warriors joined him to help fight his battles.#12.1 David had gone … battles: Ziklag was the Philistine town that King Achish of Gath gave David in return for his loyalty (see 1 Samuel 27.6). This happened during the time that David was living as an outlaw, so the events in this chapter actually took place before chapter 11 when David became king of Israel.
Warriors from the Benjamin tribe
2Several of these warriors were from King Saul's own tribe of Benjamin. They were experts at using a bow and arrows, and they could shoot an arrow or sling a stone with either hand. 3-7Their leaders were Ahiezer and Joash, the sons of Shemaah from Gibeah. Here is a list of those men from Benjamin: Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth; Ishmaiah from Gibeon, who was the leader of the Thirty Warriors; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah; Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph; Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam from the Korah clan; Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
Warriors from the Gad tribe
8Men from the tribe of Gad also joined David at his fortress in the desert and served as his warriors. They were also brave soldiers—fierce as lions and quick as gazelles. They were always prepared to fight with shields and spears. 9-13There were eleven of them, ranked in the following order: Ezer the leader, then Obadiah, Eliab, Mishmannah, Jeremiah, Attai, Eliel, Johanan, Elzabad, Jeremiah, and Machbannai.
14All these men were army officers; some were high-ranking officers over a thousand troops, and others were officers over a hundred troops. 15Earlier, they had crossed the Jordan River when it flooded, and they chased out the people who lived in the valleys on each side of the river.
Warriors from the Benjamin and Judah tribes
16One time a group of men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah went to the fortress where David was staying. 17David met them outside and said, “If you are coming as friends to fight on my side, then stay and join us. But if you try to turn me over to my enemies, the God our ancestors worshiped will punish you, because I have done nothing wrong.”
18Amasai, who later became the leader of the Thirty Warriors, was one of these men who went to David. God's Spirit took control of him, and he said, “We will join you, David son of Jesse! You and your followers will always be successful, because God fights on your side.”
So David agreed to let them stay, and he even put them in charge of his soldiers who raided enemy villages.
Warriors from the Manasseh tribe
19Some of the warriors who joined David were from the tribe of Manasseh. They had earlier gone with David when he agreed to fight on the side of the Philistines against King Saul. But as soon as the Philistine rulers realized that David might turn against them and rejoin Saul, they sent David away to the town of Ziklag. 20That's when the following men from Manasseh joined him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. They had all been commanders in Saul's army 21and brave soldiers, and so David made them officers in his army. They fought on his side when enemy troops attacked.
22Day after day, new men came to join David, and soon he had a large, powerful army.
David's Men at Hebron
23-37The kingdom of Israel had been taken away from Saul, and it now belonged to David. He was ruling from Hebron, and thousands of well-trained soldiers from each tribe went there to crown David king of all Israel, just as the Lord had promised. These soldiers, who were always prepared for battle, included: 6,800 from Judah, who were armed with shields and spears; 7,100 from Simeon; 4,600 from Levi, including Jehoiada, who was a leader from Aaron's descendants, and his 3,700 men, as well as Zadok, who was a brave soldier, and 22 of his relatives, who were also officers; 3,000 from Benjamin, because this was Saul's own tribe and most of the men had remained loyal to him; 20,800 from Ephraim, who were not only brave, but also famous in their clans; 18,000 from West Manasseh, who had been chosen to help make David king; 200 leaders from Issachar, along with troops under their command—these leaders knew the right time to do what needed to be done; 50,000 from Zebulun, who were not only loyal, but also trained to use any weapon; 1,000 officers from Naphtali and 37,000 soldiers armed with shields and spears; 28,600 from Dan; 40,000 from Asher; and 120,000 from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh, who were armed with all kinds of weapons.
38All of these soldiers voluntarily came to Hebron because they wanted David to become king of Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel wanted the same thing. 39The soldiers stayed in Hebron three days, eating and drinking what their relatives had prepared for them. 40Other Israelites from as far away as the territories of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought cattle and sheep to slaughter for food. They also brought donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen that were loaded down with flour, dried figs and raisins, wine, and olive oil.
Everyone in Israel was very happy.
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