1 These also are they that came to Dauid to Ziklag, while he was yet kept close, because of Saul the sonne of Kish: and they were among the valiant and helpers of the battel. 2 They were weaponed with bowes, and could vse the right and the left hand with stones and with arrowes and with bowes, and were of Sauls brethren, euen of Beniamin. 3 The chiefe were Ahiezer, and Ioash the sonnes of Shemaah a Gibeathite, and Ieziel, and Pelet the sonnes of Asinaueth, Berachah and Iehu the Antothite, 4 And Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a valiant man among thirtie, and aboue the thirtie, and Ieremiah, and Iehaziel, and Iohanan, and Ioshabad the Gederathite, 5 Eluzai, and Ierimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite, 6 Elkanah, and Ishiah, and Azariel, and Ioezer, Iashobeam of Hakorehim, 7 And Ioelah, and Zebadiah, the sonnes of Ieroham of Gedor, 8 And of the Gadites there separated them selues some vnto Dauid into the holde of the wildernesse, valiant men of warre, and men of armes, and apt for battel, which coulde handle speare and shielde, and their faces were like the faces of lyons, and were like the roes in the mountaines in swiftnesse, 9 Ezer the chiefe, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 10 Mishmanah the fourth, Ieremiah the fift, 11 Attai the sixt, Eliel the seuenth, 12 Iohanan the eight, Elzabad the ninth, 13 Ieremiah the tenth, Macbannai the eleuenth. 14 These were the sonnes of Gad, captaines of the hoste: one of the least could resist an hundreth, and the greatest a thousand. 15 These are they that went ouer Iorden in the first moneth when he had filled ouer all his bankes, and put to flight all them of the valley, toward the East and the West. 16 And there came of the children of Beniamin, and Iudah to the hold vnto Dauid, 17 And Dauid went out to meete them, and answered and sayde vnto them, If yee be come peaceably vnto me to helpe me, mine heart shall be knit vnto you, but if you come to betray me to mine aduersaries, seeing there is no wickednes in mine handes, the God of our fathers beholde it, and rebuke it. 18 And the spirit came vpon Amasai, which was the chiefe of thirtie, and he said, Thine are we, Dauid, and with thee, O sonne of Ishai. Peace, peace be vnto thee, and peace be vnto thine helpers: for thy God helpeth thee. Then Dauid receiued them, and made them captaines of the garison. 19 And of Manasseh some fell to Dauid, when he came with the Philistims against Saul to battell, but they helped them not: for the Princes of the Philistims by aduisement sent him away, saying, He will fall to his master Saul for our heads. 20 As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Iozabad, and Iediael, and Michael, and Iozabad, and Elihu, and Ziltai, heads of the thousands that were of Manasseh. 21 And they helped Dauid against that bad: for they were all valiant men and were captaines in the hoste. 22 For at that time day by day there came to Dauid to helpe him, vntill it was a great hoste, like the hoste of God. 23 And these are the nombers of the captaines that were armed to battell, and came to Dauid to Hebron to turne the kingdome of Saul to him, according to the worde of the Lord. 24 The children of Iudah that bare shield and speare, were sixe thousand and eight hundreth armed to the warre. 25 Of the children of Simeon valiant men of warre, seuen thousand and an hundreth. 26 Of the children of Leui foure thousande and sixe hundreth. 27 And Iehoiada was the chiefe of them of Aaron: and with him three thousande and seuen hundreth. 28 And Zadok a yong man very valiant, and of his fathers housholde came two and twentie captaines. 29 And of the children of Beniamin the brethren of Saul three thousande: for a great part of them vnto that time kept the warde of the house of Saul. 30 And of the children of Ephraim twentie thousande, and eight hundreth valiant men and famous men in the housholde of their fathers. 31 And of the halfe tribe of Manasseh eighteene thousand, which were appointed by name to come and make Dauid King. 32 And of the children of Issachar which were men that had vnderstanding of the times, to knowe what Israel ought to doe: the heades of them were two hundreth, and all their brethren were at their commandement. 33 Of Zebulun that went out to battel, expert in warre, and in all instruments of warre, fiftie thousande which could set the battell in aray: they were not of a double heart. 34 And of Naphtali a thousand captaines, and with them with shielde and speare seuen and thirtie thousande. 35 And of Dan expert in battell, eyght and twentie thousande, and sixe hundreth. 36 And of Asher that went out to the battell and were trained in the warres, fourtie thousand. 37 And of the other side of Iorden of the Reubenites, and of the Gadites, and of the halfe tribe of Manasseh with all instruments of warre to fight with, an hundreth and twentie thousand. 38 All these men of warre that coulde leade an armie, came with vpright heart to Hebron to make Dauid King ouer all Israel: and all the rest of Israel was of one accorde to make Dauid King: 39 And there they were with Dauid three dayes, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them. 40 Moreouer they that were neere them vntill Issachar, and Zebulun, and Naphtali brought bread vpon asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, euen meate, floure, figges, and reisins, and wine and oyle, and beeues and sheepe abundantly: for there was ioy in Israel.
David's Early Followers from the Tribe of Benjamin
1 David was living in Ziklag, where he had gone to escape from King Saul. There he was joined by many experienced, reliable soldiers, 2 members of the tribe of Benjamin, to which Saul belonged. They could shoot arrows and sling stones either right-handed or left-handed. 3-7 They were under the command of Ahiezer and Joash, sons of Shemaah, from Gibeah.
These were the soldiers:
Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth
Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth
Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a famous soldier and one of the leaders of “The Thirty”
Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johannan, and Jozabad, from Gederah
Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah, from Hariph
Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, of the clan of Korah
Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham, from Gedor
David's Followers from the Tribe of Gad
8 These are the names of the famous, experienced soldiers from the tribe of Gad who joined David's troops when he was at the desert fort. They were experts with shields and spears, as fierce looking as lions and as quick as mountain deer. 9-13 They were ranked in the following order: Ezer, Obadiah, Eliab, Mishmannah, Jeremiah, Attai, Eliel, Johanan, Elzabad, Jeremiah, and Machbannai.
14 Some of these men from the tribe of Gad were senior officers in command of a thousand men, and others were junior officers in command of a hundred. 15 In the first month of one year, the time when the Jordan River overflowed its banks, they crossed the river, scattering the people who lived in the valleys both east and west of the river.
Followers from Benjamin and Judah
16 Once a group of men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah went out to the fort where David was. 17 David went to meet them and said, “If you are coming as friends to help me, you are welcome here. Join us! But if you intend to betray me to my enemies, even though I have not tried to hurt you, the God of our ancestors will know it and punish you.”
18 God's spirit took control of one of them, Amasai, who later became the commander of “The Thirty,” and he called out,
“David son of Jesse, we are yours!
Success to you and those who help you!
God is on your side.”
David welcomed them and made them officers in his army.
Followers from Manasseh
19 Some soldiers from the tribe of Manasseh went over to David's side when he was marching out with the Philistines to fight King Saul. Actually he did not help the Philistines, for their kings were afraid that he would betray them to his former master Saul, so they sent him back to Ziklag. 20 These are the soldiers from Manasseh who went over to David's side when he was returning: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. In Manasseh they had all commanded units of a thousand men. 21 They served David as officers over his troops, because they were all outstanding soldiers. Later they were officers in the Israelite army. 22 Almost every day new men joined David's forces, so that his army was soon enormous.
List of David's Forces
23-37 When David was at Hebron, many trained soldiers joined his army to help make him king in place of Saul, as the Lord had promised. Their numbers were as follows:
Judah: 6,800 well-equipped men, armed with shields and spears;
Simeon: 7,100 well-trained men;
Levi: 4,600 men;
Followers of Jehoiada, descendant of Aaron: 3,700 men;
Relatives of Zadok, an able young fighter: 22 leading men;
Benjamin (Saul's own tribe): 3,000 men (most of the people of Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul);
Ephraim: 20,800 men famous in their own clans;
West Manasseh: 18,000 men chosen to go and make David king;
Issachar: 200 leaders, together with the men under their command (these leaders knew what Israel should do and the best time to do it);
Zebulun: 50,000 loyal and reliable men ready to fight, trained to use all kinds of weapons;
Naphtali: 1,000 leaders, together with 37,000 men armed with shields and spears;
Dan: 28,600 trained men;
Asher: 40,000 men ready for battle;
Tribes east of the Jordan—Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh: 120,000 men trained to use all kinds of weapons.
38 All these soldiers, ready for battle, went to Hebron, determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the people of Israel were united in the same purpose. 39 They spent three days there with David, feasting on the food and drink which their relatives had prepared for them. 40 From as far away as the northern tribes of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, people came bringing donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen loaded with food—flour, figs, raisins, wine, and olive oil. They also brought cattle and sheep to kill and eat. All this was an expression of the joy that was felt throughout the whole country.