1 Chronicles 12:8-40

8From the Gadites valiant mighty men went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness, men trained for war who could handle a large shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and 1they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains. 9Ezer was the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 10Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbannai, the eleventh. 14These men from the sons of Gad were 2captains of the army; 3the one who was least was equal to a hundred, and the greatest, to a thousand. 154These 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, to the east and to the west.

16Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. 17David went out to meet them, and said to them, “If you come peacefully to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no 5wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and decide.” 18Then 6the Spirit 7covered 8Amasai like clothing, the chief of the thirty; and he said, “We are yours, David, And are with you, son of Jesse! 9Peace, peace to you, And peace to him who helps you; Indeed, your God helps you!” Then David received them and made them 10captains of the troops.

1911From Manasseh some also defected to David when he was about to go to battle with the Philistines against Saul. But they did not help them, because the governors of the Philistines sent him away after consultation, saying, “At the cost of our heads he might defect to his master Saul.” 20As he was going to Ziklag, men from Manasseh defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, 12captains of thousands who belonged to Manasseh. 21They helped David against 13the band of raiders, for they were all valiant mighty men, and were captains in the army. 22For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army 14like the army of God.

23Now these are the numbers of the 15divisions equipped for war, 16who came to David at Hebron, 17to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, 18according to the 19word of the Lord. 24The sons of Judah who carried shield and spear numbered 6,800, equipped for war. 25From the sons of Simeon, valiant mighty men of war, 7,100. 26From the sons of Levi, 4,600. 27Now Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were 3,700, 28also 20Zadok, a young valiant mighty man, and from his father’s house, twenty-two captains. 29From the sons of Benjamin, 21Saul’s kinsmen, three thousand; for until now 22the majority of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. 30From the sons of Ephraim 20,800, valiant mighty men, famous men in their fathers’ households. 31From the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king. 32From the sons of Issachar, 23men 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 Zebulun, there were fifty thousand who went out in the army, who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David 24with 25an undivided heart. 34From Naphtali there were a thousand captains, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear. 35From the Danites who could draw up in battle formation, there were 28,600. 36From Asher there were forty thousand who went out in the army to draw up in battle formation. 37From the other side of the Jordan, from the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.

38All of these, being men of war who helped in battle formation, came to Hebron with 26a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel also were of one mind to make David king. 39They were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them. 40Moreover, those who were near to them, as far as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, 27brought 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.