Chapter 12 Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself
close because of Saul the son of Kish.
And they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.
They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in
hurling stones and shooting arrows out of the bow, even of Saul's brethren of
Benjamin.
The chief was Ahaziah, then Joash the sons of Shemaiah the Gibeothite, and Jezeel and
Pilate the sons of Asmaveth, and Berekeh and Jehu the Antithite, and Ismaiah the
Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty, and Jeremiah,
and Jehaziel, and Johanan, and Josabath the Gadarathite, Elusai, and Jeremoth,
and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Heruphite, Elkanah, and Josiah,
and Azariel, and Joesa, and Jashobim the Korhites, and Joila, and Zebediah the sons
of Jeroham of Gedor.
And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the
wilderness, men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle
shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as
the rose upon the mountains.
Esa the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, Mishmah the fourth,
Jeremiah the fifth, Attai the sixth, Elial the seventh, Johanan the eighth,
Elzabath the ninth, Jeremiah the tenth, Machbanai the eleventh.
These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host.
One of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.
These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all
his banks.
And they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east and toward
the west.
And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David.
And David went out to meet them, and answered, and said unto them,
If ye become peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you.
But if ye become to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine
hands, the God of our fathers look thereon and rebuke it.
Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains,
and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side thou son of Jesse.
Peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers, for thy God helpeth thee.
Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.
And there fell some of Manasseh to David, when he came with the Philistines against
Saul to battle.
But they helped them not, for the lords of the Philistines, upon advisement,
sent him away, saying, He will fall to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.
As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adna, and Jehozabad,
and Judaeel, and Michael, and Jehozabad, and Elihu, and Zilthi, captains of the
thousands that were of Manasseh.
And they helped David against the band of the rovers, for they were all mighty men
of valor, and were captains in the host.
For at that time, day by day, there came to David to help him, until it was a great
host, like the host of God.
And these are the numbers of the bands that were ready armed to the war,
and came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the
word of the Lord.
The children of Judah, that bear shield and spear, were 6,800, ready armed to the
war.
Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the war, 7,100.
Of the children of Levi, 4,600.
And Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronites, and with him were 3,700.
And Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father's house, 20 and 2
captains.
And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, 3,000, for hitherto
the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.
And of the children of Ephraim, 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous
throughout the house of their fathers.
And of the half tribe of Manasseh, 18,000, which were expressed by name,
to come and make David king.
And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of
the times, to know what Israel ought to do.
The heads of them were 200, and all their brethren were at their commandment.
Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of
war, 50,000, which could keep rank.
They were not of double heart.
And of Naphtali, 1,000 captains, and with them with shield and spear,
30 and 7,000.
And of the Danites, expert in war, 20 and 8,600.
And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, 40,000.
And on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites,
and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for
the battle, 120,000.
All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron,
to make David king over all Israel.
And all the rest, also of Israel, were of one heart to make David king.
And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren
had prepared for them.
Moreover, they that were nigh, them, even unto Issachar, and Zebulun,
and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen,
and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine,
and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly.
For there was joy in Israel.