1 Chronicles 12:1-37

David's Army

12¹ Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag , while he was still restricted because e of Saul the son of Kish ; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war . ² They 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 . ³ The 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 , ⁴ and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite , a mighty man among the thirty , and over the thirty . Then Jeremiah , Jahaziel , Johanan , Jozabad the Gederathite , ⁵ Eluzai , Jerimoth , Bealiah , Shemariah , Shephatiah the Haruphite , ⁶ Elkanah , Isshiah , Azarel , Joezer , Jashobeam , the Korahites , ⁷ and Joelah and Zebadiah , the sons of Jeroham of Gedor . ⁸ From 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 . ⁹ Ezer was the first , Obadiah the second , Eliab the third , ¹⁰ Mishmannah the fourth , Jeremiah the fifth , ¹¹ Attai the sixth , Eliel the seventh , ¹² Johanan the eighth , Elzabad the ninth , ¹³ Jeremiah the tenth , Machbannai the eleventh e . ¹⁴ These 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 . ¹⁵ These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing e all its banks and they put to flight all those in the valleys , both to the east and to the west . ¹⁶ Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David . ¹⁷ David 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 ." ¹⁸ Then 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 . ¹⁹ From 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 ." ²⁰ As 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 . ²¹ They helped David against the band of raiders , for they were all mighty men of valor , and were captains in the army . ²² For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God .

²³ Now 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 . ²⁴ The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800 e e e , equipped for war . ²⁵ Of the sons of Simeon , mighty men of valor for war , 7,100 e e . ²⁶ Of the sons of Levi 4,600 e e . ²⁷ Now Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron , and with him were 3,700 e e e , ²⁸ also Zadok , a young man mighty of valor , and of his father's house twenty-two e captains . ²⁹ Of the sons of Benjamin , Saul's kinsmen , 3,000 e ; for until now the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul . ³⁰ Of the sons of Ephraim 20,800 e e e , mighty men of valor , famous men in their fathers' households . ³¹ Of the half-tribe e of Manasseh 18,000 e e , who were designated by name to come and make David king . ³² Of 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 . ³³ Of Zebulun , there were 50,000 e 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 e heart . ³⁴ Of Naphtali there were 1,000 captains , and with them 37,000 e e with shield and spear . ³⁵ Of the Danites who could draw up in battle formation , there were 28,600 e e e . ³⁶ Of Asher there were 40,000 e who went out in the army to draw up in battle formation . ³⁷ From the other side of the Jordan , of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe e of Manasseh , there were 120,000 e e with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle .