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Warriors Join David

These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle;

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The Growth of David’s Army

Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war,

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they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin):

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armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.

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Ahiezer their chief and Joash the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berakah, Jehu the Anathothite,

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The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of [a]Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite;

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and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty warrior among the Thirty, who was a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite,a

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Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite;

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Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite;

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Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite;

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Elkanah, Ishiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam the Korahites;

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Elkanah, Jisshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;

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and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

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and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

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Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains.

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Some Gadites [b]joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains:

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Ezer was the chief,
Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third,

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Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

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Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

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Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

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Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

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Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

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Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

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Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

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Jeremiah the tenth and Makbannai the eleventh.

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Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh.

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These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand.

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These were from the sons of Gad, captains of the army; the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand.

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It was they who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight everyone living in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

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These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

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Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold.

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Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold.

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David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”

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And David went out [c]to meet them, and answered and said to them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no [d]wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment.”

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Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:
“We are yours, David!
We are with you, son of Jesse!
Success, success to you,
and success to those who help you,
for your God will help you.”
So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.

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Then the Spirit [e]came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said:
“We are yours, O David;
We are on your side, O son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
And peace to your helpers!
For your God helps you.”
So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.

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Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”)

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And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, “He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.”

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When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh.

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When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh.

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They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army.

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And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army.

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Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God.b

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For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.

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Others Join David at Hebron

These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the Lord had said:

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David’s Army at Hebron

Now these were the numbers of the [f]divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord:

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from Judah, carrying shield and spear — 6,800 armed for battle;

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of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred [g]armed for war;

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from Simeon, warriors ready for battle — 7,100;

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of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred;

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from Levi — 4,600,

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of the sons of Levi four thousand six hundred;

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including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men,

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Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites, and with him three thousand seven hundred;

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and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family;

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Zadok, a young man, a valiant warrior, and from his father’s house twenty-two captains;

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from Benjamin, Saul’s tribe — 3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to Saul’s house until then;

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of the sons of Benjamin, relatives of Saul, three thousand (until then the greatest part of them had remained loyal to the house of Saul);

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from Ephraim, brave warriors, famous in their own clans — 20,800;

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of the sons of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, [h]famous men throughout their father’s house;

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from half the tribe of Manasseh, designated by name to come and make David king — 18,000;

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of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king;

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from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do — 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;

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of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;

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from Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty — 50,000;

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of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks;

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from Naphtali — 1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;

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of Naphtali one thousand captains, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear;

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from Dan, ready for battle — 28,600;

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of the Danites who could keep battle formation, twenty-eight thousand six hundred;

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from Asher, experienced soldiers prepared for battle — 40,000;

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of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation, forty thousand;

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and from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, armed with every type of weapon — 120,000.

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of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war.

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All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king.

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All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king.

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The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them.

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And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.

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Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.

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Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen — provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.

Parallel

New International Version

New King James Version

1 Chronicles 12

1 Chronicles 12