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These are the men who rallied to David at Ziklag while he was still being kept away from Saul son of Kish; they were among the champions, the warriors.
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They were equipped with bows and could sling stones or shoot arrows from the bow with either right hand or left. Of Saul's fellow-tribesmen from Benjamin:
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Ahiezer the leader, and Joash, sons of Hassemar of Gibeah, Jeziel and Peleth, sons of Azmaveth, Berachah and Jehu of Anathoth,
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Ishmaiah of Gibeon, one of the champions in the Thirty and commander of the Thirty,
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Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan and Jozabed of Gederoth,
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Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah of Hariph,
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Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer and Jashobeam the Korahites,
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Joelah, Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
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From the Gadites, some good, capable fighting men defected and came to David at the stronghold in the desert -- all skilled with shield and spear, fierce as lions and nimble as mountain gazelles.
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Ezer was the leader, Obadiah second, Eliab third,
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Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,
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Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,
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Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth,
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Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh.
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These Gadites were the leaders of the troops, the least of them a match for a hundred men and the greatest a match for a thousand.
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These were the men who once crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed its banks and had driven out all the lowlanders to east and west.
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Some of the Benjaminites and Judahites also joined David at the stronghold.
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When David came forward to meet them, he responded to them by saying, 'If you have come to me with peaceful intent to help me, you will find me a good friend. But if it is to betray me to my enemies, seeing that I have done nothing wrong, may the God of our ancestors take note and condemn you.'
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Then the Spirit invested Amasai the leader of the Thirty: 'We are your men, David; with you, son of Jesse! Peace be with you, peace be with you; peace be with those who help you! For your God has helped you!' And David accepted them, including them among his more senior officers.
12:20
Some Manassehites also defected to David as he was setting out with the Philistines to fight Saul. But he did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their chiefs sent him away, saying, 'He will defect to his master Saul and it will cost us our heads!'
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He was on his way to Ziklag when these Manassehites deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh.
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They helped David and his band, since they were all men of standing and became officers in the army.
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Indeed reinforcements reached David day after day, so that his camp grew into a camp of prodigious size.
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These are the numbers of fully armed men who joined David at Hebron to transfer Saul's kingdom to him in accordance with the order of Yahweh:
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Judahites carrying shield and spear: six thousand eight hundred fully armed warriors;
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Simeonites; seven thousand one hundred champions valiant in war;
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Levites: four thousand six hundred,
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in addition to Jehoiada, in command of the Aaronites, with three thousand seven hundred of these,
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Zadok, a young and valiant champion, and twenty-two commanders of his family;
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Benjaminites: three thousand kinsmen of Saul, most of them hitherto in the service of the House of Saul;
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Ephraimites: twenty thousand eight hundred valiant champions, men famous in their families;
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of the half-tribe of Manasseh: eighteen thousand men assigned by name to go and proclaim David king;
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Issacharites, sound judges of the times when Israel should take action, and the way to do it: two hundred chiefs and all their kinsmen under their command;
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Zebulunites: fifty thousand men fit for service, marshalled for battle, with warlike weapons of every kind, staunch-hearted auxiliaries;
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Naphtalites: a thousand commanders, and with them thirty-seven thousand men armed with shield and spear;
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Danites: twenty-eight thousand six hundred men marshalled for battle;
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Asherites: forty thousand men fit for service, marshalled for battle;
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from Transjordan: a hundred and twenty thousand men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, with warlike weapons of every kind.
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All these warriors in battle array came to David at Hebron with the firm determination of making David king of all Israel; and the rest of Israel, too, was of one mind in wanting to make David king.
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For three days they stayed there with David, eating and drinking, their fellow-tribesmen having made preparations for them;
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their neighbours too, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen-supplies of flour, fig cakes, bunches of raisins, wine, oil, quantities of oxen and sheep -- for there was joy in Israel.
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