1The following men joined David at Ziklag while he was hiding from Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who fought beside David in battle. 2All of them were expert archers who could shoot arrows or sling stones with their left hand as well as their right. They were all relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. 3Their leader was Ahiezer son of Shemaah from Gibeah; his brother Joash was second-in-command. These were the other warriors: Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth; 4Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a famous warrior and leader among the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah; 5Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph; 6Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites; 7Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor. 8Some brave and experienced warriors from the tribe of Gad also defected to David while he was at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were expert with both shield and spear, as fierce as lions and as swift as deer on the mountains. 9Ezer was their leader. Obadiah was second. Eliab was third. 10Mishmannah was fourth. Jeremiah was fifth. 11Attai was sixth. Eliel was seventh. 12Johanan was eighth. Elzabad was ninth. 13Jeremiah was tenth. Macbannai was eleventh. 14These warriors from Gad were army commanders. The weakest among them could take on a hundred regular troops, and the strongest could take on a thousand! 15They crossed the Jordan River during its seasonal flooding at the beginning of the year and drove out all the people living in the lowlands on both the east and west banks. 16Others from Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. 17David went out to meet them and said: »If you have come in peace to help me, we are friends. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our ancestors see and judge you.« 18Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who later became a leader among the Thirty, and he said: »We are yours, David! We are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace and prosperity be with you, and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you.« So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops. 19Some men from Manasseh defected from the Israelite army and joined David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. But as it turned out, the Philistine leaders refused to let David and his men go with them. After much discussion, they sent them back, for they said: »It will cost us our lives if David switches loyalties to Saul and turns against us.« 20Here is a list of the men from Manasseh who defected to David as he was returning to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. Each commanded a thousand troops from the tribe of Manasseh. 21They helped David chase down bands of raiders, for they were all brave and able warriors who became commanders in his army. 22Day after day more men joined David until he had a great army, like the army of God. 23These are the numbers of armed warriors who joined David at Hebron. They were all eager to see David become king instead of Saul, just as Jehovah had promised. 24From the tribe of Judah, there were six thousand eight hundred warriors armed with shields and spears. 25From the tribe of Simeon, there were seven thousand one hundred warriors. 26From the tribe of Levi, there were four thousand six hundred troops. 27This included Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, who had three thousand seven hundred under his command. 28This also included Zadok, a young warrior, with twenty-two members of his family who were all officers. 29From the tribe of Benjamin, Saul’s relatives, there were three thousand warriors. Most of the men from Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul until this time. 30From the tribe of Ephraim, there were twenty thousand eight hundred warriors, each famous in his own clan. 31From the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, eighteen thousand men were sent for the express purpose of helping David become king. 32From the tribe of Issachar, there were two hundred leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the temper of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. 33From the tribe of Zebulun, there were fifty thousand skilled warriors. They were fully armed and prepared for battle and completely loyal to David. 34From the tribe of Naphtali, there were one thousand officers and thirty-seven thousand warriors armed with shields and spears. 35From the tribe of Dan, there were twenty-eight thousand six hundred warriors, all prepared for battle. 36From the tribe of Asher, there were forty thousand trained warriors, all prepared for battle. 37From the east side of the Jordan River—where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh lived—there were one hundred twenty thousand troops armed with every kind of weapon. 38All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king of Israel. In fact, all Israel agreed that David should be their king. 39They feasted and drank with David for three days. Their relatives had made preparations for their arrival. 40People from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine; olive oil, cattle, and sheep were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel