Revised Standard Version RSV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.
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These are the men who joined David in Ziklag; it was during the time he was banished by Saul the son of Kish; they were among the Mighty Men, good fighters.
2 They were bowmen, and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul's kinsmen.
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They were armed with bows and could sling stones and shoot arrows either right- or left-handed. They hailed from Saul's tribe, Benjamin.
3 The chief was Ahi-e'zer, then Jo'ash, both sons of Shema'ah of Gib'e-ah; also Je'zi-el and Pelet the sons of Az'maveth; Ber'acah, Jehu of An'athoth,
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The first was Ahiezer; then Joash son of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite;
4 Ishma'iah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jaha'ziel, Joha'nan, Joz'abad of Gede'rah,
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Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a Mighty Man among the Thirty, a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite;
5 Elu'zai, Jer'imoth, Beali'ah, Shemari'ah, Shephati'ah the Har'uphite;
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Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Haruphite;
6 Elka'nah, Isshi'ah, Az'arel, Jo-e'zer, and Jasho'be-am, the Ko'rahites;
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Elkanah; Isshiah; Azarel; Joezer; Jashobeam; the Korahites;
7 and Joe'lah and Zebadi'ah, the sons of Jero'ham of Gedor.
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and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.
8 From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains:
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There were some Gadites there who had defected to David at his wilderness fortress; they were seasoned and eager fighters who knew how to handle shield and spear. They were wild in appearance, like lions, but as agile as gazelles racing across the hills.
9 Ezer the chief, Obadi'ah second, Eli'ab third,
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Ezer was the first, then Obadiah, Eliab,
10 Mishman'nah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,
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Mishmannah, Jeremiah,
11 Attai sixth, Eli'el seventh,
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Attai, Eliel,
12 Joha'nan eighth, Elza'bad ninth,
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Johanan, Elzabad,
13 Jeremiah tenth, Mach'bannai eleventh.
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Jeremiah, and Macbannai - eleven of them.
14 These Gadites were officers of the army, the lesser over a hundred and the greater over a thousand.
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These Gadites were the cream of the crop - any one of them was worth a hundred lesser men, and the best of them were worth a thousand.
15 These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
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They were the ones who crossed the Jordan when it was at flood stage in the first month, and put everyone in the lowlands to flight, both east and west.
16 And some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.
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There were also men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah who joined David in his wilderness fortress.
17 David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in friendship to help me, my heart will be knit to you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no wrong in my hands, then may the God of our fathers see and rebuke you."
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When David went out to meet them, this is what he said: "If you have come in peace and to help me, you are most welcome to join this company; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies, innocent as I am, the God of our ancestors will see through you and bring judgment on you."
18 Then the Spirit came upon Ama'sai, 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 your helpers! For your God helps you." Then David received them, and made them officers of his troops.
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Just then Amasai chief of the Thirty, moved by God's Spirit, said, We're on your side, O David, We're committed, O son of Jesse; All is well, yes, all is well with you, And all's well with whoever helps you. Yes, for your God has helped and does help you. So David took them on and assigned them a place under the chiefs of the raiders.
19 Some of the men of Manas'seh deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. (Yet he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines took counsel and sent him away, saying, "At peril to our heads he will desert to his master Saul.")
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Some from the tribe of Manasseh also defected to David when he started out with the Philistines to go to war against Saul. In the end, they didn't actually fight because the Philistine leaders, after talking it over, sent them home, saying, "We can't trust them with our lives - they'll betray us to their master Saul."
20 As he went to Ziklag these men of Manas'seh deserted to him: Adnah, Joz'abad, Jedi'a-el, Michael, Joz'abad, Eli'hu, and Zil'lethai, chiefs of thousands in Manas'seh.
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The men from Manasseh who defected to David at Ziklag were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, all leaders among the families of Manasseh.
21 They helped David against the band of raiders; for they were all mighty men of valor, and were commanders in the army.
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They helped David in his raids against the desert bandits; they were all stalwart fighters and good leaders among his raiders.
22 For from day to day men kept coming to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.
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Hardly a day went by without men showing up to help - it wasn't long before his band seemed as large as God's own army!
23 These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops, who came to David in Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the LORD.
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Here are the statistics on the battle-seasoned warriors who came down from the north to David at Hebron to hand over Saul's kingdom, in accord with God's word:
24 The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were six thousand eight hundred armed troops.
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from Judah, carrying shield and spear, 6,800 battle-ready;
25 Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, seven thousand one hundred.
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from Simeon, 7,100 stalwart fighters;
26 Of the Levites four thousand six hundred.
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from Levi, 4,600,
27 The prince Jehoi'ada, of the house of Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred.
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which included Jehoiada leader of the family of Aaron, bringing 3,700 men
28 Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own father's house.
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and the young and stalwart Zadok with twenty-two leaders from his family;
29 Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, three thousand, of whom the majority had hitherto kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.
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from Benjamin, Saul's family, 3,000, most of whom had stuck it out with Saul until now;
30 Of the E'phraimites twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers' houses.
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from Ephraim, 20,800, fierce fighters and famous in their hometowns;
31 Of the half-tribe of Manas'seh eighteen thousand, who were expressly named to come and make David king.
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from the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000 elected to come and make David king;
32 Of Is'sachar men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.
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from Issachar, men who understood both the times and Israel's duties, 200 leaders with their families;
33 Of Zeb'ulun fifty thousand seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David with singleness of purpose.
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from Zebulun, 50,000 well-equipped veteran warriors, unswervingly loyal;
34 Of Naph'tali a thousand commanders with whom were thirty-seven thousand men armed with shield and spear.
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from Naphtali, 1,000 chiefs leading 37,000 men heavily armed;
35 Of the Danites twenty-eight thousand six hundred men equipped for battle.
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from Dan, 28,600 battle-ready men;
36 Of Asher forty thousand seasoned troops ready for battle.
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from Asher, 40,000 veterans, battle-ready;
37 Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh from beyond the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand men armed with all the weapons of war.
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and from East of Jordan, men from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, heavily armed, 120,000.
38 All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David king over all Israel; likewise all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king.
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All these soldiers came to David at Hebron, ready to fight if necessary; they were both united and determined to make David king over all Israel. And everyone else in Israel was of the same mind - "Make David king!"
39 And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had made preparation for them.
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They were with David for three days of feasting celebration, with food and drink supplied by their families.
40 And also their neighbors, from as far as Is'sachar and Zeb'ulun and Naph'tali, came bringing food on asses and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of meal, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.
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Neighbors ranging from as far north as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali arrived with donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen loaded down with food for the party: flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep - joy in Israel! David Goes to Get the Chest of God