Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,
Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,
Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh.
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.
These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.
Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.
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.”
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.
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.”
They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the army.
For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God.
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.
The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800, equipped for war.
Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100.
Of the sons of Levi 4,600.
Now Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were 3,700,
Of the sons of Benjamin, Saul’s kinsmen, 3,000; for until now the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.
Of the sons of Ephraim 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ households.
Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king.
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.
Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 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 heart.
Of the Danites who could draw up in battle formation, there were 28,600.
Of Asher there were 40,000 who went out in the army to draw up in battle formation.
From the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.
All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king.
Then David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader.
David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the LORD our God, let us send everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may meet with us;
and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.”
Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, the LORD who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called.
They carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.
When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly upset it.
The anger of the LORD burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.
Then David became angry because of the LORD’S outburst against Uzza; and he called that place Perez-uzza to this day.
David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?”
So David did not take the ark with him to the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months; and the LORD blessed the family of Obed-edom with all that he had.
And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted, for the sake of His people Israel.
Then David took more wives at Jerusalem, and David became the father of more sons and daughters.
These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; and David heard of it and went out against them.
Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim.
David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You give them into my hand?” Then the LORD said to him, “Go up, for I will give them into your hand.”
So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there; and David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore they named that place Baal-perazim.
They abandoned their gods there; so David gave the order and they were burned with fire.
The Philistines made yet another raid in the valley.
David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.
It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”
David did just as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even as far as Gezer.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
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