The Reign of David

When David went to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh.

They helped David against the raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and commanders in the army.

For at that time men came to David day after day to help him, until he had a great army, like the army of God.

Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD:

From Judah: 6,800 armed troops bearing shields and spears.

From Simeon: 7,100 mighty men of valor, ready for battle.

From Levi: 4,600,

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

and Zadok, a mighty young man of valor, with 22 commanders from his own family.

From Benjamin, the kinsmen of Saul: 3,000, most of whom had remained loyal to the house of Saul up to that time.

From Ephraim: 20,800 mighty men of valor, famous among their own clans.

From the half-tribe of Manasseh: 18,000 designated by name to come and make David king.

From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their kinsmen at their command.

From Zebulun: 50,000 fit for service, trained for battle with all kinds of weapons of war, who with one purpose were devoted to David.

From Naphtali: 1,000 commanders, accompanied by 37,000 men with shield and spear.

From Dan: 28,600 prepared for battle.

From Asher: 40,000 fit for service, prepared for battle.

And from east of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh there: 120,000 armed with every kind of weapon of war.

All these men of war, arrayed for battle, came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of the Israelites were of one mind to make David king.

They spent three days there eating and drinking with David, for their relatives had provided for them.

And their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—abundant supplies of flour, fig cakes and raisin cakes, wine and oil, oxen and sheep. Indeed, there was joy in Israel.

Then David conferred with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands.

And he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers in all the land of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites in their cities and pasturelands, so that they may join us.

Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him in the days of Saul.”

And because this proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to it.