1 Chronicles 12
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The Mighty Men Join David at Ziklag
1וְאֵ֗לֶּה הַבָּאִ֤ים אֶל־דָּוִיד֙ לְצִ֣יקְלַ֔ג ע֣וֹד עָצ֔וּר מִפְּנֵ֖י שָׁא֣וּל בֶּן־קִ֑ישׁ וְהֵ֙מָּה֙ בַּגִּבּוֹרִ֔ים עֹזְרֵ֖י הַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃
1Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the mighty men who helped him in battle;
8וּמִן־הַגָּדִ֡י נִבְדְּל֣וּ אֶל־דָּוִיד֩ לַמְצַ֨ד מִדְבָּ֜רָה גִּבֹּרֵ֣י הַחַ֗יִל אַנְשֵׁ֤י צָבָא֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה עֹרְכֵ֥י צִנָּ֖ה וָרֹ֑מַח וּפְנֵ֤י אַרְיֵה֙ פְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וְכִצְבָאיִ֥ם עַל־הֶהָרִ֖ים לְמַהֵֽר׃ס
8Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were mighty men of valor, trained for battle, experts with the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains:
15אֵ֣לֶּה הֵ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָבְר֤וּ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן וְה֥וּא מְמַלֵּ֖א עַל־כָּל־גִּדיֹתָיו וַיַּבְרִ֙יחוּ֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָ֣עֲמָקִ֔ים לַמִּזְרָ֖ח וְלַֽמַּעֲרָֽב׃ס
15These 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.
17וַיֵּצֵ֣א דָוִיד֮ לִפְנֵיהֶם֒ וַיַּ֙עַן֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם אִם־לְשָׁל֞וֹם בָּאתֶ֤ם אֵלַי֙ לְעָזְרֵ֔נִי יִֽהְיֶה־לִּ֧י עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם לֵבָ֖ב לְיָ֑חַד וְאִֽם־לְרַמּוֹתַ֣נִי לְצָרַ֗י בְּלֹ֤א חָמָס֙ בְּכַפַּ֔י יֵ֛רֶא אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵ֖ינוּ וְיוֹכַֽח׃ס
17And David went out to meet them, saying, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free of violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you.”
18וְר֣וּחַ לָבְשָׁ֗ה אֶת־עֲמָשַׂי֮ רֹ֣אשׁ הַשְּׁלוֹשִׁים לְךָ֤ דָוִיד֙ וְעִמְּךָ֣ בֶן־יִשַׁ֔י שָׁל֨וֹם׀ שָׁל֜וֹם לְךָ֗ וְשָׁלוֹם֙ לְעֹ֣זְרֶ֔ךָ כִּ֥י עֲזָרְךָ֖ אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וַיְקַבְּלֵ֣ם דָּוִ֔יד וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖ם בְּרָאשֵׁ֥י הַגְּדֽוּד׃פ
18Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the Thirty, and he said:
“We are yours, O David!
We are with you, O son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
and peace to your helpers,
for your God helps you.”
So David received them and made them leaders of his troops.
19וּמִֽמְּנַשֶּׁ֞ה נָפְל֣וּ עַל־דָּוִ֗יד בְּבֹא֨וֹ עִם־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֧ים עַל־שָׁא֛וּל לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א עֲזָרֻ֑ם כִּ֣י בְעֵצָ֗ה שִׁלְּחֻ֜הוּ סַרְנֵ֤י פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר בְּרָאשֵׁ֕ינוּ יִפּ֖וֹל אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֥יו שָׁאֽוּל׃
19Some from Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (They did not help the Philistines because the Philistine rulers consulted and sent David away, saying, “It will cost us our heads if he defects to his master Saul.”)
20בְּלֶכְתּ֣וֹ אֶל־צִֽיקְלַ֗ג נָפְל֣וּ עָלָ֣יו׀ מִֽמְּנַשֶּׁ֡ה עַ֠דְנַח וְיוֹזָבָ֤ד וִידִֽיעֲאֵל֙ וּמִיכָאֵ֣ל וְיוֹזָבָ֔ד וֶאֱלִיה֖וּא וְצִלְּתָ֑י רָאשֵׁ֥י הָאֲלָפִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִמְנַשֶּֽׁה׃
20When David went to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh defected to him:
Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh.
David’s Army Grows at Hebron
38כָּל־אֵ֜לֶּה אַנְשֵׁ֣י מִלְחָמָה֮ עֹדְרֵ֣י מַעֲרָכָה֒ בְּלֵבָ֤ב שָׁלֵם֙ בָּ֣אוּ חֶבְר֔וֹנָה לְהַמְלִ֥יךְ אֶת־דָּוִ֖יד עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְ֠גַם כָּל־שֵׁרִ֧ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל לֵ֥ב אֶחָ֖ד לְהַמְלִ֥יךְ אֶת־דָּוִֽיד׃
38All 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.
40וְגַ֣ם הַקְּרֽוֹבִים־אֲ֠לֵיהֶם עַד־יִשָׂשכָ֨ר וּזְבֻל֜וּן וְנַפְתָּלִ֗י מְבִיאִ֣ים לֶ֡חֶם בַּחֲמוֹרִ֣ים וּבַגְּמַלִּ֣ים וּבַפְּרָדִ֣ים׀ וּֽבַבָּקָ֡ר מַאֲכָ֡ל קֶ֠מַח דְּבֵלִ֨ים וְצִמּוּקִ֧ים וְיַֽיִן־וְשֶׁ֛מֶן וּבָקָ֥ר וְצֹ֖אן לָרֹ֑ב כִּ֥י שִׂמְחָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃פ
40And 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.