1Følgende krigere sluttede sig til David i Ziklag, mens han skjulte sig for kong Saul. De kæmpede tappert ved hans side,2og de var alle fremragende bueskytter og slyngekastere—og de skød lige så godt med venstre som med højre hånd. Ligesom kong Saul hørte de til Benjamins stamme.3Deres anfører var Ahiezer, Shema’as søn fra Gibea, som blev assisteret af sin bror, Joash. Dernæst var der Jeziel og Pelet, Azmavets sønner; Beraka; Jehu fra Anatot;4Jishmaja fra Gibeon—en berømt kriger, som var en af lederne blandt „De Tredive”;5Jirmeja; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad fra Gedera;6Eluzaj; Jerimot; Bealja; Shemarja; Shefatja fra Haruf;7Elkana; Jishija; Azarel; Joezer; Jashobeam—alle af Koras slægt.8Desuden Joela og Zebadja, Jerohams sønner fra Gedor.9Mens David opholdt sig i klippeborgen i ørkenen, sluttede flere mænd fra Gads stamme sig til ham. Det var elitesoldater, trænet i at håndtere skjold og spyd, frygtindgydende som løver og hurtige som gazeller.10Deres øverste anfører hed Ezer. De øvrige var efter rang: Obadja, Eliab,11Mishmanna, Jirmeja,12Attaj, Eliel,13Johanan, Elzabad,14Jirmeja og Makbannaj.15Disse 11 mænd var officerer i hæren. Den ringeste af dem havde 100 soldater under sig, og den bedste 1000.16Engang da Jordanfloden gik over sine bredder, som den plejer i årets første måned, satte disse mænd over floden og fordrev alle indbyggerne i dalene fra øst til vest.17En anden gang opsøgte en flok mænd fra Benjamins og Judas stammer David i klippeborgen for at slutte sig til ham.18David gik dem i møde og sagde: „Hvis I kommer for at hjælpe mig, er vi venner; men hvis jeres hensigt er at forråde mig til mine fjender, skønt jeg er uskyldig, vil vores fædres Gud føre min sag og dømme jer.”19Da kom Guds Ånd over Amasaj, der senere blev en af lederne blandt „De Tredive”, og han udbrød: „Vi står bag dig, David! Vi er med dig, Isajs søn! Fred og fremgang til dig! De, der hjælper dig, får succes, for din Gud er med dig!” Da bød David dem velkommen og gjorde dem til officerer i sin hær.20En flok mænd fra Manasses stamme deserterede fra Sauls hær til David, da han var sammen med filistrenes hær og klar til kamp mod Saul. Filistrenes officerer nægtede imidlertid at lade David og hans mænd deltage i slaget. Efter at have diskuteret sagen sendte filistrene dem hjem til Ziklag. De var bange for at miste livet, hvis David pludselig gik tilbage til sin tidligere herre.21Følgende højtstående officerer fra Manasses stamme fulgte med David tilbage til Ziklag: Adna, Jozabad, Jediael, Mikael, Jozabad, Elihu og Zilletaj.22Det var tapre og dygtige krigere, som ved tilbagekomsten til Ziklag hjalp David med at bekæmpe de amalekitiske plyndringsbander, og de blev senere officerer i Davids hær.23For hver dag der gik, sluttede flere og flere sig til David, indtil han rådede over en mægtig hær.24Kort efter flyttede David til Hebron med hele sit følge, og de var alle opsat på at få David til konge i stedet for Saul, sådan som Herren havde lovet. Hæren inkluderede krigere fra alle stammerne:25Fra Judas stamme: 6800 krigere bevæbnet med skjolde og spyd;26fra Simeons stamme: 7100 erfarne krigere;27fra Levis stamme: 4600;28fra præsteslægten, Arons efterkommere: 3700 mænd under ledelse af Jojada29samt en ung dygtig kriger, Zadok, med 22 ledende medlemmer af sin slægt;30fra Benjamins stamme, som Saul tilhørte: 3000 mænd—hovedparten af denne stamme var stadig loyale over for Saul;31fra Efraims stamme: 20.800 tapre krigere, der var fremtrædende mænd i deres respektive slægter;32fra Manasses halve stamme blev 18.000 mænd sendt af sted for at hjælpe David til at vinde kongemagten;33fra Issakars stamme: 200 ledere og deres slægtninge, som alle forstod at tolke tidens tegn og forstod, hvad der var bedst for Israels fremtid;34fra Zebulons stamme: 50.000 dygtige, fuldt bevæbnede krigere, der var 100 procent loyale mod David;35fra Naftalis stamme: 1000 officerer og 37.000 krigere udrustet med skjolde og spyd;36fra Dans stamme: 28.600 mænd rede til kamp;37fra Ashers stamme: 40.000 veltrænede og kamplystne krigere;38fra den anden side af Jordanfloden hvor Ruben, Gad og Manasses anden halve stamme hørte hjemme: 120.000 fuldt rustede krigere.39Alle disse krigere kom til Hebron rede til kamp og fast besluttet på at gøre David til konge over Israel, for hele folket ønskede, at David skulle være deres konge.40I tre dage fejrede de kroningen af David; de spiste og drak af de forsyninger, deres slægtninge kom med.41Folk kom fra nær og fjern—ja, helt fra Issakars, Zebulons og Naftalis egne—med madvarer på æsler, kameler, muldyr og okser: store mængder mel, figenkager, rosiner, vin, olivenolie, kvæg og får. Al denne overflod var udtryk for den forventningens glæde, der havde bredt sig ud over hele Israel.
1Now 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. (1.Sam 27,2)2They were bowmen and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul’s kinsmen. (Dom 3,15; Dom 20,16; 1.Krøn 12,29; 2.Krøn 17,17; Salm 78,9)3The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, both sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; also Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu of Anathoth, (Josva 18,28; 1.Krøn 11,28; 1.Krøn 27,12)4Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty; Jeremiah,[1] Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah, (Josva 9,3)5Eluzai,[2] Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite;6Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; (1.Krøn 9,19)7And Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.8From 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: (2.Sam 2,18)9Ezer the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third,10Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,11Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,12Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth,13Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh.14These Gadites were officers of the army; the least was a match for a hundred men and the greatest for a thousand. (3.Mos 26,8)15These 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. (Josva 3,15)16And some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.17David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in friendship to help me, my heart will be joined 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.”18Then the Spirit clothed Amasai, 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. (Dom 3,10; 1.Sam 25,6; 2.Sam 17,25)19Some of the men of Manasseh 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.”) (1.Sam 29,2; 1.Sam 29,4)20As he went to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh.21They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and were commanders in the army. (1.Sam 30,1)22For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.23These 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. (1.Sam 16,1; 1.Sam 16,3; 2.Sam 2,3; 2.Sam 5,1; 1.Krøn 10,14; 1.Krøn 11,1; 1.Krøn 11,3; 1.Krøn 11,10)24The men of Judah bearing shield and spear were 6,800 armed troops.25Of the Simeonites, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100.26Of the Levites 4,600.27The prince Jehoiada, of the house of Aaron, and with him 3,700.28Zadok, a young man mighty in valor, and twenty-two commanders from his own fathers’ house. (2.Sam 8,17; 1.Krøn 6,8)29Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000, of whom the majority had to that point kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. (2.Sam 2,8; 1.Krøn 12,2)30Of the Ephraimites 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses.31Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were expressly named to come and make David king. (4.Mos 1,17)32Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. (Ester 1,13)33Of Zebulun 50,000 seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David[3] with singleness of purpose. (1.Krøn 12,36; 1.Krøn 12,38; Salm 12,2)34Of Naphtali 1,000 commanders with whom were 37,000 men armed with shield and spear.35Of the Danites 28,600 men equipped for battle.36Of Asher 40,000 seasoned troops ready for battle. (2.Sam 2,9; 1.Krøn 12,33)37Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, 120,000 men armed with all the weapons of war.38All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king. (1.Kong 8,61; 1.Krøn 12,33)39And they were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their brothers had made preparation for them.40And also their relatives, from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, came bringing food on donkeys and on camels and on mules and on oxen, abundant provisions of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel. (1.Sam 25,18; 1.Sam 30,12)