David's Early Followers from the Tribe of Benjamin
1 David was living in Ziklag, where he had gone to escape from King Saul. There he was joined by many experienced, reliable soldiers, 2 members of the tribe of Benjamin, to which Saul belonged. They could shoot arrows and sling stones either right-handed or left-handed. 3-7 They were under the command of Ahiezer and Joash, sons of Shemaah, from Gibeah.
These were the soldiers:
Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth
Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth
Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a famous soldier and one of the leaders of “The Thirty”
Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johannan, and Jozabad, from Gederah
Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah, from Hariph
Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, of the clan of Korah
Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham, from Gedor
David's Followers from the Tribe of Gad
8 These are the names of the famous, experienced soldiers from the tribe of Gad who joined David's troops when he was at the desert fort. They were experts with shields and spears, as fierce looking as lions and as quick as mountain deer. 9-13 They were ranked in the following order: Ezer, Obadiah, Eliab, Mishmannah, Jeremiah, Attai, Eliel, Johanan, Elzabad, Jeremiah, and Machbannai.
14 Some of these men from the tribe of Gad were senior officers in command of a thousand men, and others were junior officers in command of a hundred. 15 In the first month of one year, the time when the Jordan River overflowed its banks, they crossed the river, scattering the people who lived in the valleys both east and west of the river.
Followers from Benjamin and Judah
16 Once a group of men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah went out to the fort where David was. 17 David went to meet them and said, “If you are coming as friends to help me, you are welcome here. Join us! But if you intend to betray me to my enemies, even though I have not tried to hurt you, the God of our ancestors will know it and punish you.”
18 God's spirit took control of one of them, Amasai, who later became the commander of “The Thirty,” and he called out,
“David son of Jesse, we are yours!
Success to you and those who help you!
God is on your side.”
David welcomed them and made them officers in his army.
Followers from Manasseh
19 Some soldiers from the tribe of Manasseh went over to David's side when he was marching out with the Philistines to fight King Saul. Actually he did not help the Philistines, for their kings were afraid that he would betray them to his former master Saul, so they sent him back to Ziklag. 20 These are the soldiers from Manasseh who went over to David's side when he was returning: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. In Manasseh they had all commanded units of a thousand men. 21 They served David as officers over his troops, because they were all outstanding soldiers. Later they were officers in the Israelite army. 22 Almost every day new men joined David's forces, so that his army was soon enormous.
List of David's Forces
23-37 When David was at Hebron, many trained soldiers joined his army to help make him king in place of Saul, as the Lord had promised. Their numbers were as follows:
Judah: 6,800 well-equipped men, armed with shields and spears;
Simeon: 7,100 well-trained men;
Levi: 4,600 men;
Followers of Jehoiada, descendant of Aaron: 3,700 men;
Relatives of Zadok, an able young fighter: 22 leading men;
Benjamin (Saul's own tribe): 3,000 men (most of the people of Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul);
Ephraim: 20,800 men famous in their own clans;
West Manasseh: 18,000 men chosen to go and make David king;
Issachar: 200 leaders, together with the men under their command (these leaders knew what Israel should do and the best time to do it);
Zebulun: 50,000 loyal and reliable men ready to fight, trained to use all kinds of weapons;
Naphtali: 1,000 leaders, together with 37,000 men armed with shields and spears;
Dan: 28,600 trained men;
Asher: 40,000 men ready for battle;
Tribes east of the Jordan—Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh: 120,000 men trained to use all kinds of weapons.
38 All these soldiers, ready for battle, went to Hebron, determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the people of Israel were united in the same purpose. 39 They spent three days there with David, feasting on the food and drink which their relatives had prepared for them. 40 From as far away as the northern tribes of Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, people came bringing donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen loaded with food—flour, figs, raisins, wine, and olive oil. They also brought cattle and sheep to kill and eat. All this was an expression of the joy that was felt throughout the whole country.
Ovaladi ve uya kuDavid kuSiklag nokuHebron
1 Ndele ovo ve uya kuDavid kuSiklag, fimbo ye okwa li ta hondama natango omolwaSaul yaKis, ovava: Vo va li yo mokati kovaladi ovo va kwafa David molwoodi, 2 va dililwa omauta, va deuka okukupula omamanya neke lokolulyo nolokolumosho ndele va dililwa oikuti nomauta. Vo va li vomepata laSaul vomuBenjamin. 3 Ova li mewiliko londjai Ahieser, omukulunhu, naJoas yaShemaa, Omugibea. NaJesiel naPelet, ovana vaAsmavet. NaBeraka naJehu, Omuanatot, 4 naJismaja, Omugibeon, omuladi mokati kaava omilongo nhatu, nomukulunhu waava omilongo nhatu, naJeremia naJahasiel naJohanan naJosabad womuGedera. 5 Elehusai naJerimot naBealja naShemaria naSefatja womuHaruf. 6 Elkana naIsshia naAsareel naJoeser naJasobeam, Omukora; 7 naJoela naSebadja, ovana vaJeroham womuGedor.
8 Ndele vomOvagad va ya yo kuDavid, kohotemhundangulu yomombuwa, ovalumenhu ovaladi, ovakwaita vomolwoodi, va dililwa noshikelelifo neonga, noipala yavo ya li ngaashi oipala yeenghoshi, ndele va li ve nonhapo ngaashi eemenye dokeemhunda: 9 Eser, omukulunhu, Obadja, omutivali, Eliab, omutitatu; 10 Mismanna, omutine, Jeremia, omutitano; 11 Attai, omutihamano, Eliel, omutiheyali; 12 Johanan, omutihetatu, Elsabad, omutimugoi. 13 Jeremia, omutimulongo, Mahbannai, omutimulongo naumwe. 14 Vo ova li vomovana vaGad, ovakulunhu vomatanga ovakwaita. Omuxupielela ta wana okulwifa efele. Nomunene wavo ta wana okulwifa eyovi. 15 Ovo tuu ovo va tauluka Jordan mohani yotete, fimbo oo wa li u yadi ndo, omeva taa kunguluka komakuma ao aeshe. Ndele va taataa oonakukalamo aveshe vomomaluhaela kombinga yokoushilo noyokouninginino.
16 Ndele ovo vomovana vaBenjamin novaJuda, eshi ve uya kohotemhundangulu kuDavid, 17 David okwa ya e va shakeneka ndele te va lombwele ta ti: “Nye ngeenge tamu uya kwaame nombili, mu kwafe nge, omutima wange tau ka kwatafana nanye. Ndelenee ngeenge tamu uya mu kengelele nge kovatondadi vange, nande momake ange kamu netimba, Kalunga kootate ne shi tale ndele ne shi handukile”. 18 Opo nee Omhepo ya yada Amasai, omukulunhu womilongo nhatu, ndele ta ti:
“Fye ovoye, David, ndele twa ama kwoove,
omona waIsai! Ombili.
Ombili nai kale naave,
nombili nai kale naava tave ku yakula,
osheshi Kalunga koye te ku kwafa!”
Opo nee David e va tambula ndele e va tula va ninge ovakulunhu veengudu domatanga. 19 Vamwe va dja yo kuManasse, ve uya kuDavid, ye eshi e uya pamwe nOvafilisti, va lwife Saul, ndelenee inave va kwafa, osheshi ovakulunhu vOvafilisti va kundafana ndele ve mu lekela, ndele tava ti: “Ye ota dulu okuyandja omitwe detu ndele ta ka ama komwene waye Saul.” 20 Fimbo ta i kuSiklag, ovo vomuManasse va ya kuye: Adna naJosabad naJediael naMikael naJosabad naElihu naSilletai, ovakulunhu vomayovi vomuManasse. 21 Vo ova kwafa David mokulwifa eengudu doita yomwii la, osheshi vo aveshe va li ovaladi novakulunhu vomatanga ovakwaita. 22 Osheshi efiku nefiku ve uya kuDavid, ndele tave mu kwafa, fiyo va ninga omatanga manene ovakwaita, ngaashi omatanga aKalunga.
Omatanga aDavid
23 Nomuvalu womatanga ovakwaita ava va dilililwa oita, ava ve uya kuDavid muHebron, ve mu pe ouhamba waSaul palombwelo lOmwene: 24 Ovana vaJuda, ava va humbata oshikelelifo neonga, va dilililwa oita, ova li omayovi ahamano nomafele ahetatu; 25 movana vaSimeon, ovaladi moshilonga shoita: omayovi aheyali nefele; 26 movana vaLevi omayovi ane nomafele ahamano; 27 naJehoiada, omukulunhu woludalo laAron napamwe naye omayovi atatu nomafele aheyali; 28 naSadok, omulumenhu omunyasha, omuladi, neumbo laye: ovakulunhu omilongo mbali navavali. 29 Ndele movana vaBenjamin, ovakwao vaSaul, omayovi atatu, osheshi vahapu unene va ama natango kepata laSaul. 30 Ndele movana vaEfraim omayovi omilongo mbali nomafele ahetatu, ovaladi, ovalumenhu ve nedina momapata avo; 31 ndele metata lepata laManasse omayovi omulongo naahetatu, ava va tumbulwa pamadina, va ye va ka ninge David ohamba. 32 Ndele movana vaIsaskar, ava va koneka efimbo ndele va li ve shi shii osho shi nokuningwa kOvaisraeli! Ovakulunhu vavo omafele avali, novakwao aveshe vomepangelo lavo. 33 MuSebulon ava ve nokuhomona palombwelo, va dilililwa oita ve noiti i lili nai lili, vo omayovi omilongo nhano, ve nehalo limwe alike meudafano lokulwa, ndele va li vehe nomitima mbali. 34 Ndele muNaftali ovakulunhu eyovi pamwe novanhu vavo omayovi omilongo nhatu naaheyali ve noshikelelifo neonga. 35 Ndele mOvadan, va dilililwa oita omayovi omilongo mbali naahetatu. 36 Ndele muAsser ava ve nokuhomona palombwelo, ve lilongekidila olwoodi: omayovi omilongo nhee. 37 Ndele kombinga inya yaJordan: mOvarubeni nomOvagad nometata lepata laManasse omayovi efele nomayovi omilongo mbali, ve noiti i lili nai lili.
38 Ovakwaita ovo aveshe ve uya kuHebron pamatanga nomutima we liyandja, va ninge David ohamba yOvaisraeli aveshe; nOvaisraeli vakwao aveshe va li ve nomutima umwe va ninge David ohamba. 39 Ndele va kala pamwe naDavid okulya nokunwa omafiku atatu, osheshi ovakwanepata vavo ve va pa onghuta. 40 Naavenya yo va kala moushiinda wavo fiyo okuIsaskar naSebulon naNaftali, va eta omungome wa humbatwa keendongi nokeengamelo nokomamula nokeengobe deenghutwa: oufila noikambi yeenghwiyu noikuki yeeviinyu nomaviinyu nomaadi neengobe needi dihapu, osheshi muIsrael mwa li ehafo.
