Discovery Box1 Chronicles 12:8-18 
Context12:8 Some of the Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the desert. They were warriors who were trained for battle; they carried shields and spears. They were as fierce as lions and could run as quickly as gazelles across the hills. 1 12:9 Ezer was the leader, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third, 12:10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 12:11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12:12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 12:13 Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbannai the eleventh. 12:14 These Gadites were military leaders; the least led a hundred men, the greatest a thousand. 2 12:15 They crossed the Jordan River 3 in the first month, 4 when it was overflowing its banks, and routed those living in all the valleys to the east and west. 5
12:16 Some from Benjamin and Judah also came to David’s stronghold. 12:17 David went out to meet them and said, 6 “If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you. 7 But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you, 8 may the God of our ancestors 9 take notice and judge!” 12:18 But a spirit 10 empowered 11 Amasai, the leader of the thirty warriors, and he said: 12
“We are yours, O David!
We support 13 you, O son of Jesse!
May you greatly prosper! 14
May those who help you prosper! 15
Indeed 16 your God helps you!”
So David accepted them and made them leaders of raiding bands.
1 tn Heb “warriors, men of battle for war, prepared with shield and spear, and [like] the face of a lion were their faces, and like gazelles on the hills to hurry.”
2 tn Heb “one for a hundred the small, and the great for a thousand.” Another option is to translate the preposition -לְ (lamed) as “against” and to understand this as a hyperbolic reference to their prowess: “the least could stand against a hundred, the greatest against a thousand.”
3 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity.
4 sn That is, March-April.
5 tn Heb “and they chased all the valleys to the east and to the west.”
6 tn Heb “and David went out before them and answered and said to them.”
7 tn Heb “there will be to me concerning you a heart for unity.”
8 tn Heb “with no violence in my hands.”
9 tn Heb “fathers.”
10 tn Perhaps “the Spirit,” but the text has simply רוּחַ (ruakh) with no article (suggesting an indefinite reference).
11 tn Heb “clothed.”
12 tn The words “and he said” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
13 tn Heb “are with.”
14 tn Heb “Peace, peace to you.” The Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is repeated to emphasize degree.
15 tn Heb “and peace to the one who helps you.”
16 tn Or “for.”
