1 Chronicles 12:17 net — David went out to meet them and said,“If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with…

NET Bible

"David went out to meet them and said,“If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you. But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you, may the God of our ancestors take notice and judge!”"

— 1 Chronicles 12:17, NET Bible

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1 Chronicles 12:17 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.”

  • ASV

    “And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you; but if ye be come to betray me to mine adversaries, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it. ”

  • WEB

    “David went out to meet them, and answered them, "If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it."”

  • DRB

    “And David went out to meet them, and said: If you are come peaceably to me to help me, let my heart be joined to you: but if you plot against me for my enemies whereas I have no iniquity in my hands, let the God of our fathers see, and judge.”

  • BBE

    “And David went out to them, and said to them, If you have come in peace to give me help, my heart will be united with yours; but if you have come to give me up to those who would take my life, though my hands are clean from wrongdoing, then may the God of our fathers see it and give you punishment.”

  • KJVA

    “And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.”

1 Chronicles 12 — Context

14

These Gadites were military leaders; the least led a hundred men, the greatest a thousand.

15

They crossed the Jordan River in the first month, when it was overflowing its banks, and routed those living in all the valleys to the east and west.

16

Some from Benjamin and Judah also came to David’s stronghold.

17

David went out to meet them and said,“If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you. But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you, may the God of our ancestors take notice and judge!”

18

But a spirit empowered Amasai, the leader of the thirty warriors, and he said:“We are yours, O David! We support you, O son of Jesse! May you greatly prosper! May those who help you prosper! Indeed your God helps you!”So David accepted them and made them leaders of raiding bands.

19

Some men from Manasseh joined David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul.(But in the end they did not help the Philistines because, after taking counsel, the Philistine lords sent David away, saying:“It would be disastrous for us if he deserts to his master Saul.”)

20

When David went to Ziklag, the men of Manasseh who joined him were Adnach, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders of a thousand soldiers each in the tribe of Manasseh.

1 Chronicles 12:17 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 1 Chronicles 12:17 say?
1 Chronicles 12:17 in the NET Bible reads: “David went out to meet them and said,“If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you. But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you, may the God of our ancestors take notice and judge!””
Where is 1 Chronicles 12:17 in the Bible?
1 Chronicles 12:17 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 1 Chronicles, chapter 12, verse 17.
Who wrote 1 Chronicles?
1 Chronicles is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Ezra). It was written c. 450–425 BC.
What is the book of 1 Chronicles about?
1 Chronicles retells Israel's history from a priestly, post-exilic perspective. After extensive genealogies, it focuses on David — his reign, his preparations for the temple, and the line through which God's eternal kingdom would come.
What are the major themes of 1 Chronicles?
1 Chronicles explores themes including Genealogy, David's Reign, Temple Preparation, Worship, Continuity. These themes shape the meaning and context of 1 Chronicles 12:17.
What translation should I read 1 Chronicles 12:17 in?
1 Chronicles 12:17 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize 1 Chronicles 12:17?
1 Chronicles 12:17 reads (NET): “David went out to meet them and said,“If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you. But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you, may the God of our ancestors take notice and judge!”” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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