Judah’s Descendants

Judah’s sons:(A) Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
Reaiah son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad.
These were the families of the Zorathites.
These were Etam’s sons:[a] Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash, and their sister was named Hazzelelponi.
Penuel fathered Gedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah.
These were the sons of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn and the father of Bethlehem:
Ashhur fathered Tekoa and had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
Naarah bore Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari to him. These were Naarah’s sons.
Helah’s sons: Zereth, Zohar,[b] and Ethnan. Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah,[c] and the families of Aharhel son of Harum.

Jabez[d] was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez and said, “I gave birth to him in pain.”

10 Jabez called out to the God of Israel: “If only You would bless me, extend my border, let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not cause any pain.”[e][f] And God granted his request.

11 Chelub brother of Shuhah fathered Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12 Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These were the men of Recah.
13 Kenaz’s sons: Othniel and Seraiah.
Othniel’s sons: Hathath and Meonothai.[g]
14 Meonothai fathered Ophrah,
and Seraiah fathered Joab, the ancestor of those in the Valley of Craftsmen,[h] for they were craftsmen.
15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam.
Elah’s son: Kenaz.
16 Jehallelel’s sons: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17 Ezrah’s sons: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered’s wife Bithiah gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 18 These were the sons of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah; Mered had married her. His Judean wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. 19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah the Garmite and the father of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20 Shimon’s sons: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon.
Ishi’s sons: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

21 The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, the families of the guild[i] of linen workers at Beth-ashbea, 22 Jokim, the men of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who married Moabites[j] and returned to Lehem. These names are from ancient records. 23 They were the potters and residents of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the service of the king.

Simeon’s Descendants

24 Simeon’s sons:(B) Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul;
25 Shaul’s sons: his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.
26 Mishma’s sons: his son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei.

27 Shimei had 16 sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole family did not become as numerous as the Judeans. 28 They lived in Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until David became king. 32 Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five cities, 33 and all their surrounding villages as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record for themselves.

34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,
35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel,
36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 and Ziza son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah—

38 these mentioned by name were leaders in their families. Their ancestral houses increased greatly. 39 They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley to seek pasture for their flocks. 40 They found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, peaceful, and quiet,(C) for some Hamites had lived there previously.

41 These(D) who were recorded by name came in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, attacked the Hamites’ tents and the Meunites who were found there, and set them apart for destruction,(E) as they are today. Then they settled in their place because there was pasture for their flocks. 42 Now 500 men from these sons of Simeon went with Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, as their leaders to Mount Seir.(F) 43 They struck down(G) the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they still live there today.

Reuben’s Descendants

These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. He was the firstborn,(H) but his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph(I) son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed.(J) He is not listed in the genealogy according to birthright. Although Judah became strong among his brothers(K) and a ruler came from him,(L) the birthright was given to Joseph.

The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn:(M)
Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
Joel’s sons: his son Shemaiah,
his son Gog, his son Shimei,
his son Micah, his son Reaiah,
his son Baal, and his son Beerah.

Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites, and Tiglath-pileser[k] king of Assyria took him into exile. His relatives by their families as they are recorded in their genealogy:(N)

Jeiel the chief, Zechariah,
and Bela son of Azaz,
son of Shema, son of Joel.

They settled in Aroer(O) as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. They also settled in the east as far as the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their herds had increased in the land of Gilead.(P) 10 During Saul’s reign they waged war against the Hagrites,(Q) who were defeated by their power. And they lived in their tents throughout the region east of Gilead.

Gad’s Descendants

11 The sons(R) of Gad lived next to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah:(S)
12 Joel the chief, Shapham the second in command, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
13 Their relatives according to their ancestral houses: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—seven.
14 These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri,
son of Jaroah, son of Gilead,
son of Michael, son of Jeshishai,
son of Jahdo, son of Buz.
15 Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was head of their ancestral houses. 16 They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its towns, and throughout the pasturelands of Sharon.(T) 17 All of them were registered in the genealogies during the reigns of Judah’s King Jotham(U) and Israel’s King Jeroboam.(V)

18 The sons of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 warriors who could serve(W) in the army—men who carried shield and sword, drew the bow, and were trained for war. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites,(X) Jetur,(Y) Naphish, and Nodab. 20 They received help against these enemies because they cried out to God in battle, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them.(Z) He granted their request because they trusted in Him.(AA) 21 They captured the Hagrites’ livestock—50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys—as well as 100,000 people. 22 Many of the Hagrites were killed because it was God’s battle.(AB) And they lived there in the Hagrites’ place(AC) until the exile.(AD)

Half the Tribe of Manasseh

23 The sons of half the tribe of Manasseh settled in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon (that is, Senir(AE) or Mount Hermon); they were numerous. 24 These were the heads of their ancestral houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their ancestral houses. 25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They prostituted themselves(AF) with the gods of the nations[l] God had destroyed before them.(AG) 26 So the God of Israel put it into the mind of Pul(AH) (that is, Tiglath-pileser[m]) king of Assyria to take the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and Gozan’s river, where they are until today.

The Levites

[n]Levi’s(AI) sons: Gershom,[o] Kohath, and Merari.
Kohath’s sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
Amram’s children: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.
Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Eleazar fathered Phinehas;(AJ)
Phinehas fathered Abishua;
Abishua fathered Bukki;
Bukki fathered Uzzi;
Uzzi fathered Zerahiah;
Zerahiah fathered Meraioth;
Meraioth fathered Amariah;
Amariah fathered Ahitub;
Ahitub fathered Zadok;
Zadok fathered Ahimaaz;
Ahimaaz fathered Azariah;
Azariah fathered Johanan;
10 Johanan fathered Azariah, who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem;
11 Azariah fathered Amariah;
Amariah fathered Ahitub;
12 Ahitub fathered Zadok;
Zadok fathered Shallum;
13 Shallum fathered Hilkiah;
Hilkiah fathered Azariah;
14 Azariah fathered Seraiah;
and Seraiah fathered Jehozadak.
15 Jehozadak went into exile when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.(AK)

16 [p]Levi’s(AL) sons: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
17 These are the names of Gershom’s sons: Libni and Shimei.
18 Kohath’s sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
19 Merari’s sons: Mahli and Mushi.
These are the Levites’ families according to their fathers:
20 Of Gershom: his son Libni,
his son Jahath, his son Zimmah,
21 his son Joah, his son Iddo,
his son Zerah, and his son Jeatherai.
22 Kohath’s sons: his son Amminadab,
his son Korah, his son Assir,
23 his son Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph,
his son Assir, 24 his son Tahath,
his son Uriel, his son Uzziah,
and his son Shaul.
25 Elkanah’s sons: Amasai and Ahimoth,
26 his son Elkanah, his son Zophai,
his son Nahath, 27 his son Eliab,
his son Jeroham, and his son Elkanah.
28 Samuel’s sons: his firstborn Joel,[q](AM)
and his second son Abijah.
29 Merari’s sons: Mahli, his son Libni,
his son Shimei, his son Uzzah,
30 his son Shimea, his son Haggiah,
and his son Asaiah.

The Musicians

31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the Lord’s temple(AN) after the ark came to rest there.(AO) 32 They ministered with song in front of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, and they performed their task according to the regulations given to them. 33 These are the men who served with their sons.

From the Kohathites: Heman the singer,
son of Joel, son of Samuel,
34 son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham,
son of Eliel, son of Toah,
35 son of Zuph, son of Elkanah,
son of Mahath, son of Amasai,
36 son of Elkanah, son of Joel,
son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah,
37 son of Tahath, son of Assir,
son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah,
38 son of Izhar, son of Kohath,
son of Levi, son of Israel.

39 Heman’s relative was Asaph, who stood at his right hand:
Asaph son of Berechiah, son of Shimea,
40 son of Michael, son of Baaseiah,
son of Malchijah, 41 son of Ethni,
son of Zerah, son of Adaiah,
42 son of Ethan, son of Zimmah,
son of Shimei, 43 son of Jahath,
son of Gershom, son of Levi.

44 On the left, their relatives were Merari’s sons:
Ethan son of Kishi, son of Abdi,
son of Malluch, 45 son of Hashabiah,
son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah,
46 son of Amzi, son of Bani,
son of Shemer, 47 son of Mahli,
son of Mushi, son of Merari,
son of Levi.

Aaron’s Descendants

48 Their relatives, the Levites, were assigned to all the service of the tabernacle, God’s temple. 49 But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the most holy place. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offerings(AP) and on the altar of incense(AQ) to make atonement for Israel according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.(AR)

50 These(AS) are Aaron’s sons: his son Eleazar,
his son Phinehas, his son Abishua,
51 his son Bukki, his son Uzzi,
his son Zerahiah, 52 his son Meraioth,
his son Amariah, his son Ahitub,
53 his son Zadok, and his son Ahimaaz.

The Settlements of the Levites

54 These were the places assigned to Aaron’s sons from the Kohathite family for their settlements in their territory, because the first lot was for them.(AT) 55 They(AU) were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands, 56 but the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 Aaron’s sons were given:(AV)

Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah and its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa and its pasturelands, 58 Hilen[r] and its pasturelands, Debir and its pasturelands, 59 Ashan and its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh and its pasturelands. 60 From the tribe of Benjamin they were given Geba and its pasturelands, Alemeth and its pasturelands, and Anathoth and its pasturelands. They had 13 towns in all among their families.

61 To the rest of the Kohathites, 10 towns from half the tribe of Manasseh were assigned by lot.(AW)

62 The Gershomites were assigned 13 towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan according to their families.

63 The Merarites were assigned by lot 12 towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun according to their families.(AX) 64 So the Israelites gave these towns and their pasturelands to the Levites.(AY) 65 They assigned by lot the towns named above(AZ) from the tribes of the Judahites, Simeonites, and Benjaminites.

66 Some(BA) of the families of the Kohathites were given towns from the tribe of Ephraim for their territory:

67 Shechem (a city of refuge) with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer and its pasturelands, 68 Jokmeam and its pasturelands, Beth-horon and its pasturelands, 69 Aijalon and its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon and its pasturelands. 70 From half the tribe of Manasseh, Aner and its pasturelands, and Bileam and its pasturelands were given to the rest of the families of the Kohathites.

71 The Gershomites received:

Golan in Bashan and its pasturelands, and Ashtaroth and its pasturelands from the families of half the tribe of Manasseh. 72 From the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh and its pasturelands, Daberath and its pasturelands, 73 Ramoth and its pasturelands, and Anem and its pasturelands. 74 From the tribe of Asher they received Mashal and its pasturelands, Abdon and its pasturelands, 75 Hukok and its pasturelands, and Rehob and its pasturelands. 76 From the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee and its pasturelands, Hammon and its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim and its pasturelands.

77 The rest of the Merarites received:

From the tribe of Zebulun they received Rimmono and its pasturelands and Tabor and its pasturelands. 78 From the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan at Jericho, to the east of the Jordan, they received Bezer in the desert and its pasturelands, Jahzah and its pasturelands, 79 Kedemoth and its pasturelands, and Mephaath and its pasturelands. 80 From the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead and its pasturelands, Mahanaim and its pasturelands, 81 Heshbon and its pasturelands, and Jazer and its pasturelands.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 4:3 LXX; MT reads father
  2. 1 Chronicles 4:7 Alt Hb tradition reads Izhar
  3. 1 Chronicles 4:8 Or Hazzobebah
  4. 1 Chronicles 4:9 In Hb, the name Jabez sounds like “he causes pain.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 4:10 LXX reads and act in knowledge which doesn’t hurt me
  6. 1 Chronicles 4:10 Or so that I will not experience pain
  7. 1 Chronicles 4:13 LXX, Vg; MT omits and Meonothai
  8. 1 Chronicles 4:14 Or the Ge-harashim
  9. 1 Chronicles 4:21 Lit house
  10. 1 Chronicles 4:22 Or who ruled over Moab
  11. 1 Chronicles 5:6 LXX; MT reads Tilgath-pilneser
  12. 1 Chronicles 5:25 Lit the peoples of the land
  13. 1 Chronicles 5:26 LXX; MT reads Tilgath-pilneser
  14. 1 Chronicles 6:1 1Ch 5:27 in Hb
  15. 1 Chronicles 6:1 Levi’s son’s name is spelled Gershon in Ex.
  16. 1 Chronicles 6:16 1Ch 6:1 in Hb
  17. 1 Chronicles 6:28 Some LXX mss, Syr, Arabic; other Hb mss omit Joel; 1Sm 8:2
  18. 1 Chronicles 6:58 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read Hilez

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