1 Chronicles 4-6

New Life Version

The Family of Judah

4 The sons of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal. ² Shobal’s son Reaiah was the father of Jahath. And Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites. ³ The sons of Etam were Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. The name of their sister was Hazzelelponi. ⁴ Penuel was the father of Gedor. Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the first-born of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. ⁵ Tekoa’s father Ashhur had two wives, Helah and Naarah. ⁶ Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. ⁷ The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar and Ethnan. ⁸ Koz was the father of Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum. ⁹ Jabez was more a man of honor than his brothers. His mother gave him the name Jabez, saying, “Because I gave birth to him in pain.” ¹⁰ Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “O, if only You would bring good to me and give me more land! If only Your hand might be with me, that You would keep me from being hurt!” And God gave him what he asked for.

¹¹ Shuhah’s brother Chelub was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. ¹² Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha and Paseah. Tehinnah was the father of Irnahash. These are the men of Recah.

¹³ The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel’s son was Hathath. ¹⁴ Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, who was the father of Ge-harashim. They were good at making things. ¹⁵ Jephunneh’s son Caleb was the father of Iru, Elah and Naam. Elah’s son was Kenaz. ¹⁶ The sons of Jehallel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel. ¹⁷ The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. These are the sons of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithia, whom Mered married. She gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. ¹⁸ Mered’s Jewish 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, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. ²⁰ Shimon’s sons were Amnon, Rinnah, Benhanan and Tilon. The sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. ²¹ The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who worked with linen at Bethashbea. ²² Shelah’s other sons were Jokim, the men of Cozeba, Joash, Saraph who ruled in Moab, and Jaashubi-lehem. The writings of these times are old. ²³ These were the people who made pots and lived in Netaim and Gederah. They lived there with the king for his work.

The Family of Simeon

²⁴ The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Saul. ²⁵ Saul’s son was Shallum. His son was Mibsam. And his son was Mishma. ²⁶ Mishma’s sons were Hammuel, Zaccur his son, and Shimei his son. ²⁷ Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. But his brothers did not have many children. Their whole family did not have many children, like the sons of Judah. ²⁸ They lived at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazarshual, ²⁹ Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, ³⁰ Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, ³¹ Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until David ruled. ³² Their towns were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen and Ashan, five towns. ³³ And they had all the small towns that were around these towns as far as Baal. These were the places where they lived. And they wrote down all the names of their families. ³⁴ The heads of their families were Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah, ³⁵ Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel. ³⁶ And there were Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, ³⁷ and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah. ³⁸ These were the names of the heads of their families. And many were added to their fathers’ houses. ³⁹ They went to the gate of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, to look for fields for their flocks. ⁴⁰ There they found good fields rich with grass. The land was wide and quiet, and there they had peace. For Hamites had lived there before. ⁴¹ These whose names have been written down came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They destroyed their tents and the Meunites who were found there. They destroyed all of them to this day, and lived in their place because there were fields for their flocks. ⁴² Then some of them, 500 sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir. Their leaders were Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. ⁴³ They destroyed the rest of the Amalekites who had run away to be safe. And they have lived there to this day.

The Family of Reuben

5 Reuben was the first-born son of Israel but because he sinned against his father’s marriage bed, his birth-right was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel. Reuben is not written down in the family names by his birth-right. ² Judah became stronger than his brothers, and a prince came from him. But the birth-right belonged to Joseph. ³ The sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. ⁴ The sons of Joel were Shemaiah, Gog his son, Shimei his son, ⁵ Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, ⁶ and Beerah his son. Beerah was the one whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away to a strange land. He was a leader of the Reubenites. ⁷ These are his brothers by their families, from the writings of their family names. There was Jeiel the leader, then Zechariah, ⁸ and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. ⁹ He lived as far east as the beginning of the desert this side of the Euphrates River, because their cattle had become too many for the land of Gilead. ¹⁰ In the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites and killed them. So they lived in their tents over all the land east of Gilead.

The Family of Gad

¹¹ The sons of Gad lived beside them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah. ¹² Joel was the leader. Then there was Shapham, then Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan. ¹³ Their seven brothers of their fathers’ houses were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber. ¹⁴ These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz. ¹⁵ Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their fathers’ houses. ¹⁶ They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its towns, and in all the fields of Sharon as far as they go. ¹⁷ All of these were added to the family names in the days of King Jotham of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel.

¹⁸ The sons of Reuben, the Gadites and the half-family group of Manasseh were powerful soldiers. They carried the battle-covering and the sword, and shot with the bow. They were able men in battle. There were 44,760 of them who went to war. ¹⁹ They made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. ²⁰ They were given help against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand. They cried out to God in the battle. He gave them what they asked for, because they trusted in Him. ²¹ They took away their animals, 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 men. ²² Many were killed, because the war was of God. They lived in their place until they were taken away by Assyria.

The Family of Manasseh East of the Jordan River

²³ The sons of the half-family group of Manasseh lived in the land. There were many of them from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir and Mount Hermon. ²⁴ The heads of their fathers’ houses were Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were powerful soldiers, men whose names were well-known. And they were heads of their fathers’ houses.

²⁵ But they sinned against the God of their fathers. They sold themselves to the gods of the people of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. ²⁶ So the God of Israel moved the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, also known as Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria. And he carried the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-family group of Manasseh away to a strange land. He brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan. And they are there to this day.

The Family of Levi

6 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. ² The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. ³ The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ⁴ Eleazar was the father of Phinehas. Phinehas was the father of Abishua. ⁵ Abishua was the father of Bukki. Bukki was the father of Uzzi. ⁶ Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth. ⁷ Meraioth was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. ⁸ Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz. ⁹ Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah. Azariah was the father of Johanan. ¹⁰ Johanan was the father of Azariah. (He was the one who served as the religious leader in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem.) ¹¹ Azariah was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. ¹² Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Shallum. ¹³ Shallum was the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the father of Azariah. ¹⁴ Azariah was the father of Seraiah. Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak. ¹⁵ Jehozadak was taken away when the Lord carried Judah and Jerusalem away to a strange land by Nebuchadnezzar.

¹⁶ The sons of Levi were Gershom, Kohath and Merari. ¹⁷ The names of the sons of Gershom were Libni and Shimei. ¹⁸ The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. ¹⁹ The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses. ²⁰ Of Gershom there were Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, ²¹ Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. ²² The sons of Kohath were Amminadab, Korah his son, Assir his son, ²³ Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, ²⁴ Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Saul his son. ²⁵ The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth, ²⁶ Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, ²⁷ Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. ²⁸ The sons of Samuel were Joel the first-born, and Abijah the second. ²⁹ The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, ³⁰ Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

Singers in the House of the Lord

³¹ David chose these men to lead the singing in the house of the Lord, after the special box with the Law of the Lord rested there. ³² They led the singing in front of the meeting tent until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. And they took their places for their work at the right times. ³³ These are the men who served, and their sons. From the sons of the Kohathites were Heman the singer, the 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. Tahath was the 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 brother Asaph stood at his right hand. Asaph was the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, ⁴⁰ son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah, ⁴¹ son of Ethni, son of Zerah. Zerah was the 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 hand were their brothers the sons of Merari. There was Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, ⁴⁵ son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah. Amaziah was the 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. ⁴⁸ Their brothers the Levites were chosen for all the work of the house of God.

The Family of Aaron

⁴⁹ But Aaron and his sons gave the gifts on the altar of burnt gifts and on the altar of special perfume. They did all the work of the most holy place, to pay for the sins of Israel. They did all that Moses the servant of God had told them to do. ⁵⁰ The sons of Aaron were Eleazar, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, ⁵¹ Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, ⁵² Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, ⁵³ Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son.

⁵⁴ These are the places where they lived in their lands. The sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathites were first to choose where to live. ⁵⁵ They were given Hebron in the land of Judah, and the fields around it. ⁵⁶ But the fields of the city and its towns were given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. ⁵⁷ The sons of Aaron were given cities where people go to be safe. These cities were Hebron, Libnah with its fields, Jatir, Eshtemoa with its fields, ⁵⁸ Hilen with its fields, Debir with its fields, ⁵⁹ Ashan with its fields, and Beth-shemesh with its fields. ⁶⁰ From the family of Benjamin they were given Geba with its fields, Allemeth with its fields, and Anathoth with its fields. There were thirteen cities in all, by their families.

⁶¹ Ten cities were given, by drawing names, to the rest of the sons of Kohath. These cities were given from the families of the half-family group of Manasseh. ⁶² Thirteen cities were given to the sons of Gershom, by their families. These cities were given from the families of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh. ⁶³ Twelve cities were given, by drawing names, to the sons of Merari, by their families. These cities were given from the families of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. ⁶⁴ So the people of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their fields. ⁶⁵ By drawing names, they gave them these cities which are written here, from the families of the sons of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.

⁶⁶ Some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their land from the family of Ephraim. ⁶⁷ They were given cities where anyone could go to be safe. These cities were Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its fields, Gezer with its fields, ⁶⁸ Jokmeam with its fields, Beth-horon with its fields, ⁶⁹ Aijalon with its fields, and Gath-rimmon with its fields. ⁷⁰ From the half-family group of Manasseh they were given Aner with its fields and Bileam with its fields. They were for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.

⁷¹ Cities were given to the sons of Gershom from the half-family group of Manasseh. These cities were Golan in Bashan with its fields and Ashtaroth with its fields. ⁷² From the family of Issachar they were given Kedesh with its fields, Daberath with its fields, ⁷³ Ramoth with its fields, and Anem with its fields. ⁷⁴ From the family of Asher they were given Mashal with its fields, Abdon with its fields, ⁷⁵ Hukok with its fields, and Rehob with its fields. ⁷⁶ From the family of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee with its fields, Hammon with its fields, and Kiriathaim with its fields.

⁷⁷ The rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari were given cities from the family of Zebulun. These cities were Rimmono with its fields and Tabor with its fields. ⁷⁸ On the other side of the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, they were given cities from the family of Reuben. These cities were Bezer in the desert with its fields, Jahzah with its fields, ⁷⁹ Kedemoth with its fields, and Mephaath with its fields. ⁸⁰ From the family of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead with its fields, Mahanaim with its fields, ⁸¹ Heshbon with its fields, and Jazer with its fields.