1 Chronicles 4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 4
1 [a]The sons of Judah were: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.(A) 2 Reaiah, the son of Shobal, became the father of Jahath, and Jahath became the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.
3 These were the sons of Hareph, the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; their sister was named Hazzelelponi. 4 Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.
5 Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah.(B) 6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, the Temenites, and the Ahashtarites. These were the sons of Naarah. 7 The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, Ethnan, and Koz. 8 Koz became the father of Anub and Zobebah, as well as of the clans of Aharhel, son of Harum. 9 Jabez was the most distinguished of his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I bore him with pain.” 10 Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Oh, that you may truly bless me and extend my boundaries! May your hand be with me and make me free of misfortune, without pain!” And God granted his prayer.
11 Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, became the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12 Eshton became the father of Bethrapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of the city of Nahash. These were the men of Recah.
13 The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel were Hathath and Meonothai;(C) 14 Meonothai became the father of Ophrah. Seraiah became the father of Joab, the father of Geharashim, so called because they were artisans. 15 The sons of Caleb, son of Jephunneh, were Ir, Elah, and Naam. The sons of Elah: Kenaz.(D) 16 The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. 17 The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Jether became the father of Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa.(E) 18 Mered’s Egyptian wife bore Jered, the father of Gedor, Heber, the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel, the father of Zanoah. These were the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married. 19 The sons of his Jewish wife, the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah, were Shimon the Garmite and Ishi the Maacathite. 20 The sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. The son of Ishi was Zoheth and the son of Zoheth….
21 The sons of Shelah, son of Judah, were: Er, the father of Lecah; Laadah, the father of Mareshah; the clans of the linen weavers’ guild in Bethashbea;(F) 22 Jokim; the people of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who held property in Moab, but returned to Bethlehem. (These are events of old.) 23 They were potters and inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah, where they lived in the king’s service.
Simeon. 24 The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, Jamin, Jachin, Zerah, and Shaul,(G) 25 whose son was Shallum, whose son was Mibsam, whose son was Mishma. 26 The sons of Mishma were his son Hammuel, whose son was Zaccur, whose son was Shimei. 27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. His brothers, however, did not have many sons, and as a result all their clans did not equal the number of the Judahites.
28 They dwelt in Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Bethbiri, and Shaaraim. Until the reign of David, these were their cities 32 and their villages. Etam, also, and Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five cities,(H) 33 together with all their outlying villages as far as Baal. Here is where they dwelt, and so it was inscribed of them in their family records.
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 Ziza, son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah— 38 these just named were princes in their clans, and their ancestral houses spread out to such an extent(I) 39 that they went to the approaches of Gedor,[b] east of the valley, seeking pasture for their flocks. 40 They found abundant and good pastures, and the land was spacious, quiet, and peaceful—for the Hamites dwelt there formerly. 41 They who have just been listed by name set out during the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and attacked their tents and also the Meunites who were there. They put them under the ban that is still in force to this day and dwelt in their place because they found pasture there for their flocks.(J)
42 Five hundred of them (the Simeonites) went to Mount Seir, with Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, sons of Ishi, at their head. 43 They attacked the surviving Amalekites who had escaped, and have lived there to the present day.(K)
1 Chronicles 4
Common English Bible
Judah’s line
4 Judah’s family: Perez, Hezron, Caleb,[a] Hur, and Shobal.
2 Shobal’s son Reaiah was Jahath’s father, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the Zorathite clans.
3 This was Etam’s family:[b] Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister’s name was Hazzelelponi. 4 Penuel was Gedor’s father, and Ezer was Hushah’s father.
This was the family of Hur the oldest son of Ephrathah, Bethlehem’s father: 5 Ashhur, Tekoa’s father, had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6 Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari for him. This was Naarah’s family.
7 Helah’s family: Zereth, Zohar,[c] and Ethnan. 8 Koz was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, Harum’s son.
9 Jabez was more honored than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I bore him in pain.”[d] 10 Jabez called on Israel’s God: “If only you would greatly bless me and increase my territory. May your power go with me to keep me from trouble, so as not to cause me pain.” And God granted his request.
11 Chelub, Shuhah’s brother, was the father of Mehir, who was Eshton’s father. 12 Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, Ir-nahash’s father. These are the men of Recah.
13 Kenaz’s family: Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel’s family: Hathath and Meonothai.[e] 14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab the father of Ge-harashim,[f] so-called because they were skilled workers. 15 The family of Caleb, Jephunneh’s son: Iru, Elah, and Naam. This was Kenaz’s family.[g]
16 Jehallelel’s family: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17 Ezrah’s family:[h] Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Jether was the father of[i] Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, Eshtemoa’s father. 18 His Judean wife gave birth to Jered, Gedor’s father; Heber, Soco’s father; and Jekuthiel, Zanoah’s father.
This is the family of Bithiah, Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Mered married. 19 The family of his Judean wife,[j] the sister of Naham, Keilah’s father the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20 Shimon’s family: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon.
Ishi’s family: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.
21 The family of Shelah, Judah’s son: Er, Lecah’s father; Laadah, Mareshah’s father; the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea; 22 Jokim; the men of Cozeba; Joash; and Saraph, who married into[k] Moab but returned to Bethlehem[l] (the records are ancient). 23 They were the potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king in his service.
Simeon’s line
24 Simeon’s family: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul, 25 his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma. 26 Mishma’s family: his son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei. 27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers didn’t have many children, and none of their clans became 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 towns until David became king. 32 Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five towns— 33 as well as all their villages around these towns as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept their own family records:
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 clans, and their households increased greatly.
39 They went to the entrance of Gedor, as far as the east side of the valley, to find pasture for their flocks. 40 They found fertile pasture, and the land was spacious, quiet, and peaceful; the people of Ham used to live there. 41 These whose names were recorded, however, came in the days of Judah’s King Hezekiah, attacked their tents and the Meunim[m] found there, and completely destroyed them, as can be seen today. They settled in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42 Some of them, five hundred Simeonites, went to Mount Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, Ishi’s sons. 43 They struck down those who were left of the Amalekites and have lived there ever since.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 4:1 Cf 1 Chron 2:19; MT Carmi
- 1 Chronicles 4:3 LXX; MT father
- 1 Chronicles 4:7 Qere, LXX; Kethib Izhar
- 1 Chronicles 4:9 Heb sounds like Jabez.
- 1 Chronicles 4:13 LXX, Vulg; MT lacks Meonothai.
- 1 Chronicles 4:14 Or the valley of skilled workers
- 1 Chronicles 4:15 Cf 4:13; MT the family of Elah and Kenaz
- 1 Chronicles 4:17 LXX, Vulg; MT son
- 1 Chronicles 4:17 LXX; MT and she conceived
- 1 Chronicles 4:19 LXX; MT the wife of Hodiah
- 1 Chronicles 4:22 Or ruled over
- 1 Chronicles 4:22 Cf Tg, Vulg; MT Lehem returned
- 1 Chronicles 4:41 Qere; Kethib Meinim
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