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Lines of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh

The family of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son: he was actually the oldest, but when he dishonored his father’s bed his birthright[a] was given to the family of Joseph, Israel’s son, so Reuben isn’t listed as the oldest in the records. Although Judah became the strongest among his brothers and a leader came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.

The family of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

Joel’s family: his son Shemaiah, his son Gog, his son Shimei, his son Micah, his son Reaiah, his son Baal, and his son Beerah, whom Assyria’s King Tilgath-pilneser carried away into exile. He was a chief of the Reubenites. His relatives, by their[b] clans when their genealogy was listed in the records, were: Jeiel the first; Zechariah; and Bela, Azaz’s son, Shema’s grandson, and Joel’s great-grandson.

They lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. They also settled in the east as far as the edge of the desert that stretches to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased in the land of Gilead. 10 In Saul’s days they waged war on the Hagrites, whom they defeated. So they lived in their tents throughout the entire region east of Gilead.

11 Gad’s family lived opposite them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah: 12 Joel was the first, Shapham the second, and Janai governed[c] Bashan.

13 Their relatives according to their households: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—seven in all.

14 This was the family 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, Abdiel’s son and Guni’s grandson, was the head of their household.

16 They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and as far as the boundaries of all the open lands of Sharon. 17 They were all listed in the records in the days of Judah’s King Jotham and Israel’s King Jeroboam. 18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh were warriors who carried shield and sword, drew the bow, and were trained for war—44,760 ready for military service. 19 When they waged war on the Hagrites (the Jeturites, the Naphishites, and the Nodabites), 20 they received help against them. The Hagrites and all who were with them were handed over to them, because they cried out to God in battle. God granted their prayer because they trusted in him. 21 They seized their livestock: 50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep and goats, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 captives. 22 Many died, because God fought the battle. They lived there in place of the inhabitants until the exile.

23 The members of half the tribe of Manasseh lived in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They were very numerous.

24 These were the heads of their households:

Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel—mighty warriors, famous men, heads of their households.

25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and faithlessly followed the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 As a result, Israel’s God stirred up the spirit of Assyria’s King Pul, otherwise known as Assyria’s King Tilgath-pilneser, who led the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh into exile, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River, where they remain to this day.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 5:1 Or oldest son’s rights
  2. 1 Chronicles 5:7 LXXL, Syr; MT his
  3. 1 Chronicles 5:12 LXX, Tg; MT Shaphat in

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.

For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:)

The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

The sons of Joel; Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,

Micah his son, Reaia his son, Baal his son,

Beerah his son, whom Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria carried away captive: he was prince of the Reubenites.

And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, were the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,

And Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baalmeon:

And eastward he inhabited unto the entering in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates: because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead.

10 And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead.

11 And the children of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salcah:

12 Joel the chief, and Shapham the next, and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan.

13 And their brethren of the house of their fathers were, Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven.

14 These are the children 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, chief of the house of their fathers.

16 And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in her towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, upon their borders.

17 All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

18 The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.

19 And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab.

20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.

21 And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand.

22 For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.

23 And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baalhermon and Senir, and unto mount Hermon.

24 And these were the heads of the house of their fathers, even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valour, famous men, and heads of the house of their fathers.

25 And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.

26 And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.