1 Chronicles 5
New English Translation
Reuben’s Descendants
5 The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn—
(Now he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s bed,[a] his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, Israel’s son. So Reuben is not listed as firstborn in the genealogical records.[b] 2 Though Judah was the strongest among his brothers and a leader descended from him,[c] the right of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.)
3 The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4 The descendants of Joel: his son Shemaiah, his son Gog, his son Shimei, 5 his son Micah, his son Reaiah, his son Baal, 6 and his son Beerah, whom King Tiglath-Pileser[d] of Assyria carried into exile. Beerah[e] was the tribal leader of Reuben.
7 His brothers by their clans, as listed in their genealogical records:
The leader Jeiel, Zechariah, 8 and Bela son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel.
They lived in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal Meon. 9 In the east they settled as far as the entrance to the wilderness that stretches to the Euphrates River, for their cattle had increased in numbers in the land of Gilead. 10 During the time of Saul they attacked the Hagrites and defeated them. They took over their territory in the entire eastern region of Gilead.[f]
Gad’s Descendants
11 The descendants of Gad lived near them in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah.
12 They included Joel the leader, Shapham the second in command, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan. 13 Their relatives, listed according to their families,[g] included Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—seven in all.
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 the leader of the family.[h] 16 They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its surrounding settlements, and in the pasturelands of Sharon to their very borders.[i] 17 All of them were listed in the genealogical records in the time of King Jotham of Judah and in the time of King Jeroboam of Israel.
18 The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men in their combined armies, warriors who carried shields and swords, were equipped with bows, and were trained for war.[j] 19 They attacked[k] the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 They received divine help in fighting them, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them. They cried out to God during the battle; he responded to their prayers because they trusted in him.[l] 21 They seized the Hagrites’[m] animals, including 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys. They also took captive 100,000 people. 22 Because God fought for them,[n] they killed many of the enemy.[o] They dispossessed the Hagrites and lived in their land until the exile.[p]
The Half-Tribe of Manasseh
23 The half-tribe of Manasseh settled in the land from Bashan as far as Baal Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They grew in number.
24 These were the leaders of their families:[q]
Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were skilled warriors, men of reputation,[r] and leaders of their families. 25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors[s] and worshiped instead[t] the gods of the native peoples[u] whom God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up[v] King Pul of Assyria (that is, King Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria),[w] and he carried away the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh and took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this very day.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 5:1 sn The phrase when he defiled his father’s bed refers to Reuben having sexual relations with his father Jacob’s concubine Bilhah. This incident is recorded in Gen 35:22.
- 1 Chronicles 5:1 tn Heb “and not to be listed in the genealogical records as (having) the right of the firstborn.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:2 tn Heb “and [one] for a leader [was] from him.” This probably refers to the Davidic king.
- 1 Chronicles 5:6 tn Heb “Tilgath-Pilneser,” a variant spelling of Tiglath-Pileser (also in v. 26).
- 1 Chronicles 5:6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Beerah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Chronicles 5:10 tn Heb “and in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites and they fell by their hand and they lived in their tents unto all the face of the east of Gilead.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:13 tn Heb “and their brothers by the house of their fathers.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:15 tn Heb “was the head of the house of their fathers.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:16 tn Heb “unto their extremities.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:18 tn Heb “the sons of Reuben and the Gadites and half of the tribe of Manasseh, from the sons of bravery, men carrying a shield and sword and treading a bow and trained for war, 44,760 going out for warfare.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:19 tn Heb “made war with.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:20 tn Heb “and they were helped against them and they were given over into their hand, the Hagrites and all who were with them, for to God they cried out in the battle and he was entreated [or “allowed himself to be entreated”] by them for they trusted in him.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:21 tn Heb “their”; the referent (the Hagrites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Chronicles 5:22 tn Heb “from God [was] the battle.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:22 tn Heb “many slain fell.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:22 tn Heb “and they lived in place of them until the exile.” The referent of “them” (the Hagrites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Chronicles 5:24 tn Heb “and these [were] the heads of the house of their fathers.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:24 tn Heb “men of names.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:25 tn Heb “fathers.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:25 tn Heb “prostituted themselves after.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:25 tn Heb “the peoples of the land.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:26 tn Heb “stirred up the spirit of.”
- 1 Chronicles 5:26 tn Heb “and the spirit of Tilgath-Pilneser king of Assyria.” “Pul” and “Tilgath-Pilneser” were names of the same Assyrian ruler, more commonly known as Tiglath-Pileser (cf. 2 Kgs 15:29).
1 Chronicles 5
Living Bible
5 The oldest son of Israel was Reuben, but since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s wives, his birthright was given to his half brother, Joseph. So the official genealogy doesn’t name Reuben as the oldest son.
2 Although Joseph received the birthright, yet Judah was a powerful and influential tribe in Israel, and from Judah came a prince.
3 The sons of Reuben, Israel’s son, were: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, Carmi.
4 Joel’s descendants were his son Shemaiah, his grandson Gog, and his great-grandson
5 Shimei’s son was Micah; his grandson was Reaiah; and his great-grandson was
6 Baal’s son was Beerah. He was a prince of the tribe of Reuben and was taken into captivity by King Tilgath-pilneser of Assyria.
7-8 His relatives became heads of clans and were included in the official genealogy: Jeiel, Zechariah, Bela (the son of Azaz, grandson of Shema, and great-grandson of
These Reubenites[a] lived in Aroer and as far distant as Mount Nebo and Baal-meon.
9 Joel was a cattleman, and he pastured his animals eastward to the edge of the desert and to the Euphrates River, for there were many cattle in the land of Gilead.
10 During the reign of King Saul, the men of Reuben defeated the Hagrites in war and moved into their tents on the eastern edge of Gilead. 11 Across from them, in the land of Bashan, lived the descendants of Gad, who were spread as far as Salecah.
12 Joel was the greatest and was followed by Shapham, also Janai and Shaphat. 13 Their relatives, the heads of the seven clans, were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber.
14 The descendants of Buz, in the order of their generations, were: Jahdo, Jeshishai, Michael, Gilead, Jaroah, Huri, Abihail.
15 Ahi, the son of Abdiel and grandson of Guni, was the leader of the clan. 16 The clan lived in and around Gilead (in the land of Bashan) and throughout the entire pasture country of Sharon. 17 All were included in the official genealogy at the time of King Jotham of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel.
18 There were 44,760 armed, trained, and brave troops in the army of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 19 They declared war on the Hagrites, the Jeturites, the Naphishites, and the Nodabites. 20 They cried out to God to help them, and he did, for they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated. 21 The booty included 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 captives. 22 A great number of the enemy also died in the battle, for God was fighting against them. So the Reubenites lived in the territory of the Hagrites until the time of the exile.
23 The half-tribe of Manasseh spread through the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They too were very numerous.
24 The chiefs of their clans were the following: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, Jahdiel.
Each of these men had a great reputation as a warrior and leader. 25 But they were not true to the God of their fathers; instead they worshiped the idols of the people whom God had destroyed. 26 So God caused King Pul of Assyria (also known as Tilgath-pilneser III) to invade the land and deport the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River, where they remain to this day.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 5:7 These Reubenites, implied in 5:1.
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