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Other Descendants of Judah

The descendants of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

Shobal’s son Reaiah was the father of Jahath. Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites.

The descendants of[a] Etam were Jezreel, Ishma, Idbash, their sister Hazzelelponi, Penuel (the father of[b] Gedor), and Ezer (the father of Hushah). These were the descendants of Hur (the firstborn of Ephrathah), the ancestor of Bethlehem.

Ashhur (the father of Tekoa) had two wives, named Helah and Naarah. Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. Helah gave birth to Zereth, Izhar,[c] Ethnan, and Koz, who became the ancestor of Anub, Zobebah, and all the families of Aharhel son of Harum.

There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez[d] because his birth had been so painful. 10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.

11 Kelub (the brother of Shuhah) was the father of Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton. 12 Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah was the father of Ir-nahash. These were the descendants of Recah.

13 The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel’s sons were Hathath and Meonothai.[e] 14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, the founder of the Valley of Craftsmen,[f] so called because they were craftsmen.

15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah was Kenaz.

16 The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17 The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. One of Mered’s wives became[g] the mother of Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah (the father of Eshtemoa). 18 He married a woman from Judah, who became the mother of Jered (the father of Gedor), Heber (the father of Soco), and Jekuthiel (the father of Zanoah). Mered also married Bithia, a daughter of Pharaoh, and she bore him children.

19 Hodiah’s wife was the sister of Naham. One of her sons was the father of Keilah the Garmite, and another was the father of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

20 The sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon.

The descendants of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

Descendants of Judah’s Son Shelah

21 Shelah was one of Judah’s sons. The descendants of Shelah were Er (the father of Lecah); Laadah (the father of Mareshah); the families of linen workers at Beth-ashbea; 22 Jokim; the men of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who ruled over Moab and Jashubi-lehem. These names all come from ancient records. 23 They were the pottery makers who lived in Netaim and Gederah. They lived there and worked for the king.

Descendants of Simeon

24 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel,[h] Jamin, Jarib, Zohar,[i] and Shaul.

25 The descendants of Shaul were Shallum, Mibsam, and Mishma.

26 The descendants of Mishma were Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei.

27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but none of his brothers had large families. So Simeon’s tribe never grew as large as the tribe of Judah.

28 They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These towns were under their control until the time of King David. 32 Their descendants also lived in Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan—five towns 33 and their surrounding villages as far away as Baalath.[j] This was their territory, and these names are listed in their genealogical records.

34 Other descendants of Simeon included 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 were the names of some of the leaders of Simeon’s wealthy clans. Their families grew, 39 and they traveled to the region of Gerar,[k] in the east part of the valley, seeking pastureland for their flocks. 40 They found lush pastures there, and the land was spacious, quiet, and peaceful.

Some of Ham’s descendants had been living in that region. 41 But during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, these leaders of Simeon invaded the region and completely destroyed[l] the homes of the descendants of Ham and of the Meunites. No trace of them remains today. They killed everyone who lived there and took the land for themselves, because they wanted its good pastureland for their flocks. 42 Five hundred of these invaders from the tribe of Simeon went to Mount Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel—all sons of Ishi. 43 They destroyed the few Amalekites who had survived, and they have lived there ever since.

Footnotes

  1. 4:3 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads father of. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  2. 4:4 Or the founder of; also in 4:5, 12, 14, 17, 18, and perhaps other instances where the text reads the father of.
  3. 4:7 As in an alternate reading in the Masoretic Text (see also Latin Vulgate); the other alternate and the Greek version read Zohar.
  4. 4:9 Jabez sounds like a Hebrew word meaning “distress” or “pain.”
  5. 4:13 As in some Greek manuscripts and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew lacks and Meonothai.
  6. 4:14 Or Joab, the father of Ge-harashim.
  7. 4:17 Or Jether’s wife became; Hebrew reads She became.
  8. 4:24a As in Syriac version (see also Gen 46:10; Exod 6:15); Hebrew reads Nemuel.
  9. 4:24b As in parallel texts at Gen 46:10 and Exod 6:15; Hebrew reads Zerah.
  10. 4:33 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also Josh 19:8); Hebrew reads Baal.
  11. 4:39 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads Gedor.
  12. 4:41 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.

Genealogy of Judah

Judah’s descendants were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

Shobal’s son Reaiah fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites.

These were the descendants of[a] the ancestor of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and their sister’s name was Hazzelelponi.

Penuel fathered Gedor and Ezer fathered Hushah.

These were the descendants of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn, who fathered Bethlehem: Tekoa’s father Ashhur had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah bore him these sons: Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari.[b]

The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar,[c] and Ethnan.

Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Harum’s son Aharhel.

Jabez enjoyed more honor than his relatives—his mother named him Jabez, she said, “because I bore him in pain.”[d]

10 Later on, Jabez called on the God of Israel, asking him,[e] “…whether you would bless me again and again, enlarge my territory, keep your power[f] with me, keep me from evil, and keep me from harm!” And God granted what he had requested.

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

13 Kenaz’s descendants were Othniel and Seraiah.

Othniel’s descendants were Hathath 14 and Meonothai, who fathered Ophrah.

Seraiah fathered Joab, who fathered the Ge-harashim,[g] because they became artisans.

15 The descendants of Jephunneh’s son Caleb were Iru, Elah, and Naam.

Elah’s son[h] was Kenaz.

16 Jehallelel’s descendants were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17 Ezrah’s descendants were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon.

Mered’s wife[i] conceived Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, who fathered Eshtemoa. 18 Then his Judean wife bore Jered, who fathered Gedor and then Heber, who fathered Soco and Jekuthiel, who fathered Zanoah. These are the descendants of Bithiah, daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married.

19 The descendants of Hodiah’s wife, Naham’s sister, fathered Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

20 Shimon’s descendants were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon.

Ishi’s descendants were Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

21 The descendants of Judah’s son Shelah were Er, who fathered Lecah, Laadah (who fathered Mareshah and the families who belonged to the guild[j] of linen workers at Beth-ashbea), 22 Jokim, the men who lived in Cozeba, Joash, and Saraph (who married Moabite families),[k] and Jashubi-lehem.[l] (The records are ancient.)[m] 23 These people[n] were potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah in service to their king, who lived there.

Genealogy of Simeon(A)

24 Simeon’s descendants were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul, 25 his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.

26 Mishma’s descendants were his son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei.

27 Shimei had 16 sons and six daughters, but his relatives did not have many children, nor did their entire family multiply like the Judeans did. 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 began to reign.

32 Their cities were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, for a total of[o] five cities, 33 along with all their settlements that surrounded these cities as far as Baal—this is their settlement history.[p]

They kept this genealogical record for themselves: 34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Amaziah’s son Joshah, 35 Joel, Joshibiah’s son Jehu (who was the grandson of Seraiah and great-grandson of Asiel), 36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 Shiphi’s son Ziza (who was the grandson of Shiphi, who was fathered by Allon, who was fathered by Jedaiah, who was fathered by Shimri, who was fathered by Shemaiah)— 38 these people,[q] enumerated by name, were leaders in their respective families, and their clans grew to be very abundant.

39 They journeyed as far as the entrance of Gedor on the east side of the valley in order to find pasture for their flocks. 40 They discovered abundant and excellent grazing lands there, where the land was very broad, secure, and tranquil, because the former inhabitants there were descendants of Ham. 41 Later on, during the reign[r] of King Hezekiah of Judah, these people,[s] enumerated by name, came and attacked both their homes[t] and the Meunim who had settled there and who remain exterminated to this day. They settled down there, taking their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42 Some of them—that is, 500 Simeonite men—went to Mount Seir.[u] Under the leadership of Ishi’s sons Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, 43 they destroyed the survivors of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 4:3 The Heb. lacks the descendants of; MT reads fathers
  2. 1 Chronicles 4:6 Or the Ahastarite
  3. 1 Chronicles 4:7 Or Zohar
  4. 1 Chronicles 4:9 The name Jabez is related to MT word pain
  5. 1 Chronicles 4:10 The Heb. lacks him
  6. 1 Chronicles 4:10 Lit. hand
  7. 1 Chronicles 4:14 Lit. Valley of the Artists
  8. 1 Chronicles 4:15 Lit. sons
  9. 1 Chronicles 4:17 The Heb. lacks Mered’s wife
  10. 1 Chronicles 4:21 Lit. house
  11. 1 Chronicles 4:22 Lit. married into Moab
  12. 1 Chronicles 4:22 Or and returned to Lehem
  13. 1 Chronicles 4:22 Or missing
  14. 1 Chronicles 4:23 The Heb. lacks people
  15. 1 Chronicles 4:32 The Heb. lacks for a total of
  16. 1 Chronicles 4:33 The Heb. lacks history
  17. 1 Chronicles 4:38 The Heb. lacks people
  18. 1 Chronicles 4:41 Lit. days
  19. 1 Chronicles 4:41 The Heb. lacks people
  20. 1 Chronicles 4:41 Lit. tents
  21. 1 Chronicles 4:42 This mountain, the modern Jebel esh-sherá, is located in the mountain range that extends south of the Dead Sea toward the Gulf of Aqaba, and is bordered by the Arabah Valley to the west.