The Descendants of Reuben

5 ^(A) Reuben was the oldest son of Jacob,^[a] but he lost his rights as the first-born son^[b] because he slept with one of his father's wives.^[c] The honor of the first-born son was then given to Joseph, ^2 (B) even though it was the Judah tribe that became the most powerful and produced a leader.

³ Reuben had four sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

^4-6 (C) The descendants of Joel included Shemaiah, Gog, Shimei, Micah, Reaiah, Baal, and Beerah, a leader of the Reuben tribe. Later, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria took Beerah away as prisoner.

^7-8 The family records also include Jeiel, who was a clan leader, Zechariah, and Bela son of Azaz and grandson of Shema of the Joel clan. They lived in the territory around the town of Aroer, as far north as Nebo and Baal-Meon, ⁹ and as far east as the desert just west of the Euphrates River. They needed this much land because they owned too many cattle to keep them all in Gilead.

¹⁰ When Saul was king, the Reuben tribe attacked and defeated the Hagrites, then took over their land east of Gilead.

The Descendants of Gad

¹¹ The tribe of Gad lived in the region of Bashan, north of the Reuben tribe. Gad's territory extended all the way to the town of Salecah. ¹² Some of the clan leaders were Joel, Shapham, Janai, and Shaphat. ¹³ Their relatives included Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber.

¹⁴ They were all descendants of Abihail, whose family line went back through Huri, Jaroah, Gilead, Michael, Jeshishai, Jahdo, and Buz. ¹⁵ Ahi, the son of Abdiel and the grandson of Guni, was the leader of their clan.

¹⁶ The people of Gad lived in the towns in the regions of Bashan and Gilead, as well as in the pastureland of Sharon. ¹⁷ Their family records were written when Jotham was king of Judah and Jeroboam was king of Israel.

¹⁸ The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh had 44,760 soldiers trained to fight in battle with shields, swords, bows, and arrows. ¹⁹ They fought against the Hagrites and the tribes of Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. ²⁰ Whenever these soldiers went to war against their enemies, they prayed to God and trusted him to help. That's why the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh defeated the Hagrites and their allies. ²¹ These Israelite tribes captured 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 people. ²² Many of the Hagrites died in battle, because God was fighting this battle against them. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh lived in that territory until they were taken as prisoners to Assyria.^[d]

The Tribe of East Manasseh

²³ East Manasseh was a large tribe, so its people settled in the northern region of Bashan, as far north as Baal-Hermon,^[e] Senir, and Mount Hermon. ²⁴ Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel were their clan leaders; they were well-known leaders and brave soldiers.

The Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh Are Defeated

²⁵ The people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh were unfaithful to the God their ancestors had worshiped, and they started worshiping the gods of the nations that God had forced out of Canaan. ^26 (D) So God sent King Tiglath Pileser^[f] of Assyria to attack these Israelite tribes. The king led them away as prisoners to Assyria, and from then on, he forced them to live in Halah, Habor, Hara, and near the Gozan River.

The Descendants of Levi

6 Levi was the father of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

² Kohath was the father of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ³ Amram was the father of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.

Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

^4-14 Eleazar's descendants included Phinehas, Abishua, Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, Ahimaaz, Azariah, Johanan, Azariah the priest who served in the temple built by King Solomon, Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, Shallum, Hilkiah, Azariah, Seraiah, and Jehozadak. ¹⁵ King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia took Jehozadak to Babylon as prisoner when the Lord let the people of Judah and Jerusalem be dragged from their land.^[g]

^16 (E) Levi's three sons had sons of their own. ¹⁷ Gershon was the father of Libni and Shimei. ¹⁸ Kohath was the father of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹⁹ Merari was the father of Mahli and Mushi. These descendants of Levi each became leaders of their own clans.

^20-21 Gershon's descendants included Libni, Jahath, Zimmah, Joah, Iddo, Zerah, and Jeatherai.

^22-24 Kohath's descendants included Amminadab, Korah, Assir, Elkanah, Ebiasaph, Assir, Tahath, Uriel, Uzziah, and Shaul.

²⁵ Elkanah was the father of Amasai and Ahimoth. ^26-27 Ahimoth's descendants included Elkanah, Zophai, Nahath, Eliab, Jeroham, and Elkanah.

²⁸ Samuel was the father of Joel^[h] and Abijah, born in that order.

^29-30 Merari's descendants included Mahli, Libni, Shimei, Uzzah, Shimea, Haggiah, and Asaiah.

The Temple Musicians

³¹ After King David had the sacred chest moved to Jerusalem, he appointed musicians from the Levi tribe to be in charge of the music at the place of worship. ³² These musicians served at the sacred tent and later at the Lord's temple that King Solomon built.

^33-38 Here is a list of these musicians and their family lines:

Heman from the Kohathite clan was the director. His ancestors went all the way back to Jacob and included Joel, Samuel, Elkanah, Jeroham, Eliel, Toah, Zuph, Elkanah, Mahath, Amasai, Elkanah, Joel, Azariah, Zephaniah, Tahath, Assir, Ebiasaph, Korah, Izhar, Kohath, Levi.

^39-43 Asaph was Heman's relative and served as his assistant. Asaph's ancestors included Berechiah, Shimea, Michael, Baaseiah, Malchijah, Ethni, Zerah, Adaiah, Ethan, Zimmah, Shimei, Jahath, Gershon, and Levi.

^44-47 Ethan was also Heman's relative and served as his assistant. Ethan belonged to the Merari clan, and his ancestors included Kishi, Abdi, Malluch, Hashabiah, Amaziah, Hilkiah, Amzi, Bani, Shemer, Mahli, Mushi, Merari, and Levi.

⁴⁸ The rest of the Levites were appointed to work at the sacred tent.

The Descendants of Aaron

⁴⁹ Only Aaron and his descendants were allowed to offer sacrifices and incense on the two altars at the sacred tent.^[i] They were in charge of the most holy place and the ceremonies to forgive sins, just as God's servant Moses had commanded.

^50-53 Aaron's descendants included his son Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, and Ahimaaz.

The Towns for the Levites

(Joshua 21.1-42)

⁵⁴ Aaron's descendants belonged to the Levite clan of Kohath, and they were the first group chosen to receive towns to live in. ⁵⁵ They received the town of Hebron in the territory of Judah and the pastureland around it. ⁵⁶ But the farmland and villages around Hebron were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. ^57-59 So Aaron's descendants received the following Safe Towns^[j] and the pastureland around them: Hebron, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, and Beth-Shemesh. ⁶⁰ From the Benjamin tribe they were given the towns of Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth and the pastureland around them. Thirteen towns were given to Aaron's descendants.

⁶¹ The rest of the Levite clan of Kohath received ten towns from West Manasseh.

⁶² The Levite clan of Gershon received thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh in Bashan.

⁶³ The Levite clan of Merari received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

⁶⁴ So the people of Israel gave the Levites towns to live in and the pastureland around them. ⁶⁵ All the towns were chosen with the Lord's help,^[k] including those towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

⁶⁶ Some of the families of the Kohath clan received their towns from the tribe of Ephraim. ^67-69 These families received the following Safe Towns and the pastureland around them: Shechem in the hill country, Gezer, Jokmeam, Beth-Horon, Aijalon, and Gath-Rimmon. ⁷⁰ And from West Manasseh they received Aner and Bileam, together with their pastureland.

⁷¹ The Gershonite clan received two towns from the tribe of East Manasseh: Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth, including the pastureland around them. ^72-73 The Gershonites also received four towns from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Anem, including the pastureland around them. ^74-75 The Gershonites received four towns from the tribe of Asher: Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob, including the pastureland around them. ⁷⁶ Finally, the Gershonites received three towns from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim, including the pastureland around them.

⁷⁷ The rest of the Merari clan received the towns of Rimmono and Tabor and their pastureland from the tribe of Zebulun. ^78-79 They also received four towns east of the Jordan River from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the flatlands, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath, including the pastures around them. ^80-81 And from the tribe of Gad the Merarites received the towns of Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer, including the pastureland around them.