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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.

The Family of Judah

The sons of Judah were (A)Perez, Hezron, [a]Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. And [b]Reaiah the son of Shobal begot Jahath, and Jahath begot Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites. These were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi; and Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah.

These were the sons of (B)Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah the father of Bethlehem.

And (C)Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan; and Koz begot Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

Now Jabez was (D)more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name [c]Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my [d]territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

11 Chelub the brother of (E)Shuhah begot Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12 And Eshton begot Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of [e]Ir-Nahash. These were the men of Rechah.

13 The sons of Kenaz were (F)Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel were [f]Hathath, 14 and Meonothai who begot Ophrah. Seraiah begot Joab the father of (G)Ge Harashim,[g] for they were craftsmen. 15 The sons of (H)Caleb the son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah was [h]Kenaz. 16 The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. 17 The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. And [i]Mered’s wife bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 18 ([j]His wife Jehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Sochoh, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) And these were the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.

19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtemoa the (I)Maachathite. 20 And the sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

21 The sons of (J)Shelah (K)the son of Judah were Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers of the house of Ashbea; 22 also Jokim, the men of Chozeba, and Joash; Saraph, who ruled in Moab, and Jashubi-Lehem. Now the [k]records are ancient. 23 These were the potters and those who dwell at [l]Netaim and [m]Gederah; there they dwelt with the king for his work.

The Family of Simeon(L)

24 The (M)sons of Simeon were [n]Nemuel, Jamin, [o]Jarib, [p]Zerah, and Shaul, 25 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son. 26 And the sons of Mishma were Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, and Shimei his son. 27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, (N)nor did any of their families multiply as much as the children of Judah.

28 They dwelt at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, 29 [q]Bilhah, Ezem, [r]Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth Marcaboth, [s]Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David. 32 And their villages were [t]Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five cities— 33 and all the villages that were around these cities as far as [u]Baal. These were their dwelling places, and they maintained their genealogy: 34 Meshobab, Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah; 35 Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel; 36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, and Benaiah; 37 Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah— 38 these mentioned by name were leaders in their families, and their father’s house increased greatly.

39 So they went to the entrance of Gedor, as far as the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. 40 And they found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, quiet, and peaceful; for some Hamites formerly lived there.

41 These recorded by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and they (O)attacked[v] their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and (P)utterly destroyed them, as it is to this day. So they dwelt in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks there. 42 Now some of them, five hundred men of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, having as their captains Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. 43 And they [w]defeated (Q)the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped. They have dwelt there to this day.