Reuben’s Descendants

5 These were the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. He was the firstborn,^(A) but his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph^(B) son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father’s bed.^(C) He is not listed in the genealogy according to birthright. ² Although Judah became strong among his brothers^(D) and a ruler came from him,^(E) the birthright was given to Joseph.

Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites, and King Tiglath-pileser^[a] of Assyria took him into exile. ⁷ His relatives by their families as they are recorded in their family records:^(G)

They settled in Aroer^(H) as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. ⁹ They also settled in the east as far as the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their herds had increased in the land of Gilead.^{(I) 10} During Saul’s reign they waged war against the Hagrites,^(J) who were defeated by their power. And they lived in their tents throughout the region east of Gilead.

Gad’s Descendants

¹⁸ The descendants of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 warriors who could serve^(P) in the army—men who carried shield and sword, drew the bow, and were trained for war. ¹⁹ They waged war against the Hagrites,^(Q) Jetur,^(R) Naphish, and Nodab. ²⁰ They received help against these enemies because they cried out to God in battle, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them.^(S) He was receptive to their prayer because they trusted in him.^{(T) 21} They captured the Hagrites’ livestock—fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep, and two thousand donkeys—as well as one hundred thousand people. ²² Many of the Hagrites were killed because it was God’s battle.^(U) And they lived there in the Hagrites’ place^(V) until the exile.^(W)

Half the Tribe of Manasseh

²³ The descendants of half the tribe of Manasseh settled in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon (that is, Senir^(X) or Mount Hermon); they were numerous. ²⁴ These were the heads of their ancestral families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were valiant warriors, famous men, and heads of their ancestral houses. ²⁵ But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They prostituted themselves^(Y) with the gods of the nations^[c] God had destroyed before them.^{(Z) 26} So the God of Israel roused the spirit of King Pul^(AA) (that is, Tiglath-pileser^[d]) of Assyria, and he took the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and Gozan’s river, where they are until today.