Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac’s sons were Esau and Israel.

These were the kings who ruled Edom before any king ruled the people of Israel: Bela, son of Beor, and the name of his capital city was Dinhabah.

Israel’s Twelve Sons

These were Israel’s sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,

Carmi’s son was Achar, who caused trouble for Israel by taking goods that were claimed by God.

Jabez prayed to the Elohim of Israel, “Please bless me and give me more territory. May your power be with me and free me from evil so that I will not be in pain.” Elohim gave him what he prayed for.

Reuben’s Descendants

These are the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn. (Although he was the firstborn, his rights as firstborn were given to his nephews, Joseph’s sons, because he dishonored his father’s bed. However, Joseph couldn’t be listed in the genealogy as the firstborn son.

The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

All these people were recorded in genealogical records in the days of King Jotham of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel.

The Assyrians Capture Gad, Reuben, and Half of the Tribe of Manasseh

But Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh were unfaithful to the Elohim of their ancestors. They chased after the gods of the people of the land as if they were prostitutes. Elohim had destroyed these people as the Israelites arrived.

Then the Elohim of Israel led King Pul of Assyria (King Tiglath Pilneser of Assyria) to take Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River. They are still there today.

who was the son of Izhar, who was the son of Kohath, who was the son of Levi, who was the son of Israel.

Aaron and his descendants offered sacrifices on the altar for burnt offerings and on the altar for incense. They did all the work in the most holy place and removed Israel’s sins to make Israel acceptable to God. They did exactly what Elohim’s servant Moses had commanded.

So the Israelites gave the Levites the cities with their pasturelands.

Next to Manasseh were Beth Shean and its villages, Taanach and its villages, Megiddo and its villages, and Dor and its villages. The descendants of Joseph, son of Israel, live in these cities.

The People Who Lived in Jerusalem

All Israel was recorded in the genealogies in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. The Israelites were taken away to Babylon as captives because they had sinned.

The first to settle again on their property in their own cities were some Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.

The Death of Saul

When the Philistines fought against Israel, the men of Israel fled from the Philistines and were killed in battle on Mount Gilboa.

When all the people of Israel in the valley saw that their army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities. So the Philistines came to live in these cities.

David Anointed King of Israel

All Israel gathered around David at Hebron. “We are your own flesh and blood,” they said.

“Even in the past when Saul ruled, you were the one who led Israel on its campaigns to war. Yahweh your Elohim has said to you, ‘You will be shepherd of my people Israel, the leader of my people Israel.’”

All the leaders of Israel had come to Hebron. David made an agreement with them at Hebron in front of Yahweh. So they anointed David king of Israel, as Yahweh had spoken through Samuel.

David Captures Jerusalem

David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus). The Jebusites were living in that region.

David’s Three Fighting Men

Now, these were the commanders of David’s fighting men, who exercised power with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel they made him king according to Yahweh’s word to Israel.

From Issachar’s descendants there were 200 leaders who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. Their relatives were under their command.

All of these soldiers, who were prepared for battle, came with a single purpose to Hebron—to make David king of all Israel. The rest of Israel also had agreed to make David king.