1 Chronicles 4
1 The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
The descendants of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
2 Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.
Shobal’s son was Reaiah. Reaiah was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. They were the ancestors of the Zorath people-group.
3 These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. And their sister was named Hazzelelponi.
The oldest son of Caleb and his wife Ephrathah was Hur. Hur was the one who started/founded Bethlehem [town]. His three sons were Etam, Penuel, and Ezer. Etam’s sons were Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was Hazzelelponi. Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah.
4 Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and the father of Bethlehem.
5 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
[Hezron’s son] Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives whose names were Helah and Naarah.
6 Naarah bore to him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah.
The sons of Asshur and his wife Naarah were Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari.
7 The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,
The sons of [Ashhur and his wife] Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,
8 and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Zobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.
and Koz. Koz was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the ancestor of the clans descended from Aharhel. Aharhel was the son of Harum.
9 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”
[There was another descendant of Judah whose name was] Jabez. [He] was more respected than his brothers were. His mother named him Jabez [which means ‘pain’] because she said, “I was enduring much pain when I gave birth to him.”
10 And Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only You would bless me and enlarge my territory! May Your hand be with me and keep me from harm, so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted the request of Jabez.
[One day] he prayed to God whom his fellow Israelis [worshiped], saying, “Please greatly bless me and (enlarge my land/give me a lot of land/property). Remain [IDM] with me, and do not allow anyone to harm me. If you do that for me, I will not have any pain.” And God did what Jabez requested him to do.
11 Chelub the brother of Shuhah was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.
[Another descendant of Judah was] Shuhah. His [younger] brother Kelub was the father of Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton.
12 Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, of Paseah, and of Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These were the men of Recah.
Eshton was the father of Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah founded Nahash [town], but their families lived in Recah [town].
13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.
[Another descendant of Judah was] Jephunneh. His son was Caleb. Caleb’s sons were Iru, Elah, and Naam. Elah’s son was Kenaz. The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel’s sons were Hathath and Meonothai. Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab. Joab was the ancestor of the people who lived in Craftsmen’s Valley. The valley was named that because many of the people who lived there were (craftsmen/men who were experts in making things).
14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah, and Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of those living in Ge-harashim, which was given this name because its people were craftsmen.
15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz.
16 The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
[Another descendant of Judah was] Jehallelel. His sons were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. And Mered’s wife Bithiah gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.
[Another descendant of Judah was Ezrah.] Ezrah’s sons were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered married Bithiah, who was the daughter of the king of Egypt. The children of Mered and Bithiah were Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah. Ishbah was the father of Eshtemoa. Ezrah also had a wife from Judah. She gave birth to Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel. Jered was the father of (OR, founded the town of) Gedor, Heber was the father of (OR, founded the town of) Soco, and Jekuthiel was the father of (OR, founded the town of) Zanoah.
18 These were the children of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah. Mered also took a Judean wife, who gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.
19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
Hodiah’s wife, who was Naham’s sister, bore two sons. One of them was the father of Keilah, the ancestor of the Gar people-group, and the other one was the father of Eshtemoa, the ancestor of the Maacath people-group.
20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The descendants of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.
[Another descendant of Judah was Shimon]. Shimon’s sons were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon. [Another descendant of Judah was] Ishi. His descendants were Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.
21 The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea,
One of Judah’s sons was Shelah. Shelah’s sons were Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, the families of those who made things from linen at Beth-Ashbea,
22 Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi-lehem. (These names are from ancient records.)
Jokim, and the men of Cozeba [town], and Joash and Saraph, two men who married women from [the] Moab [region] and later lived in Bethlehem (OR, and ruled in Jashubi-Lehem). All their names and a record of what they did are written in very old scrolls.
23 These were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the service of the king.
They made pottery for the king; some of them lived in Netaim [town] and some of them lived in Gederah [town].
24 The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.
Simeon’s sons were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.
25 The sons of Shaul: Shallum, Mibsam, and Mishma.
Shaul’s son was Shallum. Shallum’s son was Mibsam. Mibsam’s son was Mishma.
26 The sons of Mishma: Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei.
Mishma’s son was Hammuel. Hammuel’s son was Zaccur. Zaccur’s son was Shimei.
27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole clan did not become as numerous as the sons of Judah.
Shimei had 16 sons and six daughters, but none of his brothers had many children. So the descendants of Simeon never were as many as the descendants of [his younger brother] Judah.
28 They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual,
The descendants of Simeon lived in [these cities and towns]: Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-Shual,
29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,
Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,
30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,
Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,
31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David.
Beth-Marcaboth, Hazar-Susim, Beth-Biri, and Shaaraim. They lived in those places until David became king.
32 And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five towns—
They also lived in villages near those towns: Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan.
33 and all their surrounding villages as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record:
There were other villages where they lived, as far [southwest] as Baalath [town]. Those were the places where they lived, and their names, according to the family records.
34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,
The men in the following list were the leaders of their clans: Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah, Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah. Joshibiah was the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Asiel. Other clan leaders were Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, and Ziza. Ziza was the son of Shiphi and the grandson of Allon, who was the son of Jedaiah, who was the son of Shimri, who was the son of Shemaiah. Those families became very large/numerous.
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 men listed by name were the leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly,
39 and they journeyed to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, in search of pasture for their flocks.
They went outside of Gedor [town] on the east side of the valley to look for pastureland for their flocks of sheep.
40 There they found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful, and quiet; for some Hamites had lived there formerly.
They found good pastureland with plenty of grass. The place was peaceful and quiet. Previously the descendants of [Noah’s son] Ham had lived there.
41 These who were noted by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites and Meunites there in their dwellings, devoting them to destruction even to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks.
But while Hezekiah was the king of Judah, the leaders of the tribe of Simeon came to Gedor and fought against the descendants of Ham and destroyed their tents. They also fought against the descendants of Meun who were living there, and they killed all of them. So now there are no descendants of Meun living there. The descendants of Simeon started to live there, because there was good pastureland there for their sheep.
42 And five hundred of these Simeonites led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to Mount Seir
Ishi’s four sons Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel led 500 other descendants of Simeon [and attacked the people who were living] in the hilly area of the Edom [region].
43 and struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped. And they have lived there to this day.
They killed the few descendants of Amalek who were still alive. From that time until now, the descendants of Simeon have lived in [the] Edom [region].
