1 Chronicles 4

1 The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron and Carmi and Hur and Shobal.

The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

2 And Reaiah, the son of Shobal, was the father of Jahath; and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.

Reaiah, son of Shobal, was the father of Jahath. Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites.

3 And these were the sons of Hur, the father of Etam: Jezreel and Ishma and Idbash, and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi;

These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was called Hazzelelponi.

4 And Penuel, the father of Gedor, and Ezer, the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the oldest son of Ephrathah, the father of Beth-lehem.

Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, Ephrathah's firstborn and father of Bethlehem.

5 And Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

Ashhur was the father of Tekoa and had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

6 And Naarah had Ahuzzam by him, and Hepher and Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

Naarah was the mother of Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

7 And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar and Ethnan.

The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,

8 And Koz was the father of Anub and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Hazzobebah and of the families of Aharhel, son of Harum.

9 And Jabez was honoured more than his brothers; but his mother had given him the name Jabez, saying, Because I gave birth to him with sorrow.

Jabez was more faithful to God than his brothers. His mother had given him the name Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.”

10 And Jabez made a prayer to the God of Israel, saying, If only you would truly give me a blessing, and make wider the limits of my land, and let your hand be with me, and keep me from evil, so that I may not be troubled by it! And God gave him his desire.

Jabez begged the God of Israel, “Please bless me and expand my borders! Be with me and keep me safe from harm so I won't have pain.” And God gave him what he asked for.

11 And Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.

Kelub, Shuhah's brother, was the father of Mehir, who in turn was the father of Eshton.

12 And Eshton was the father of Bethrapha and Paseah and Tehinnah, the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah.

Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir Nahash. These were the men of Recah.

13 And the sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath.

The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.

14 And Meonothai was the father of Ophrah; and Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of Ge-harashim; they were expert workmen.

Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of Ge Harashim, so called because craftsmen lived there.

15 And the sons of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the son of Elah: Kenaz.

The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz.

16 And the sons of Jehallelel: Ziph and Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel.

The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17 And the sons of Ezrah: Jether and Mered and Epher and Jalon; and these are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, the wife of Mered. And she became the mother of Miriam and Shammai and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa.

The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. One wife of Mered was the mother of Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

18 And his wife, a woman of the tribe of Judah, became the mother of Jered, the father of Gedor, and Heber, the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel, the father of Zanoah.

(Another wife who came from Judah was the mother of Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the sons of Bithiah, Pharaoh's daughter, whom Mered had married.

19 And the sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

The sons of Hodiah's wife, Nathan's sister: one son was the father of Keilah the Garmite, and another the father of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

20 And the sons of Shimon: Amnon and Rinnah, Ben-hanan and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi: Zoheth; and the son of Zoheth. ...

The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

21 The sons of Shelah, the son of Judah: Er, the father of Lecah, and Laadah, the father of Mareshah, and the families of those who made delicate linen, of the family of Ashbea;

The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er, who was the father of Lecah, Laadah, who was the father of Mareshah, the families of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea,

22 And Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who were rulers in Moab, and went back to Beth-lehem. And the records are very old.

Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled over Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These are old records.)

23 These were the potters, and the people living among planted fields with walls round them; they were there to do the king's work.

They were potters, inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah, who lived there and worked for the king.

24 The sons of Simeon: Nemuel and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;

The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.

25 Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.

Shallum was the son of Shaul, Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son.

26 And the sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.

The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, and Shimei his son.

27 And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers had only a small number of children, and their family was not as fertile as the children of Judah.

Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their tribe was not as large as that of Judah.

28 And they were living at Beer-sheba and Moladah and Hazar-shual,

They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual,

29 And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,

Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

30 And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,

Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

31 And at Beth-marcaboth, and at Hazarsusim, and at Beth-biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their towns till David became king.

Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. These were their towns until David became king.

32 And their small towns were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen and Ashan, five towns;

They also lived in Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan—a total of five towns,

33 And all the small places round these towns, as far as Baalath-beer, the high place of the South. These were their living-places, and they have lists of their generations.

along with all the surrounding villages as far as Baal. These were the places where they lived and they recorded their genealogy.

34 And Meshobab and Jamlech and Joshah, the son of Amaziah,

Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah, son of Amaziah,

35 And Joel and Jehu, the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,

Joel, Jehu, son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel,

36 And Elioenai and Jaakobah and Jeshohaiah and Asaiah and Adiel and Jesimiel and Benaiah,

Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

37 And Ziza, the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah;

and Ziza, son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah.

38 These, whose names are given, were chiefs in their families, and their families became very great in number.

These were the names of the leaders of their families whose lineage increased significantly.

39 And they went to the opening into Gedor, as far as the east side of the valley, in search of grass-land for their flocks.

They went far as the border of Gedor on the east side of the valley to look for pasture for their flocks.

40 And they came to some good fertile grass-land, in a wide quiet country of peace-loving people; for the people who were living there before were of the offspring of Ham.

They found good pastureland there, and the area was open, quiet, and peaceful, for those who used to live there were Ham's descendants.

41 And these whose names are given came in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and made an attack on the Meunim who were living there, and put an end to them to this day, and took their place, because there was grass there for their flocks.

In the time of Hezekiah, king of Judah, the leaders listed above by name came and attacked these descendants of Ham where they lived, along with the Meunites there and totally destroyed them, as is clear to this very day. Then they settled there, because there was pastureland for their flocks.

42 And some of them, five hundred of the sons of Simeon, went to the hill-country of Seir, with Pelatiah and Neariah and Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, at their head.

Some of these Simeonites invaded Mount Seir—five hundred men led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

43 And they put to death the rest of the Amalekites who had got away safely, and made it their living-place to this day.

They destroyed the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped. They have lived there to this very day.