1 Chronicles 4

1 The sons of Judah: Perez, Chezron, and Carmi, and Chur, and Shobal.

The descendants of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

2 And Reayah the son of Shobal begat Jachath, and Jachath begat Achumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zor'athites.

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 And these were [those of] the father of 'Etam, Jizre'el, and Yishma, and Yidbash: and the name of their sister was 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 And Penuel the father of Gedor, and 'Ezer the father of Chushah. These are the sons of Chur, the first-born of Ephratah, the father of Beth-lechem.

5 And Ashchur the father of Thekoa' had two wives. Chelah and Na'arah.

[Hezron’s son] Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives whose names were Helah and Naarah.

6 And Na'arah bore him Achuzzam, and Chepher, and Themeni. and Haachashthari. These were the sons of Na'arah.

The sons of Asshur and his wife Naarah were Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari.

7 And the sons of Chelah were, Zereth, and Zochar, and Ethnan.

The sons of [Ashhur and his wife] Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,

8 And Koz begat 'Anub and Hazzobebah, and the families of Acharchel the 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 And Ja'bez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Ja'bez, 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 Ja'bez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my boundary, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldst act for me against the evil, that it may not give me pain! And God granted him what he had asked for.

[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 And Kelub the brother of Shuchah begat Mechir, who was the father of Eshthon.

[Another descendant of Judah was] Shuhah. His [younger] brother Kelub was the father of Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton.

12 And Eshthon begat Beth-rapha, and Passeach, and Techinnah the father of 'Irnachash. These are the men of Rechah.

Eshton was the father of Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah founded Nahash [town], but their families lived in Recah [town].

13 And the sons of Kenas: 'Othniel and Serayah. And the sons of 'Othniel: Chathath.

[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 And Me'onothai begat 'Ophrah: and Serayah begat Joab, the father of the valley of the carpenters; for they were carpenters.

15 And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: 'Iru, Elah, and Na'am. And the sons of Elah: Ukenas.

16 And the sons of Jehalelel: Ziph, and Ziphah, Thireya, and Assarel.

[Another descendant of Judah was] Jehallelel. His sons were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17 And the sons of 'Ezrah: Jether, and Mered, and 'Epher, and Jalon. And she conceived [and bore] Miriam, and Shammai, and Yishbach the father of Eshthemoa'.

[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 And his wife the Jewess bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Cheber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoach. And these are the sons of D the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered had taken [for wife].

19 And the sons of the wife of Hodiyah the sister of Nacham: The father of Kei'lah the Garmite, and Eshthemoa' the Ma'achathite.

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 And the sons of Shimon: Amnon, and Rinnah, Ben-chanan, and Thilon. And the sons of Yish'i were, Zocheth, and Benzocheth.

[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 the son of Judah: 'Er the father of Lechah, and La'dah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those that wrought fine linen, of the house of 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 And Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubi-lechem. And these are ancient things.

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 There were the potters, and those that dwelt in plantations and sheepfolds: for the king's sake to do his work they dwelt there.

They made pottery for the king; some of them lived in Netaim [town] and some of them lived in Gederah [town].

24 The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerach, and Saul.

Simeon’s sons were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.

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

Shaul’s son was Shallum. Shallum’s son was Mibsam. Mibsam’s son was Mishma.

26 And the sons of Mishma': Hamuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shim'i his son.

Mishma’s son was Hammuel. Hammuel’s son was Zaccur. Zaccur’s son was Shimei.

27 And Shim'i had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, nor did all their family multiply, equal to the children 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 And they dwelt at Beer-sheba', and Moladah, and Chazar-shu'al.

The descendants of Simeon lived in [these cities and towns]: Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-Shual,

29 And at Bilhah, and at 'Ezem, and at Tholad,

Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

30 And at Bethuel, and at Chormah, and at Ziklag.

Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

31 And at Beth-marcaboth, and Chazar-sussim, and at Beth-biri, and at Sha'arayim. 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, and 'Ayin, Rimmon, and Tochen, and 'Ashan, five cities;

They also lived in villages near those towns: Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan.

33 And all their villages that were round about these same cities as far as Ba'al. These were their dwelling-places, and after them are they recorded.

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 And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amazyah,

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 And Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibyah, the son of Serayah, the son of 'Assiel.

36 And Elyo'enai and Ja'akobah, and Jeshochayah, and 'Assayah, and Adiel, and Jessimiel, and Benayah.

37 And Ziza the son of Shiph'i, the son of Allon, the son of Jedayah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shema'yah:

38 These mentioned by their names were princes in their families; and their family divisions spread themselves out greatly.

39 And they went to the entrance of Gedur, as far as the east side of the valley, to seek 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 And they found a fat and good pasture, and the land was roomy, and quiet, and peaceable; for descendants of Ham dwelt there before that time.

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 And then came these written down by name in the days of Hezekiah the king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their stead; because there was pasture there 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 some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Se'ir having at their head Pelatyah, and Ne'aryah, and Rephayah, and 'Uzziel, the sons of Yish'i.

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 they smote the rest of the 'Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto 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].