1 Chronicles 4

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

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

2 And, Reaiah son of Shobal, begat Jahath, and, Jahath, begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These, are the families 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 And, these, were the sons of Etam, Jezreel and Ishma, and Idbash, —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 Hushah. These, are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.

5 And, 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 And Naarah bare him Ahuzzam and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These, were the sons of Naarah.

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

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

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

8 And, Koz, begat Anub, and Zobebah, —and the families of Aharhel, 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 Now it came to pass that Jabez was more honourable than his brethren, —but, his mother, had called his name Jabez, ["he causes pain"] saying, Because I bare him with 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 So then Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldst, indeed bless, me, and enlarge my boundary, and that thy hand might be with me, —and that thou wouldst work [to deliver me] from evil, that it be not my pain. And God brought about that which he asked.

[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, Chelub the brother of Shuhah, begat Mehir, the same, 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 And, Eshton, begat Beth-rapha, 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. Tehinnah founded Nahash [town], but their families lived in Recah [town].

13 And, the sons of Kenaz, were Othniel, and Seraiah, —and, the sons of Othniel, Hathath.

[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, Meonothai, begat Ophrah, —and, Seraiah, begat Joab, the father of Ge-harashim, for they were, craftsmen.

15 And, the sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh, were Iru, Elah, and Naam, —and the sons of Elah and Kenaz.

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

[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, these, are the sons of Bithia, daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took, —and she conceived and bare Miriam and 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 And, his wife, the Jewess, bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel, the father of Zanoah.

19 And, the sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the father of Keilah, the Garmite, —and 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 And, the sons of Shimon, Amnon, and Rinnah, Ben-hanan and Tilon. And, the sons 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, the son of Judah, Er, the father of Lecah, and Laadah, the father of Mareshah, —and the families of the house of them 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 ruled for Moab, and Jashubi-lehem, —but, the records, are ancient.

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 They, were the potters and the inhabitants of Netaim, and Gederah, —with the king in his work, dwelt they 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, Zerah, Shaul:

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, Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.

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

27 And, Shimei, had sixteen sons, and six daughters, but, his brethren, had not many children, —nor did, any of their family, multiply so much 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 And they dwelt in Beer-sheba, and Moladah, and Hazar-shual;

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

29 and in Bilhah, and in Ezem, and in Tolad;

Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

30 and in Bethuel, and in Hormah, and in Ziklag;

Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

31 and in Beth-marcaboth, and in Hazar-susim, and in Beth-biri, and in Shaaraim. These, were their cities unto 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 Ain, 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 cities, as far as Baal. These, were their habitations, and they had their own genealogical register.

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 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 and Joel, —and Jehu, the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel:

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

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

38 These, introduced by their names, were leading men in their families. And, their ancestral house, brake forth exceedingly;

39 so they went to the entering in of Gerar, unto the east 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 pasture, fat and good, and, the land, was broad on both hands, and quiet, and secure, —for, of Ham, were the dwellers there aforetime.

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 But these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the Meunim who were found there, and devoted them, until this day, and dwelt in their stead, —for there was pasture for their flocks, there.

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, of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, five hundred men, —with Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, sons of Ishi, at their head;

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 remainder that had escaped, of the Amalekites, —and dwelt there—[as they have] 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].