1 Chronicles 5

1 Reuben was the oldest son of Jacob. Therefore, he should have received the special rights/privileges that belonged to firstborn sons. But he had sex with his father’s slave wife, so [his father] gave the rights if a firstborn son to the sons of Reubers younger brother Joseph. And in the family records, Reuben is not mentioned first, like the firstborn sons always are.

Also, there were the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel. For indeed, he was his firstborn, but when he had violated the bed of his father, his right as firstborn was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, and he was not reputed as firstborn.

2 Although Judah became more influential than his brothers, and a ruler of the tribe descended from him, Joseph’s family received the rights that belonged to firstborn sons.

Moreover, Judah, who was strongest among his brothers, from his stock leaders sprung up, but the right of firstborn was reputed to Joseph.

3 But Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son. Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

So then, the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.

4 [Another descendant of Reuben was Joel]. Joel’s son was Shemaiah. Shemaiah’s son was Gog. Gog’s son was Shimei.

The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,

5 Shimei’s son was Micah. Micah’s son was Reaiah. Reaiah’s son was Baal.

Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,

6 Baal’s son was Beerah. Beerah was a leader of the tribe/descendants of Reuben. But Tiglath-Pileser the king of Assyria captured him and took him to Assyria.

Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser, the king of the Assyrians, led away captive, and he was a leader in the tribe of Reuben.

7 The names of these clans are listed here according to what is written in their family records. The first [name written was] Jeiel. Then Zechariah,

Now his brothers and all his kindred, when they were being numbered according to their families, had as leaders Jeiel and Zechariah.

8 and then Bela. Bela was the son of Azaz, and Azaz was the son of Shema, and Shema was the son of Joel. Reuben’s clan was very large. Some of them lived near Aroer [city] as far [north] as Nebo [town] and Baal-Meon [city].

Now Bela, the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baalmeon.

9 Some of them lived further east, as far as the edge of the desert [south of] the Euphrates River. [They went there] because they had a huge amount of cattle, [with the result that there was not enough pastureland for them] in [the] Gilead [region].

And he lived toward the eastern region, as far as the entrance to the wilderness and the river Euphrates. For indeed, they possessed a great number of cattle in the land of Gilead.

10 When Saul was king [of Israel], Bela’s clan fought against the descendants of Hagar and defeated them. After that, Bela’s clan lived in the tents that the descendants of Hagar had lived in previously, in all the area east of [the] Gilead [region].

Then, in the days of Saul, they battled against the Hagarites and put them to death. And they lived in place of them, in their dwellings, throughout the entire region that looks to the east of Gilead.

11 The tribe of Gad lived near the tribe of Reuben; they lived in [the] Bashan [region], all the way [east] to Salecah [town].

Truly, the sons of Gad lived in the opposite region from them, in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah:

12 Joel was their chief; Shapham was his assistant; other leaders were Janai and Shaphat.

Joel the head, and Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat, in Bashan.

13 Other members of the tribe belonged to seven clans, whose leaders were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber.

Truly, their brothers, according to the houses of their kindred, were: Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jacan, and Zia, and Eber, seven.

14 They were descendants of Abihail. Abihail was Huri’s son. Huri was Jaroah’s son. Jaroah was Gilead’s son. Gilead was Michael’s son. Michael was Jeshishai’s son. Jeshishai was Jahdo’s son. Jahdo was the son of Buz.

These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz,

15 Ahi was Abdiel’s son. Abdiel was Guni’s son. Ahi was the leader of their clan.

along with their brothers, the sons of Abdiel, the son of Guni, the leader of the house, in their families,

16 The descendants of Gad lived in the towns in Gilead and Bashan regions, and on all the pastureland on [the] Sharon [plain].

And they lived in Gilead, and in Bashan and its towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, as far as the borders.

17 All of those names were written in the records of the clans of Gad during the time that Jotham was the king of Judah and Jeroboam was the king of Israel.

All these were numbered in the days of Jotham, the king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the king of Israel:

18 There were 44,760 soldiers from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and [the eastern] half of the tribe of Manasseh. They all carried shields and swords and bows [and arrows]. They [were all trained to] fight well in battles.

the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and the one half tribe of Manasseh, men of war, carrying shields and swords, and bending the bow, and trained for battle, forty-four thousand and seven hundred sixty, advancing to the fight.

19 They attacked the descendants of Hagar and the people of Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab [cities].

They struggled against the Hagarites, yet truly the Jetureans, and Naphish, and Nodab offered assistance to them.

20 The men from those three tribes prayed to God during the battles, requesting him to help them. So he helped them, because they trusted in him. He enabled them to defeat [IDM] the descendants of Hagar and all those who were helping them.

And the Hagarites were delivered into their hands, and all who were with them. For they called upon God while they did battle. And he heeded them, because they had trusted in him.

21 They took the animals that belonged to the descendants of Hagar: They took 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys. They also captured 100,000 people.

And they seized all that they possessed, of camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred fifty thousand, and of donkeys two thousand, and of men one hundred thousand lives.

22 But many descendants of Hagar were killed because God helped the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. After that, those three tribes lived in that area until [the army of] Babylonia [captured them and] took them away to Babylon.

And many fell down wounded. For it was a war of the Lord. And they lived in place of them, until the transmigration.

23 There were many people who belonged to the eastern half of the tribe of Manasseh. They lived in [the] Bashan [region east of the Jordan River], as far [north] as Baal-Hermon, Senir, and Hermon Mountain.

Also, the sons of the one half tribe of Manasseh possessed the land, from the parts of Bashan as far as Baal, Hermon, and Sanir, and Mount Hermon. For certainly, their number was immense.

24 Their clan leaders were Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were all strong, brave, and famous soldiers, and leaders of their clans.

And these were leaders of the house of their kindred: Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, very valiant and powerful men, and renowned leaders in their families.

25 But they sinned against God, the one whom their ancestors had worshiped. They began to worship the gods/idols that the people of that region had worshiped, the people whom God had enabled them to destroy!

But they abandoned the God of their fathers, and they fornicated after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God took away before them.

26 So the God whom the Israelis [worshiped] caused Pul, the king of Assyria, to conquer those tribes. Pul’s other name was Tiglath-Pileser. His [army] captured the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the eastern half of the tribe of Manasseh, and took them to [various places in Assyria]: Halah, Habor, Hara and near the Gozan River. [They have lived in those places from that time] to the present time.

And so the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, the king of the Assyrians, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser, the king of Assur. And he took away Reuben, and Gad, and the one half tribe of Manasseh. And he led them to Halah, and to Habor, and to Hara, and to the river of Gozan, even to this day.