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.

Now the sons of Ruben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was his firstborn: but forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his first birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, and he was not accounted for the 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.

But of the race of Juda, who was the strongest among his brethren, came the princes: but the first birthright was accounted to Joseph.)

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

The sons then of Ruben the firstborn of Israel were Enoch, and Phallu, Esron, and Charmi.

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: Samaia his son, Gog his son, Semei his son,

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

Micha his son, Reia 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.

Beera his son, whom Thelgathphalnasar king of the Assyrians carried away captive, and he was prince in the tribe of Ruben.

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,

And his brethren, and all his kindred, when they were numbered by their families, had for princes Jehiel, and Zacharias.

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].

And Bala the son of Azaz, the son of Samma, the son of Joel, dwelt in Aroer as far as Nebo, and Beelmeon.

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 eastward he had his habitation as far as the entrance of the desert, and the river Euphrates. For they possessed a great number of cattle in the land of Galaad.

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].

And in the days of Saul they fought against the Agarites, and slew them, and dwelt in their tents in their stead, in all the country, that looketh to the east of Galaad.

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

And the children of Gad dwelt over against them in the land of Basan, as far as Selcha:

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

Johel the chief, and Saphan the second: and Janai, and Saphat in Basan.

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

And their brethren according to the houses of their kindreds, were Michael, and Mosollam, and Sebe, and Jorai, and Jacan, and Zie, and Heber, 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 Hurl, the son of Jara, the son of Galaad, the son of Michael, the son of Jesisi, the son of Jeddo, the son of But.

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

And their brethren the sons of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief 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 dwelt in Galaad, and in Basan and in the towns thereof, and in all the suburbs of Saron, unto 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 Joathan king of Juda, and in the days of Jeroboam 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 Ruben, and of Gad, and of the half tribe of Manasses, fighting men, bearing shields, and swords, and bending the bow, and trained up to battles, four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore that went out to war.

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

They fought against the Agarites: but the Itureans, and Naphis, and Nodab,

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.

Gave them help. And the Agarites were delivered into their hands, and all that were with them, because they called upon God in the battle: and he heard them, because they had put their faith 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 took all that they possessed, of camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand souls.

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 slain: for it was the battle of the Lord. And they dwelt in their stead till the captivity.

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.

And the children of the half tribe of Manasses possessed the land, from the borders of Basan unto Baal, Hermon, and Sanir, and mount Hermon, for their number was great.

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 the heads of the house of their kindred, Epher, and Jesi, and Eliel, and Esriel, and Jeremia, and Odoia, and Jediel, most valiant and powerful men, and famous chiefs 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 forsook the God of their fathers, and went astray after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed 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 the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Phul king of the Assyrians, and the spirit of Thelgathphalnasar king of Assur: and he carried away Ruben, and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasses, and brought them to Lahela, and to Habor, and to Ara, and to the river of Gozan, unto this day.