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.

And the sons of Ruben the firstborn of Israel (for he [was] the firstborn; but because of his going up to his father's couch, [his father] gave his blessing to his son Joseph, [even] the son of Israel; and he was not reckoned 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.

for Judas [was] very mighty even among his brethren, and one was to be a ruler out of him: but the blessing [was] Joseph's).

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

The sons of Ruben the firstborn of Israel; Enoch, and Phallus, Asrom, 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; Semei, and Banaia his son: and the sons of Gug the son of Semei.

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

His son [was] Micha, his son Recha, his son Joel,

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.

his son Beel, whom Thagla-phallasar king of Assyria carried away captive: he [is] the chief of the Rubenites.

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 in his family, in their distribution according to their generations; the chief, Joel, and Zacharia.

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 Balec the son of Azuz, the son of Sama, the son of Joel: he lived in Aroer, and even to Naban, and Beelmasson.

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 eastward to the borders of the wilderness, from the river Euphrates: for they had much 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 made war upon the sojourners [in the land]; and they fell into their hands, all of them dwelling in their tents eastward 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].

The sons of Gad lived over against them in the land of Basan even to Sela.

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

Joel the firstborn, and Sapham the second, and Janin the scribe 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 fathers; Michael, Mosollam, and Sebee, and Joree, and Joachan, and Zue, and Obed, 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 [are] the sons of Abichaia the son of Uri, the son of Idai, the son of Galaad, the son of Michael, the son of Jesai, the son of Jeddai, the son of Buz,

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

[who was] the brother of the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, [he was] chief of the house of 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].

They lived in Galaad, in Basan, and in their villages, and [in] all the country round about Saron to the border.

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.

The enumeration of [them] all took place in the days of Joatham 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 Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasse, of mighty men, bearing shields and sword, and bending the bow, and skilled in war, [were] forty and four thousand and seven hundred and sixty, going forth to battle.

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

And they made war with the Agarenes, and Itureans, and Naphiseans, and Nadabeans,

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 they prevailed against them: and the Agaraeans were given into their hands, [they] and all their tents: for they cried to God in the battle, and he listened to them, because they trusted on 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 captive their store; five thousand camels, and two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two thousand asses, and a hundred thousand men.

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.

For many fell slain, because the war [was] of God. And they lived in their place until 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 half-tribe of Manasse lived from Basan to Baal, Ermon, and Sanir, and [to] the mount Aermon: and they increased in Libanus.

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 houses of their families; Opher, and Sei, and Eliel, and Jeremia, and Oduia, and Jediel, mighty men of valour, men of renown, heads of the houses of 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 rebelled against the God of their fathers, and went a-whoring after the gods of the nations of the land, whom God cast out from 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 Phaloch king of Assyria, and the spirit of Thagla-phallasar king of Assyria, and carried away Ruben and Gaddi, and the half-tribe of Manasse, and brought them to Chaach, and Chabor, and to the river Gozan, until this day.