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Genealogy of Judah

Judah’s descendants were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

Shobal’s son Reaiah fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites.

These were the descendants of[a] the ancestor of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and their sister’s name was Hazzelelponi.

Penuel fathered Gedor and Ezer fathered Hushah.

These were the descendants of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn, who fathered Bethlehem: Tekoa’s father Ashhur had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah bore him these sons: Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari.[b]

The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar,[c] and Ethnan.

Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Harum’s son Aharhel.

Jabez enjoyed more honor than his relatives—his mother named him Jabez, she said, “because I bore him in pain.”[d]

10 Later on, Jabez called on the God of Israel, asking him,[e] “…whether you would bless me again and again, enlarge my territory, keep your power[f] with me, keep me from evil, and keep me from harm!” And God granted what he had requested.

11 Chelub, Shuhah’s brother, fathered Mehir, who fathered Eshton. 12 Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, who fathered Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah.

13 Kenaz’s descendants were Othniel and Seraiah.

Othniel’s descendants were Hathath 14 and Meonothai, who fathered Ophrah.

Seraiah fathered Joab, who fathered the Ge-harashim,[g] because they became artisans.

15 The descendants of Jephunneh’s son Caleb were Iru, Elah, and Naam.

Elah’s son[h] was Kenaz.

16 Jehallelel’s descendants were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17 Ezrah’s descendants were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon.

Mered’s wife[i] conceived Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, who fathered Eshtemoa. 18 Then his Judean wife bore Jered, who fathered Gedor and then Heber, who fathered Soco and Jekuthiel, who fathered Zanoah. These are the descendants of Bithiah, daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married.

19 The descendants of Hodiah’s wife, Naham’s sister, fathered Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

20 Shimon’s descendants were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon.

Ishi’s descendants were Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

21 The descendants of Judah’s son Shelah were Er, who fathered Lecah, Laadah (who fathered Mareshah and the families who belonged to the guild[j] of linen workers at Beth-ashbea), 22 Jokim, the men who lived in Cozeba, Joash, and Saraph (who married Moabite families),[k] and Jashubi-lehem.[l] (The records are ancient.)[m] 23 These people[n] were potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah in service to their king, who lived there.

Genealogy of Simeon(A)

24 Simeon’s descendants were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul, 25 his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.

26 Mishma’s descendants were his son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei.

27 Shimei had 16 sons and six daughters, but his relatives did not have many children, nor did their entire family multiply like the Judeans did. 28 They lived in Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until David began to reign.

32 Their cities were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, for a total of[o] five cities, 33 along with all their settlements that surrounded these cities as far as Baal—this is their settlement history.[p]

They kept this genealogical record for themselves: 34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Amaziah’s son Joshah, 35 Joel, Joshibiah’s son Jehu (who was the grandson of Seraiah and great-grandson of Asiel), 36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 Shiphi’s son Ziza (who was the grandson of Shiphi, who was fathered by Allon, who was fathered by Jedaiah, who was fathered by Shimri, who was fathered by Shemaiah)— 38 these people,[q] enumerated by name, were leaders in their respective families, and their clans grew to be very abundant.

39 They journeyed as far as the entrance of Gedor on the east side of the valley in order to find pasture for their flocks. 40 They discovered abundant and excellent grazing lands there, where the land was very broad, secure, and tranquil, because the former inhabitants there were descendants of Ham. 41 Later on, during the reign[r] of King Hezekiah of Judah, these people,[s] enumerated by name, came and attacked both their homes[t] and the Meunim who had settled there and who remain exterminated to this day. They settled down there, taking their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42 Some of them—that is, 500 Simeonite men—went to Mount Seir.[u] Under the leadership of Ishi’s sons Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, 43 they destroyed the survivors of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 4:3 The Heb. lacks the descendants of; MT reads fathers
  2. 1 Chronicles 4:6 Or the Ahastarite
  3. 1 Chronicles 4:7 Or Zohar
  4. 1 Chronicles 4:9 The name Jabez is related to MT word pain
  5. 1 Chronicles 4:10 The Heb. lacks him
  6. 1 Chronicles 4:10 Lit. hand
  7. 1 Chronicles 4:14 Lit. Valley of the Artists
  8. 1 Chronicles 4:15 Lit. sons
  9. 1 Chronicles 4:17 The Heb. lacks Mered’s wife
  10. 1 Chronicles 4:21 Lit. house
  11. 1 Chronicles 4:22 Lit. married into Moab
  12. 1 Chronicles 4:22 Or and returned to Lehem
  13. 1 Chronicles 4:22 Or missing
  14. 1 Chronicles 4:23 The Heb. lacks people
  15. 1 Chronicles 4:32 The Heb. lacks for a total of
  16. 1 Chronicles 4:33 The Heb. lacks history
  17. 1 Chronicles 4:38 The Heb. lacks people
  18. 1 Chronicles 4:41 Lit. days
  19. 1 Chronicles 4:41 The Heb. lacks people
  20. 1 Chronicles 4:41 Lit. tents
  21. 1 Chronicles 4:42 This mountain, the modern Jebel esh-sherá, is located in the mountain range that extends south of the Dead Sea toward the Gulf of Aqaba, and is bordered by the Arabah Valley to the west.

Other Clans of Judah

The descendants of Judah:(A)

Perez, Hezron,(B) Karmi, Hur and Shobal.

Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.

These were the sons[a] of Etam:

Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi. Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah.

These were the descendants of Hur,(C) the firstborn of Ephrathah and father[b] of Bethlehem.(D)

Ashhur(E) the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah.

The sons of Helah:

Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Hazzobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,[c] saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

11 Kelub, Shuhah’s brother, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12 Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash.[d] These were the men of Rekah.

13 The sons of Kenaz:

Othniel(F) and Seraiah.

The sons of Othniel:

Hathath and Meonothai.[e] 14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah.

Seraiah was the father of Joab,

the father of Ge Harashim.[f] It was called this because its people were skilled workers.

15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh:

Iru, Elah and Naam.

The son of Elah:

Kenaz.

16 The sons of Jehallelel:

Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel.

17 The sons of Ezrah:

Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. One of Mered’s wives gave birth to Miriam,(G) Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 18 (His wife from the tribe of Judah gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soko, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.(H)) These were the children of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, whom Mered had married.

19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham:

the father of Keilah(I) the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maakathite.(J)

20 The sons of Shimon:

Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan and Tilon.

The descendants of Ishi:

Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

21 The sons of Shelah(K) son of Judah:

Er the father of Lekah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea, 22 Jokim, the men of Kozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from ancient times.) 23 They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they stayed there and worked for the king.

Simeon(L)

24 The descendants of Simeon:(M)

Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib,(N) Zerah and Shaul;

25 Shallum was Shaul’s son, Mibsam his son and Mishma his son.

26 The descendants of Mishma:

Hammuel his son, Zakkur his son and Shimei his son.

27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their entire clan did not become as numerous as the people of Judah. 28 They lived in Beersheba,(O) Moladah,(P) Hazar Shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem,(Q) Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah,(R) Ziklag,(S) 31 Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri and Shaaraim.(T) These were their towns until the reign of David. 32 Their surrounding villages were Etam, Ain,(U) Rimmon, Token and Ashan(V)—five towns— 33 and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath.[g] These were their settlements. And they kept a genealogical record.

34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, 35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, 36 also Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 and Ziza son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah.

38 The men listed above by name were leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly, 39 and they went to the outskirts of Gedor(W) to the east of the valley in search of pasture for their flocks. 40 They found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful and quiet.(X) Some Hamites had lived there formerly.

41 The men whose names were listed came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites in their dwellings and also the Meunites(Y) who were there and completely destroyed[h] them, as is evident to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks. 42 And five hundred of these Simeonites, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, invaded the hill country of Seir.(Z) 43 They killed the remaining Amalekites(AA) who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 4:3 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Vulgate); Hebrew father
  2. 1 Chronicles 4:4 Father may mean civic leader or military leader; also in verses 12, 14, 17, 18 and possibly elsewhere.
  3. 1 Chronicles 4:9 Jabez sounds like the Hebrew for pain.
  4. 1 Chronicles 4:12 Or of the city of Nahash
  5. 1 Chronicles 4:13 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate; Hebrew does not have and Meonothai.
  6. 1 Chronicles 4:14 Ge Harashim means valley of skilled workers.
  7. 1 Chronicles 4:33 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Joshua 19:8); Hebrew Baal
  8. 1 Chronicles 4:41 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.