1 Chronicles 4

Expanded Bible

Other Family Groups of Judah

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

² Reaiah was Shobal’s son. Reaiah was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. They were the ·family groups [clans] of the Zorathite people.

Hur was the ·oldest son [^Lfirstborn] of Caleb and his wife Ephrathah. Hur was the ·leader [^Lfather] of Bethlehem. His three sons were Etam, Penuel, and Ezer. Etam’s sons were Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. They had a sister named Hazzelelponi. Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah.

⁵ Tekoa’s father was Ashhur. Ashhur had two wives named Helah and Naarah.

⁶ Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah.

⁷ Helah’s sons were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, ⁸ and Koz. Koz was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the Aharhel ·family group [clan]. Aharhel was the son of Harum.

⁹ There was a man named Jabez, who was more ·respected [honorable; honored; known] than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez [^Csounds like the word for “pain”] because she said, “I was in much pain when I gave birth to him.” ¹⁰ Jabez ·prayed [called/cried out] to the God of Israel, “·Please [Oh that/If only you would] ·do good things for me [bless me] and ·give me more land [enlarge/extend/expand my territory/border]. ·Stay [Keep your hand] with me, and ·don’t let anyone hurt me [keep me from harm/trouble]. ·Then […so that] I ·won’t have any [will be free from/not have to endure] pain.” And God ·did what Jabez had asked [granted/answered his request/prayer].

¹¹ Kelub, Shuhah’s brother, was the father of Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton. ¹² Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah was the father of the people from the town of Nahash. These ·people were [are the men/descendants] from Recah.

¹³ The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah.

Othniel’s sons were Hathath and Meonothai. ¹⁴ Meonothai was the father of Ophrah.

Seraiah was the father of Joab. Joab was the ·ancestor of the people from [father/founder of] ·Craftsmen’s Valley [^LGeharashim], named that because they were ·craftsmen [artisans].

¹⁵ Caleb was Jephunneh’s son. Caleb’s sons were Iru, Elah, and Naam. Elah’s son was Kenaz.

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

Ezrah’s sons were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered married Bithiah, the daughter of the king of Egypt. The children of Mered and Bithiah were Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah. Ishbah was the father of Eshtemoa. Mered also had a wife from Judah, who gave birth to Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel. Jered became the father of Gedor. Heber became the father of Soco. And Jekuthiel became the father of Zanoah.

¹⁹ Hodiah’s wife was Naham’s sister. The sons of Hodiah’s wife were Eshtemoa and the father of Keilah. Keilah was from the Garmite people, and Eshtemoa was from the Maacathite people.

²⁰ Shimon’s sons were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon.

Ishi’s sons were Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

Shelah was Judah’s son. Shelah’s sons were Er, Laadah, Jokim, the men from Cozeba, Joash, and Saraph. Er was the father of Lecah. Laadah was the father of Mareshah and the ·family groups [clans] of linen workers at Beth Ashbea. Joash and Saraph ·ruled [or married] in Moab ·and Jashubi [or but returned to] Lehem. ·The writings about this family are very old [This is from the ancient records/traditions]. ²³ These sons of Shelah were potters. They lived in Netaim and Gederah and worked for the king.

Simeon’s Children

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

²⁶ Mishma’s son was Hammuel. Hammuel’s son was Zaccur. Zaccur’s son was Shimei. ²⁷ Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so ·there were not as many people in their family group as there were in [^Ltheir clan did not grow large/multiply like the sons of] Judah.

²⁸ ·Shimei’s children [^LThey] lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, ²⁹ Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, ³⁰ Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, ³¹ Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. They lived in these cities until ·David became king [David’s reign]. ³² The five villages near these cities were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan. ³³ There were also other villages as far away as ·Baalath [Baal]. ·This is where they lived [These were their settlements]. And they ·wrote the history of their family [kept genealogical records].

The men in this list were leaders of their ·family groups [clans]: Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah (Joshibiah was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of Asiel), Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, and Ziza. (Ziza was the son of Shiphi, who was the son of Allon. Allon was the son of Jedaiah, who was the son of Shimri. And Shimri was the son of Shemaiah.)

·These families [^LTheir father’s houses] grew very large. ³⁹ They went ·outside [to the entrance/outskirts of] the city of Gedor to the east side of the valley to look for pasture for their flocks. ⁴⁰ They found ·rich [fertile] and ·good [lush] pasture, and the land was ·open country [broad] and ·peaceful [undisturbed; untroubled] and quiet. Ham’s descendants had lived there ·in the past [formerly].

⁴¹ These men ·who were [whose names are] listed came to Gedor while Hezekiah was king of Judah. They ·fought against [attacked] the Hamites, destroying their tents, and also ·against [attacked] the Meunites who lived there, and ·completely destroyed them [or put them under a curse of destruction]. So there are no Meunites there even today. Then these men ·began to live there [lived there in their place], because there was pasture for their flocks. ⁴² Ishi’s sons, Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, led five hundred of the Simeonites and attacked ·the people living in the mountains of Edom [^Lthe hill country of Seir; or Mount Seir]. ⁴³ They ·killed [destroyed; defeated] the few Amalekites who were still alive. From that time until now these Simeonites have lived in Edom.