1 The genealogy of the sons of Judah. 5 Of Asher, 9 Of Jabez and his prayer, 11 Of Chelub, 24 And Simeon: their habitations. 38 And conquests.

The [a]sons of Judah were (A)Perez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.

And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath, and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad: these are the families of the Zorathites.

And these were of the father of Etam, Jezreel, and Ishma and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi.

And Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah: these are the sons of Hur the [b]eldest son of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.

But Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah, and Naarah.

And Naarah bare him Ahuzzam, and Hepher, and Temeni and Haahashtari: these were the sons of Naarah.

And the sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar and Ethnan.

Also Koz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

But Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name [c]Jabez, saying, Because I bare him in sorrow.

10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, If thou wilt bless me in deed, and enlarge my coasts, and [d]if thine hand be with me, and thou wilt cause me to be delivered from evil, that I be not hurt. And God granted the thing that he asked.

11 ¶ And Chelub the brother of Shuhah begat Mehir, which was the father of Eshton.

12 And Eshton begat Beth-Rapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of the city of Ir-Nahash: these are the men of Rechah.

13 ¶ And the sons of Kenaz were Othniel, and Seraiah, and the son of Othniel, Hathath.

14 And Meonothai begat Ophrah. And Seraiah begat Joab the [e]father of the valley of craftsmen: for they were craftsmen.

15 ¶ And the sons of Caleb the son of [f]Jephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. And the son of Elah was Kenaz.

16 And the sons of Jehallelel were Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17 And the sons of Ezrah were Jether and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon, and he begat Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

18 Also his [g]wife Jehudijah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Sochoh, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah: and these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh [h]which Mered took.

19 And the sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham the father of Keilah were the Garmites, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.

20 And the sons of Shimon were Amnon and Rinnah, Ben-Hanan and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were Zoheth, and Ben-Zoheth.

21 (B)The sons of Shelah, the son of Judah were Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the households of them that wrought fine linen in the house of Ashbea.

22 And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba and Joash, and Saraph, which had the dominion in Moab, and [i]Jashubi-Lehem. These also are ancient things.

23 These were porters, and dwelt among plants and hedges: [j]there they dwelt with the king for his work.

24 (C)The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and [k]Shaul.

25 Whose son was Shallum, and his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.

26 And the sons of Mishma, Hamuel was his son, Zacchur his son, and Shimei his son.

27 And Shimei had sixteen sons, and six daughters, but his brethren had not many children, neither was all their family like to the children of Judah in multitude.

28 And they dwelt at [l]Beersheba, and at Moladah, and at Hazar Shual,

29 And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,

30 And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,

31 And at Beth Marcaboth, and at Hazar Susim, at Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim: these were their cities unto the reign of [m]David.

32 And their towns were Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities.

33 And all their towns that were round about these cities unto Baal, these are their habitations and the declaration of their genealogy,

34 And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah,

35 And Joel and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,

36 And Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,

37 And Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah.

38 These were famous Princes in their families, and increased greatly their father’s houses.

39 And they [n]went to the entering in of Gedor, even unto the East side of the valley, to seek pasture for their sheep.

40 And they found fat pasture and good, and a wide land both quiet and fruitful: for they of Ham had dwelt there before.

41 And these described by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the inhabitants that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their room, because there was pasture there for their sheep.

42 And besides these, five hundred men of the sons of Simeon went to mount Seir, and Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel the sons of Ishi were their captains.

43 And they smote the rest of Amalek that had [o]escaped, and they dwelt there unto this day.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 4:1 Meaning, they came of Judah, as nephews and kinsmen: for only Perez was his natural son.
  2. 1 Chronicles 4:4 The firstborn of his mother, and not the eldest son of his father.
  3. 1 Chronicles 4:9 Otherwise called Othniel, Judg. 1:13.
  4. 1 Chronicles 4:10 It is to be understood, that then he would accomplish his vow which he made.
  5. 1 Chronicles 4:14 The Lord of that valley where the artificers did work.
  6. 1 Chronicles 4:15 Called also Esron.
  7. 1 Chronicles 4:18 Or, she bare, meaning, the second wife of Ezra.
  8. 1 Chronicles 4:18 Or, of whom he had Mered.
  9. 1 Chronicles 4:22 Or, of the inhabitants of Lehem.
  10. 1 Chronicles 4:23 They were king David’s gardeners, and served him in his works.
  11. 1 Chronicles 4:24 His son Ohad is here omitted.
  12. 1 Chronicles 4:28 These cities belonged of Judah, Josh. 19:2, and were given to the tribe of Simeon.
  13. 1 Chronicles 4:31 Then David restored them to the tribe of Judah.
  14. 1 Chronicles 4:39 For the tribe of Simeon was so great in number, that in the time of Hezekiah they sought new dwellings unto Gedor, which is in the tribe of Dan.
  15. 1 Chronicles 4:43 And were not slain by Saul and David.

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.