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Sons of Reuben

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but since he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright; though Judah prevailed over his brothers and a ruler came from him, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph), the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were

Hanok, Pallu, Hezron, and Karmi.

The sons of Joel were

Shemaiah his son, Gog his son,

Shimei his son, Micah his son,

Reaiah his son, Baal his son,

and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser the king of Assyria led into exile. He was a leader of the Reubenites.

His brothers according to their families by the registration of their generations were

Jeiel, the first, and Zechariah; Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even as far as Nebo and Baal Meon. And he dwelt toward the east as far as the entrance to the wilderness from the Euphrates, for their cattle were abundant in the land of Gilead.

10 Now in the days of Saul, they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand, and they dwelt in their tents over all the eastern plains of Gilead.

Sons of Gad

11 The sons of Gad dwelt opposite them in the land of Bashan as far as Salekah.

12 Joel was the first, Shapham the second, with Janai and Shaphat in Bashan.

13 Their brothers of their father’s house were

Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jakan, Zia, and Eber, seven in all.

14 These are the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;

15 Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was the head of their father’s house.

16 They dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in its towns, and in all the outlands of Sharon to the edge of their borders.

17 All of them were registered by genealogy in the days of Jotham king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

18 The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh numbered forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with a bow, and who were skillful in battle, who went to war. 19 They made war with the Hagrites, namely Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were delivered into their hand, for they cried to God in the battle, and He heard their prayer because they trusted in Him. 21 They captured their livestock: fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two thousand donkeys, and one hundred thousand men. 22 So many fell slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their place until the exile.

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh

23 The children of the half-tribe of Manasseh also dwelt in the land. They increased from Bashan as far as Baal Hermon and Senir, even to Mount Hermon.

24 These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, men of reputation, and heads of their fathers’ houses. 25 They were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had wiped out before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul the king of Assyria, even the spirit of Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, and he led the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and to the river of Gozan to this day.

Reuben

The sons of Reuben(A) the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed,(B) his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph(C) son of Israel;(D) so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright,(E) and though Judah(F) was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler(G) came from him, the rights of the firstborn(H) belonged to Joseph)— the sons of Reuben(I) the firstborn of Israel:

Hanok, Pallu,(J) Hezron(K) and Karmi.

The descendants of Joel:

Shemaiah his son, Gog his son,

Shimei his son, Micah his son,

Reaiah his son, Baal his son,

and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser[a](L) king of Assyria took into exile. Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites.

Their relatives by clans,(M) listed according to their genealogical records:

Jeiel the chief, Zechariah, and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in the area from Aroer(N) to Nebo(O) and Baal Meon.(P) To the east they occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates(Q) River, because their livestock had increased in Gilead.(R)

10 During Saul’s reign they waged war against the Hagrites(S), who were defeated at their hands; they occupied the dwellings of the Hagrites throughout the entire region east of Gilead.

Gad

11 The Gadites(T) lived next to them in Bashan, as far as Salekah:(U)

12 Joel was the chief, Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat, in Bashan.

13 Their relatives, by families, were:

Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jakan, Zia and Eber—seven in all.

14 These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz.

15 Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family.

16 The Gadites lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its outlying villages, and on all the pasturelands of Sharon as far as they extended.

17 All these were entered in the genealogical records during the reigns of Jotham(V) king of Judah and Jeroboam(W) king of Israel.

18 The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service(X)—able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur,(Y) Naphish and Nodab. 20 They were helped(Z) in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried(AA) out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted(AB) in him. 21 They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, 22 and many others fell slain, because the battle(AC) was God’s. And they occupied the land until the exile.(AD)

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh

23 The people of the half-tribe of Manasseh(AE) were numerous; they settled in the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon).(AF)

24 These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel. They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their families. 25 But they were unfaithful(AG) to the God of their ancestors and prostituted(AH) themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit(AI) of Pul(AJ) king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser(AK) king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah,(AL) Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 5:6 Hebrew Tilgath-Pilneser, a variant of Tiglath-Pileser; also in verse 26