1 Chronicles
Chapter 4
1 Judah’s sons were: Pharez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
2 Reaiah, Shobal’s son, had a son named Jahath; Jahath had sons named Ahumai and Lahad. These are the clans of the Zorathites.
3 These were Etam’s descendants: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; their sister was named Hazelelponi.
4 Penuel was Gedor’s father, and Ezer was Hushah’s father. They were Hur’s sons, who was Ephrath’s first child and Bethlehem’s father.
5 Ashur from Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6 Naarah had sons named Ahuzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were Naarah’s sons.
7 Helah’s sons were Zereth, Jezoar, and Ethnan.
8 Coz had children Anub and Zobebah, and the relatives of Aharhel, Harum’s son.
9 Jabez was more respected than his brothers; his mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I gave birth to him in pain.”
10 Jabez prayed to the God of Israel and said, “Please bless me greatly, expand my territory, be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will not suffer.” And God gave him what he asked for.
11 Chelub, Shuah’s brother, had a son named Mehir, who was Eshton’s father.
12 Eshton had sons called Bethrapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, who was father of Irnahash. These men were from Rechah.
13 Kenaz had two sons named Othniel and Seraiah, and Othniel had a son named Hathath.
14 Meonothai fathered Ophrah, and Seraiah fathered Joab, who was the leader in the Valley of Craftsmen because they were skilled workers.
15 Caleb, Jephunneh’s son, had three sons: Iru, Elah, and Naam. Elah had a son named Kenaz.
16 Jehaleleel’s sons were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel.
17 Ezra had sons named Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. He also had a daughter named Miriam, another son named Shammai, and Ishbah, who became the father of Eshtemoa.
18 Jehudijah, his wife, had three sons: Jered, who started the family of Gedor; Heber, who started the family of Socho; and Jekuthiel, who started the family of Zanoah. All of them were the sons of Bithiah, Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Mered married.
19 Hodiah’s sons, Naham’s sister and the father of Keilah from Garm and Eshtemoa from Maachah.
20 Shimon’s sons were Amnon, Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. Ishi’s sons were Zoheth and Benzoheth.
21 Shelah, Judah’s son, had sons: Er, who started Lecah’s family; Laadah, who started Mareshah’s family; and families who made fine linen in Ashbea’s house.
22 Jokim and the men of Chozeba, Joash, and Saraph ruled in Moab, and Jashubilehem. These are old stories.
23 These were the potters and the people who lived near the plants and bushes; there they lived and worked for the king.
24 Simeon’s sons were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.
25 Shallum’s son, Mibsam’s son, Mishma’s son.
26 Mishma’s sons were Hamuel, then Zacchur, and then Shimei.
27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers didn’t have many children, nor did their family grow as much as the family of Judah.
28 They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, and Hazarshual.
29 In Bilhah, in Ezem, and in Tolad,
30 In Bethuel, in Hormah, and in Ziklag,
31 In Bethmarcaboth, Hazarsusim, Bethbirei, and Shaaraim were their cities until David became king.
32 Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five cities.
33 They had villages near those cities, up to Baal, where they lived and kept their family records.
34 Meshobab, Jamlech, and Joshah, who was Amaziah’s son,
35 Joel and Jehu, Josibiah’s son, Seraiah’s grandson, Asiel’s great-grandson.
36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, and Benaiah.
37 Ziza, son of Shiphi, grandson of Allon, great-grandson of Jedaiah, and descendant of Shimri and Shemaiah.
38 These named were leaders in their families, and their ancestors’ family grew a lot.
39 They went to Gedor’s entrance, to the valley’s east side, to find grazing land for their sheep.
40 They found rich and good grasslands, the land was spacious, calm, and peaceful; for the people from Ham had lived there long ago.
41 These named people came during Hezekiah’s rule in Judah, attacked their tents, destroyed the local dwellings, and lived there since it was good land for their sheep.
42 Some from Simeon’s tribe, five hundred men, went to Mount Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, Ishi’s sons.
43 They defeated the remaining Amalekites who had escaped, and lived there until today.