1 Chronicles 4

Chapter 4

Other Descendants of Judah

1 The descendants of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.2 Shobal’s son Reaiah was the father of Jahath. Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites.3 The descendants oft Etam were Jezreel, Ishma, Idbash, their sister Hazzelelponi,4 Penuel (the father oft Gedor), and Ezer (the father of Hushah). These were the descendants of Hur (the firstborn of Ephrathah), the ancestor of Bethlehem.5 Ashhur (the father of Tekoa) had two wives, named Helah and Naarah.6 Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari.7 Helah gave birth to Zereth, Izhar,t Ethnan,8 and Koz, who became the ancestor of Anub, Zobebah, and all the families of Aharhel son of Harum.9 There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabezt because his birth had been so painful.10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.11 Kelub (the brother of Shuhah) 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 Ir-nahash. These were the descendants of Recah.13 The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel’s sons were Hathath and Meonothai.t14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, the founder of the Valley of Craftsmen,t so called because they were craftsmen.15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah was Kenaz.16 The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.17 The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. One of Mered’s wives becamet the mother of Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah (the father of Eshtemoa).18 He married a woman from Judah, who became the mother of Jered (the father of Gedor), Heber (the father of Soco), and Jekuthiel (the father of Zanoah). Mered also married Bithia, a daughter of Pharaoh, and she bore him children.19 Hodiah’s wife was the sister of Naham. One of her sons was the father of Keilah the Garmite, and another was the father of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.20 The sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon.
The descendants of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

Descendants of Judah’s Son Shelah

21 Shelah was one of Judah’s sons. The descendants of Shelah were Er (the father of Lecah); Laadah (the father of Mareshah); the families of linen workers at Beth-ashbea;22 Jokim; the men of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who ruled over Moab and Jashubi-lehem. These names all come from ancient records.23 They were the pottery makers who lived in Netaim and Gederah. They lived there and worked for the king.

Descendants of Simeon

24 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel,t Jamin, Jarib, Zohar,t and Shaul.25 The descendants of Shaul were Shallum, Mibsam, and Mishma.26 The descendants of Mishma were Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei.27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but none of his brothers had large families. So Simeon’s tribe never grew as large as the tribe of Judah.28 They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual,29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These towns were under their control until the time of King David.32 Their descendants also lived in Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan—five towns33 and their surrounding villages as far away as Baalath.t This was their territory, and these names are listed in their genealogical records.34 Other descendants of Simeon included Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel,36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,37 and Ziza son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah.38 These were the names of some of the leaders of Simeon’s wealthy clans. Their families grew,39 and they traveled to the region of Gerar,t in the east part of the valley, seeking pastureland for their flocks.

40 They found lush pastures there, and the land was quiet and peaceful.

Some of Ham’s descendants had been living in that region.41 But during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, these leaders of Simeon invaded the region and completely destroyedt the homes of the descendants of Ham and of the Meunites. No trace of them remains today. They killed everyone who lived there and took the land for themselves, because they wanted its good pastureland for their flocks.42 Five hundred of these invaders from the tribe of Simeon went to Mount Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel—all sons of Ishi.

43 They destroyed the few Amalekites who had survived, and they have lived there ever since.

1 CHRONICLES 4

The Descendants //of Judah

1 Judah was the father of five sons: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

2 Shobal was the father of Reaiah, the grandfather of Jahath, and the great-grandfather of Ahumai and Lahad. These men all belonged to the Zorathite clan.

3-4 Hur was the oldest son of Caleb and Ephrath. Some of his descendants settled the town of Bethlehem. Hur's other descendants included Etam, Penuel, and Ezer. Etam's sonst were Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash, and his daughter was Hazzelelponi. Penuel settled the town of Gedor, and Ezer settled the town of Hushah.
5 Ashhur, who settled the town of Tekoa, had two wives: Helah and Naarah. 6 Ashhur and Naarah were the parents of Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari.

7 Ashhur and Helah were the parents of Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.

8 Koz, the father of Anub and Zobebah, was also the ancestor of the clans of Aharhel, the son of Harum.
9 Jabez was a man who got his name because of the pain he caused his mother during birth.t But he was still the most respected son in his family.

10 One day he prayed to Israel's God, “Please bless me and give me a lot of land. Be with me so I will be safe from harm.”t And God did just what Jabez had asked.
11 Chelub was the brother of Shuhah and the father of Mehir. Later, Mehir had a son, Eshton,

12 whose three sons were Bethrapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. It was Tehinnah who settled the town of Nahash.t These men and their families lived in the town of Recah.
13 Kenaz was the father of Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel had two sons: Hathath and Meonothai, t

14 who was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, who settled a place called “Valley of Crafts”t because the people who lived there were experts in making things.

15 Caleb son of Jephunneh had three sons: Iru, Elah, and Naam. Elah was the father of Kenaz.

16 Jehallelel was the father of Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17-18 Ezrah was the father of Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered was married to Bithiah the daughter of the king of Egypt. They had a daughter named Miriam and two sons: Shammai and Ishbah. It was Ishbah who settled the town of Eshtemoa. Mered was also married to a woman from the tribe of Judah, and their sons were Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel. Jered settled the town of Gedor; Heber settled the town of Soco; and Jekuthiel settled the town of Zanoah.

19 A man named Hodiah was married to the sister of Naham. Hodiah's descendants included Keilah of the Garmite clan and Eshtemoa of the Maacathite clan.

20 Shimon was the father of Amnon, Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon.
Ishi was the father of Zoheth and Benzoheth.
21-22 Judah also had a son named Shelah, whose descendants included Jokim and the people of the town of Cozeba, as well as Er who settled the town of Lecah and Laadah who settled the town of Mareshah. The people who lived in Beth-Ashbea were also descendants of Shelah, and they were experts in weaving cloth. Shelah was the ancestor of Joash and Saraph, two men who married Moabite women and then settled near Bethlehemt—but these family records are very old.

23 The members of these clans were the potters who lived in the towns of Netaim and Gederah and worked for the king.

The Descendants //of Simeon

27 Shimei had 16 sons and 6 daughters. But his brothers did not have as many children, so the Simeon tribe was smaller than the Judah tribe.
28-31  t Before David became king, the people of the Simeon tribe lived in the following towns: Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-Shual, Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-Marcaboth, Hazarsusim, Bethbiri, and Shaaraim. 32 They also lived in the five villages of Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan,

33 as well as in the nearby villages as far as the town of Baal. These are the places where Simeon's descendants had settled, according to their own family records.
34-38 As their families and clans became larger, the people of Simeon had the following leaders: Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, Joel, Jehu, t Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, and Ziza.t 39 When the people needed more pastureland for their flocks and herds, they looked as far as the eastern side of the valley where the town of Gerart is located, 40 and they found a lot of good pastureland that was quiet and undisturbed. This had once belonged to the Hamites,

41 but when Hezekiah was king of Judah, the descendants of Simeon attacked and forced the Hamites and Meunites off the land, then settled there.
42 Some time later, 500 men from the Simeon tribe went into Edomt under the command of Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel the sons of Ishi. 43 They killed the last of the Amalekites and lived there from then on.