The First of Chronicles 4:1-43

  • Other descendants of Judah (1-23)

  • Descendants of Simeon (24-43)

4  The sons of Judah were Peʹrez,+ Hezʹron,+ Carʹmi, Hur,+ and Shoʹbal.+ 2  Re·aʹiah the son of Shoʹbal became father to Jaʹhath; Jaʹhath became father to A·huʹmai and Laʹhad. These were the families of the Zorʹath·ites.+ 3  These were the sons of the father of Eʹtam:+ Jezʹre·el, Ishʹma, and Idʹbash (and the name of their sister was Haz·ze·lel·poʹni), 4  and Pe·nuʹel was the father of Geʹdor, and Eʹzer was the father of Huʹshah. These were the sons of Hur,+ the firstborn of Ephʹra·thah and the father of Bethʹle·hem.+ 5  Ashʹhur+ the father of Te·koʹa+ had two wives, Heʹlah and Naʹa·rah. 6  Naʹa·rah bore to him A·huzʹzam, Heʹpher, Teʹme·ni, and Ha·a·hashʹta·ri. These were the sons of Naʹa·rah. 7  And the sons of Heʹlah were Zeʹreth, Izʹhar, and Ethʹnan. 8  Koz became father to Aʹnub, Zo·beʹbah, and the families of A·harʹhel the son of Haʹrum. 9  Jaʹbez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother named him Jaʹbez,* saying: “I gave birth to him in pain.” 10  Jaʹbez called on the God of Israel, saying: “O that you would bless me and enlarge my territory and let your hand be with me and preserve me from calamity, so that it may bring no harm to me!” So God brought about what he had asked for. 11  Cheʹlub the brother of Shuʹhah became father to Meʹhir, who was the father of Eshʹton. 12  Eshʹton became father to Beth-raʹpha, Pa·seʹah, and Te·hinʹnah, the father of Ir-naʹhash. These were the men of Reʹcah. 13  And the sons of Keʹnaz were Othʹni·el+ and Se·raiʹah, and the son* of Othʹni·el was Haʹthath. 14  Me·oʹno·thai became father to Ophʹrah. Se·raiʹah became father to Joʹab the father of Ge-harʹa·shim,* so called because they were craftsmen. 15  The sons of Caʹleb+ the son of Je·phunʹneh were Iʹru, Eʹlah, and Naʹam; and the son* of Eʹlah was Keʹnaz. 16  The sons of Je·halʹle·lel were Ziph, Ziʹphah, Tirʹi·a, and Asʹa·rel. 17  The sons of Ezʹrah were Jeʹther, Meʹred, Eʹpher, and Jaʹlon; she* conceived and bore Mirʹi·am, Shamʹmai, and Ishʹbah the father of Esh·te·moʹa. 18  (And his Jewish wife gave birth to Jeʹred the father of Geʹdor, Heʹber the father of Soʹco, and Je·kuʹthi·el the father of Za·noʹah.) These were the sons of Bi·thiʹah, the daughter of Pharʹaoh, whom Meʹred married. 19  The sons of Ho·diʹah’s wife, the sister of Naʹham, were the fathers of Keiʹlah the Garʹmite and Esh·te·moʹa the Ma·acʹa·thite. 20  And the sons of Shiʹmon were Amʹnon, Rinʹnah, Ben-haʹnan, and Tiʹlon. And the sons of Ishʹi were Zoʹheth and Ben-zoʹheth. 21  The sons of Sheʹlah+ the son of Judah were Er the father of Leʹcah, Laʹa·dah the father of Ma·reʹshah, and the families of the workers of fine fabric of the house of Ash·beʹa, 22  and Joʹkim, the men of Co·zeʹba, Joʹash, and Saʹraph, who became husbands of Moʹab·ite women, and Jashʹu·bi-leʹhem. These records are ancient.* 23  They were potters who lived in Ne·taʹim and Ge·deʹrah. They lived there and worked for the king. 24  The sons of Simʹe·on+ were Nemʹu·el, Jaʹmin, Jaʹrib, Zeʹrah, and Shaʹul.+ 25  Shalʹlum was his son, Mibʹsam his son, and Mishʹma his son. 26  And the sons of Mishʹma were Hamʹmu·el his son, Zacʹcur his son, Shimʹe·i his son. 27  And Shimʹe·i had 16 sons and 6 daughters; but his brothers did not have many sons, and none of their families had as many as the men of Judah had.+ 28  They lived in Beʹer-sheʹba,+ Mo·laʹdah,+ Haʹzar-shuʹal,+ 29  Bilʹhah, Eʹzem,+ Toʹlad, 30  Be·thuʹel,+ Horʹmah,+ Zikʹlag,+ 31  Beth-marʹca·both, Haʹzar-suʹsim,+ Beth-birʹi, and Shaʹa·raʹim. These were their cities until the reign of David. 32  Their settlements were Eʹtam, Aʹin, Rimʹmon, Toʹchen, and Aʹshan,+ five cities, 33  along with their settlements that were all around these cities as far as Baʹal. These were their genealogical enrollments and the places where they lived. 34  And Me·shoʹbab, Jamʹlech, Joʹshah the son of Am·a·ziʹah, 35  Joel, Jeʹhu son of Josh·i·biʹah son of Se·raiʹah son of Asʹi·el, 36  and Eli·o·eʹnai, Ja·a·koʹbah, Jesh·o·haiʹah, A·saiʹah, Adʹi·el, Je·simʹi·el, Be·naiʹah, 37  and Ziʹza son of Shiʹphi son of Alʹlon son of Je·daʹiah son of Shimʹri son of She·maiʹah; 38  these mentioned by name were the chieftains among their families, and the household of their forefathers increased in number. 39  And they went to the entrance of Geʹdor, to the east side of the valley, to look for pastures for their flocks. 40  They eventually found rich and good pastures, and the land was spacious, quiet, and undisturbed. Those who previously lived there were Hamʹites.+ 41  These whose names are listed came during the days of King Hez·e·kiʹah+ of Judah and struck down the tents of the Hamʹites and the Me·uʹnim who were there. They devoted them to destruction down to this day; and they settled in their place because there were pastures for their flocks there. 42  Some of the Simʹe·on·ites, 500 men, went to Mount Seʹir+ with Pel·a·tiʹah, Ne·a·riʹah, Re·phaʹiah, and Uzʹzi·el, the sons of Ishʹi who led them. 43  And they struck down the rest of the A·malʹek·ites+ who had escaped, and they have lived there down to this day.

Footnotes

The name Jabez may be related to a Hebrew word meaning “pain.”
Lit., “sons.”
Meaning “Valley of Craftsmen.”
Lit., “sons.”
Possibly referring to Bithiah in vs. 18.
Or “The sayings are of old tradition.”