1 Chronicles 4-6

New International Version

Other Clans of Judah

4 The descendants of Judah:^(A)

⁹ 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.

Simeon^(L)

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.

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.

Reuben

5 The sons of Reuben^(AB) the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed,^(AC) his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph^(AD) son of Israel;^(AE) so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright,^{(AF) 2} and though Judah^(AG) was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler^(AH) came from him, the rights of the firstborn^(AI) belonged to Joseph)— ³ the sons of Reuben^(AJ) the firstborn of Israel:

Gad

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

¹⁸ The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service^(AY)—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,^(AZ) Naphish and Nodab. ²⁰ They were helped^(BA) in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried^(BB) out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted^(BC) 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^(BD) was God’s. And they occupied the land until the exile.^(BE)

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh

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

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^(BH) to the God of their ancestors and prostituted^(BI) 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^(BJ) of Pul^(BK) king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser^(BL) king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah,^(BM) Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.

Levi

6 ^[j]The sons of Levi:^(BN)

The Temple Musicians^(CK)

³¹ These are the men^(CL) David put in charge of the music^(CM) in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there. ³² They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them.

³³ Here are the men who served, together with their sons:

⁴⁸ Their fellow Levites^(CV) were assigned to all the other duties of the tabernacle, the house of God. ⁴⁹ But Aaron and his descendants were the ones who presented offerings on the altar^(CW) of burnt offering and on the altar of incense^(CX) in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

⁵⁴ These were the locations of their settlements^(CZ) allotted as their territory (they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them):

⁶¹ The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh.

⁶² The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan.

⁶³ The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.

⁶⁴ So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns^(DG) and their pasturelands. ⁶⁵ From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin they allotted the previously named towns.

⁶⁶ Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim.