1 Chronicles 7-10

Contemporary English Version

The Descendants of Issachar

7 Issachar was the father of four sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.

² Tola was the father of Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, who were all brave soldiers and family leaders in their clan. There were 22,600 people in Tola's family by the time David became king.

³ Uzzi was the father of Izrahiah and the grandfather of Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, who were also family leaders. ⁴ Their families were so large that they had 36,000 soldiers in their clans. ⁵ In fact, according to family records, the tribe of Issachar had a total of 87,000 warriors.

The Descendants of Benjamin and Dan

⁶ Benjamin was the father of three sons: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.

⁷ Bela was the father of Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. They were all brave soldiers and family leaders in their father's clan. The number of soldiers in their clan was 22,034.

⁸ Becher was the father of Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. ⁹ The official family records listed 20,200 soldiers in the families of this clan, as well as their family leaders.

¹⁰ Jediael was the father of Bilhan and the grandfather of Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. ¹¹ They were family leaders in their clan, which had 17,200 soldiers prepared to fight in battle. ¹² Ir was the father of Shuppim and Huppim, who also belonged to this clan.

Dan^[a] was the father of Hushim.

The Descendants of Naphtali

¹³ Naphtali's mother was Bilhah,^[b] and he was the father of Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum.

The Descendants of Manasseh

¹⁴ Manasseh and his Syrian wife^[c] were the parents of Asriel and Machir the father of Gilead. ¹⁵ Machir found a wife for Huppim and one for Shuppim. Machir had a sister named Maacah.

Zelophehad was also a descendant of Manasseh, and he had five daughters.^[d]

¹⁶ Machir and his wife Maacah were the parents of Peresh and Sheresh. Peresh was the father of Ulam and Rekem. ¹⁷ Ulam was the father of Bedan. These were all descendants of Gilead, the son of Machir and the grandson of Manasseh.

¹⁸ Gilead's sister Hammolecheth was the mother of Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.

¹⁹ Shemida, another descendant of Manasseh, was the father of Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

The Descendants of Ephraim

²⁰ Ephraim was the father of Shuthelah and the ancestor of Bered, Tahath, Eleadah, Tahath, ²¹ Zabad, and Shuthelah.

Ephraim had two other sons, Ezer and Elead. But they were killed when they tried to steal livestock from the people who lived in the territory of Gath. ²² Ephraim mourned for his sons a long time, and his relatives came to comfort him. ²³ Some time later his wife gave birth to another son, and Ephraim named him Beriah, because he was born during a time of misery.^[e]

²⁴ Ephraim's daughter was Sheerah. She built the towns of Lower Beth-Horon, Upper Beth-Horon, and Uzzen-Sheerah.

²⁵ Ephraim also had a son named Rephah, and his descendants included Resheph, Telah, Tahan, ²⁶ Ladan, Ammihud, Elishama, ²⁷ Nun, and Joshua.

²⁸ The descendants of Ephraim took over the territory as far south as Bethel, as far east as Naaran, and as far west as Gezer. Their territory included all the villages around these towns, as well as Shechem, Ayyah, and the nearby villages.

²⁹ The descendants of Manasseh settled in the territory that included Beth-Shan, Taanach, Megiddo, Dor, and the nearby villages.

The descendants of Joseph^[f] lived in these towns and villages.

The Descendants of Asher

³⁰ Asher had four sons, Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, and one daughter, Serah.

³¹ Beriah was the father of Heber and Malchiel the father of Birzaith. ³² Heber was the father of three sons, Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham, and one daughter, Shua. ³³ Japhlet was the father of Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. ³⁴ Shomer was the father of Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram. ³⁵ And Japhlet's brother Hotham^[g] was the father of Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. ³⁶ Zophah was the father of Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, ³⁷ Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. ³⁸ Jether was the father of Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.

³⁹ Ulla was the father of Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

⁴⁰ These were the descendants of Asher, and they were all respected family leaders and brave soldiers. The tribe of Asher had a total of 26,000 soldiers.

More Descendants of Benjamin

8 Benjamin had five sons, who were born in the following order: Bela, Ashbel, Aharah, ² Nohah, and Rapha. ³ Bela was the father of Addar, Gera, Abihud, ⁴ Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, ⁵ Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.

^6-7 Ehud was the father of Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. They were clan leaders in the town of Geba, but were later forced to move to the town of Manahath, and Gera led the way. He had two sons: Uzza and Ahihud.

^8-11 Shaharaim and his wife Hushim had two sons: Abitub and Elpaal. But Shaharaim later divorced her and his other wife, Baara. Then he moved to the country of Moab and married Hodesh, and they had seven sons: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. They were all family leaders in his clan. ¹² Elpaal was the father of Eber, Misham, and Shemed, who settled the towns of Ono and Lod, as well as the nearby villages.

¹³ Beriah and Shema were family leaders in the clan that lived in the town of Aijalon and that forced out the people of Gath. ^14-16 Beriah's descendants included Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, Michael, Ishpah, and Joha. ^17-18 Elpaal's descendants included Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab. ^19-21 Shimei's descendants included Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath. ^22-25 Shashak's descendants included Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, Iphdeiah, and Penuel. ^26-27 Jeroham's descendants included Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri. ²⁸ These were the family leaders in their ancestor's clan, and they and their descendants lived in Jerusalem.

²⁹ Jeiel^[h] settled the town of Gibeon. He and his wife Maacah lived there ³⁰ along with their sons, who were born in the following order: Abdon, Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner,^[i] Nadab, ³¹ Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, ³² and Mikloth the father of Shimeah. Some of them went to live in Jerusalem near their relatives.

The Descendants of King Saul

³³ Ner was the father of Kish and the grandfather of King Saul.

Saul had four sons: Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.^{[j] 34} Jonathan was the father of Meribbaal,^[k] the grandfather of Micah, ³⁵ and the great-grandfather of Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. ³⁶ Saul's other descendants were Jehoaddah, Alemeth, Azmaveth, Zimri, Moza, ³⁷ Binea, Raphah, Eleasah, Azel, ³⁸ as well as Azel's six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. ³⁹ Azel's brother Eshek was the father of Ulam, Jeush, and Eliphelet. ⁴⁰ Ulam's sons were brave soldiers who were experts at using a bow and arrows. They had a total of 150 children and grandchildren.

All of these belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.

The People Who Returned from Babylonia and Settled in Jerusalem

9 Everyone in Israel was listed in the official family records that were included in the history of Israel's kings.

The people of Judah were taken to Babylonia as prisoners because they sinned against the Lord. ^2 (A) And the first people to return to their towns included priests, Levites, temple workers, and other Israelites. ³ People from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh settled in Jerusalem.

^4-6 There were 690 people from the Judah tribe who settled in Jerusalem. They were all descendants of Judah's three sons: Perez, Shelah, and Zerah. Their leaders were Uthai, Asaiah, and Jeuel. Uthai was the son of Ammihud and a descendant of Omri, Imri, Bani, and Perez. Asaiah was a descendant of Shelah; Jeuel was a descendant of Zerah.

^7-9 There were also 956 family leaders from the Benjamin tribe who settled in Jerusalem. They included: Sallu son of Meshullam, grandson of Hodaviah, and great-grandson of Hassenuah; Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi and grandson of Michri; Meshullam son of Shephatiah, grandson of Reuel, and great-grandson of Ibnijah.

The Priests Who Settled in Jerusalem

^10-12 Here is a list of priests who settled in Jerusalem: Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jachin; Azariah, who was a temple official, and whose ancestors included Hilkiah, Meshullam, Zadok, Meraioth, and Ahitub; Adaiah son of Jeroham, whose ancestors included Pashhur and Malchijah; Maasai son of Adiel, whose ancestors included Jahzerah, Meshullam, Meshillemith, and Immer.

¹³ There was a total of 1,760 priests, all of them family leaders in their clan and trained in the work at the temple.

The Levites Who Settled in Jerusalem

^14-16 Here is a list of Levites who settled in Jerusalem: Shemaiah from the Merari clan, whose ancestors included Hasshub, Azrikam, and Hashabiah; Bakbakkar; Heresh; Galal; Mattaniah son of Mica, whose ancestors included Zichri and Asaph; Obadiah son of Shemaiah, whose ancestors included Galal and Jeduthun; Berechiah son of Asa and grandson of Elkanah, who had lived in the villages near the town of Netophah.

The Temple Guards Who Settled in Jerusalem

¹⁷ Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives were the guards at the temple gates. Shallum was the leader of this clan, ¹⁸ and for a long time they had been the guards at the King's Gate on the east side of the city. Before that, their ancestors guarded the entrance to the Levite camp.

¹⁹ Shallum son of Kore,^[l] as well as the other men in the Korahite clan, guarded the entrance to the temple, just as their ancestors had guarded the entrance to the sacred tent. ²⁰ Phinehas son of Eleazar had supervised their work because the Lord was with him.

²¹ Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was also one of the guards at the temple.

²² There was a total of 212 guards, all of them listed in the family records in their towns. Their ancestors had been chosen by King David and by Samuel the prophet to be responsible for this work, ²³ and now they guarded the temple gates.

²⁴ There was one full-time guard appointed to each of the four sides of the temple. ²⁵ Their assistants lived in the villages outside the city, and every seven days a group of them would come into the city and take their turn at guard duty. ²⁶ The four full-time guards were Levites, and they supervised the other guards and were responsible for the rooms in the temple and the supplies kept there. ²⁷ They guarded the temple day and night and opened its doors every morning.

The Duties of the Levites

²⁸ Some of the Levites were responsible for the equipment used in worship at the temple, and they had to count everything before and after it was used. ²⁹ Others were responsible for the temple furnishings and its sacred objects, as well as the flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices. ³⁰ But only the priests could mix the spices. ³¹ Mattithiah, Shallum's oldest son, was a member of the Levite clan of Korah, and he was in charge of baking the bread used for offerings.^{[m] 32} The Levites from the Kohath clan were in charge of baking the sacred loaves of bread for each Sabbath.^[n]

³³ The Levite family leaders who were the musicians also lived at the temple. They had no other responsibilities, because they were on duty day and night.

³⁴ All of these men were family leaders in the Levi tribe and were listed that way in their family records. They lived in Jerusalem.

King Saul's Family

(1 Chronicles 8.29-38)

³⁵ Jeiel had settled the town of Gibeon, where he and his wife Maacah lived. ³⁶ They had ten sons, who were born in the following order: Abdon, Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³⁷ Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth ³⁸ the father of Shimeam. Some of them went to live in Jerusalem near their relatives.

³⁹ Ner was the father of Kish and the grandfather of King Saul.

Saul had four sons: Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.^{[o] 40-41} Jonathan was the father of Meribbaal,^[p] the grandfather of Micah, and the great-grandfather of Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.^{[q] 42-44} The descendants of Ahaz included Jarah, Alemeth, Azmaveth, Zimri, Moza, Binea, Rephaiah, Eleasah, and Azel and his six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan.

King Saul and His Sons Die

(1 Samuel 31.1-13)

10 The Philistines fought against Israel in a battle at Mount Gilboa. Israel's soldiers ran from the Philistines, and many of them were killed. ² The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons and killed three of them: Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. ³ The fighting was fierce around Saul, and he was badly wounded by enemy arrows.

⁴ Saul told the soldier who carried his weapons, “Kill me with your sword! I don't want those godless Philistines to torture and make fun of me.”

But the soldier was afraid to kill him. Then Saul stuck himself in the stomach with his own sword and fell on the blade. ⁵ When the soldier realized that Saul was dead, he killed himself in the same way.

⁶ Saul, three of his sons, and all his male relatives were dead. ⁷ The Israelites who lived in Jezreel Valley^[r] learned that their army had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead. They ran away too, and the Philistines moved into the towns the Israelites left behind.

⁸ The next day the Philistines came back to the battlefield to carry away the weapons of the dead Israelite soldiers. When they found the bodies of Saul and his sons on Mount Gilboa, ⁹ they took Saul's weapons, pulled off his armor, and cut off his head. Then they sent messengers everywhere in Philistia to spread the news among their people and to thank the idols of their gods. ¹⁰ They put Saul's armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head in the temple of their god Dagon.

¹¹ When the people who lived in Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² some brave men went to get his body and the bodies of his three sons. The men brought the bodies back to Jabesh, where they buried them under an oak tree. Then for seven days, they went without eating to show their sorrow.

^13 (B) Saul died because he was unfaithful and disobeyed the Lord. He even asked advice from a woman who talked to spirits of the dead, ¹⁴ instead of asking the Lord. So the Lord had Saul killed and gave his kingdom to David, the son of Jesse.