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1 Chronicles 4

Berean Standard Bible

Section headings and translator notes come from the publisher; they are reading aids, distinct from the Bible text.

The Descendants of Judah

Verse1The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

Verse2Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.

Verse3These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. And their sister was named Hazzelelponi.

Verse4Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and the father of Bethlehem.

Verse5Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

Verse6Naarah bore to him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah.

Verse7The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,

Verse8and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Zobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.

The Prayer of Jabez

Verse9Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”

Verse10And Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only You would bless me and enlarge my territory! May Your hand be with me and keep me from harm, so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted the request of Jabez.

More Descendants of Judah

Verse11Chelub the brother of Shuhah was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.

Verse12Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, of Paseah, and of Tehinnah the father of Ir-nahash. These were the men of Recah.

Verse13The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.

Verse14Meonothai was the father of Ophrah, and Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of those living in Ge-harashim, which was given this name because its people were craftsmen.

Verse15The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz.

Verse16The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

Verse17The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. And Mered’s wife Bithiah gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

Verse18These were the children of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah. Mered also took a Judean wife, who gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.

Verse19The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

Verse20The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The descendants of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

Verse21The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea,

Verse22Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi-lehem. (These names are from ancient records.)

Verse23These were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the service of the king.

The Descendants of Simeon

Verse24The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.

Verse25The sons of Shaul: Shallum, Mibsam, and Mishma.

Verse26The sons of Mishma: Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei.

Verse27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children, so their whole clan did not become as numerous as the sons of Judah.

Verse28They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual,

Verse29Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

Verse30Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

Verse31Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David.

Verse32And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five towns—

Verse33and all their surrounding villages as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record:

Verse34Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,

Verse35Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah (son of Seraiah, son of Asiel),

Verse36Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

Verse37and Ziza son of Shiphi (son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah).

Verse38These men listed by name were the leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly,

Verse39and they journeyed to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, in search of pasture for their flocks.

Verse40There they found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful, and quiet; for some Hamites had lived there formerly.

Verse41These who were noted by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites in their dwellings as well as the Meunites who were there, devoting them to destruction even to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks.

Verse42And five hundred of these Simeonites led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to Mount Seir

Verse43and struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped. And they have lived there to this day.

Translator notes (14)
  • Verse 3: LXX (see also Vulgate); Hebrew These were of the father
  • Verse 4: Or the founder; also in verses 5, 12, 14, 17, 18, and possibly elsewhere
  • Verse 7: Alternate MT reading; the other alternate (see also Vulgate) reads Izhar.
  • Verse 9: Jabez sounds like the Hebrew for pain or distress.
  • Verse 13: Vulgate and some LXX; Hebrew does not include and Meonothai.
  • Verse 14: Literally Ge-harashim, for they were craftsmen. The Hebrew Ge-harashim means valley of craftsmen.
  • Verse 15: Hebrew sons
  • Verse 17: Literally she gave birth
  • Verse 18: This statement is at the end of verse 18 in the Hebrew.
  • Verse 18: Or Judahite
  • Verse 19: Or were the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite
  • Verse 24: Zerah is a variant of Zohar; see Genesis 46:10 and Exodus 6:15.
  • Verse 33: Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts (see also Joshua 19:8) Baalath
  • Verse 41: Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
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