1 Chronicles 4

More of the Line of Judah

1The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. 2Reaiah son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These are the clans of the Zorathites. 3And these, the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi. 4And Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. 5Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan. 8Koz fathered Anub and Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.

The Prayer of Jabez

9Jabez was more honored than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “If only you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I may be free of pain.” And God granted what he asked.

Further Families of Judah

11Chelub, Shuhah’s brother, fathered Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir-nahash. These were the men of Recah. 13The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath. 14Meonothai fathered Ophrah, and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim — for they were craftsmen. 15The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah was Kenaz. 16The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. 17The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. And she conceived and bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. 18And his Judahite wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. These were the sons of Bithiah, Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Mered had married. 19The sons of the wife of Hodiah, Naham’s sister: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. 20The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

The Craftsmen of Judah

21The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the clans of the linen workers’ house at Beth-ashbea, 22and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who ruled over Moab, and Jashubi-lehem. These are ancient records. 23These were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king, in his service.

The Sons of Simeon

24The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul; 25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. 26The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son. 27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; none of their clans multiplied as much as the sons of Judah.

The Towns of Simeon

28They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their towns until David’s reign, 32and their villages: Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan — five towns, 33along with all the villages around these towns, as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept their own genealogy.

Simeon’s Conquests

34Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, 35Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel, 36Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37and Ziza son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah — 38these, listed by name, were leaders in their clans, and their fathers’ houses increased greatly. 39They went to the entrance of Gedor, as far as the east side of the valley, seeking pasture for their flocks, 40and they found rich, good pasture, in a land broad, quiet, and peaceful — for the people who had lived there before were descendants of Ham. 41These, recorded by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; they struck down the tents and the Meunites who were found there, destroying them completely to this day, and settled in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42And some of them, five hundred men of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, 43and they struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they live there to this day.