1 Chronicles 4

1 The sonnes of Iudah were Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.

The descendants of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

2 And Reaiah the sonne of Shobal begat Iahath, and Iahath begate Ahumai, and Lahad: these are the families of the Zoreathites.

Shobal’s son was Reaiah. Reaiah was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. They were the ancestors of the Zorath people-group.

3 And these were of the father of Etam, Izreel, and Ishma and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi.

The oldest son of Caleb and his wife Ephrathah was Hur. Hur was the one who started/founded Bethlehem [town]. His three sons were Etam, Penuel, and Ezer. Etam’s sons were Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was Hazzelelponi. Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah.

4 And Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah: these are the sonnes of Hur the eldest sonne of Ephratah, the father of Beth-lehem.

5 But Asher the father of Tekoa had two wiues, Heleah, and Naarah.

[Hezron’s son] Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives whose names were Helah and Naarah.

6 And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni and Haashtari: these were the sonnes of Naarah.

The sons of Asshur and his wife Naarah were Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari.

7 And the sonnes of Heleah were Zereth, Iezohar and Ethnan.

The sons of [Ashhur and his wife] Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,

8 Also Coz begate Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the sonne of Harum.

and Koz. Koz was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the ancestor of the clans descended from Aharhel. Aharhel was the son of Harum.

9 But Iabez was more honourable then his brethren: and his mother called his name Iabez, saying, Because I bare him in sorowe.

[There was another descendant of Judah whose name was] Jabez. [He] was more respected than his brothers were. His mother named him Jabez [which means ‘pain’] because she said, “I was enduring much pain when I gave birth to him.”

10 And Iabez called on the God of Israel, saying, If thou wilt blesse me in deede, and enlarge my coastes, and if thine hand be with me, and thou wilt cause me to be deliuered from euill, that I be not hurt. And God graunted the thing that he asked.

[One day] he prayed to God whom his fellow Israelis [worshiped], saying, “Please greatly bless me and (enlarge my land/give me a lot of land/property). Remain [IDM] with me, and do not allow anyone to harm me. If you do that for me, I will not have any pain.” And God did what Jabez requested him to do.

11 And Chelub the brother of Shuah begate Mehir, which was the father of Eshton.

[Another descendant of Judah was] Shuhah. His [younger] brother Kelub was the father of Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton.

12 And Eshton begate Beth-rapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of the citie of Nahash: these are the men of Rechah.

Eshton was the father of Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah founded Nahash [town], but their families lived in Recah [town].

13 And the sonnes of Kenaz were Othniel and Zeraiah, and the sonne of Othniel, Hathath.

[Another descendant of Judah was] Jephunneh. His son was Caleb. Caleb’s sons were Iru, Elah, and Naam. Elah’s son was Kenaz. The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel’s sons were Hathath and Meonothai. Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab. Joab was the ancestor of the people who lived in Craftsmen’s Valley. The valley was named that because many of the people who lived there were (craftsmen/men who were experts in making things).

14 And Meonothai begate Ophrah. And Seraiah begate Ioab the father of the valley of craftesmen: for they were craftesmen.

15 And the sonnes of Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. And the sonne of Elah was Kenaz.

16 And the sonnes of Iehaleel were Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel.

[Another descendant of Judah was] Jehallelel. His sons were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17 And the sonnes of Ezrah were Iether and Mered, and Epher, and Ialon, and he begate Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

[Another descendant of Judah was Ezrah.] Ezrah’s sons were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered married Bithiah, who was the daughter of the king of Egypt. The children of Mered and Bithiah were Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah. Ishbah was the father of Eshtemoa. Ezrah also had a wife from Judah. She gave birth to Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel. Jered was the father of (OR, founded the town of) Gedor, Heber was the father of (OR, founded the town of) Soco, and Jekuthiel was the father of (OR, founded the town of) Zanoah.

18 Also his wife Iehudiiah bare Iered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Iekuthiel the father of Zanoah: and these are the sonnes of Bithiah ye daughter of Pharaoh which Mered tooke.

19 And the sonnes of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham the father of Keilah were the Garmites, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.

Hodiah’s wife, who was Naham’s sister, bore two sons. One of them was the father of Keilah, the ancestor of the Gar people-group, and the other one was the father of Eshtemoa, the ancestor of the Maacath people-group.

20 And the sonnes of Shimon were Amnon and Rinnah, Ben-hanam and Tilon. And the sonnes of Ishi were Zoheth, and Benzoheth.

[Another descendant of Judah was Shimon]. Shimon’s sons were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon. [Another descendant of Judah was] Ishi. His descendants were Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

21 The sonnes of Shelah, the sonne of Iudah were Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the householdes of them that wrought fine linnen in the house of Ashbea.

One of Judah’s sons was Shelah. Shelah’s sons were Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, the families of those who made things from linen at Beth-Ashbea,

22 And Iokim and the men of Chozeba and Ioash, and Saraph, which had the dominion in Moab, and Iashubi Lehem. These also are auncient things.

Jokim, and the men of Cozeba [town], and Joash and Saraph, two men who married women from [the] Moab [region] and later lived in Bethlehem (OR, and ruled in Jashubi-Lehem). All their names and a record of what they did are written in very old scrolls.

23 These were potters, and dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his worke.

They made pottery for the king; some of them lived in Netaim [town] and some of them lived in Gederah [town].

24 The sonnes of Simeon were Nemuel, and Iamin, Iarib, Zerah, and Shaul,

Simeon’s sons were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.

25 Whose sonne was Shallum, and his sonne, Mibsam, and his sonne Mishma.

Shaul’s son was Shallum. Shallum’s son was Mibsam. Mibsam’s son was Mishma.

26 And the sonnes of Mishma, Hamuel was his sonne, Zacchur his sonne, and Shimei his sonne.

Mishma’s son was Hammuel. Hammuel’s son was Zaccur. Zaccur’s son was Shimei.

27 And Shimei had sixteene sonnes, and sixe daughters, but his brethren had not many children, neither was all their familie like to the children of Iudah in multitude.

Shimei had 16 sons and six daughters, but none of his brothers had many children. So the descendants of Simeon never were as many as the descendants of [his younger brother] Judah.

28 And they dwelt at Beer-sheba, and at Moladah, and at Hazar Shual,

The descendants of Simeon lived in [these cities and towns]: Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-Shual,

29 And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,

Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

30 And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,

Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

31 And at Beth-marcaboth, and at Hazar Susim, at Beth-birei, and at Shaaraim, these were their cities vnto the reigne of Dauid.

Beth-Marcaboth, Hazar-Susim, Beth-Biri, and Shaaraim. They lived in those places until David became king.

32 And their townes were Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, fiue cities.

They also lived in villages near those towns: Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan.

33 And all their townes that were rounde about these cities vnto Baal, These are their habitations and the declaration of their genealogie,

There were other villages where they lived, as far [southwest] as Baalath [town]. Those were the places where they lived, and their names, according to the family records.

34 And Meshobab, and Iamlech, and Ioshah the sonne of Amashiah,

The men in the following list were the leaders of their clans: Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah, Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah. Joshibiah was the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Asiel. Other clan leaders were Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, and Ziza. Ziza was the son of Shiphi and the grandson of Allon, who was the son of Jedaiah, who was the son of Shimri, who was the son of Shemaiah. Those families became very large/numerous.

35 And Ioel and Iehu the sonne of Ioshibiah, the sonne of Seraiah, the sonne of Asiel,

36 And Elionai, and Iaakobah, and Ieshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Iesimiel, and Benaiah,

37 And Ziza the sonne of Shiphei, the sonne of Allon, the sonne of Iedaiah, the sonne of Shimri, the sonne of Shemaiah.

38 These were famous princes in their families, and increased greatly their fathers houses.

39 And they went to the entring in of Gedor, euen vnto the East side of the valley, to seeke pasture for their sheepe.

They went outside of Gedor [town] on the east side of the valley to look for pastureland for their flocks of sheep.

40 And they found fat pasture and good, and a wide land, both quiet and fruitfull: for they of Ham had dwelt there before.

They found good pastureland with plenty of grass. The place was peaceful and quiet. Previously the descendants of [Noah’s son] Ham had lived there.

41 And these described by name, came in the dayes of Hezekiah king of Iudah, and smote their tents, and the inhabitants that were found there, and destroyed them vtterly vnto this day, and dwelt in their roume, because there was pasture there for their sheepe.

But while Hezekiah was the king of Judah, the leaders of the tribe of Simeon came to Gedor and fought against the descendants of Ham and destroyed their tents. They also fought against the descendants of Meun who were living there, and they killed all of them. So now there are no descendants of Meun living there. The descendants of Simeon started to live there, because there was good pastureland there for their sheep.

42 And besides these, fiue hundreth men of the sonnes of Simeon went to mount Seir, and Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rophaiah, and Vzziel the sonnes of Ishi were their captaines,

Ishi’s four sons Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel led 500 other descendants of Simeon [and attacked the people who were living] in the hilly area of the Edom [region].

43 And they smote the rest of Amalek that had escaped, and they dwelt there vnto this day.

They killed the few descendants of Amalek who were still alive. From that time until now, the descendants of Simeon have lived in [the] Edom [region].