< 1 Chronicles 5 >

1 Reuben was the oldest son of Jacob. Therefore, he should have received the special rights/privileges that belonged to firstborn sons. But he had sex with his father’s slave wife, so [his father] gave the rights if a firstborn son to the sons of Reubers younger brother Joseph. And in the family records, Reuben is not mentioned first, like the firstborn sons always are.
The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. (Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel because he had defiled his father's bed. That is why Reuben is not listed in the genealogy according to birthright,
2 Although Judah became more influential than his brothers, and a ruler of the tribe descended from him, Joseph’s family received the rights that belonged to firstborn sons.
and even though Judah became the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.)
3 But Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son. Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4 [Another descendant of Reuben was Joel]. Joel’s son was Shemaiah. Shemaiah’s son was Gog. Gog’s son was Shimei.
The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,
5 Shimei’s son was Micah. Micah’s son was Reaiah. Reaiah’s son was Baal.
Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,
6 Baal’s son was Beerah. Beerah was a leader of the tribe/descendants of Reuben. But Tiglath-Pileser the king of Assyria captured him and took him to Assyria.
and Beerah his son, the one whom Tiglath-Pileser the king of Assyria took into exile. He (Beerah) was a leader of the Reubenites.
7 The names of these clans are listed here according to what is written in their family records. The first [name written was] Jeiel. Then Zechariah,
Beerah's relatives are, listed in their genealogical records by family: Jeiel (chief), Zechariah,
8 and then Bela. Bela was the son of Azaz, and Azaz was the son of Shema, and Shema was the son of Joel. Reuben’s clan was very large. Some of them lived near Aroer [city] as far [north] as Nebo [town] and Baal-Meon [city].
and Bela of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel. They lived from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon.
9 Some of them lived further east, as far as the edge of the desert [south of] the Euphrates River. [They went there] because they had a huge amount of cattle, [with the result that there was not enough pastureland for them] in [the] Gilead [region].
On the eastern side they expanded into the land right up to the edge of the desert that continues to the Euphrates River, because their flocks had grown so big in Gilead.
10 When Saul was king [of Israel], Bela’s clan fought against the descendants of Hagar and defeated them. After that, Bela’s clan lived in the tents that the descendants of Hagar had lived in previously, in all the area east of [the] Gilead [region].
In the time of Saul they went to war against the Hagrites, defeating them. They took over the places where the Hagrites had lived in all the regions east of Gilead.
11 The tribe of Gad lived near the tribe of Reuben; they lived in [the] Bashan [region], all the way [east] to Salecah [town].
Next to them the descendants of Gad lived in Basha, all the way to Salecah.
12 Joel was their chief; Shapham was his assistant; other leaders were Janai and Shaphat.
Joel (chief), Shapham (second), and Janai and Shaphat, in Bashan.
13 Other members of the tribe belonged to seven clans, whose leaders were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber.
Their relatives, according to family, were: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—a total of seven.
14 They were descendants of Abihail. Abihail was Huri’s son. Huri was Jaroah’s son. Jaroah was Gilead’s son. Gilead was Michael’s son. Michael was Jeshishai’s son. Jeshishai was Jahdo’s son. Jahdo was the son of Buz.
These were the sons of Abihail, son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz.
15 Ahi was Abdiel’s son. Abdiel was Guni’s son. Ahi was the leader of their clan.
Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was their family chief.
16 The descendants of Gad lived in the towns in Gilead and Bashan regions, and on all the pastureland on [the] Sharon [plain].
They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its towns, and throughout the pasturelands of Sharon all the way to their borders.
17 All of those names were written in the records of the clans of Gad during the time that Jotham was the king of Judah and Jeroboam was the king of Israel.
They were all were recorded in the genealogy during the time of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.
18 There were 44,760 soldiers from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and [the eastern] half of the tribe of Manasseh. They all carried shields and swords and bows [and arrows]. They [were all trained to] fight well in battles.
The tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 battle-ready strong warriors capable of using shields and swords and bows.
19 They attacked the descendants of Hagar and the people of Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab [cities].
They went to war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.
20 The men from those three tribes prayed to God during the battles, requesting him to help them. So he helped them, because they trusted in him. He enabled them to defeat [IDM] the descendants of Hagar and all those who were helping them.
They received help in fighting these enemies because they called out to God during the battles. In this way they were able to defeat the Hagrites and all who were with them. God answered their prayers because they trusted in him.
21 They took the animals that belonged to the descendants of Hagar: They took 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys. They also captured 100,000 people.
They captured their enemies' livestock—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep, and two thousand donkeys. They also captured one hundred thousand people,
22 But many descendants of Hagar were killed because God helped the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. After that, those three tribes lived in that area until [the army of] Babylonia [captured them and] took them away to Babylon.
and many others were killed because the battle belonged to God. They took over the land and lived there until the exile.
23 There were many people who belonged to the eastern half of the tribe of Manasseh. They lived in [the] Bashan [region east of the Jordan River], as far [north] as Baal-Hermon, Senir, and Hermon Mountain.
The half-tribe of Manasseh had grown very large. They lived in the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, (otherwise known as Senir and Mount Hermon).
24 Their clan leaders were Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were all strong, brave, and famous soldiers, and leaders of their clans.
These were the family heads: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were strong warriors, famous men, heads of their families.
25 But they sinned against God, the one whom their ancestors had worshiped. They began to worship the gods/idols that the people of that region had worshiped, the people whom God had enabled them to destroy!
But they were unfaithful to the God of their forefathers. They prostituted themselves by following the gods of the peoples of the land, those that God had destroyed before them.
26 So the God whom the Israelis [worshiped] caused Pul, the king of Assyria, to conquer those tribes. Pul’s other name was Tiglath-Pileser. His [army] captured the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the eastern half of the tribe of Manasseh, and took them to [various places in Assyria]: Halah, Habor, Hara and near the Gozan River. [They have lived in those places from that time] to the present time.
So the God of Israel encouraged of Pul, king of Assyria, (otherwise known as Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), to invade the land. He took into exile the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this very day.

< 1 Chronicles 5 >