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.

As to sons of Reuben, first-born of Israel — for he [is] the first-born, and on account of his profaning the couch of his father hath his birthright been given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, and [he is] not to be reckoned by genealogy for the 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.

for Judah hath been mighty over his brother, and for leader above him, and the birthright [is] to Joseph.

3 But Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son. Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

Sons of Reuben, first-born of Israel: Hanoch, and 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.

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.

Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-Pilneser king of Asshur removed; he [is] prince of the Reubenite.

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,

And his brethren, by their families, in the genealogy of their generations, [are] heads: Jeiel, and 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 son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel — he is dwelling in Aroer, even unto 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].

and at the east he dwelt even unto the entering in of the wilderness, even from the river Phrat, for their cattle were multiplied in the land of 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].

And in the days of Saul they have made war with the Hagarites, who fall by their hand, and they dwell in their tents over all the face of the 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].

And the sons of Gad, over-against them have dwelt in the land of Bashan unto Salcah,

12 Joel was their chief; Shapham was his assistant; other leaders were Janai and Shaphat.

Joel the head, and Shapham the second, and Jaanai 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.

and their brethren of the house of their fathers [are] Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, 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 [are] 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, [is] head of the house of their fathers;

16 The descendants of Gad lived in the towns in Gilead and Bashan regions, and on all the pastureland on [the] Sharon [plain].

and they dwell in Gilead in Bashan, and in her small towns, and in all suburbs of Sharon, upon their outskirts;

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.

all of them reckoned themselves by genealogy in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of 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.

Sons of Reuben, and the Gadite, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, of sons of valour, men bearing shield and sword, and treading bow, and taught in battle, [are] forty and four thousand and seven hundred and sixty, going out to the host.

19 They attacked the descendants of Hagar and the people of Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab [cities].

And they make war with the Hagarites, and Jetur, and 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.

and they are helped against them, and the Hagarites are given into their hand, and all who [are] with them, for they cried to God in battle, and He was entreated of them, 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.

And they take captive their cattle, of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of human beings a hundred thousand;

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.

for many have fallen pierced, for of God [is] the battle; and they dwell in their stead till the removal.

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.

And the sons of the half of the tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land, from Bashan unto Baal-Hermon, and Senir, and mount Hermon, they have multiplied.

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.

And these [are] heads of the house of their fathers, even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, men mighty in valour, men of name, heads to the house of their fathers.

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!

And they trespass against the God of their fathers, and go a-whoring after the gods of the peoples of the land whom God destroyed from their presence;

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.

and stir up doth the God of Israel the spirit of Pul king of Asshur, and the spirit of Tilgath-Pilneser king of Asshur, and he removeth them — even the Reubenite, and the Gadite, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh — and bringeth them in to Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and the river of Gozan unto this day.