1 Chronicles 5–6

5TH CHAPTER

Reuben’s Descendants

¹These are the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn. (Although he was the firstborn, his rights as firstborn were given to his nephews, Joseph’s sons, because he dishonored his father’s bed. However, Joseph couldn’t be listed in the genealogy as the firstborn son. ²Even though Judah was more prominent than his brothers and the prince was to come from him, Joseph received the rights as firstborn.) 

³The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. ⁴Joel’s son was Shemaiah. Shemaiah’s son was Gog. Gog’s son was Shimei. ⁵Shimei’s son was Micah. Micah’s son was Reaiah. Reaiah’s son was Baal. ⁶Baal’s son was Beerah. King Tiglath Pilneser of Assyria took him away as a captive. He was leader of the tribe of Reuben. ⁷Beerah’s brothers according to their families, when they were enrolled in the genealogical records according to their ancestry, were as follows: The first was Jeiel, then Zechariah ⁸and Bela (son of Azaz, grandson of Shema, and great-grandson of Joel). 

Reuben’s descendants lived in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal Meon. ⁹Some of them lived eastward as far as the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because they had so much livestock in Gilead. ¹⁰In Saul’s day they fought a war against the Hagrites, defeated them, and lived in their tents throughout the entire region east of Gilead. 

Gad’s Descendants

¹¹Gad’s descendants lived next to Reuben’s descendants in Bashan as far ⸤east⸥ as Salcah. ¹²One family descended from Gad’s first son Joel. Another family descended from Gad’s second son Shapham. Other families descended from Gad’s sons Janai and Shaphat in Bashan. ¹³Their seven relatives by families were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber. ¹⁴These were the sons of Abihail, who was the son of Huri, grandson of Jaroah, and great-grandson of Gilead. Gilead was the son of Michael, grandson of Jeshishai, great-grandson of Jahdo, and great-great-grandson of Buz. ¹⁵Ahi, son of Abdiel and grandson of Guni, was the head of their families. ¹⁶They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its villages, and in the entire pastureland of Sharon to its extreme edges. ¹⁷All these people were recorded in genealogical records in the days of King Jotham of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel. 

Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh Fight Hagar’s Descendants

¹⁸The descendants of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 soldiers ready to go to war. They were skilled fighters who could carry shields and swords and shoot arrows. ¹⁹They went to war against Hagar’s descendants (including Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab) ²⁰and received help while fighting them. Hagar’s descendants and the nations with them were handed over to Reuben’s descendants. They had called out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayers because they trusted him. ²¹They confiscated the Hagrites’ livestock: 50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep and goats, and 2,000 donkeys. They captured 100,000 people. ²²Many were killed in battle because this was God’s war. Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh lived in the Hagrites’ land until the Assyrians captured them. 

The Leaders of the Tribe of Manasseh East of the Jordan River

²³Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived in the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. The tribe members were numerous. ²⁴These were the heads of Manasseh’s families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were soldiers who were famous heads of their families. 

The Assyrians Capture Gad, Reuben, and Half of the Tribe of Manasseh

²⁵But Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They chased after the gods of the people of the land as if they were prostitutes. God had destroyed these people as the Israelites arrived. ²⁶Then the God of Israel led King Pul of Assyria (King Tiglath Pilneser of Assyria) to take Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River. They are still there today. 

6TH CHAPTER^a

Levi’s Descendants

¹Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ²Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ³Amram’s children were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 

⁴Eleazar was the father of Phinehas. Phinehas was the father of Abishua. ⁵Abishua was the father of Bukki. Bukki was the father of Uzzi. ⁶Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth. ⁷Meraioth was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. ⁸Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz. ⁹Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah. Azariah was the father of Johanan. ¹⁰Johanan was the father of Azariah. (He was the one who served as priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem.) ¹¹Azariah was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. ¹²Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Shallum. ¹³Shallum was the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the father of Azariah. ¹⁴Azariah was the father of Seraiah. Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak. ¹⁵Jehozadak was taken captive when the Lord used Nebuchadnezzar to take Judah and Jerusalem away into captivity. 

¹⁶Levi’s sons were Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁷These are the names of Gershom’s sons: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁸Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹⁹Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. 

These are the descendants of Levi’s sons. They are grouped by families: 

²⁰Gershom’s son was Libni. Libni’s son was Jahath. Jahath’s son was Zimmah. ²¹Zimmah’s son was Joah. Joah’s son was Iddo. Iddo’s son was Zerah. Zerah’s son was Jeatherai. 

²²These were Kohath’s descendants: Kohath’s son was Amminadab. Amminadab’s son was Korah. Korah’s son was Assir. ²³Assir’s son was Elkanah. Elkanah’s son was Ebiasaph. Ebiasaph’s son was Assir. ²⁴Assir’s son was Tahath. Tahath’s son was Uriel. Uriel’s son was Uzziah. Uzziah’s son was Shaul. ²⁵Elkanah’s sons were Amasai and Ahimoth. ²⁶Ahimoth’s son was Elkanah. Elkanah’s son was Zophai. Zophai’s son was Nahath. ²⁷Nahath’s son was Eliab. Eliab’s son was Jeroham. Jeroham’s son was Elkanah. ²⁸Samuel’s sons were Joel, who was his firstborn, and Abijah, who was his second son. 

²⁹These were Merari’s descendants: Merari’s son was Mahli. Mahli’s son was Libni. Libni’s son was Shimei. Shimei’s son was Uzzah. ³⁰Uzzah’s son was Shimea. Shimea’s son was Haggiah. Haggiah’s son was Asaiah. 

³¹David put men in charge of the music in the Lord’s temple after the ark was placed there permanently. ³²They served as musicians in the courtyard in front of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations set down for them. 

³³These are the men who served (their descendants also served): 

The musician Heman was from Kohath’s family line. Heman was the son of Joel, who was the son of Samuel, ³⁴who was the son of Elkanah, who was the son of Jeroham, who was the son of Eliel, who was the son of Toah, ³⁵who was the son of Zuph, who was the son of Elkanah, who was the son of Mahath, who was the son of Amasai, ³⁶who was the son of Elkanah, who was the son of Joel, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Zephaniah, ³⁷who was the son of Tahath, who was the son of Assir, who was the son of Ebiasaph, who was the son of Korah, ³⁸who was the son of Izhar, who was the son of Kohath, who was the son of Levi, who was the son of Israel. 

³⁹Heman’s relative Asaph stood on his right. He was the son of Berechiah, who was the son of Shimea, ⁴⁰who was the son of Michael, who was the son of Baaseiah, who was the son of Malchiah, ⁴¹who was the son of Ethni, who was the son of Zerah, who was the son of Adaiah, ⁴²who was the son of Ethan, who was the son of Zimmah, who was the son of Shimei, ⁴³who was the son of Jahath, who was the son of Gershom, who was the son of Levi. 

⁴⁴On the left was Ethan, one of Heman’s relatives descended from Merari. Ethan was the son of Kishi, who was the son of Abdi, who was the son of Malluch, ⁴⁵who was the son of Hashabiah, who was the son of Amaziah, who was the son of Hilkiah, ⁴⁶who was the son of Amzi, who was the son of Bani, who was the son of Shemer, ⁴⁷who was the son of Mahli, who was the son of Mushi, who was the son of Merari, who was the son of Levi. 

⁴⁸Their relatives, the Levites, were assigned all the other duties in the tent, the house of God. 

⁴⁹Aaron and his descendants offered sacrifices on the altar for burnt offerings and on the altar for incense. They did all the work in the most holy place and removed Israel’s sins to make Israel acceptable to God. They did exactly what God’s servant Moses had commanded. 

⁵⁰These were Aaron’s descendants: His son was Eleazar. Eleazar’s son was Phinehas. Phinehas’ son was Abishua. ⁵¹Abishua’s son was Bukki. Bukki’s son was Uzzi. Uzzi’s son was Zerahiah. ⁵²Zerahiah’s son was Meraioth. Meraioth’s son was Amariah. Amariah’s son was Ahitub. ⁵³Ahitub’s son was Zadok. Zadok’s son was Ahimaaz. 

The Cities Belonging to Levi’s Descendants

⁵⁴These are the places where Levi’s descendants lived, the places where they settled in the territory chosen for them when lots were drawn: 

The ⸤first⸥ lot was drawn for the descendants of Aaron from the family descended from Kohath. ⁵⁵They were given Hebron in the territory of Judah as well as the pastureland around it, ⁵⁶but the fields belonging to the city and its villages were given to Caleb, son of Jephunneh. ⁵⁷Aaron’s descendants were given Hebron as a city of refuge, Libnah with its pastureland, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pastureland, ⁵⁸Hilen with its pastureland, Debir with its pastureland, ⁵⁹Ashan with its pastureland, and Beth Shemesh with its pastureland. ⁶⁰From the tribe of Benjamin, Aaron’s descendants received Geba with its pastureland, Alemeth with its pastureland, and Anathoth with its pastureland. There…