1 Chronicles 8–10

Benjamin’s Descendants

8Benjamin ^cfathered Bela, his firstborn; Ashbel was born second, Aharah third, ²Nohah fourth, and Rapha fifth.

³Bela’s sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud, ⁴Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, ⁵Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.

⁶These were Ehud’s sons, who were the heads of the families living in Geba and who were deported to Manahath: ⁷Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. Gera deported them and was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

⁸Shaharaim had sons in the country of Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara. ⁹His sons by his wife Hodesh: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, ¹⁰Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families. ¹¹He also had sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal.

¹²Elpaal’s sons: Eber, Misham, and Shemed who built Ono and Lod and its villages, ¹³Beriah and Shema, who were the heads of families of Aijalon’s residents and who drove out the residents of Gath, ¹⁴Ahio, ^dShashak, and Jeremoth.

¹⁵Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, ¹⁶Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were Beriah’s sons.

¹⁷Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, ¹⁸Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were Elpaal’s sons.

¹⁹Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, ²⁰Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, ²¹Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were Shimei’s sons.

²²Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, ²³Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, ²⁴Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, ²⁵Iphdeiah, and Penuel were Shashak’s sons.

²⁶Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, ²⁷Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were Jeroham’s sons.

²⁸These ^ewere heads of families, chiefs according to their genealogies, and lived in Jerusalem.

²⁹Jeiel ^fgfathered Gibeon and lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah. ³⁰Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab, ³¹Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, ³²and Mikloth who fathered Shimeah. These also lived opposite their relatives in Jerusalem, with their other relatives.

³³Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, and Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal. ^h

³⁴Jonathan’s son was Merib-baal, ⁱand Merib-baal fathered Micah.

³⁵Micah’s sons: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.

³⁶Ahaz fathered Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri fathered Moza.

³⁷Moza fathered Binea. His son was Raphah, his son Elasah, and his son Azel.

³⁸Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were Azel’s sons.

³⁹His brother Eshek’s sons: Ulam was his firstborn, Jeush second, and Eliphelet third.

⁴⁰Ulam’s sons were warriors and archers. ^jThey had many sons and grandsons—150 of them.

All these were among Benjamin’s sons.

After the Exile

9All Israel was registered in the genealogies that are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was exiled ^kto Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. ²The first ^lto live in their towns on their own property again were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants. ^m

³These people from the descendants of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh settled in Jerusalem:

⁴Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, a descendant ⁿof Perez son of Judah;

⁵from the Shilonites:

Asaiah the firstborn and his sons;

⁶and from the sons of Zerah:

Jeuel and 690 of their relatives.

⁷The Benjaminites: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah;

⁸Ibneiah son of Jeroham;

Elah son of Uzzi, son of Michri;

Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah;

⁹and 956 ^oof their relatives according to their genealogical records. All these men were heads of their ancestral houses.

¹⁰The priests: ^pJedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jachin;

¹¹Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief official ^qof God’s temple;

¹²Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah;

Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer;

¹³and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of households. They were capable men employed in the ministry of God’s temple.

¹⁴The Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah of the Merarites;

¹⁵Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah, son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph;

¹⁶Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun;

and Berechiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

¹⁷The gatekeepers: ^rShallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives.

Shallum was their chief; ¹⁸he was previously stationed at the King’s Gate on the east side. ^sThese were the gatekeepers from the camp of the Levites.

¹⁹Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah and his relatives from his ancestral household, the Korahites, were assigned to guard the thresholds of the tent. ^tTheir ancestors had been assigned to the Lord’s camp as guardians of the entrance. ^u20In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been their leader, and the Lord was with him. ^v21Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ^w

²²The total number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them ^xto their trusted positions. ²³So they and their sons were assigned to the gates of the Lord’s temple, which had been the tent-temple. ²⁴The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. ²⁵Their relatives came from their villages ^yat fixed times to be with them seven days, ^z26but the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of God’s temple. ^a27They spent the night in the vicinity of God’s temple, because they had guard duty and were in charge of opening it every morning. ^b

²⁸Some of them were in charge of the utensils used in worship. They would count them when they brought them in and when they took them out. ²⁹Others were put in charge of the furnishings and all the utensils of the sanctuary, ^cas well as the fine flour, ^dwine, oil, incense, and spices. ³⁰Some of the priests’ sons mixed the spices. ^e31A Levite called Mattithiah, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread. ^f32Some of the Kohathites’ relatives were responsible for preparing the rows of the bread of the Presence ^gevery Sabbath.

³³The singers, ^hthe heads of the Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other tasks because they were on duty day and night. ⁱ³⁴These ^jwere the heads of the Levite families, chiefs according to their genealogies, and lived in Jerusalem.

Saul’s Family

³⁵Jeiel fathered Gibeon and lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah. ³⁶Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³⁷Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. ³⁸Mikloth fathered Shimeam. These also lived opposite their relatives in Jerusalem with their other relatives.

³⁹Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, and Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

⁴⁰Jonathan’s son was Merib-baal, and Merib-baal fathered Micah.

⁴¹Micah’s sons: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. ^k

⁴²Ahaz fathered Jarah;

Jarah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri;

Zimri fathered Moza.

⁴³Moza fathered Binea.

His son was Rephaiah, his son Elasah, and his son Azel.

⁴⁴Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were Azel’s sons.

The Deaths of Saul and His Sons

10The Philistines ^lfought against Israel, and Israel’s men fled from them and were killed on Mount Gilboa. ²The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. ³When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers found him and severely wounded him. ⁴Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!” But his armor-bearer wouldn’t do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it. ⁵When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died. ⁶So Saul and his three sons died—his whole house died together.

⁷When all the men of Israel in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them.

⁸The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. ⁹They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news to their idols and their people. ¹⁰Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his skull in the temple of Dagon. ^m

¹¹When all Jabesh-gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹²all their brave men set out and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak ⁿin Jabesh ^oand fasted seven days.

¹³Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord’s word. ^pHe even consulted a medium for guidance, ^q14but he did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. ^r