1 Chronicles 5–6

Reuben’s Children

5Reuben was Israel’s first son. Reuben should have received the special privileges of the oldest son, but he had sexual relations with his father’s slave woman. So those special privileges were given to Joseph’s sons. (Joseph was a son of Israel.) In the family history Reuben’s name is not listed as the first son. ²Judah became stronger than his brothers, and a leader came from his family. But Joseph’s family received the privileges that belonged to the oldest son. ³Reuben was Israel’s first son. Reuben’s sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

⁴These were the children of Joel: Shemaiah was Joel’s son. Gog was Shemaiah’s son. Shimei was Gog’s son. ⁵Micah was Shimei’s son. Reaiah was Micah’s son. Baal was Reaiah’s son. ⁶Beerah was Baal’s son. Beerah was a leader of the tribe of Reuben. Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria captured him and took him away.

⁷Joel’s brothers and all his family groups are listed just as they are written in their family histories: Jeiel was the first, then Zechariah, ⁸and Bela. (Bela was the son of Azaz. Azaz was the son of Shema, and Shema was the son of Joel.) They lived in the area of Aroer all the way to Nebo and Baal Meon. ⁹Bela’s people lived to the east—as far as the edge of the desert, which is beside the Euphrates River—because they had too many cattle for the land of Gilead.

¹⁰When Saul was king, Bela’s people fought a war against the Hagrite people and defeated them. Then Bela’s people lived in the tents that had belonged to the Hagrites in all the area east of Gilead.

Gad’s Children

¹¹The people from the tribe of Gad lived near the Reubenites. The Gadites lived in the area of Bashan all the way to Salecah. ¹²Joel was the main leader, Shapham was second, and then Janai and Shaphat were leaders in Bashan.

¹³The seven relatives in their families were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber. ¹⁴They were the 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, and Jahdo was the son of Buz. ¹⁵Ahi was Abdiel’s son, and Abdiel was Guni’s son. Ahi was the leader of their family.

¹⁶The Gadites lived in Gilead, Bashan and the small towns around it, and on all the pasturelands in the Plain of Sharon all the way to the borders.

¹⁷All these names were written in the family history of Gad during the time Jotham was king of Judah and Jeroboam was king of Israel.

Soldiers Skilled in War

¹⁸There were forty-four thousand seven hundred sixty soldiers from the tribes of Reuben and Gad and East Manasseh who carried shields and swords and bows. They were skilled in war. ¹⁹They started a war against the Hagrites and the people of Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. ²⁰The men from the tribes of Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad prayed to God during the war, asking him to help them. So he helped them because they trusted him. He handed over to them the Hagrites and all those who were with them. ²¹They took the animals that belonged to the Hagrites: fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep, and two thousand donkeys. They also captured one hundred thousand people. ²²Many Hagrites were killed because God helped the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. Then they lived there until Babylon captured them and took them away.

East Manasseh

²³There were many people in East Manasseh, and they lived in the area of Bashan all the way to Baal Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon.

²⁴These were the family leaders: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were all strong, brave, and famous men, and leaders in their families. ²⁵But they sinned against the God that their ancestors had worshiped. They began worshiping the gods of the people in that land, and those were the people God was destroying. ²⁶So the God of Israel made Pul king of Assyria want to go to war. (Pul was also called Tiglath-Pileser.) He captured the people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh, and he took them away to Halah, Habor, Hara, and near the Gozan River. They have lived there from that time until this day.

Levi’s Children

6Levi’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. (Azariah was a 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, and Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak.

¹⁵Jehozadak was forced to leave his home when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into captivity under the control of Nebuchadnezzar.

¹⁶Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

¹⁷The names of Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei.

¹⁸Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

¹⁹Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi.

This is a list of the family groups of Levi, listed by the name of the father of each group.

²⁰Gershon’s son was Libni. Libni’s son was Jehath. Jehath’s son was Zimmah. ²¹Zimmah’s son was Joah. Joah’s son was Iddo. Iddo’s son was Zerah. And Zerah’s son was Jeatherai.

²²Kohath’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, and 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, and Elkanah’s son was Samuel.

²⁸Samuel’s sons were Joel, the first son, and Abijah, the second son.

²⁹Merari’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, and Haggiah’s son was Asaiah.

The Temple Musicians

³¹David chose some people to be in charge of the music in the house of the Lord. They began their work after the Ark of the Agreement was put there. ³²They served by making music at the Holy Tent (also called the Meeting Tent), and they served until Solomon built the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They followed the rules for their work.

³³These are the musicians and their sons:

From Kohath’s family there was Heman the singer. Heman was Joel’s son. Joel was Samuel’s son. ³⁴Samuel was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Jeroham’s son. Jeroham was Eliel’s son. Eliel was Toah’s son. ³⁵Toah was Zuph’s son. Zuph was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Mahath’s son. Mahath was Amasai’s son. ³⁶Amasai was Elkanah’s son. Elkanah was Joel’s son. Joel was Azariah’s son. Azariah was Zephaniah’s son. ³⁷Zephaniah was Tahath’s son. Tahath was Assir’s son. Assir was Ebiasaph’s son. Ebiasaph was Korah’s son. ³⁸Korah was Izhar’s son. Izhar was Kohath’s son. Kohath was Levi’s son. Levi was Israel’s son.

³⁹There was Heman’s helper Asaph, whose group stood by Heman’s right side. Asaph was Berekiah’s son. Berekiah was Shimea’s son. ⁴⁰Shimea was Michael’s son. Michael was Baaseiah’s son. Baaseiah was Malkijah’s son. ⁴¹Malkijah was Ethni’s son. Ethni was Zerah’s son. Zerah was Adaiah’s son. ⁴²Adaiah was Ethan’s son. Ethan was Zimmah’s son. Zimmah was Shimei’s son. ⁴³Shimei was Jahath’s son. Jahath was Gershon’s son, and Gershon was Levi’s son.

⁴⁴Merari’s family were the helpers of Heman and Asaph, and they stood by Heman’s left side. In this group was Ethan son of Kishi. Kishi was Abdi’s son. Abdi was Malluch’s son. ⁴⁵Malluch was Hashabiah’s son. Hashabiah was Amaziah’s son. Amaziah was Hilkiah’s son. ⁴⁶Hilkiah was Amzi’s son. Amzi was Bani’s son. Bani was Shemer’s son. ⁴⁷Shemer was Mahli’s son. Mahli was Mushi’s son. Mushi was Merari’s son, and Merari was Levi’s son.

⁴⁸The other Levites served by doing their own special work in the Holy Tent, the house of God. ⁴⁹Aaron and his descendants offered the sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering and burned the incense on the altar of incense. They offered the sacrifices that removed the Israelites’ sins so they could belong to God. They did all the work in the Most Holy Place and followed all the laws that Moses, God’s servant, had commanded.

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

Land for the Levites

⁵⁴These are the places where Aaron’s descendants lived. His descendants from the Kohath family group received the first share of the land.

⁵⁵They were given the city of Hebron in Judah and the pastures around it, ⁵⁶but the fields farther from the city and the villages near Hebron were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. ⁵⁷So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron, one of the cities of safety. They also received the towns and pastures of Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, ⁵⁸Hilen, Debir, ⁵⁹Ashan, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh. ⁶⁰They also received these towns and pastures from the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth.

The Kohath family groups received a total of thirteen towns.

⁶¹The rest of the Kohath family group was given ten towns from the family groups of West Manasseh. The towns were chosen by…