4
Other Family Groups of Judah
1 This is a list of Judah’s sons:
They were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
2 Shobal’s son was Reaiah. Reaiah was Jahath’s father. Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. The Zorathites are descendants of Ahumai and Lahad.
3 Etam’s sons were Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. And they had a sister named Hazzelelponi.
4 Penuel was Gedor’s father, and Ezer was Hushah’s father.
These were Hur’s sons. Hur was Ephrathah’s first son, and Ephrathah was the founder* of Bethlehem.
5 Tekoa’s father was Ashhur. Ashhur had two wives. Their names were Helah and Naarah. 6 Naarah had Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons Naarah had with Ashhur. 7 The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, and Koz. 8 Koz was the father of Anub and Hazzobebah. Koz also was the father of the tribes of Aharhel. Aharhel was Harum’s son.
9 Jabez was a very good man, who was better than his brothers. His mother said, “I have named him Jabez† because I was in much pain when I had him.” 10 Jabez prayed to the God of Israel and said, “I pray that you would bless me and give me more land! Be near me and don’t let anyone hurt me! Then I will not have any pain.” God gave Jabez what he asked for.
11 Kelub was Shuhah’s brother. Kelub was Mehir’s father. Mehir was Eshton’s father. 12 Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah was the father of Ir Nahash.‡ These men were from Recah.
13 The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel’s sons were Hathath and Meonothai. 14 Meonothai was Ophrah’s father.
And Seraiah was Joab’s father. Joab was the founder of the Ge Harashim.§ The people used that name because they were skilled workers.
15 Caleb was Jephunneh’s son. Caleb’s sons were Iru, Elah, and Naam. Elah’s son was Kenaz.
16 Jehallelel’s sons were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17-18 Ezrah’s sons were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered was the father of Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah. Ishbah was the father of Eshtemoa. Mered had a wife from Egypt. She had Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel. Jered was Gedor’s father. Heber was Soco’s father. And Jekuthiel was Zanoah’s father. These were the sons of Bithiah. Bithiah was Pharaoh’s daughter. She was Mered’s wife from Egypt.
19 Mered’s wife was Naham’s sister. Mered’s wife was from Judah.* The sons of Mered’s wife were the father of Keilah and Eshtemoa. Keilah was from the Garmites. And Eshtemoa was from the Maacathites. 20 Shimon’s sons were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben Hanan, and Tilon.
Ishi’s sons were Zoheth and Ben Zoheth.
21-22 Shelah was Judah’s son. Shelah’s sons were Er, Laadah, Jokim, the men from Cozeba, Joash, and Saraph. Er was the father of Lecah. Laadah was the father of Mareshah and the tribes of linen workers at Beth Ashbea. Joash and Saraph married Moabite women. Then they went back to Bethlehem.† The writings about this family are very old. 23 These sons of Shelah were workers who made things from clay. They lived in Netaim and Gederah and worked for the king.
Simeon’s Children
24 Simeon’s sons were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul. 25 Shaul’s son was Shallum. Shallum’s son was Mibsam. Mibsam’s son was Mishma.
26 Mishma’s son was Hammuel. Hammuel’s son was Zaccur. Zaccur’s son was Shimei. 27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but Shimei’s brothers did not have many children. Shimei’s brothers did not have large families. Their families were not as large as the other tribes in Judah.
28 Shimei’s descendants lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. They lived in these towns until David became king. 32 The five villages near these towns were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan. 33 There were also other villages as far away as Baalath. This is where they lived. And they also wrote the history about their family.
34-38 This is the list of men who were leaders of their tribes: They were Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah (Amaziah’s son), Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, Joshibiah son of Seraiah, Seraiah son of Asiel, Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, and Ziza (Shiphi’s son). Shiphi was Allon’s son, and Allon was Jedaiah’s son. Jedaiah was Shimri’s son, and Shimri was Shemaiah’s son.
These men’s families grew to be very large. 39 They went to the area outside the town of Gedor to the east side of the valley. They went to that place to look for fields for their sheep and cattle. 40 They found good fields with plenty of grass. They found plenty of good land there. The land was peaceful and quiet. Ham’s descendants lived there in the past. 41 This happened during the time that Hezekiah was king of Judah. These men came to Gedor and fought against the Hamites. They destroyed the tents of the Hamites. They also fought against the Meunites who lived there. These men destroyed all the Meunites. There are no Meunites in this place even today. So these men began to live there. They lived there because the land had grass for their sheep.
42 Five hundred people from the tribe of Simeon went to the hill country of Seir. Ishi’s sons led these men. The sons were Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel. The Simeonite men fought against the people living in that place. 43 There were only a few Amalekites still living, and these Simeonites killed them. Since that time until now, the Simeonites have lived in Seir.
* 4:4 founder Literally, “father.” The person who started the city. Also in verse 14. † 4:9 Jabez This name is like the Hebrew word meaning “pain.” ‡ 4:12 Tehinnah … Ir Nahash Or “Tehinnah was the founder of the city of Nahash.” Ir means “city.” § 4:14 Ge Harashim This name also means “Valley of the Skilled Workers.” * 4:19 Mered’s wife … was from Judah This is from the ancient Greek version. † 4:21-22 married … Bethlehem Or “They ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem.”