1 ¶ Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel; and he was not counted as the firstborn.

Reuben was the first-born son of Israel but because he sinned against his father’s marriage bed, his birth-right was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel. Reuben is not written down in the family names by his birth-right.

2 F or Judah prevailed above his brethren and was their prince, but the birthright was Joseph’s:)

Judah became stronger than his brothers, and a prince came from him. But the birth-right belonged to Joseph.

3 T he sons, therefore, of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Enoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

The sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.

4 T he sons of Joel: Shemaiah, his son, Gog, his son, Shimei, his son,

The sons of Joel were Shemaiah, Gog his son, Shimei his son,

5 M icah, his son, Reaia, his son, Baal, his son,

Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,

6 B eerah, his son, whom Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyria, carried away captive. He was prince of the Reubenites.

and Beerah his son. Beerah was the one whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away to a strange land. He was a leader of the Reubenites.

7 A nd his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, had as princes, Jeiel and Zechariah.

These are his brothers by their families, from the writings of their family names. There was Jeiel the leader, then Zechariah,

8 A nd Bela, the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, dwelt in Aroer, even until Nebo and Baalmeon.

and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal-meon.

9 A nd eastward he inhabited unto the entering in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their livestock were multiplied in the land of Gilead.

He lived as far east as the beginning of the desert this side of the Euphrates River, because their cattle had become too many for the land of Gilead.

10 A nd in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand, and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead.

In the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites and killed them. So they lived in their tents over all the land east of Gilead. The Family of Gad

11 A nd the sons of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salchah.

The sons of Gad lived beside them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah.

12 J oel, the chief, and Shapham, second, and Jaanai and Shaphat in Bashan.

Joel was the leader. Then there was Shapham, then Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan.

13 A nd their brethren of the house of their fathers were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jachan, Zia, and Heber, seven.

Their seven brothers of their fathers’ houses were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber.

14 T hese were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz.

These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz.

15 A lso Ahi, the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was the prince of the house of their fathers.

Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their fathers’ houses.

16 A nd they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan and in her towns and in all the suburbs of Sharon, upon their goings forth.

They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its towns, and in all the fields of Sharon as far as they go.

17 A ll these were reckoned by their generations in the days of Jotham, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, king of Israel.

All of these were added to the family names in the days of King Jotham of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel.

18 ¶ The sons of Reuben and of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh, valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword and to shoot with bow and skillful in war were forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty, that went out to the war.

The sons of Reuben, the Gadites and the half-family group of Manasseh were powerful soldiers. They carried the battle-covering and the sword, and shot with the bow. They were able men in battle. There were 44, 760 of them who went to war.

19 A nd they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur and Nephish and Nodab.

They made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab.

20 A nd they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand and all that were with them, for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them because they put their trust in him.

They were given help against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand. They cried out to God in the battle. He gave them what they asked for, because they trusted in Him.

21 A nd they took away their livestock; fifty thousand camels and two hundred and fifty thousand sheep and two thousand asses and one hundred thousand persons.

They took away their animals, 50, 000 camels, 250, 000 sheep, 2, 000 donkeys, and 100, 000 men.

22 F or there fell down many slain because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.

Many were killed, because the war was of God. They lived in their place until they were taken away by Assyria. The Family of Manasseh East of the Jordan River

23 A nd the sons of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land; they increased from Bashan unto Baalhermon and Senir and unto Mount Hermon.

The sons of the half-family group of Manasseh lived in the land. There were many of them from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir and Mount Hermon.

24 A nd these were the heads of the houses of their fathers: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valour, famous men, and heads of the houses of their fathers.

The heads of their fathers’ houses were Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were powerful soldiers, men whose names were well-known. And they were heads of their fathers’ houses.

25 B ut they rebelled against the God of their fathers and fornicated after the gods of the people of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.

But they sinned against the God of their fathers. They sold themselves to the gods of the people of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.

26 A nd for this the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyria, and he carried away the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh and brought them unto Halah and Habor and Hara and to the River Gozan, unto this day.

So the God of Israel moved the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, also known as Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria. And he carried the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-family group of Manasseh away to a strange land. He brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan. And they are there to this day.