1 Chronicles 4

The sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.

1These men came from the family of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

2And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.

2Reaiah was Shobal's son. Reaiah was the father of Jahath. Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These families were called the Zorathites.

3And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi:

3These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi.

4And Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, the father of Bethlehem.

4Penuel started the town of Gedor. Ezer started the town of Hushah. They came from Hur. Hur was the oldest son of Ephrathah, and he started Bethlehem.

NoteWhen the list says a man was "the father of" a town, it usually means he started that town or his family settled it.

5And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

5Ashhur started the town of Tekoa. He had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

6And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

6Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were her sons.

7And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan.

7Helah's sons were Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan.

8And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

8Koz was the father of Anub and Zobebah. The families of Aharhel, son of Harum, also came from him.

9And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

9Jabez was respected more than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez. She said, "I gave birth to him in pain."

10And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

10Jabez prayed to the God of Israel. He said, "Please bless me and give me more land. Please stay with me and keep me safe from harm, so I will not be hurt." God gave Jabez what he asked for.

11And Chelub the brother of Shuah begat Mehir, which was the father of Eshton.

11Chelub was the brother of Shuhah. Chelub was the father of Mehir, and Mehir was the father of Eshton.

12And Eshton begat Bethrapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These are the men of Rechah.

12Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah started the town of Ir-nahash. These were the men of Recah.

13And the sons of Kenaz; Othniel, and Seraiah: and the sons of Othniel; Hathath.

13Kenaz had two sons, Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel's sons were Hathath and Meonothai.

14And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab, the father of the valley of Charashim; for they were craftsmen.

14Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab. Joab's family lived in the Valley of Craftsmen. It got that name because the people there made things with their hands.

15And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh; Iru, Elah, and Naam: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz.

15Caleb was the son of Jephunneh. Caleb's sons were Iru, Elah, and Naam. Elah's son was Kenaz.

16And the sons of Jehaleleel; Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel.

16Jehallelel's sons were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon: and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

17Ezrah's sons were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered's wife Bithiah gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah. Ishbah started the town of Eshtemoa.

18And his wife Jehudijah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took.

18Bithiah was the daughter of the king of Egypt, and Mered married her. Mered also had a wife from Judah. She gave birth to Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel. Jered started Gedor, Heber started Soco, and Jekuthiel started Zanoah.

19And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.

19Hodiah's wife was the sister of Naham. Her sons started two family groups: Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

20And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Benzoheth.

20Shimon's sons were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. Ishi's sons were Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

21The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,

21Shelah was a son of Judah. Shelah's sons were Er, who started Lecah, and Laadah, who started Mareshah. The families who made fine cloth at Beth-ashbea also came from Shelah.

22And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things.

22Also from Shelah came Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph. Joash and Saraph ruled in Moab and then came back to Lehem. These names come from very old records.

Note"These are ancient things" in the old wording means these names come from very old written records.

23These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.

23These men made pots out of clay. They lived at Netaim and Gederah. They lived there and worked for the king.

24The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul:

24These men came from the family of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.

25Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.

25Shaul's son was Shallum. Shallum's son was Mibsam. Mibsam's son was Mishma.

26And the sons of Mishma; Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son.

26Mishma's son was Hammuel. Hammuel's son was Zaccur. Zaccur's son was Shimei.

27And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah.

27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. But his brothers did not have many children. So their family group never grew as big as Judah's.

28And they dwelt at Beersheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual,

28They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, and Hazar-shual.

29And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,

29They also lived in Bilhah, Ezem, and Tolad.

30And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,

30They also lived in Bethuel, Hormah, and Ziklag.

31And at Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusim, and at Bethbirei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.

31They also lived in Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their towns until David became king.

32And their villages were, Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities:

32Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan. That is five towns.

33And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and their genealogy.

33They also had all the small villages around those towns, as far as Baal. These were their homes, and they kept a list of their families.

34And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah, the son of Amaziah,

34Here are some of their leaders: Meshobab, Jamlech, and Joshah son of Amaziah.

35And Joel, and Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,

35Also Joel, and Jehu son of Joshibiah. Joshibiah was the son of Seraiah, and Seraiah was the son of Asiel.

36And Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,

36Also Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, and Benaiah.

37And Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah;

37Also Ziza son of Shiphi. Shiphi was the son of Allon. Allon was the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah.

38These mentioned by their names were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly.

38All these men were leaders of their families. Their families grew much bigger.

39And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.

39So they traveled to the edge of Gedor, on the east side of the valley. They were looking for grass for their sheep and goats.

40And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.

40They found rich, good grass there. The land was wide, quiet, and peaceful. People from the family of Ham had lived there long before.

41And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their rooms: because there was pasture there for their flocks.

41These men came while Hezekiah was king of Judah. They attacked the people living there and their tents. They destroyed them completely, and it is still that way today. Then they lived there, because the land had grass for their animals.

42And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

42Five hundred men from the family of Simeon went to Mount Seir. Their leaders were Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

43And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

43They attacked the Amalekites who were still alive there. Then they made their homes there, and they still live there today.