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v1

The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but when he defiled the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that he was not enrolled in the genealogy as the firstborn,

v2

though Judah became strong among his brothers and a chief came from him, but the birthright belonged to Joseph).

v3

The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Enoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

v4

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

v5

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

v6

Beerah his son, a leader of the Reubenites, whom Tiglath-Pilneser king of Assyria deported into exile.

v7

And his kinsmen by their families, when their generations were recorded in the genealogy: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,

v8

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

v9

He also lived to the east up to the entrance of the desert this side of ^[Or “from”] the River Euphrates, for their livestock had multiplied in the land of Gilead.

v10

And in the days of Saul they made war against the Hagrites, and they ^[That is, the Hagrites] fell into their hand. And they lived in their tents in all the region east of Gilead.

v11

And the sons of Gad lived near to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah:

v12

Joel the chief, Shapham the second, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan.

v13

And their kinsmen according to their fathers’ households: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber, seven.

v14

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

v15

Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was chief in their fathers’ households.

v16

And they lived in Gilead, in Bashan, and in its towns, ^[Literally “her daughters”] and in all the pasturelands of Sharon to their limits.

v17

All of them were enrolled in the genealogy in the days of Jotham, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, king of Israel.

v18

The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant ^[Literally “sons of strength”] men who carried a shield and a sword, and archers, and who were expert in war, forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty for going out as an army.

v19

And they made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.

v20

And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he responded to their prayer because they trusted in him.

v21

And they captured their livestock: fifty thousand of their camels; two hundred and fifty thousand sheep; two thousand donkeys; and one hundred thousand men alive.

v22

For many were slain because the war was of God. And they lived under them until the exile.

v23

And the sons of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land from Bashan to Baal-Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They were numerous.

v24

Now these were the heads of their fathers’ households: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of strength, famous men, ^[Literally “men of the name”] heads of their fathers’ households.

v25

But they transgressed against the God of their ancestors ^[Or “fathers”] and prostituted themselves after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.

v26

So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tiglath-Pilneser, king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. And he brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, until this day.