The Descendants of Reuben
1 Reuben was the oldest son of Jacob, but he lost his rights as the first-born son because he slept with one of his father's wives. The honor of the first-born son was then given to Joseph, 2 even though it was the Judah tribe that became the most powerful and produced a leader.
3 Reuben had four sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4-6 The descendants of Joel included Shemaiah, Gog, Shimei, Micah, Reaiah, Baal, and Beerah, a leader of the Reuben tribe. Later, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria took Beerah away as prisoner.
7-8 The family records also include Jeiel, who was a clan leader, Zechariah, and Bela son of Azaz and grandson of Shema of the Joel clan. They lived in the territory around the town of Aroer, as far north as Nebo and Baal-Meon, 9 and as far east as the desert just west of the Euphrates River. They needed this much land because they owned too many cattle to keep them all in Gilead.
10 When Saul was king, the Reuben tribe attacked and defeated the Hagrites, then took over their land east of Gilead.
The Descendants of Gad
11 The tribe of Gad lived in the region of Bashan, north of the Reuben tribe. Gad's territory extended all the way to the town of Salecah. 12 Some of the clan leaders were Joel, Shapham, Janai, and Shaphat. 13 Their relatives included Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber.
14 They were all descendants of Abihail, whose family line went back through Huri, Jaroah, Gilead, Michael, Jeshishai, Jahdo, and Buz. 15 Ahi, the son of Abdiel and the grandson of Guni, was the leader of their clan.
16 The people of Gad lived in the towns in the regions of Bashan and Gilead, as well as in the pastureland of Sharon. 17 Their family records were written when Jotham was king of Judah and Jeroboam was king of Israel.
18 The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh had 44,760 soldiers trained to fight in battle with shields, swords, bows, and arrows. 19 They fought against the Hagrites and the tribes of Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 Whenever these soldiers went to war against their enemies, they prayed to God and trusted him to help. That's why the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh defeated the Hagrites and their allies. 21 These Israelite tribes captured 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 people. 22 Many of the Hagrites died in battle, because God was fighting this battle against them. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh lived in that territory until they were taken as prisoners to Assyria.
The Tribe of East Manasseh
23 East Manasseh was a large tribe, so its people settled in the northern region of Bashan, as far north as Baal-Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. 24 Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel were their clan leaders; they were well-known leaders and brave soldiers.
The Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh Are Defeated
25 The people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh were unfaithful to the God their ancestors had worshiped, and they started worshiping the gods of the nations that God had forced out of Canaan. 26 So God sent King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria to attack these Israelite tribes. The king led them away as prisoners to Assyria, and from then on, he forced them to live in Halah, Habor, Hara, and near the Gozan River.
1 The sonnes also of Reuben the eldest sonne of Israel (for he was the eldest, but had defiled his fathers bed, therefore his birthright was giuen vnto the sonnes of Ioseph the sonne of Israel, so that the genealogie is not rekoned after his birthright. 2 For Iudah preuailed aboue his brethren, and of him came the prince, but the birthright was Iosephs) 3 The sonnes of Reuben the eldest sonne of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. 4 The sonnes of Ioel, Shemaiah his sonne, Gog his sonne, and Shimei his sonne, 5 Michah his sonne, Reaiah his sonne, and Baal his sonne, 6 Beerah his sonne: whom Tilgath Pilneeser King of Asshur caryed away: he was a prince of the Reubenites. 7 And when his brethren in their families rekoned the genealogie of their generations, Ieiel and Zechariah were the chiefe, 8 And Bela the sonne of Azaz, the sonne of Shema, the sonne of Ioel, which dwelt in Aroer, euen vnto Nebo and Baal meon. 9 Also Eastwarde he inhabited vnto the entring in of the wildernes from the riuer Perath for they had much cattel in the land of Gilead. 10 And in the dayes of Saul they warred with the Hagarims, which fell by their hands: and they dwelt in their tentes in all the East partes of Gilead. 11 And the children of Gad dwelt ouer against them in the land of Bashan, vnto Salchah. 12 Ioel was the chiefest, and Shapham the second, but Iaanai and Shaphat were in Bashan. 13 And their brethren of the house of their fathers were Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Sorai, and Iacan, and Zia and Eber, seuen. 14 These are the childre of Abihail, the sonne of Huri, the sonne of Iaroah, the sonne of Gilead, the sonne of Michael, the sonne of Ieshishai, the sonne of Iahdo, the sonne of Buz. 15 Ahi the sonne of Abdiel, the sonne of Guni was chiefe of the houshold of their fathers. 16 And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in the townes thereof, and in all the suburbes of Sharon by their borders. 17 All these were rekoned by genealogies in the dayes of Iotham King of Iudah, and in the dayes of Ieroboam King of Israel. 18 The sonnes of Reuben and of Gad, and of halfe the tribe of Manasseh of those that were viliant men, able to beare shield, and sworde, and to draw a bowe, exercised in warre, were foure and fourtie thousand, seuen hundreth and three score, that went out to the warre. 19 And they made warre with the Hagarims, with Ietur, and Naphish, and Nodab. 20 And they were holpen against them, and the Hagarims were deliuered into their hande, and all that were with them: for they cryed to God in the battel, and he heard them, because they trusted in him. 21 And they led away their cattel, euen their camels fiftie thousand, and two hundreth, and fiftie thousand sheepe, and two thousand asses, and of persons an hundreth thousand. 22 For many fel downe wounded, because the warre was of God. And they dwelt in their steads vntill the captiuitie. 23 And the children of the halfe tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land, from Baashan vnto Baal Hermon, and Senir, and vnto mount Hermon: for they increased. 24 And these were the heads of the housholds of their fathers, euen Epher and Ishi, and Eliel and Azriel, and Ieremiah, and Hodauiah, and Iahdiel, strong men, valiant and famous, heades of the housholdes of their fathers. 25 But they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the lande, whome God had destroyed before them. 26 And the God of Israel stirred vp the spirit of Pul king of Asshur, and the spirite of Tilgath Pilneeser king of Asshur, and he caryed them away: euen the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the halfe tribe of Manasseh, and brought them vnto Halah and Habor, and Hara, and to the riuer Gozan, vnto this day.