To The Word – Day 137

₁Adam was the father of Seth, Seth was the father of Enosh, Enosh the father of Kenan, ₂Kenan the father of Mahalalel, Mahalalel the father of Jared. ₃Jared was the father of Enoch, who was the father of Methuselah; Methuselah was the father of Lamech, ₄who was the father of Noah. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

₅The sons of Japheth — Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras — were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. ₆The descendants of Gomer were the people of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. ₇The descendants of Javan were the people of Elishah, Spain, Cyprus, and Rhodes.

₈The sons of Ham — Cush, Egypt, Libya, and Canaan — were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. ₉The descendants of Cush were the people of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were the people of Sheba and Dedan. ₁₀(Cush had a son named Nimrod, who became the world's first great conqueror.) ₁₁The descendants of Egypt were the people of Lydia, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh, ₁₂Pathrus, Casluh, and of Crete (from whom the Philistines were descended). ₁₃Canaan's sons — Sidon, the eldest, and Heth — were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. ₁₄Canaan was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, Girgashites, ₁₅Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, ₁₆Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.

₁₇Shem's sons — Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshek — were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names. ₁₈Arpachshad was the father of Shelah, who was the father of Eber. ₁₉Eber had two sons; one was named Peleg, because during his time the people of the world were divided, and the other was named Joktan. ₂₀The descendants of Joktan were the people of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, ₂₁Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, ₂₂Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, ₂₃Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab.

₂₄The family line from Shem to Abram is as follows: Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, ₂₅Eber, Peleg, Reu, ₂₆Serug, Nahor, Terah, ₂₇and Abram (also known as Abraham).

₂₈Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. ₂₉The sons of Ishmael became the heads of twelve tribes: Nebaioth (from the name of Ishmael's eldest son), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, ₃₀Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, ₃₁Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

₃₂Abraham had a concubine named Keturah, who bore him six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan had two sons: Sheba and Dedan. ₃₃Midian had five sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.

₃₄Abraham's son Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. ₃₅Esau's sons were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. ₃₆Eliphaz became the ancestor of the following tribes: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek. ₃₇And Reuel became the ancestor of the tribes of Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

_38-42The original inhabitants of Edom were descended from the following sons of Seir:

_43-50The following kings ruled the land of Edom one after the other, in the time before there were any kings in Israel:

₅₁The people of Edom were divided into the following tribes: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, ₅₂Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, ₅₃Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, ₅₄Magdiel, and Iram.

₁Jacob had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, ₂Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

₃Judah had five sons in all. By his wife Bathshua, a Canaanite, he had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. His eldest son, Er, was so evil that the LORD killed him. ₄By his daughter-in-law Tamar, Judah had two more sons, Perez and Zerah.

₅Perez had two sons, Hezron and Hamul. ₆His brother Zerah had five sons: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda. ₇Achan son of Carmi, one of Zerah's descendants, brought disaster on the people of Israel by keeping loot that had been devoted to God.

₈Ethan had one son, Azariah.

₉Hezron had three sons: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb.

₁₀The family line from Ram to Jesse is as follows: Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon (a prominent man of the tribe of Judah), ₁₁Salmon, Boaz, ₁₂Obed, and Jesse.

₁₃Jesse had seven sons. In order of age they were: Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah, ₁₄Nethanel, Raddai, ₁₅Ozem, and David. ₁₆He also had two daughters, Zeruiah and Abigail.

Jesse's daughter Zeruiah had three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. ₁₇His other daughter Abigail married Jether, a descendant of Ishmael, and they had a son named Amasa.

₁₈Hezron's son Caleb married Azubah and had a daughter named Jerioth. She had three sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. ₁₉After the death of Azubah, Caleb married Ephrath, and they had a son named Hur. ₂₀Hur's son was Uri, and his grandson was Bezalel.

₂₁When Hezron was sixty years old, he married Machir's daughter, the sister of Gilead. They had a son named Segub, ₂₂and Segub had a son named Jair. Jair ruled 23 cities in the territory of Gilead. ₂₃But the kingdoms of Geshur and Aram conquered sixty towns there, including the villages of Jair and Kenath, and the towns near by. All the people who lived there were descendants of Machir, the father of Gilead. ₂₄After Hezron died, his son Caleb married Ephrath, his father's widow. They had a son named Ashhur, who founded the town of Tekoa.

₂₅Jerahmeel, the eldest son of Hezron, had five sons: Ram, the eldest, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. _26-27Ram had three sons: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. Jerahmeel had another wife, a woman named Atarah, and they had a son, Onam. ₂₈Onam had two sons, Shammai and Jada, and Shammai also had two sons, Nadab and Abishur.

₂₉Abishur married a woman named Abihail, and they had two sons, Ahban and Molid. ₃₀Abishur's brother Nadab had two sons, Seled and Appaim, but Seled died without having any sons. ₃₁Appaim was the father of Ishi, Ishi was the father of Sheshan, and Sheshan the father of Ahlai.

₃₂Jada, the brother of Shammai, had two sons, Jether and Jonathan, but Jether died without having any sons. ₃₃Jonathan had two sons, Peleth and Zaza. All these were descendants of Jerahmeel.

₃₄Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha, ₃₅to whom he gave one of his daughters in marriage. They had a son named Attai. ₃₆The family line from Attai to Elishama is as follows: Attai, Nathan, Zabad, ₃₇Ephlal, Obed, ₃₈Jehu, Azariah, ₃₉Helez, Eleasah, ₄₀Sismai, Shallum, ₄₁Jekamiah, and Elishama.

₄₂The eldest son of Caleb, Jerahmeel's brother, was named Mesha. Mesha was the father of Ziph, who was the father of Mareshah, who was the father of Hebron. ₄₃Hebron had four sons: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. ₄₄Shema was the father of Raham and the grandfather of Jorkeam. Rekem, Shema's brother, was the father of Shammai, ₄₅who was the father of Maon, who was the father of Bethzur.

₄₆Caleb had a concubine named Ephah, and by her he had three more sons: Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran also had a son named Gazez.

₄₇(A man named Jahdai had six sons: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.)

₄₈Caleb had another concubine, Maacah, who bore him two sons, Sheber and Tirhanah. ₄₉Later she had two more sons: Shaaph, who founded the town of Madmannah; and Shevah, who founded the towns of Machbenah and Gibea.

In addition, Caleb had a daughter named Achsah.

₅₀The following are also descendants of Caleb.

Hur was the eldest son of Caleb and his wife Ephrath. Hur's son Shobal founded Kiriath Jearim, ₅₁his second son Salma founded Bethlehem, and his third son Hareph founded Bethgader.

₅₂Shobal, the founder of Kiriath Jearim, was the ancestor of the people of Haroeh, of half the inhabitants of Menuhoth, ₅₃and of the following clans that lived in Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. (The people of the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol were members of these clans.)

₅₄Salma, the founder of Bethlehem, was the ancestor of the people of Netophath, of Atroth Beth Joab, and of the Zorites, who were one of the two clans in Manahath.

₅₅(The following clans of experts in writing and copying documents lived in the town of Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. They were Kenites who had intermarried with the Rechabites.)

_1-3The following, in order of age, are David's sons who were born while he was in Hebron:

In Jerusalem he ruled as king for 33 years, ₅and many sons were born to him there.

His wife Bathsheba, daughter of Ammiel, bore him four sons: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.

₆He had nine other sons: Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ₇Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ₈Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. ₉In addition to all these sons, David had sons by his concubines. He also had a daughter, Tamar.

₁₀This is the line of King Solomon's descendants from father to son: Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, ₁₁Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash, ₁₂Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, ₁₃Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, ₁₄Amon, and Josiah. ₁₅Josiah had four sons: Johanan, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, and Joahaz. ₁₆Jehoiakim had two sons: Jehoiachin and Zedekiah.

₁₇These are the descendants of King Jehoiachin, who was taken prisoner by the Babylonians. Jehoiachin had seven sons: Shealtiel, ₁₈Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. ₁₉Pedaiah had two sons, Zerubbabel and Shimei. Zerubbabel was the father of two sons, Meshullam and Hananiah, and one daughter, Shelomith. ₂₀He had five other sons: Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab Hesed.

₂₁Hananiah had two sons, Pelatiah and Jeshaiah. Jeshaiah was the father of Rephaiah, who was the father of Arnan, the father of Obadiah, the father of Shecaniah. ₂₂Shecaniah had one son, Shemaiah, and five grandsons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat. ₂₃Neariah had three sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam. ₂₄Elioenai had seven sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani.

₁These are some of the descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. ₂Shobal was the father of Reaiah, who was the father of Jahath, the father of Ahumai and Lahad, the ancestors of the people who lived in Zorah.

_3-4Hur was the eldest son of his father Caleb's wife Ephrath, and his descendants founded the city of Bethlehem. Hur had three sons: Etam, Penuel, and Ezer. Etam had three sons: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash, and one daughter, Hazzelelponi. Penuel founded the city of Gedor, and Ezer founded Hushah.

₅Ashhur, who founded the town of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah. ₆He and Naarah had four sons: Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. ₇Ashhur and Helah had three sons: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.

₈Koz was the father of Anub and Zobebah, and the ancestor of the clans descended from Aharhel son of Harum.

₉There was a man named Jabez, who was the most respected member of his family. His mother had given him the name Jabez, because his birth had been very painful. ₁₀But Jabez prayed to the God of Israel, “Bless me, God, and give me much land. Be with me and keep me from anything evil that might cause me pain.” And God gave him what he prayed for.

₁₁Caleb, the brother of Shuhah, had a son, Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton, ₁₂who had three sons: Bethrapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah was the founder of the city of Nahash. The descendants of these men lived in Recah.

₁₃Kenaz had two sons, Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel also had two sons, Hathath and Meonothai. ₁₄Meonothai was the father of Ophrah.

Seraiah was the father of Joab, the founder of the Valley of Craftsmen, where all the people were skilled workmen.

₁₅Caleb son of Jephunneh had three sons: Iru, Elah, and Naam. And Elah was the father of Kenaz.

₁₆Jehallelel had four sons: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

_17-18Ezrah had four sons: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered married Bithiah, a daughter of the king of Egypt, and they had a daughter, Miriam, and two sons, Shammai and Ishbah. Ishbah founded the town of Eshtemoa. Mered also married a woman from the tribe of Judah, and they had three sons: Jered, who founded the town of Gedor; Heber, founder of the town of Soco; and Jekuthiel, founder of the town of Zanoah.

₁₉Hodiah married the sister of Naham. Their descendants founded the clan of Garm, which lived in the town of Keilah, and the clan of Maacath, which lived in the town of Eshtemoa.

₂₀Shimon had four sons: Amnon, Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon.

Ishi had two sons: Zoheth and Benzoheth.

₂₁Shelah was one of Judah's sons. His descendants included Er, who founded the town of Lecah; Laadah, founder of the town of Mareshah; the clan of linen weavers, who lived in the town of Beth Ashbea; ₂₂Jokim and the people who lived in the town of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who married Moabite women and then settled in Bethlehem. (These traditions are very old.) ₂₃They were potters in the service of the king and lived in the towns of Netaim and Gederah.

₂₄Simeon had five sons: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul. ₂₅Shaul's son was Shallum, his grandson was Mibsam, and his great-grandson was Mishma. ₂₆Then from Mishma the line descended through Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei. ₂₇Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his relatives had fewer children, and the tribe of Simeon did not grow as much as the tribe of Judah did.

₂₈Down to the time of King David the descendants of Simeon lived in the following towns: Beersheba, Moladah, Hazarshual, ₂₉Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, ₃₀Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, ₃₁Beth Marcaboth, Hazarsusim, Bethbiri, and Shaaraim. ₃₂They also lived in five other places: Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, ₃₃and the surrounding villages, as far south-west as the town of Baalath. These are the records which they kept of their families and of the places where they lived.

_34-38The following men were the heads of their clans:

Because their families continued to grow, ₃₉they spread out westwards almost to Gerar and pastured their sheep on the eastern side of the valley in which that city is located. ₄₀They found plenty of fertile pasture lands there in a stretch of open country that was quiet and peaceful. The people who had lived there before were Hamites.

₄₁In the time of King Hezekiah of Judah, the men named above went to Gerar and destroyed the tents and huts of the people who lived there. They drove the people out and settled there permanently because there was plenty of pasture for their sheep. ₄₂500 other members of the tribe of Simeon went east to Edom. They were led by the sons of Ishi: Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel. ₄₃There they killed the surviving Amalekites, and they have lived there ever since.

₁These are the descendants of Reuben, the eldest of Jacob's sons. (Because he had intercourse with one of his father's concubines, he lost the rights belonging to the firstborn son, and those rights were given to Joseph. ₂It was the tribe of Judah, however, that became the strongest and provided a ruler for all the tribes.) ₃Reuben, the eldest of Jacob's sons, had four sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

_4-6These are the descendants of Joel from generation to generation: Shemaiah, Gog, Shimei, Micah, Reaiah, Baal, and Beerah. The Assyrian emperor, Tiglath Pileser, captured Beerah, a leader of the tribe, and deported him.

₇The family records list the following clan leaders in the tribe of Reuben: Jeiel, Zechariah, ₈and Bela, the son of Azaz and grandson of Shema, of the clan of Joel. This clan lived in Aroer and in the territory from there north to Nebo and Baal Meon. ₉They had large herds in the land of Gilead, and so they occupied the land as far east as the desert that stretches all the way to the River Euphrates.

₁₀In the time of King Saul the tribe of Reuben attacked the Hagrites, killed them in battle, and occupied their land in the eastern part of Gilead.

₁₁The tribe of Gad lived to the north of Reuben in the land of Bashan as far east as Salecah. ₁₂Joel was the founder of the leading clan, and Shapham of the second most important clan. Janai and Shaphat were founders of other clans in Bashan. ₁₃The other members of the tribe belonged to the following seven clans: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber. ₁₄They were descendants of Abihail son of Huri, whose ancestors were traced back as follows: Abihail, Huri, Jaroah, Gilead, Michael, Jeshishai, Jahdo, Buz. ₁₅Ahi, the son of Abdiel and grandson of Guni, was head of these clans. ₁₆They lived in the territory of Bashan and Gilead, in the towns there and all over the pasture lands of Sharon. ₁₇(These records were compiled in the days of King Jotham of Judah and King Jeroboam II of Israel.)

₁₈In the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh there were 44,760 soldiers, well trained in the use of shields, swords, and bows. ₁₉They went to war against the Hagrite tribes of Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. ₂₀They put their trust in God and prayed to him for help, and God answered their prayers and made them victorious over the Hagrites and their allies. ₂₁They captured from the enemy 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys, and took 100,000 prisoners of war. ₂₂They killed many of the enemy, because the war was God's will. And they went on living in that territory until the exile.

₂₃The people of East Manasseh settled in the territory of Bashan as far north as Baal Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon, and their population increased greatly. ₂₄The following were the heads of their clans: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were all outstanding soldiers, well-known leaders of their clans.

₂₅But the people were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and deserted him to worship the gods of the nations whom God had driven out of the land. ₂₆So God made Emperor Pul of Assyria (also known as Tiglath Pileser) invade their country. He deported the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh and settled them permanently in Halah, Habor, and Hara, and by the River Gozan.