Judah’s Descendants

1The descendants of Judah:

Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

2Reaiah the son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.

3These were the sons of Etam:

Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was Hazzelelponi.

4Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and the father of Bethlehem.

5Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 6Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, 8and Koz, who was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the clans of Aharhel the son of Harum.

9Jabez was more respected than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, for she said, “I experienced pain when I gave birth to him.” 10Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only you would greatly bless me and expand my territory! May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain!” God answered his prayer.

11Kelub, the brother of Shuhah, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12Eshton was the father of Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir Nahash. These were the men of Recah.

13The sons of Kenaz:

Othniel and Seraiah.

The sons of Othniel:

Hathath and Meonothai. 14Meonothai was the father of Ophrah.

Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of those who live in Ge Harashim, who were craftsmen.

15The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh:

Iru, Elah, and Naam.

The son of Elah:

Kenaz.

16The sons of Jehallelel:

Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17The sons of Ezrah:

Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon.

Mered’s wife Bithiah gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. 18(His Judahite wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the sons of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, whom Mered married.

19The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham:

the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

20The sons of Shimon:

Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon.

The descendants of Ishi:

Zoheth and Ben Zoheth.

21The sons of Shelah son of Judah:

Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, the clans of the linen workers at Beth-Ashbea, 22Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, both of whom ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (This information is from ancient records.) 23They were the potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah; they lived there and worked for the king.

Simeon’s Descendants

24The descendants of Simeon:

Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul, 25his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.

26The descendants of Mishma:

His son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei.

27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. But his brothers did not have many sons, so their whole clan was not as numerous as the sons of Judah. 28They lived in Beer Sheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, 29Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David. 32Their settlements also included Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan – five towns. 33They also lived in all the settlements that surrounded these towns as far as Baal. These were their settlements; they kept genealogical records.

34Their clan leaders were:

Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, 35Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah (son of Seraiah, son of Asiel), 36Eleoenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37Ziza son of Shipi (son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah). 38These who are named above were the leaders of their clans.

Their extended families increased greatly in numbers. 39They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east of the valley, looking for pasture for their sheep. 40They found fertile and rich pasture; the land was very broad, undisturbed and peaceful. Indeed some Hamites had been living there prior to that. 41The men whose names are listed came during the time of King Hezekiah of Judah and attacked the Hamites’ settlements, as well as the Meunites they discovered there, and they wiped them out to this very day. They dispossessed them, for they found pasture for their sheep there. 42Five hundred men of Simeon, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to the hill country of Seir 43and defeated the rest of the Amalekite refugees; they live there to this very day.