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5
1 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. (Though he was the firstborn, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel because he had defiled his father's bed.* Reuben had slept with Bilhah, Jacob's concubine. Genesis 35:22, Genesis 49:4. That is why Reuben is not listed in the genealogy according to birthright, 2 and even though Judah became the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.)
3 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4 The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, 5 Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, 6 and Beerah his son, the one whom Tiglath-Pileser the king of Assyria took into exile. He (Beerah) was a leader of the Reubenites.
7 Beerah's relatives are, listed in their genealogical records by family: Jeiel (chief), Zechariah, 8 and Bela of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel. They lived from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon. 9 On the eastern side they expanded into the land right up to the edge of the desert that continues to the Euphrates River, because their flocks had grown so big in Gilead.
10 In the time of Saul they went to war against the Hagrites, defeating them. They took over the places where the Hagrites had lived in all the regions east of Gilead.
11 Next to them the descendants of Gad lived in Basha, all the way to Salecah. 12 Joel (chief), Shapham (second), and Janai and Shaphat, in Bashan.
13 Their relatives, according to family, were: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—a total of seven.
14 These were the sons of Abihail, son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz.
15 Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was their family chief.
16 They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its towns, and throughout the pasturelands of Sharon all the way to their borders. 17 They were all were recorded in the genealogy during the time of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.
18 The tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 battle-ready strong warriors capable of using shields and swords and bows. 19 They went to war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 They received help in fighting these enemies because they called out to God during the battles. In this way they were able to defeat the Hagrites and all who were with them. God answered their prayers because they trusted in him. 21 They captured their enemies' livestock—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep, and two thousand donkeys. They also captured one hundred thousand people, 22 and many others were killed because the battle belonged to God. They took over the land and lived there until the exile.
23 The half-tribe of Manasseh had grown very large. They lived in the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, (otherwise known as Senir and Mount Hermon).
24 These were the family heads: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were strong warriors, famous men, heads of their families. 25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their forefathers. They prostituted themselves by following the gods of the peoples of the land, those that God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel encouraged of Pul, king of Assyria, (otherwise known as Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), to invade the land. He took into exile the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this very day.

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*5:1 Reuben had slept with Bilhah, Jacob's concubine. Genesis 35:22, Genesis 49:4.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher