Simeon’s Descendants

24  The descendants of Simeon:

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

26  The descendants of Mishma:

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

27  Shimei 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. 28  They lived in Beer Sheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, 29  Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30  Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31  Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David. 32  Their settlements also included Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan – five towns. 33  They also lived in all the settlements that surrounded these towns as far as Baal. These were their settlements; they kept genealogical records.

34  Their clan leaders were:

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

Their extended families increased greatly in numbers. 39  They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east of the valley, looking for pasture for their sheep. 40  They found fertile and rich pasture; the land was very broad, undisturbed and peaceful. Indeed some Hamites had been living there prior to that. 41  The 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. 42  Five hundred men of Simeon, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to the hill country of Seir 43  and defeated the rest of the Amalekite refugees; they live there to this very day.

5  The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn –

(Now he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, Israel’s son. So Reuben is not listed as firstborn in the genealogical records. 2  Though Judah was the strongest among his brothers and a leader descended from him, the right of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.)

3  The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn:

Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

4  The descendants of Joel:

His son Shemaiah, his son Gog, his son Shimei, 5  his son Micah, his son Reaiah, his son Baal, 6  and his son Beerah, whom King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria carried into exile. Beerah was the tribal leader of Reuben.

7  His brothers by their clans, as listed in their genealogical records:

The leader Jeiel, Zechariah, 8  and Bela son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel.

They lived in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal Meon. 9  In the east they settled as far as the entrance to the desert that stretches to the Euphrates River, for their cattle had increased in numbers in the land of Gilead. 10  During the time of Saul they attacked the Hagrites and defeated them. They took over their territory in the entire eastern region of Gilead.