1 Chronicles
Summary
Genealogies proceed for the northern tribes, including Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, and the western half-tribe of Manasseh, as well as Ephraim and Asher. These records focus on the 'mighty men of valour' and the military strength of each family, showing their readiness to defend the nation. It also recounts the grief of Ephraim over his fallen sons and the subsequent birth of Beriah, a name marking the tragedy of that era.
The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four in all.
The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father’s houses. They were mighty men of valour in their generations; their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred.
The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah, and the sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Ishshiah. All five of them were leaders.
And with them, by their generations, according to their father’s houses, were thirty-six thousand troops ready for war; for they had many wives and sons.
Now their brothers among all the families of Issachar were eighty-seven thousand mighty men of valour, listed by their genealogies.
The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, and Jediael, three in all.
The sons of Bela were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, five in all; they were heads of their father’s houses, mighty men of valour, and grouped in their genealogies as twenty-two thousand and thirty-four.
The sons of Becher were Zemira, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jerimoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher.
And they were grouped by their genealogy according to their generations, heads of their father’s houses, twenty thousand two hundred mighty men of valour.
The son of Jediael was Bilhan. And the sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tharshish, and Ahishahar.
All these were sons of Jediael, according to the heads of their father’s houses; there were seventeen thousand two hundred mighty men of valour, fit to go out for war and battle.
Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir, and Hushim was the son of Aher.
The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum, the descendants of Bilhah.
The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Syrian concubine bore; she also bore Machir the father of Gilead.
Machir took a wife for Huppim and Shuppim, and his sister’s name was Maachah. The name of the second was Zelophehad; and Zelophehad had only daughters.
Maachah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she called his name Peresh. The name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.
The son of Ulam was Bedan. These were the descendants of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.
His sister Hammoleket bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.
And the sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.
The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eladah his son, Tahath his son,
Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead. The men of Gath who were born in that land killed them because they came down to take away their livestock.
Then Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him.
And when he went in to his wife, she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house.
Now his daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-Horon and Uzzen-Sheerah.
And Rephah was his son, as well as Resheph, and Telah his son, Tahan his son,
Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,
Nun his son, and Joshua his son.
Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns: to the east Naaran, to the west Gezer and its towns, and Shechem and its towns, as far as Ayyah and its towns;
and by the borders of the children of Manasseh were Beth-Shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, and Dor and its towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph the son of Israel.
The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; and Serah was their sister.
The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel, who was the father of Birzaith.
And Heber begot Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister.
The sons of Japhlet were Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath.
The sons of Shomer were Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.
And the sons of his brother Helem were Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.
The sons of Zophah were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,
Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.
The sons of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara.
The sons of Ulla were Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.
All these were the children of Asher, heads of their father’s houses, choice men, mighty men of valour, and chief leaders. And they were recorded by genealogies among the army fit for battle; their number was twenty-six thousand men.