1 The sonnes also of Reuben the eldest sonne of Israel (for he was the eldest, but had defiled his fathers bed, therefore his birthright was giuen vnto the sonnes of Ioseph the sonne of Israel, so that the genealogie is not rekoned after his birthright. 2 For Iudah preuailed aboue his brethren, and of him came the prince, but the birthright was Iosephs) 3 The sonnes of Reuben the eldest sonne of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. 4 The sonnes of Ioel, Shemaiah his sonne, Gog his sonne, and Shimei his sonne, 5 Michah his sonne, Reaiah his sonne, and Baal his sonne, 6 Beerah his sonne: whom Tilgath Pilneeser King of Asshur caryed away: he was a prince of the Reubenites. 7 And when his brethren in their families rekoned the genealogie of their generations, Ieiel and Zechariah were the chiefe, 8 And Bela the sonne of Azaz, the sonne of Shema, the sonne of Ioel, which dwelt in Aroer, euen vnto Nebo and Baal meon. 9 Also Eastwarde he inhabited vnto the entring in of the wildernes from the riuer Perath for they had much cattel in the land of Gilead. 10 And in the dayes of Saul they warred with the Hagarims, which fell by their hands: and they dwelt in their tentes in all the East partes of Gilead. 11 And the children of Gad dwelt ouer against them in the land of Bashan, vnto Salchah. 12 Ioel was the chiefest, and Shapham the second, but Iaanai and Shaphat were in Bashan. 13 And their brethren of the house of their fathers were Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Sorai, and Iacan, and Zia and Eber, seuen. 14 These are the childre of Abihail, the sonne of Huri, the sonne of Iaroah, the sonne of Gilead, the sonne of Michael, the sonne of Ieshishai, the sonne of Iahdo, the sonne of Buz. 15 Ahi the sonne of Abdiel, the sonne of Guni was chiefe of the houshold of their fathers. 16 And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in the townes thereof, and in all the suburbes of Sharon by their borders. 17 All these were rekoned by genealogies in the dayes of Iotham King of Iudah, and in the dayes of Ieroboam King of Israel. 18 The sonnes of Reuben and of Gad, and of halfe the tribe of Manasseh of those that were viliant men, able to beare shield, and sworde, and to draw a bowe, exercised in warre, were foure and fourtie thousand, seuen hundreth and three score, that went out to the warre. 19 And they made warre with the Hagarims, with Ietur, and Naphish, and Nodab. 20 And they were holpen against them, and the Hagarims were deliuered into their hande, and all that were with them: for they cryed to God in the battel, and he heard them, because they trusted in him. 21 And they led away their cattel, euen their camels fiftie thousand, and two hundreth, and fiftie thousand sheepe, and two thousand asses, and of persons an hundreth thousand. 22 For many fel downe wounded, because the warre was of God. And they dwelt in their steads vntill the captiuitie. 23 And the children of the halfe tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land, from Baashan vnto Baal Hermon, and Senir, and vnto mount Hermon: for they increased. 24 And these were the heads of the housholds of their fathers, euen Epher and Ishi, and Eliel and Azriel, and Ieremiah, and Hodauiah, and Iahdiel, strong men, valiant and famous, heades of the housholdes of their fathers. 25 But they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the lande, whome God had destroyed before them. 26 And the God of Israel stirred vp the spirit of Pul king of Asshur, and the spirite of Tilgath Pilneeser king of Asshur, and he caryed them away: euen the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the halfe tribe of Manasseh, and brought them vnto Halah and Habor, and Hara, and to the riuer Gozan, vnto this day.
The Descendants of Reuben
1 These are the descendants of Reuben, the oldest of Jacob's sons. (Because he had sex with one of his father's concubines, he lost the rights belonging to the first-born son, and those rights were given to Joseph. 2 It was the tribe of Judah, however, that became the strongest and provided a ruler for all the tribes.) 3 Reuben, the oldest of Jacob's sons, had four sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4-6 These 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.
7 The family records list the following clan leaders in the tribe of Reuben: Jeiel, Zechariah, 8 and 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. 9 They 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 Euphrates River.
10 In 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.
The Descendants of Gad
11 The tribe of Gad lived to the north of Reuben in the land of Bashan as far east as Salecah. 12 Joel 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. 13 The other members of the tribe belonged to the following seven clans: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber. 14 They were descendants of Abihail son of Huri, whose ancestors were traced back as follows: Abihail, Huri, Jaroah, Gilead, Michael, Jeshishai, Jahdo, Buz. 15 Ahi, the son of Abdiel and grandson of Guni, was head of these clans. 16 They 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.)
The Armies of the Eastern Tribes
18 In the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh there were 44,760 soldiers, well-trained in the use of shields, swords, and bows. 19 They went to war against the Hagrite tribes of Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 They 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. 21 They captured from the enemy 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys, and took 100,000 prisoners of war. 22 They killed many of the enemy, because the war was God's will. And they went on living in that territory until the exile.
The People of East Manasseh
23 The 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. 24 The 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.
The Eastern Tribes Are Deported
25 But 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. 26 So God caused Emperor Pul of Assyria (also known as Tiglath Pileser) to 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 Gozan River.