Genealogies of Ruben and Gad: their victories over the Agarites: their captivity.

¹ Also, there were the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel. For indeed, he was his firstborn, but when he had violated the bed of his father, his right as firstborn was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, and he was not reputed as firstborn.

² Moreover, Judah, who was strongest among his brothers, from his stock leaders sprung up, but the right of firstborn was reputed to Joseph.¹

1. 5:2Accounted to Joseph: Viz., as to the double portion, which belonged to the firstborn; but the princely dignity was given to Juda, and the priesthood to Levi.(Challoner)

³ So then, the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and 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 Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser, the king of the Assyrians, led away captive, and he was a leader in the tribe of Reuben.

⁷ Now his brothers and all his kindred, when they were being numbered according to their families, had as leaders Jeiel and Zechariah.

⁸ Now Bela, the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baalmeon.

⁹ And he lived toward the eastern region, as far as the entrance to the wilderness and the river Euphrates. For indeed, they possessed a great number of cattle in the land of Gilead.

¹⁰ Then, in the days of Saul, they battled against the Hagarites and put them to death. And they lived in place of them, in their dwellings, throughout the entire region that looks to the east of Gilead.

¹¹ Truly, the sons of Gad lived in the opposite region from them, in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah:

¹² Joel the head, and Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat, in Bashan.

¹³ Truly, their brothers, according to the houses of their kindred, were: Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jacan, and Zia, and Eber, seven.

¹⁴ These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz,

¹⁵ along with their brothers, the sons of Abdiel, the son of Guni, the leader of the house, in their families,

¹⁶ And they lived in Gilead, and in Bashan and its towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, as far as the borders.

¹⁷ All these were numbered in the days of Jotham, the king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the king of Israel:

¹⁸ the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and the one half tribe of Manasseh, men of war, carrying shields and swords, and bending the bow, and trained for battle, forty-four thousand and seven hundred sixty, advancing to the fight.

¹⁹ They struggled against the Hagarites, yet truly the Jetureans, and Naphish, and Nodab offered assistance to them.

²⁰ And the Hagarites were delivered into their hands, and all who were with them. For they called upon God while they did battle. And he heeded them, because they had trusted in him.

²¹ And they seized all that they possessed, of camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred fifty thousand, and of donkeys two thousand, and of men one hundred thousand lives.

²² And many fell down wounded. For it was a war of the Lord. And they lived in place of them, until the transmigration.

²³ Also, the sons of the one half tribe of Manasseh possessed the land, from the parts of Bashan as far as Baal, Hermon, and Sanir, and Mount Hermon. For certainly, their number was immense.

²⁴ And these were leaders of the house of their kindred: Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, very valiant and powerful men, and renowned leaders in their families.

²⁵ But they abandoned the God of their fathers, and they fornicated after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God took away before them.

²⁶ And so the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, the king of the Assyrians, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser, the king of Assur. And he took away Reuben, and Gad, and the one half tribe of Manasseh. And he led them to Halah, and to Habor, and to Hara, and to the river of Gozan, even to this day.