1Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. However, because he dishonored his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel. Therefore, his family tree is not listed according to the birthright.
2For Judah became more powerful than his brothers, and a ruler came from him. Yet, the birthright belonged to Joseph.
3The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4The sons of Joel were Shemaiah, his son; Gog, his son; Shimei, his son;
5Micah, his son; Reaiah, his son; and Baal, his son.
6And Beerah, his son, whom Tilgath Pilneser, the king of Assyria, took captive. Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites.
7When their family's genealogies were recorded, his brothers by family units were Jeiel, the chief, and Zechariah.
8Also Bela, the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal Meon.
9He also lived eastward, all the way to the edge of the desert, starting from the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased greatly in the land of Gilead.
10During the time of King Saul, they fought a war against the Hagrites, and the Hagrites were defeated by them. The Reubenites lived in their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead.
11The descendants of Gad lived opposite them, in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah.
12Joel was the chief, Shapham was second in command, along with Janai and Shaphat in Bashan.
13Their relatives from their family lines were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—a total of seven.
14These 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.
15Ahi, son of Abdiel and grandson of Guni, was the leader of his family.
16They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, up to its borders.
17All these people were listed in the family records during the reigns of Jotham, king of Judah, and Jeroboam, king of Israel.
18The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half of the tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 brave men, trained to carry shields and swords, shoot bows, and skilled in warfare, who were ready to go to battle.
19They went to war against the Hagrites, along with Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.
20They received help against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were handed over to them. This happened because they cried out to God in battle, and he answered them, because they trusted in him.
21They captured their livestock: 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 people.
22Many of their enemies were killed because the war was from God. They lived in that land until they were taken captive.
23The people of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land; their numbers grew from Bashan to Baal Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon.
24These were the leaders of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were brave and famous men who were heads of their families.
25They were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and worshipped the gods of the people of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.
26So the God of Israel encouraged Pul, king of Assyria, and Tilgath Pilneser, king of Assyria, to take them away. He took the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River, where they remain to this day.