Good News Translation (GNT)

King Josiah of Judah

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for thirty-one years.

2 He did what was pleasing to the Lord; he followed the example of his ancestor King David, strictly obeying all the laws of God.

Josiah Attacks Pagan Worship

3 In the eighth year that Josiah was king, while he was still very young, he began to worship the God of his ancestor King David. Four years later he began to destroy the pagan places of worship, the symbols of the goddess Asherah, and all the other idols.

4 Under his direction the altars where Baal was worshiped were smashed, and the incense altars near them were torn down. They ground to dust the images of Asherah and all the other idols and then scattered the dust on the graves of the people who had sacrificed to them.

5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests on the altars where they had worshiped. By doing all this, he made Judah and Jerusalem ritually clean again.

6 He did the same thing in the cities and the devastated areas of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far north as Naphtali.

7 Throughout the territory of the Northern Kingdom he smashed the altars and the symbols of Asherah, ground the idols to dust, and broke into bits all the incense altars. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

The Book of the Law Is Discovered

8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purified the land and the Temple by ending pagan worship, King Josiah sent three men to repair the Temple of the Lord God: Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah, the governor of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, a high official.

9 The money that the Levite guards had collected in the Temple was turned over to Hilkiah the High Priest. (It had been collected from the people of Ephraim and Manasseh and the rest of the Northern Kingdom, and from the people of Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem.)

10 This money was then handed over to the three men in charge of the Temple repairs, and they gave it to

11 the carpenters and the builders to buy the stones and the timber used to repair the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to decay.

12 The men who did the work were thoroughly honest. They were supervised by four Levites: Jahath and Obadiah of the clan of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam of the clan of Kohath. (The Levites were all skillful musicians.)

13 Other Levites were in charge of transporting materials and supervising the workers on various jobs, and others kept records or served as guards.

14 While the money was being taken out of the storeroom, Hilkiah found the book of the Law of the Lord, the Law that God had given to Moses.

15 He said to Shaphan, “I have found the book of the Law here in the Temple.” He gave Shaphan the book,

16 and Shaphan took it to the king. He reported, “We have done everything that you commanded.

17 We have taken the money that was kept in the Temple and handed it over to the workers and their supervisors.”

18 Then he added, “I have here a book that Hilkiah gave me.” And he read it aloud to the king.

19 When the king heard the book being read, he tore his clothes in dismay

20 and gave the following order to Hilkiah, to Ahikam son of Shaphan, to Abdonson of Micaiah, to Shaphan, the court secretary, and to Asaiah, the king’s attendant:

21 “Go and consult the Lord for me and for the people who still remain in Israel and Judah. Find out about the teachings of this book. The Lord is angry with us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord and have not done what this book says must be done.”

22 At the king’s command, Hilkiah and the others went to consult a woman named Huldah, a prophet who lived in the newer part of Jerusalem. (Her husband Shallum, the son of Tikvah and grandson of Harhas, was in charge of the Temple robes.) They described to her what had happened,

23 and she told them to go back to the king and give him

24 the following message from the Lord: “I am going to punish Jerusalem and all its people with the curses written in the book that was read to the king.

25 They have rejected me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and so have stirred up my anger by all they have done. My anger is aroused against Jerusalem, and it will not die down.

26 As for the king himself, this is what I, the Lord God of Israel, say: You listened to what is written in the book,

27 and you repented and humbled yourself before me, tearing your clothes and weeping, when you heard how I threatened to punish Jerusalem and its people. I have heard your prayer,

28 and the punishment which I am going to bring on Jerusalem will not come until after your death. I will let you die in peace.”

The men returned to King Josiah with this message.

Josiah Makes a Covenant to Obey the Lord

29 King Josiah summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem,

30 and together they went to the Temple, accompanied by the priests and the Levites and all the rest of the people, rich and poor alike. Before them all the king read aloud the whole book of the covenant, which had been found in the Temple.

31 He stood by the royal columnand made a covenant with the Lord to obey him, to keep his laws and commands with all his heart and soul, and to put into practice the demands attached to the covenant, as written in the book.

32 He made the people of Benjamin and everyone else present in Jerusalem promise to keep the covenant. And so the people of Jerusalem obeyed the requirements of the covenant they had made with the God of their ancestors.

33 King Josiah destroyed all the disgusting idols that were in the territory belonging to the people of Israel, and as long as he lived, he required the people to serve the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/363/32k/2CH/34-41b148eb00c281e51b889864a06b1b7b.mp3?version_id=68—

Josiah Celebrates the Passover

1 King Josiah celebrated the Passover at Jerusalem in honor of the Lord; on the fourteenth day of the first month they killed the animals for the festival.

2 He assigned to the priests the duties they were to perform in the Temple and encouraged them to do them well.

3 He also gave these instructions to the Levites, the teachers of Israel, who were dedicated to the Lord: “Put the sacred Covenant Box in the Temple that King Solomon, the son of David, built. You are no longer to carry it from place to place, but you are to serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.

4 Take your places in the Temple by clans, according to the responsibilities assigned to you by King David and his son King Solomon,

5 and arrange yourselves so that some of you will be available to help each family of the people of Israel.

6 You are to kill the Passover lambs and goats. Now make yourselves ritually clean and prepare the sacrifices in order that your fellow Israelites may follow the instructions which the Lord gave through Moses.”

7 For the use of the people at the Passover, King Josiah contributed from his own herds and flocks 30,000 sheep, lambs, and young goats, and 3,000 bulls.

8 His officials also made contributions for the people, the priests, and the Levites to use. And the officials in charge of the Temple—Hilkiah, the High Priest, Zechariah, and Jehiel—gave the priests 2,600 lambs and young goats and 300 bulls for sacrifices during the festival.

9 The leaders of the Levites—Conaniah, Shemaiah and his brother Nethanel, Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad—contributed 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls for the Levites to offer as sacrifices.

10 When everything was arranged for the Passover, the priests and the Levites took their posts, as commanded by the king.

11 After the lambs and goats had been killed, the Levites skinned them, and the priests sprinkled the blood on the altar.

12 Then they divided among the people, by family groups, the animals for burnt offerings, so that they could offer them according to the instructions in the Law of Moses.

13 The Levites roasted the Passover sacrifices over the fire, according to the regulations, and boiled the sacred offerings in pots, kettles, and pans, and quickly distributed the meat to the people.

14 After this was done, the Levites provided meat for themselves and for the priests descended from Aaron, for the priests were kept busy until night, burning the animals that were burned whole and the fat of the sacrifices.

15 The following musicians of the Levite clan of Asaph were in the places assigned to them by King David’s instructions: Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king’s prophet. The guards at the Temple gates did not need to leave their posts, because the other Levites prepared the Passover for them.

16 So, as King Josiah had commanded, everything was done that day for the worship of the Lord, the keeping of the Passover Festival, and the offering of burnt offerings on the altar.

17 For seven days all the people of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

18 Since the days of the prophet Samuel, the Passover had never been celebrated like this. None of the former kings had ever celebrated a Passover like this one celebrated by King Josiah, the priests, the Levites, and the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem

19 in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.

The End of Josiah’s Reign

20 After King Josiah had done all this for the Temple, King Neco of Egypt led an army to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. Josiah tried to stop him,

21 but Neco sent Josiah this message: “This war I am fighting does not concern you, King of Judah. I have not come to fight you, but to fight my enemies, and God has told me to hurry. God is on my side, so don’t oppose me, or he will destroy you.”

22 But Josiah was determined to fight. He refused to listen to what God was saying through King Neco, so he disguised himself and went into battle on the plain of Megiddo.

23 During the battle King Josiah was struck by Egyptian arrows. He ordered his servants, “Take me away; I’m badly hurt!”

24 They lifted him out of his chariot, placed him in a second chariot which he had there, and took him to Jerusalem. There he died and was buried in the royal tombs. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem mourned his death.

25 The prophet Jeremiah composed a lament for King Josiah. It has become a custom in Israel for the singers, both men and women, to use this song when they mourn for him. The song is found in the collection of laments.

26 Everything that Josiah did—his devotion to the Lord, his obedience to the Law,

27 and his history from beginning to end—is all recorded inThe History of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/363/32k/2CH/35-7e47637dd2b8e9ba6d20997eaec47126.mp3?version_id=68—

King Joahaz of Judah

1 The people of Judah chose Josiah’s son Joahaz and anointed him king in Jerusalem.

2 Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for three months.

3 King Neco of Egypt took him prisoner and made Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute.

4 Neco made Joahaz’ brother Eliakim king of Judah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Joahaz was taken to Egypt by Neco.

King Jehoiakim of Judah

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. He sinned against the Lord his God.

6 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia invaded Judah, captured Jehoiakim, and took him to Babylonia in chains.

7 Nebuchadnezzar carried off some of the treasures of the Temple and put them in his palace in Babylon.

8 Everything that Jehoiakim did, including his disgusting practices and the evil he committed, is recorded inThe History of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin succeeded him as king.

King Jehoiachin of Judah

9 Jehoiachin was eighteenyears old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He too sinned against the Lord.

10 When spring came, King Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylonia as a prisoner and carried off the treasures of the Temple. Then Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiachin’s uncleZedekiah king of Judah and Jerusalem.

King Zedekiah of Judah

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years.

12 He sinned against the Lord and did not listen humbly to the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke the word of the Lord.

The Fall of Jerusalem

13 Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had forced him to swear in God’s name that he would be loyal. He stubbornly refused to repent and return to the Lord, the God of Israel.

14 In addition, the leaders of Judah, the priests, and the people followed the sinful example of the nations around them in worshiping idols, and so they defiled the Temple, which the Lord himself had made holy.

15 The Lord, the God of their ancestors, had continued to send prophets to warn his people, because he wanted to spare them and the Temple.

16 But they made fun of God’s messengers, ignoring his words and laughing at his prophets, until at last the Lord’s anger against his people was so great that there was no escape.

17 So the Lord brought the king of Babylonia to attack them. The king killed the young men of Judah even in the Temple. He had no mercy on anyone, young or old, man or woman, sick or healthy. God handed them all over to him.

18 The king of Babylonia looted the Temple, the Temple treasury, and the wealth of the king and his officials, and took everything back to Babylon.

19 He burned down the Temple and the city, with all its palaces and its wealth, and broke down the city wall.

20 He took all the survivors to Babylonia, where they served him and his descendants as slaves until the rise of the Persian Empire.

21 And so what the Lord had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “The land will lie desolate for seventy years, to make up for the Sabbath restthat has not been observed.”

Cyrus Commands the Jews to Return

22 In the first year that Cyrus of Persia was emperor,the Lord made what he had said through the prophet Jeremiah come true. He prompted Cyrus to issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere in his empire:

23 “This is the command of Cyrus, Emperor of Persia. The Lord, the God of Heaven, has made me ruler over the whole world and has given me the responsibility of building a temple for him in Jerusalem in Judah. Now, all of you who are God’s people, go there, and may the Lord your God be with you.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/363/32k/2CH/36-ee21d69f2eb1840000ea0638c4c53753.mp3?version_id=68—

From Adam to Abraham

1 Adam was the father of Seth, Seth was the father of Enosh, Enosh the father of Kenan,

2 Kenan the father of Mahalalel, Mahalalel the father of Jared.

3 Jared was the father of Enoch, who was the father of Methuselah; Methuselah was the father of Lamech,

4 who was the father of Noah. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

5 The sons of Japheth—Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras—were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names.

6 The descendants of Gomer were the people of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.

7 The descendants of Javan were the people of Elishah, Spain, Cyprus, and Rhodes.

8 The sons of Ham—Cush, Egypt, Libya, and Canaan—were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names.

9 The descendants of Cush were the people of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were the people of Sheba and Dedan. (

10 Cush had a son named Nimrod, who became the world’s first great conqueror.)

11 The descendants of Egypt were the people of Lydia, Anam, Lehab, Naphtuh,

12 Pathrus, Casluh, and of Crete (from whom the Philistines were descended).

13 Canaan’s sons—Sidon, the oldest, and Heth—were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names.

14 Canaan was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, Girgashites,

15 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites,

16 Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.

17 Shem’s sons—Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshek—were the ancestors of the peoples who bear their names.

18 Arpachshad was the father of Shelah, who was the father of Eber.

19 Eber had two sons; one was named Peleg,because during his time the people of the world were divided, and the other was named Joktan.

20 The descendants of Joktan were the people of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,

22 Ebal, Abimael, Sheba,

23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab.

24 The family line from Shem to Abram is as follows: Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah,

25 Eber, Peleg, Reu,

26 Serug, Nahor, Terah,

27 and Abram (also known as Abraham).

The Descendants of Ishmael

28 Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael.

29 The sons of Ishmael became the heads of twelve tribes: Nebaioth (from the name of Ishmael’s oldest son), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema,

31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

32 Abraham had a concubine named Keturah, who bore him six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan had two sons: Sheba and Dedan.

33 Midian had five sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.

The Descendants of Esau

34 Abraham’s son Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob.

35 Esau’s sons were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

36 Eliphaz became the ancestor of the following tribes: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek.

37 And Reuel became the ancestor of the tribes of Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

The Original Inhabitants of Edom

38-42 The original inhabitants of Edom were descended from the following sons of Seir:

Lotan, who was the ancestor of the clans of Hori and Homam. (Lotan had a sister named Timna.)

Shobal, who was the ancestor of the clans of Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam.

Zibeon, who had two sons, Aiah and Anah. Anah was the father of Dishon, and Dishon was the ancestor of the clans of Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.

Ezer, who was the ancestor of the clans of Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan.

Dishan, who was the ancestor of the clans of Uz and Aran.

The Kings of Edom

43-50 The following kings ruled the land of Edom one after the other, in the time before there were any kings in Israel:

Bela son of Beor from Dinhabah

Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah

Husham from the region of Teman

Hadad son of Bedad from Avith (he defeated the Midianites in a battle in the country of Moab)

Samlah from Masrekah

Shaul from Rehoboth-on-the-River

Baal Hanan son of Achbor

Hadad from Pau (his wife was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred and granddaughter of Mezahab)

51 The people of Edom were divided into the following tribes: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,

52 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,

53 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,

54 Magdiel, and Iram.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/363/32k/1CH/1-cc448cb4ad34ef6e8ab0e68ad3da4d0d.mp3?version_id=68—

The Descendants of Judah

1 Jacob had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,

2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

3 Judah had five sons in all. By his wife Bathshua, a Canaanite, he had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. His oldest son, Er, was so evil that the Lord killed him.

4 By his daughter-in-law Tamar, Judah had two more sons, Perez and Zerah.

5 Perez had two sons, Hezron and Hamul.

6 His brother Zerah had five sons: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda.

7 Achanson of Carmi, one of Zerah’s descendants, brought disaster on the people of Israel by keeping loot that had been devoted to God.

8 Ethan had one son, Azariah.

The Family Tree of King David

9 Hezron had three sons: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb.

10 The family line from Ram to Jesse is as follows: Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon (a prominent man of the tribe of Judah),

11 Salmon, Boaz,

12 Obed, and Jesse.

13 Jesse had seven sons. In order of age they were: Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah,

14 Nethanel, Raddai,

15 Ozem, and David.

16 He also had two daughters, Zeruiah and Abigail.

Jesse’s daughter Zeruiah had three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.

17 His other daughter Abigail married Jether, a descendant of Ishmael, and they had a son named Amasa.

The Descendants of Hezron

18 Hezron’s son Caleb married Azubah and had a daughter named Jerioth. She hadthree sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon.

19 After the death of Azubah, Caleb married Ephrath, and they had a son named Hur.

20 Hur’s son was Uri, and his grandson was Bezalel.

21 When Hezron was sixty years old, he married Machir’s daughter, the sister of Gilead. They had a son named Segub,

22 and Segub had a son named Jair. Jair ruledtwenty-three cities in the territory of Gilead.

23 But the kingdoms of Geshur and Aram conquered sixty towns there, including the villages of Jair and Kenath, and the towns nearby. All the people who lived there were descendants of Machir, the father of Gilead.

24 After Hezron died, his son Caleb married Ephrath, his father’s widow.They had a son named Ashhur, who founded the town of Tekoa.

The Descendants of Jerahmeel

25 Jerahmeel, the oldest son of Hezron, had five sons: Ram, the oldest, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah.

26-27 Ram had three sons: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. Jerahmeel had another wife, a woman named Atarah, and they had a son, Onam.

28 Onam had two sons, Shammai and Jada, and Shammai also had two sons, Nadab and Abishur.

29 Abishur married a woman named Abihail, and they had two sons, Ahban and Molid.

30 Abishur’s brother Nadab had two sons, Seled and Appaim, but Seled died without having any sons.

31 Appaim was the father of Ishi, Ishi was the father of Sheshan, and Sheshan the father of Ahlai.

32 Jada, the brother of Shammai, had two sons, Jether and Jonathan, but Jether died without having any sons.

33 Jonathan had two sons, Peleth and Zaza. All these were descendants of Jerahmeel.

34 Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha,

35 to whom he gave one of his daughters in marriage. They had a son named Attai.

36 The family line from Attai to Elishama is as follows: Attai, Nathan, Zabad,

37 Ephlal, Obed,

38 Jehu, Azariah,

39 Helez, Eleasah,

40 Sismai, Shallum,

41 Jekamiah, and Elishama.

Other Descendants of Caleb

42 The oldest son of Caleb, Jerahmeel’s brother, was named Mesha. Mesha was the father of Ziph, who was the father of Mareshah, who was the father of Hebron.

43 Hebron had four sons: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.

44 Shema was the father of Raham and the grandfather of Jorkeam. Rekem, Shema’s brother, was the father of Shammai,

45 who was the father of Maon, who was the father of Bethzur.

46 Caleb had a concubine named Ephah, and by her he had three more sons: Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran also had a son named Gazez.

(

47 A man named Jahdai had six sons: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.)

48 Caleb had another concubine, Maacah, who bore him two sons, Sheber and Tirhanah.

49 Later she had two more sons: Shaaph, who founded the town of Madmannah; and Shevah, who founded the towns of Machbenah and Gibea.

In addition, Caleb had a daughter named Achsah.

50 The following are also descendants of Caleb.

Hur was the oldest son of Caleb and his wife Ephrath. Hur’s son Shobal founded Kiriath Jearim,

51 his second son Salma founded Bethlehem, and his third son Hareph founded Bethgader.

52 Shobal, the founder of Kiriath Jearim, was the ancestor of the people of Haroeh, of half the inhabitants of Menuhoth,

53 and of the following clans that lived in Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. (The people of the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol were members of these clans.)

54 Salma, the founder of Bethlehem, was the ancestor of the people of Netophath, of Atroth Beth Joab, and of the Zorites, who were one of the two clans in Manahath.

(

55 The following clans of experts in writing and copying documents lived in the town of Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. They were Kenites who had intermarried with the Rechabites.)

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/363/32k/1CH/2-d00eff20133a1622bba763977f504293.mp3?version_id=68—

King David’s Children

1-3 The following, in order of age, are David’s sons who were born while he was in Hebron:

Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel

Daniel, whose mother was Abigail from Carmel

Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur

Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith

Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital

Ithream, whose mother was Eglah

4 All six were born in Hebron during the seven and a half years that David ruled there.

In Jerusalem he ruled as king for thirty-three years,

5 and many sons were born to him there.

His wife Bathsheba, daughter of Ammiel, bore him four sons: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.

6 He had nine other sons: Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,

7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

9 In addition to all these sons, David had sons by his concubines. He also had a daughter, Tamar.

The Descendants of King Solomon

10 This is the line of King Solomon’s descendants from father to son: Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat,

11 Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash,

12 Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham,

13 Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh,

14 Amon, and Josiah.

15 Josiah had four sons: Johanan, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, and Joahaz.

16 Jehoiakim had two sons: Jehoiachin and Zedekiah.

The Descendants of King Jehoiachin

17 These are the descendants of King Jehoiachin, who was taken prisoner by the Babylonians. Jehoiachin had seven sons: Shealtiel,

18 Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

19 Pedaiah had two sons, Zerubbabel and Shimei. Zerubbabel was the father of two sons, Meshullam and Hananiah, and one daughter, Shelomith.

20 He had five other sons: Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab Hesed.

21 Hananiah had two sons, Pelatiah and Jeshaiah. Jeshaiah was the father of Rephaiah, who was the father of Arnan, the father of Obadiah, the father of Shecaniah.

22 Shecaniah had one son, Shemaiah, and five grandsons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat.

23 Neariah had three sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam.

24 Elioenai had seven sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/363/32k/1CH/3-add030f14a9c0bbbc56fd956be32158f.mp3?version_id=68—

The Descendants of Judah

1 These are some of the descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.

2 Shobal was the father of Reaiah, who was the father of Jahath, the father of Ahumai and Lahad, the ancestors of the people who lived in Zorah.

3-4 Hur was the oldest son of his father Caleb’s wife Ephrath, and his descendants founded the city of Bethlehem. Hur had three sons: Etam, Penuel, and Ezer. Etam had three sons:Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash, and one daughter, Hazzelelponi. Penuel founded the city of Gedor, and Ezer founded Hushah.

5 Ashhur, who founded the town of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

6 He and Naarah had four sons: Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari.

7 Ashhur and Helah had three sons: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.

8 Koz was the father of Anub and Zobebah, and the ancestor of the clans descended from Aharhel son of Harum.

9 There was a man named Jabez, who was the most respected member of his family. His mother had given him the name Jabez,because his birth had been very painful.

10 But Jabez prayed to the God of Israel, “Bless me, God, and give me much land. Be with me and keep me from anything evil that might cause me pain.” And God gave him what he prayed for.

Other Family Lists

11 Caleb, the brother of Shuhah, had a son, Mehir. Mehir was the father of Eshton,

12 who had three sons: Bethrapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah. Tehinnah was the founder of the city of Nahash. The descendants of these men lived in Recah.

13 Kenaz had two sons, Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel also had two sons, Hathath and Meonothai.

14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah.

Seraiah was the father of Joab, the founder of Handcraft Valley, where all the people were skilled workers.

15 Caleb son of Jephunneh had three sons: Iru, Elah, and Naam. And Elah was the father of Kenaz.

16 Jehallelel had four sons: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17-18 Ezrah had four sons: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered married Bithiah, a daughter of the king of Egypt, and they had a daughter, Miriam, and two sons, Shammai and Ishbah. Ishbah founded the town of Eshtemoa. Mered also married a woman from the tribe of Judah, and they had three sons: Jered, who founded the town of Gedor; Heber, founder of the town of Soco; and Jekuthiel, founder of the town of Zanoah.

19 Hodiah married the sister of Naham. Their descendants founded the clan of Garm, which lived in the town of Keilah, and the clan of Maacath, which lived in the town of Eshtemoa.

20 Shimon had four sons: Amnon, Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon.

Ishi had two sons: Zoheth and Benzoheth.

The Descendants of Shelah

21 Shelah was one of Judah’s sons. His descendants included Er, who founded the town of Lecah; Laadah, founder of the town of Mareshah; the clan of linen weavers, who lived in the town of Beth Ashbea;

22 Jokim and the people who lived in the town of Cozeba; and Joash and Saraph, who married Moabite women and then settled in Bethlehem.(These traditions are very old.)

23 They were potters in the service of the king and lived in the towns of Netaim and Gederah.

The Descendants of Simeon

24 Simeon had five sons: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul.

25 Shaul’s son was Shallum, his grandson was Mibsam, and his great-grandson was Mishma.

26 Then from Mishma the line descended through Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei.

27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his relatives had fewer children, and the tribe of Simeon did not grow as much as the tribe of Judah did.

28 Down to the time of King David the descendants of Simeon lived in the following towns: Beersheba, Moladah, Hazarshual,

29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

31 Beth Marcaboth, Hazarsusim, Bethbiri, and Shaaraim.

32 They also lived in five other places: Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan,

33 and the surrounding villages, as far southwest as the town of Baalath. These are the records which they kept of their families and of the places where they lived.

34-38 The following men were the heads of their clans:

Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, Joel,

Jehu (the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel),

Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

Ziza (the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, a descendant of Jedaiah, Shimri, and Shemaiah).

Because their families continued to grow,

39 they spread out westward almost to Gerarand pastured their sheep on the eastern side of the valley in which that city is located.

40 They found plenty of fertile pasture lands there in a stretch of open country that was quiet and peaceful. The people who had lived there before were Hamites.

41 In the time of King Hezekiah of Judah, the men named above went to Gerar and destroyed the tents and huts of the people who lived there.They drove the people out and settled there permanently because there was plenty of pasture for their sheep.

42 Five hundred other members of the tribe of Simeon went east to Edom. They were led by the sons of Ishi: Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel.

43 There they killed the surviving Amalekites, and they have lived there ever since.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/363/32k/1CH/4-6edf3e393ef250252d364421d73022b7.mp3?version_id=68—

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.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/363/32k/1CH/5-10ff4a38a3321e5c6540f568fe2c4504.mp3?version_id=68—

The Family Line of the High Priests

1 Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

2 Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

3 Amram had two sons, Aaron and Moses, and one daughter, Miriam.

Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

4 The descendants of Eleazar from generation to generation are as follows: Phinehas, Abishua,

5 Bukki, Uzzi,

6 Zerahiah, Meraioth,

7 Amariah, Ahitub,

8 Zadok, Ahimaaz,

9 Azariah, Johanan,

10 Azariah (the one who served in the Temple which King Solomon built in Jerusalem),

11 Amariah, Ahitub,

12 Zadok, Shallum,

13 Hilkiah, Azariah,

14 Seraiah, Jehozadak.

15 King Nebuchadnezzar deported Jehozadak along with the other people of Judah and Jerusalem whom the Lord sent into exile.

Other Descendants of Levi

16 Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

17 Each of them also had sons. Gershon was the father of Libni and Shimei;

18 Kohath was the father of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel;

19 and Merari was the father of Mahli and Mushi.

20 These are the descendants of Gershon from generation to generation: Libni, Jahath, Zimmah,

21 Joah, Iddo, Zerah, Jeatherai.

22 These are the descendants of Kohath from generation to generation: Amminadab, Korah, Assir,

23 Elkanah, Ebiasaph, Assir,

24 Tahath, Uriel, Uzziah, Shaul.

25 Elkanah had two sons, Amasai and Ahimoth.

26 These are Ahimoth’s descendants from generation to generation: Elkanah, Zophai, Nahath,

27 Eliab, Jeroham, Elkanah.

28 Samuel had two sons: Joel,the older, and Abijah, the younger.

29 These are the descendants of Merari from generation to generation: Mahli, Libni, Shimei, Uzzah,

30 Shimea, Haggiah, Asaiah.

The Temple Musicians

31 These are the men whom King David put in charge of the music at the place of worship in Jerusalem after the Covenant Box was moved there.

32 They took regular turns of duty at the Tent of the Lord’s presence during the time before King Solomon built the Temple.

33 The family lines of those who held this office are as follows:

The clan of Kohath: Heman, the leader of the first choir, was the son of Joel. His family line went back to Jacob as follows: Heman, Joel, Samuel,

34 Elkanah, Jeroham, Eliel, Toah,

35 Zuph, Elkanah, Mahath, Amasai,

36 Elkanah, Joel, Azariah, Zephaniah,

37 Tahath, Assir, Ebiasaph, Korah,

38 Izhar, Kohath, Levi, Jacob.

39 Asaph was leader of the second choir. His family line went back to Levi as follows: Asaph, Berechiah, Shimea,

40 Michael, Baaseiah, Malchijah,

41 Ethni, Zerah, Adaiah,

42 Ethan, Zimmah, Shimei,

43 Jahath, Gershon, Levi.

44 Ethan of the clan of Merari was the leader of the third choir. His family line went back to Levi as follows: Ethan, Kishi, Abdi, Malluch,

45 Hashabiah, Amaziah, Hilkiah,

46 Amzi, Bani, Shemer,

47 Mahli, Mushi, Merari, Levi.

48 The other Levites were assigned all the other duties at the place of worship.

The Descendants of Aaron

49 Aaron and his descendants presented the offerings of incense and offered the sacrifices that were burnt on the altar. They were responsible for all the worship in the Most Holy Place and for the sacrifices by which God forgives Israel’s sins. They did all this in accordance with the instructions given by Moses, God’s servant.

50 This is the line of Aaron’s descendants: Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua,

51 Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah,

52 Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub,

53 Zadok, Ahimaaz.

Where the Levites Lived

54 This is the territory assigned to the descendants of Aaron of the clan of Kohath. They received the first share of the land assigned to the Levites.

55 This included Hebron in the territory of Judah and the pasture lands around it.

56 The fields and villages, however, that belonged to the city were assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh.

57-59 The following towns were assigned to Aaron’s descendants: Hebron, a city of refuge,Jattir, and the towns of Libnah, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, and Beth Shemesh, with their pasture lands.

60 In the territory of Benjamin they were assigned the following towns with their pasture lands: Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth. This made a total of thirteen towns for all their families to live in.

61 Ten towns in the territory of West Manasseh were assigned by lot to the rest of the clan of Kohath, family by family.

62 To the clan of Gershon, family by family, were assigned thirteen towns in the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh in Bashan.

63 In the same way, twelve towns in the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun were assigned to the clan of Merari, family by family.

64 In this way the people of Israel assigned towns for the Levites to live in, together with the pasture lands around the towns. (

65 The towns in the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, mentioned above, were also assigned by drawing lots.)

66 Some of the families of the clan of Kohath were assigned towns and pasture lands in the territory of Ephraim:

67 Shechem, the city of refuge in the hills of Ephraim, Gezer,

68 Jokmeam, Beth Horon,

69 Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon.

70 In the territory of West Manasseh they were assigned the towns of Aner and Bileam with the surrounding pasture lands.

71 The families of the clan of Gershon were assigned the following towns, with the surrounding pasture lands:

In the territory of East Manasseh: Golan in Bashan, and Ashtaroth.

72 In the territory of Issachar: Kedesh, Daberath,

73 Ramoth, and Anem.

74 In the territory of Asher: Mashal, Abdon,

75 Hukok, and Rehob.

76 In the territory of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim.

77 The remaining families of the clan of Merari were assigned the following towns with the surrounding pasture lands:

In the territory of Zebulun: Rimmono and Tabor.

78 In the territory of Reuben, east of the Jordan River beyond Jericho: Bezer on the plateau, Jahzah,

79 Kedemoth, and Mephaath.

80 In the territory of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim,

81 Heshbon, and Jazer.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/363/32k/1CH/6-221502603978703c6457cac3f56d2e84.mp3?version_id=68—

The Descendants of Issachar

1 Issachar had four sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.

2 Tola had six sons: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel. They were heads of families of the clan of Tola and were famous soldiers. At the time of King David their descendants numbered 22,600.

3 Uzzi had one son, Izrahiah. Izrahiah and his four sons, Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, were all heads of families.

4 They had so many wives and children that their descendants were able to provide 36,000 men for military duty.

5 The official records of all the families of the tribe of Issachar listed 87,000 men eligible for military duty.

The Descendants of Benjamin and Dan

6 Benjamin had three sons: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.

7 Bela had five sons: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. They were heads of families in the clan and were all famous soldiers. Their descendants included 22,034 men eligible for military duty.

8 Becher had nine sons: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth.

9 The official record of their descendants by families listed 20,200 men eligible for military duty.

10 Jediael had one son, Bilhan, and Bilhan had seven sons: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

11 They were heads of families in the clan and were all famous soldiers. Their descendants included 17,200 men eligible for military duty.

12 Shuppim and Huppim also belonged to this tribe.

Dan had one son, Hushim.

The Descendants of Naphtali

13 Naphtali had four sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum. (They were descendants of Bilhah.)

The Descendants of Manasseh

14 By his Aramean concubine, Manasseh had two sons, Asriel and Machir. Machir was the father of Gilead.

15 Machir found a wife for Huppim and one for Shuppim. His sister’s name was Maacah. Machir’s second son was Zelophehad, and he had only daughters.

16 Maacah, Machir’s wife, gave birth to two sons, whom they named Peresh and Sheresh. Peresh had two sons, Ulam and Rakem,

17 and Ulam had a son named Bedan. These are all descendants of Gilead, the son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh.

18 Gilead’s sister Hammolecheth had three sons: Ishod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. (

19 Shemida had four sons: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.)

The Descendants of Ephraim

20 These are the descendants of Ephraim from generation to generation: Shuthelah, Bered, Tahath, Eleadah, Tahath,

21 Zabad, Shuthelah. Ephraim had two other sons besides Shuthelah: Ezer and Elead, who were killed when they tried to steal the livestock belonging to the native inhabitants of Gath.

22 Their father Ephraim mourned for them for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.

23 Then he had intercourse with his wife again, and she became pregnant and had a son. They named him Beriah,because of the trouble that had come to their family.

24 Ephraim had a daughter named Sheerah. She built the towns of Upper and Lower Beth Horon, and Uzzen Sheerah.

25 Ephraim also had a son named Rephah, whose descendants were as follows: Resheph, Telah, Tahan,

26 Ladan, Ammihud, Elishama,

27 Nun, Joshua.

28 The territory which they took and settled included Bethel and the towns around it, as far east as Naaran and as far west as Gezer and the towns around it. It also included the cities of Shechem and Ayyah, and the towns around them.

29 The descendants of Manasseh controlled the cities of Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, and the towns around them.

All these are the places where the descendants of Joseph son of Jacob lived.

The Descendants of Asher

30 These are the descendants of Asher. He had four sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; and one daughter, Serah.

31 Beriah had two sons, Heber and Malchiel. (Malchiel founded the city of Birzaith.)

32 Heber had three sons: Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham; and one daughter, Shua.

33 Japhlet also had three sons: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath.

34 His brother Shomer had three sons: Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.

35 His brother Hothamhad four sons: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

36 The descendants of Zophah were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,

37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

38 The descendants of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara,

39 and the descendants of Ulla were Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

40 All of these were descendants of Asher. They were heads of families, famous fighting men, outstanding leaders. Asher’s descendants included 26,000 men eligible for military duty.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/363/32k/1CH/7-c34d628180a18cbc9fcd6e7604d33445.mp3?version_id=68—