1Now these are the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. He was the firstborn, but he defiled his father's bed, so his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel. So the family line is not counted by the birthright.
2For Judah became stronger than his brothers, and the chief ruler came from him. But the birthright was Joseph's.
3The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,
5Micah his son, Reaia his son, Baal his son,
6Beerah his son, whom Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria carried away as a captive. He was prince of the Reubenites.
7His brothers, by their families, when their family line was written down, were these: Jeiel the chief, and Zechariah,
8and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baalmeon.
9To the east he lived as far as the edge of the desert that reaches from the river Euphrates, because their cattle had grown many in the land of Gilead.
10In the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand. And they lived in their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead.
11The children of Gad lived opposite them, in the land of Bashan as far as Salchah.
12Joel was the chief, and Shapham was next, and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
13Their brothers, by their fathers' houses, were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jachan, Zia, and Heber: seven of them.
14These are the children 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 the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was chief of their fathers' house.
16They lived in Gilead in Bashan, and in its towns, and in all the open lands of Sharon, as far as their borders.
17All these were written down in the family lists in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.
18The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had brave men, men able to carry shield and sword, and to shoot with the bow, and skilled in war. There were forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty of them who went out to war.
19They made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, Nephish, and Nodab.
20They were helped against them, and the Hagarites were given into their hand, with all who were with them. For they cried to God in the battle, and he listened to them, because they put their trust in him.
21They took away their cattle: fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two thousand donkeys, and a hundred thousand people.
22For many fell down dead, because the war was of God. And they lived in their place until the captivity.
23The children of the half tribe of Manasseh lived in the land. They grew many, from Bashan to Baalhermon and Senir, and to mount Hermon.
24These were the heads of their fathers' house: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valour, famous men, and heads of their fathers' house.
25But they sinned against the God of their fathers, and went after the gods of the people of the land like a woman being unfaithful. Yet God had destroyed those people before them.
26So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria. He carried them away, that is, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, where they are to this day.