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¹ NOW the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born of his father; but, because he defiled his fathers bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph his brother, the son of Israel; and upon his two sons came the blessings more than all the tribes of Israel.² For from Judah shall come forth Messiah the King, but the blessings shall be given to Joseph),³ The sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.⁴ The sons of Carmi: Shemaiah his son, Doag his son, Shimei his son,⁵ Micah his son, Uriah his son, Balah his son,⁶ Abdaiah his son, whom Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria carried away captive; he was the prince of the tribe of Reubenites.⁷ And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned: Azrael, their chief, and Zechariah, second in rank,⁸ And Bela and the son of Uzai, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Adoer and as far as Nebo and the plain of Meon,⁹ And eastward he inhabited as far as the border of the desert from the river Euphrates, because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead.¹⁰ And in the days of Saul they made war against the Arabians, the inhabitants of Sekah, and were delivered into their hands; and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead.¹¹ And the children of Gad dwelt opposite them, in the land of Mathnin as far as the border of Siba and Salcah.¹² Joel was their chief, and he judged them and taught them good scriptures.¹³ These are the sons of Abihail, the son of Khuri, the son of Zerah, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir.¹⁴ The son of Abdael, the son of Eli, chiefs of the house of their fathers.¹⁵ And they dwelt in Mathnin and its villages.¹⁶ All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.¹⁷ The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, valiant men, able to bear sword and shield and to shoot with bow, and skilled in war, were forty-four thousand six hundred and sixty-six.

¹⁸ All of these went out to war and fought against the inhabitants of Sekah.¹⁹ And they were delivered into their hands, for they prayed to the LORD in the battle, and he heard their voice because they put their trust in him.²⁰ And they carried away abundant goods and cattle: fifty thousand camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two thousand asses, and a hundred thousand persons.²¹ For many fell slain in the battle of those who dwelt in tents. And the remnant stayed in their tents.²² And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land of Mathnin, as far as the plain of mount Hermon and as far as Har, and there they multiplied and became great.²³ These were the heads of the house of their fathers: Apha, Shob, Eldaa, Azriel, Adomiah, Uriah, and Hezaiel,²⁴ All mighty men of valour, famous men, and heads of the house of their families.²⁵ And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went astray after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.²⁶ And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he carried theta away, even the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah and Habor, and to the river Gozan, cities of Media. And they still dwell there to this day.