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The Message Bible MSG
1 The sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born; but because he polluted his father's couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright;
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The family of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Though Reuben was Israel's firstborn, after he slept with his father's concubine, a defiling act, his rights as the firstborn were passed on to the sons of Joseph son of Israel. He lost his "firstborn" place in the family tree.
2 though Judah became strong among his brothers and a prince was from him, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph),
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And even though Judah became the strongest of his brothers and King David eventually came from that family, the firstborn rights stayed with Joseph.
3 the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
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The sons of Reuben, firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4 The sons of Jo'el: Shemai'ah his son, Gog his son, Shim'e-i his son,
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The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,
5 Micah his son, Re-ai'ah his son, Ba'al his son,
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Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,
6 Be-er'ah his son, whom Til'gath-pilne'ser king of Assyria carried away into exile; he was a chieftain of the Reubenites.
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and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took into exile. Beerah was the prince of the Reubenites.
7 And his kinsmen by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned: the chief, Je-i'el, and Zechari'ah,
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Beerah's brothers are listed in the family tree by families: first Jeiel, followed by Zechariah:
8 and Bela the son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Jo'el, who dwelt in Aro'er, as far as Nebo and Ba'al-me'on.
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then Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. Joel lived in the area from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon.
9 He also dwelt to the east as far as the entrance of the desert this side of the Euphra'tes, because their cattle had multiplied in the land of Gilead.
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His family occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that goes all the way to the Euphrates River, since their growing herds of livestock spilled out of Gilead.
10 And in the days of Saul they made war on the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the region east of Gilead.
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During Saul's reign they fought and defeated the Hagrites; they then took over their tents and lived in them on the eastern frontier of Gilead.
11 The sons of Gad dwelt over against them in the land of Bashan as far as Sal'ecah:
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The family of Gad were their neighbors in Bashan, as far as Salecah:
12 Jo'el the chief, Shapham the second, Ja'nai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
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Joel was the chief, Shapham the second-in-command, and then Janai, the judge in Bashan.
13 And their kinsmen according to their fathers' houses: Michael, Meshul'lam, Sheba, Jo'rai, Jacan, Zi'a, and Eber, seven.
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Their brothers, by families, were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber - seven in all.
14 These were the sons of Ab'ihail the son of Huri, son of Jaro'ah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshish'ai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz;
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These were the sons of Abihail 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 Ahi the son of Ab'di-el, son of Guni, was chief in their fathers' houses;
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Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family.
16 and they dwelt in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sharon to their limits.
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The family of Gad lived in Gilead and Bashan, including the outlying villages and extending as far as the pastures of Sharon.
17 All of these were enrolled by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jerobo'am king of Israel.
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They were all written into the official family tree during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh had valiant men, who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty, ready for service.
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The families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men trained for war - physically fit and skilled in handling shield, sword, and bow.
19 They made war upon the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab;
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They fought against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.
20 and when they received help against them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried to God in the battle, and he granted their entreaty because they trusted in him.
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God helped them as they fought. God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. God answered their prayers because they trusted him.
21 They carried off their livestock: fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two thousand asses, and a hundred thousand men alive.
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They plundered the Hagrite herds and flocks: 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys. They also captured 100,000 people.
22 For many fell slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their place until the exile.
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Many were killed, because the battle was God's. They lived in that country until the exile.
23 The members of the half-tribe of Manas'seh dwelt in the land; they were very numerous from Bashan to Ba'al-her'mon, Senir, and Mount Hermon.
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The half-tribe of Manasseh had a large population. They occupied the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon).
24 These were the heads of their fathers' houses: Epher, Ishi, Eli'el, Az'ri-el, Jeremiah, Hodavi'ah, and Jah'di-el, mighty warriors, famous men, heads of their fathers' houses.
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The heads of their families were Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel - brave warriors, famous, and heads of their families.
25 But they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.
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But they were not faithful to the God of their ancestors. They took up with the ungodly gods of the peoples of the land whom God had gotten rid of before they arrived.
26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Til'gath-pilne'ser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.
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So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria) to take the families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He deported them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan. They've been there ever since.