4:1 The descendants of Judah:
Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
4:2 Reaiah the son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.
4:3 These were the sons of Etam:
Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was Hazzelelponi.
4:4 Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and the father of Bethlehem.
4:5 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 4:6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 4:7 The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, 4:8 and Koz, who was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the clans of Aharhel the son of Harum.
4:9 Jabez was more respected than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, for she said, “I experienced pain when I gave birth to him.” 1 4:10 Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only 2 you would greatly bless me and expand my territory! May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain!” 3 God answered his prayer. 4
4:11 Kelub, the brother of Shuhah, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 4:12 Eshton was the father of Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir Nahash. 5 These were the men of Recah.
4:13 The sons of Kenaz:
Othniel and Seraiah.
The sons of Othniel:
Hathath and Meonothai. 6 4:14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah.
Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of those who live in Ge Harashim, who were craftsmen. 7
4:15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh:
Iru, Elah, and Naam.
The son of Elah:
Kenaz. 8
4:16 The sons of Jehallelel:
Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
4:17 The sons of Ezrah:
Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon.
Mered’s wife Bithiah 9 gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. 4:18 (His Judahite wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the sons of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, whom Mered married. 10
4:19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham:
the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
4:20 The sons of Shimon:
Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon.
The descendants of Ishi:
Zoheth and Ben Zoheth. 11
4:21 The sons of Shelah son of Judah:
Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, the clans of the linen workers at Beth-Ashbea, 4:22 Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, both of whom ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (This information is from ancient records.) 12
1 tn In Hebrew the name יַעְבֵּץ (ya’bets, “Jabez”) sounds like the noun עֹצֶב (’otsev) which means “pain.”
2 tn On the use of אִם (’im, “if”) here, see HALOT 60 s.v.
3 tn Heb “and act from [i.e., so as to prevent] harm so that I might not be in pain.”
4 tn Heb “and God brought about what he had asked.”
5 tn Or “of the city of Nahash.”
6 tc “Meonothai” is read here by some
7 tn Heb “the father of Ge Harashim, for they were craftsmen.” The name “Ge Harashim” means “valley of craftsmen.”
8 tn Heb “and the sons of Elah and Kenaz.” Kenaz was actually the son of Elah.
9 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “and she gave birth to,” without identifying the subject. The words “Mered’s wife Bithiah” are added in the translation for clarification. See v. 18b, which mentions “Bethiah, whom Mered married.”
10 tn Heb “took,” referring to taking in marriage.
11 tn Or “and the son of Zoheth” (NAB). The word בֶּן (ben) in Hebrew means “son [of].”
12 tn Heb “and the words are old.”