1 Chronicles Chapter 2
Showing all 55 verses for 1 Chronicles Chapter 2.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, "
"Here are the sons of Israel (Jacob): Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun."
I tell you: your name and your family's story are not accidents, they are given to you as a foundation. When your world falls apart, remembering whose you are - who loves you, who came before you - is the first step back to steady ground.
"Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. "
"Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher."
Family is rarely neat. I don't ask you to pretend your history is simpler than it is - I ask you to see that even a complicated family can become one people, held together not by uniformity but by belonging.
"The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him. "
"Judah's sons were Er, Onan, and Shelah - all three born to him by Bathshua, a Canaanite woman. Er, Judah's firstborn, did evil in the LORD's sight, so the LORD killed him."
I don't ask you to hide the hard parts of your family story to make it look respectable. Even the line that led to King David includes a son who did wrong and died for it - your worth was never going to depend on having no such chapters in your own history.
"And Tamar his daughter in law bore him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five. "
"Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, gave birth to Pharez and Zerah by him. In total, Judah had five sons."
I notice the people the world is quick to judge or overlook. Tamar was wronged, took a hard path to get justice, and became an ancestor of kings - so never assume someone's worth by the scandal attached to their story.
"The sons of Pharez; Hezron, and Hamul. "
"Pharez's sons were Hezron and Hamul."
Not being 'the chosen line' doesn't mean a life doesn't matter. I see every name, even the ones history moves past quickly - each one lived, was loved, and had a place.
"And the sons of Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara: five of them in all. "
"Zerah's sons were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara - five in total."
Gifts often run in families and communities before any one person becomes famous for them. Be grateful for whoever quietly built the foundation of wisdom or character you now stand on, even if their name isn't remembered.
"And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed. "
"Carmi's son was Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by taking something that had been set apart as forbidden."
What you do in secret still ripples outward - I want you to live with integrity not because you'll get caught, but because your choices touch people beyond yourself. And when you fail, name it honestly, make it right where you can, and keep moving.
"And the sons of Ethan; Azariah. "
"Ethan's son was Azariah."
You don't have to be the headline of the story to matter to me. Being a faithful link between the people before you and the people after you is enough of a life.
"The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai. "
"Hezron's sons, born to him, were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai."
I keep track of every branch of the family, not just the famous one. If you ever feel like a minor character while someone else gets the spotlight, know that your branch of the story is still recorded and still matters.
"And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah; "
"Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of the tribe of Judah."
Leadership and faith don't have to look dramatic to matter. If you're steadily doing your part, you may be laying a foundation for something bigger than you'll live to see.
"And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz, "
"Nahshon was the father of Salma, and Salma was the father of Boaz."
Kindness shown to a stranger, like Boaz showed Ruth, can become part of the backbone of history. Never underestimate a small act of generosity towards someone with no claim on you.
"And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, "
"Boaz was the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse."
I welcome outsiders into the centre of the story, not just the edges. If you've ever felt like you don't belong because of where you come from, remember that one of history's most important family lines runs straight through a foreign widow who was taken in and loved.
"And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, "
"Jesse's firstborn was Eliab, the second Abinadab, the third Shimma."
I don't rank people by birth order, height, or how impressive they look walking into a room. I look at the heart - so don't measure your own worth by comparing your outside to someone else's outside.
"Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, "
"The fourth son was Nethaneel, the fifth Raddai."
Not everyone close to greatness gets remembered for their own achievements, and that's alright. Your value to me was never contingent on outshining a famous sibling.
"Ozem the sixth, David the seventh: "
"The sixth was Ozem, and the seventh was David."
I have a habit of choosing the person nobody thought to call in from the field. If you've ever felt like the afterthought in your own family or group, that position has never disqualified anyone from a significant life.
"Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three. "
"David's sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's sons were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel - three of them."
The people closest to you by blood or loyalty will shape what you're capable of, for good and ill. Choose wisely who you let stand at your right hand, and don't excuse harm just because it comes from someone loyal to you.
"And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite. "
"Abigail gave birth to Amasa; Amasa's father was Jether the Ishmaelite."
Family conflict, even betrayal, doesn't erase someone from the record of who they were or their belonging to you. I don't ask you to pretend your family has no fractures - only to keep choosing love and honesty inside the mess.
"And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon. "
"Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah, and by Jerioth. Her sons were Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon."
Life is rarely as tidy as we'd like it labelled. I don't need your story to be perfectly clear to everyone else for it to be valuable and true.
"And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur. "
"When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur."
Loss doesn't have to be the end of your story. I'm with you in grief, and I'm with you too when you find the strength to build something new afterwards.
"And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel. "
"Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri was the father of Bezaleel."
Whatever you're skilled at making - with your hands, your mind, your creativity - I see that as sacred work too, not something separate from a meaningful life.
"And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub. "
"Later, Hezron - when he was sixty years old - had a child with the daughter of Machir, the father of Gilead, whom he had married; she bore him Segub."
The boundaries we draw between 'us' and 'them' are usually more porous than we think. I ask you to hold your own group identity loosely enough to welcome real connection across the lines other people draw.
"And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead. "
"Segub was the father of Jair, who controlled twenty-three towns in the land of Gilead."
Influence and responsibility, wherever you find them in your life, are worth stewarding well. I don't measure success only in fame - looking after twenty-three towns faithfully is as meaningful to me as leading a nation.
"And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead. "
"He captured Geshur and Aram, along with the settlements of Jair, plus Kenath and its surrounding towns - sixty towns in all. All these belonged to the family of Machir, the father of Gilead."
What you build and hold onto in life often outlasts the immediate moment and becomes part of what the next generation inherits. Build things you'd be glad to hand on.
"And after that Hezron was dead in Calebephratah, then Abiah Hezron’s wife bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa. "
"After Hezron died in Calebephratah, his wife Abiah gave birth to Ashur, who became the father of Tekoa."
Small beginnings - a single family settling a single town - can grow into places that shape history in ways nobody could have predicted. Don't underestimate the long reach of ordinary faithfulness in an unremarkable place.
"And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah. "
"The sons of Jerahmeel, Hezron's firstborn, were Ram the firstborn, then Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah."
I keep exact account of every family, not only the one that produces the famous king. Precision and care in the details of your life matter to me even when the bigger story isn't centred on you.
"Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. "
"Jerahmeel also had another wife named Atarah, who was the mother of Onam."
I meet people in the actual shape of their real families, not some imagined ideal. Whatever your family looks like, it can still be a place where love and faithfulness take root.
"And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker. "
"The sons of Ram, Jerahmeel's firstborn, were Maaz, Jamin, and Eker."
You're not defined only by your name or by sharing it with someone more famous. Your own actions and character are what make your particular life distinct and worth knowing.
"And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur. "
"The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. Shammai's sons were Nadab and Abishur."
Being thorough and faithful in unglamorous work - keeping records, remembering people who aren't famous - is exactly the kind of quiet faithfulness I value most.
"And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid. "
"Abishur's wife was named Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid."
I notice and name the people whose contributions often go unrecorded elsewhere. If you've felt invisible in a story that gets told about achievers, know that I count every contributor by name.
"And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children. "
"The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim, but Seled died without any children."
Your worth was never measured by whether you have children or leave a lasting dynasty behind you. A life fully lived matters to me whether or not anyone continues your family name.
"And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai. "
"The sons of Appaim were Ishi. Ishi's son was Sheshan. Sheshan's child was Ahlai."
Family lines can continue in ways that don't fit the expected pattern, and that's not a failure - it's simply life finding another way forward. I bless the unconventional paths families take just as much as the conventional ones.
"And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children. "
"The sons of Jada, Shammai's brother, were Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children."
Endings, including the quiet ending of a family line, are part of the honest record of life. I don't need your story to continue forever to consider it complete and worthy of remembrance.
"And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. "
"The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These were all descendants of Jerahmeel."
Closure and clear endings matter, even in genealogies. I want you to be able to close chapters of your own life with the same clarity - naming what happened, then moving forward.
"Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha. "
"Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha."
When life doesn't go the way custom or expectation says it should, I don't want you to panic or feel disqualified from a meaningful future. There is often a faithful way forward that doesn't look like the one you originally pictured.
"And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai. "
"Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha, his servant. She gave birth to Attai."
I don't care about the social rank or background of the people you love or welcome into your family. What matters is faithfulness and the life that grows from the relationship.
"And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad, "
"Attai was the father of Nathan, and Nathan was the father of Zabad."
Faithfulness rarely feels dramatic in the moment - it's usually just showing up for the next generation, one link at a time. I honour that steady, repeated faithfulness as much as any single heroic act.
"And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed, "
"Zabad was the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal was the father of Obed."
Most of a good life is made of unremarked continuity - passing on what you were given, a little improved, to whoever comes after you. That is enough; you don't need a dramatic story for your life to count.
"And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah, "
"Obed was the father of Jehu, and Jehu was the father of Azariah."
Don't assume you know someone's whole story just because their name, situation, or background sounds familiar. Look closer before you decide who someone is.
"And Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah, "
"Azariah was the father of Helez, and Helez was the father of Eleasah."
Whatever unconventional or difficult way your family or your life began, given enough time and faithfulness, it becomes simply your story - solid, ordinary, and entirely legitimate.
"And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum, "
"Eleasah was the father of Sisamai, and Sisamai was the father of Shallum."
Being remembered, even briefly, by name is a form of dignity I extend to everyone - not only the famous. Your existence has been worth noting.
"And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama. "
"Shallum was the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah was the father of Elishama."
What looks like a problem or a compromise in the moment can, given time, become the very thing that secures your family's future. Trust that faithful choices made under pressure can bear good fruit long after the pressure has passed.
"Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were, Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron. "
"The sons of Caleb, Jerahmeel's brother, were Mesha the firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and the sons of Mareshah, the father of Hebron."
The places that shape your life - where you hid in hard times, where you eventually found stability - often trace back further than you realise, through people and choices long before you. Honour the ground that has held you.
"And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema. "
"The sons of Hebron were Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema."
The places you build and the name you're known by can become one and the same over time. Build your life, your home, your reputation, with the same care you'd want a lasting place to be built with.
"And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai. "
"Shema was the father of Raham, who was the father of Jorkoam. Rekem was the father of Shammai."
Detailed, careful record-keeping - of land, of family, of who belongs where - is unglamorous work that protects people's rightful place for generations. I value that patient, protective diligence.
"And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Bethzur. "
"Shammai's son was Maon, and Maon was the father of Bethzur."
The groundwork you lay - literally, in a place, a home, a business - often becomes something future generations rely on for security. Build with future stewards in mind, even when you can't see who they'll be.
"And Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez. "
"Ephah, Caleb's concubine, gave birth to Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez."
I don't need your story to be neat or symmetrical to take it seriously. Real families and real records have repetitions and oddities, and that's simply what truthful memory looks like.
"And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Gesham, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph. "
"The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Gesham, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph."
Not everything about your place in a bigger story needs to be explained to strangers to be real and secure. Some belonging is simply known within the family.
"Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah. "
"Maachah, another of Caleb's concubines, gave birth to Sheber and Tirhanah."
Wealth and standing in life bring real responsibility to look after everyone under your care fairly and by name. I ask those with much to be scrupulously fair to everyone who depends on them.
"She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsa. "
"She also gave birth to Shaaph, the father of Madmannah, and Sheva, the father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb's daughter was named Achsa."
I admire boldness in asking for what you genuinely need to thrive, not just what you were initially offered. Achsah didn't wait passively - she spoke up for herself, and that confidence is worth celebrating.
"These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim, "
"These were the descendants of Caleb, son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah: Shobal, the father of Kirjathjearim."
The places that later become significant to a whole community often have humble, personal, family origins that get forgotten over time. I remember the small, human beginnings behind institutions people now take for granted.
"Salma the father of Bethlehem, Hareph the father of Bethgader. "
"Salma was the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph was the father of Bethgader."
You never know which small thing you build or start will turn out to matter far more than you could have imagined. Do good, ordinary work anyway - its significance isn't always visible to you in the moment.
"And Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim had sons; Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites. "
"Shobal, the father of Kirjathjearim, had sons: Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites."
Communities are rarely simple single units - they're made of overlapping smaller groups, each with its own history and loyalty. I ask you to respect the complexity of any community you're part of.
"And the families of Kirjathjearim; the Ithrites, and the Puhites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; of them came the Zareathites, and the Eshtaulites. "
"The families of Kirjathjearim were the Ithrites, the Puhites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. From them came the Zareathites and the Eshtaulites."
The places connected to a famous story often have their own quieter history behind them, worth knowing in its own right. Don't let a famous story eclipse everything else true about the surrounding people.
"The sons of Salma; Bethlehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites. "
"The sons of Salma were Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Ataroth of the house of Joab, half of the Manahethites, and the Zorites."
The people you grew up alongside, from the same small place, often become the people who shape your life most - for good and for difficulty both. Tend those close, long-rooted relationships with particular care.
"And the families of the scribes which at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"The families of scribes who lived at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab."
The people who faithfully preserve and pass on knowledge and memory, like these scribes, deserve real honour, even when history remembers the kings and generals more loudly. And I welcome the outsider who commits to faithfulness; loyalty of the heart matters more to me than lineage.