1 Chronicles Chapter 4
Showing all 43 verses for 1 Chronicles Chapter 4.
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"The sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal. "
"Judah's sons (in this list) were Pharez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal."
I don't only remember the famous branch of a family - every relative, every ordinary life, is written into the story I'm keeping. You don't need to be the one everyone talks about to matter; you belong to something bigger whether your name is well-known or not.
"And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites. "
"Reaiah, son of Shobal, had a son called Jahath; Jahath had sons Ahumai and Lahad. This family became known as the Zorathites."
Ordinary places and ordinary families are where extraordinary things eventually happen. I don't wait for a grand stage - I work through unremarkable towns and unremarkable people, and history only later recognises what was being prepared there.
"And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi: "
"These were the sons of the man over Etam: Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. Their sister's name was Hazelelponi."
I notice the people the world's record-keeping tends to skip past. Being remembered isn't only for those who inherit power or position - everyone who was loved and present deserves to be named, and I count each one.
"And Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, the father of Bethlehem. "
"Penuel was the father (founder) of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, who was the father of Bethlehem."
The small, unnoticed steps - one family settling one town - are exactly how the biggest moments in life get set up. I'm patient with the slow build of an ordinary life; it can be preparing something you can't yet see the shape of.
"And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. "
"Ashur, the founder of Tekoa, had two wives: Helah and Naarah."
I record life as it actually was lived, without pretending people's arrangements were simpler or tidier than they were. I don't need you to have a perfect family story before I count you as part of mine.
"And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. "
"Naarah bore him Ahuzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah."
I keep track of every child, every branch, with equal care - no family line is more or less worth recording than another. Fairness in how people are seen and counted matters to me.
"And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan. "
"The sons of Helah were Zereth, Jezoar and Ethnan."
I don't lose track of anyone in a big, complicated family. However many branches your life has grown, each one is known and accounted for.
"And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum. "
"Coz was the father of Anub and Zobebah, and of the families of Aharhel son of Harum."
You don't need a dramatic story for your life to matter or be remembered. I value quiet, unremarked lives exactly as much as the ones everyone has heard of.
"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. "
"Jabez was more honoured than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez because, she said, 'I gave birth to him in pain.'"
Whatever painful thing marked your beginning - a hard birth, a hard childhood, a label someone gave you - it doesn't get the final word over your life. I see who you become, not just where you started.
"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. "
"Jabez called out to the God of Israel: 'Please bless me and expand my territory. Be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I won't be hurt.' And God gave him what he asked for."
Ask plainly for what you actually need - growth, protection, and my presence with you - instead of pretending you don't need help. There's no shame in naming your hopes and your fears in the same breath; that honesty is what I'm listening for.
"And Chelub the brother of Shuah begat Mehir, which was the father of Eshton. "
"Chelub, the brother of Shuah, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton."
Even a life that seems to exist only to connect one generation to the next has real value. Not every purpose has to be dramatic - sometimes faithfully passing something on to the next person is the whole point.
"And Eshton begat Bethrapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These are the men of Rechah. "
"Eshton was the father of Bethrapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, who was the father of Irnahash. These were the men of Rechah."
Some of what matters most about a life is simply that it was recorded, that it was real, even when nobody remembers the details afterwards. I keep account of what the world forgets.
"And the sons of Kenaz; Othniel, and Seraiah: and the sons of Othniel; Hathath. "
"The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel's son was Hathath."
Your public achievements and your place in an ordinary family list both matter - I don't need you to keep performing your best moment to still belong. Rest in being known, not just admired.
"And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab, the father of the valley of Charashim; for they were craftsmen. "
"Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, who founded the Valley of Craftsmen - so called because the people there were skilled workers."
Whatever skilled work you do with your hands has its own dignity and its own place in the story - it doesn't need to be 'spiritual' work to matter to me. I value honest craft as much as I value any other calling.
"And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh; Iru, Elah, and Naam: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz. "
"The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah and Naam. Elah's son was Kenaz."
Courage and trust, lived out consistently over a whole lifetime, leave something behind that outlasts you. I'm not just interested in a single brave moment from you - I want a whole life built on trusting me, generation after generation.
"And the sons of Jehaleleel; Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel. "
"The sons of Jehaleleel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asareel."
Even places with no fame of their own can become the setting for someone's most testing moment. I'm present in ordinary, unremarkable places just as much as famous ones - your wilderness has meaning too.
"And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon: and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. "
"The sons of Ezra were Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. (Mered's wife) bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, who was the father of Eshtemoa."
The names in your family tree can end up shaping places and communities you'll never personally see. What you build now can outlive you in ways you can't predict.
"And his wife Jehudijah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took. "
"His wife Jehudijah bore Jered, father of Gedor; Heber, father of Socho; and Jekuthiel, father of Zanoah. These were the sons of Bithiah, Pharaoh's daughter, whom Mered had married."
Where you came from, even if it's 'outside' the group you've joined, doesn't get hidden or erased in how I see you. I welcome people fully into a new family without asking them to pretend their past never happened.
"And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite. "
"The sons of his wife Hodiah, sister of Naham, were the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite."
Doing the right thing for someone doesn't guarantee they'll return the favour, and I don't want that fear to stop you from helping people anyway. Do good because it's right, not because you're owed loyalty back.
"And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Benzoheth. "
"The sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Benhanan and Tilon. The sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Benzoheth."
Most of what makes up a life - and a family - is quiet and undocumented, and that's completely fine. I don't measure your worth by how much of your story got written down.
"The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea, "
"The sons of Shelah, son of Judah, were Er, father of Lecah; Laadah, father of Mareshah; and the families of those who worked with fine linen, from the house of Ashbea."
A trade or skill you've spent years mastering and could pass on to your children is a real inheritance, every bit as meaningful as land or money. I honour the patient work of building expertise and handing it forward.
"And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things. "
"Also Jokim, the men of Chozeba, Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab, and Jashubilehem. (These records are very old.)"
Being honest about your sources, and admitting what's uncertain or very old, is a form of integrity, not weakness. I value truthfulness in how a story gets told over impressive-sounding but dishonest certainty.
"These were the posters, and those that among plants and hedges: there they with the king for his work. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"These were the potters, and those who lived among plants and hedges - they lived there working for the king."
Working a steady, practical job - even one that will never be glamorous - can still be work done in service of something bigger than yourself. I see the value in showing up and doing honest, needed work, whatever it is.
"The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul: "
"The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah and Shaul."
Sometimes the consequences of past actions - even generations back - shape the space you're given to live in. I don't hold that against you personally; what matters is how you live faithfully within whatever situation you've inherited.
"Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. "
"Shallum was his (Shaul's) son, Mibsam was his son, Mishma was his son."
Being able to trace where you came from, generation by generation, gives a settled sense of identity. I want you to know you belong to a real, continuous story, not to start from nothing.
"And the sons of Mishma; Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son. "
"The sons of Mishma were Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son."
Growth and fruitfulness show up differently in different families and different lives, and that's not a competition. I don't measure anyone's worth by how much they visibly multiplied compared to someone else.
"And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah. "
"Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers didn't have many children, and their families as a whole didn't grow as large as Judah's did."
Not every difference between people or families needs a moral explanation - sometimes things simply grow at different rates, and that's alright. I don't ask you to compare your fruitfulness to anyone else's; just tend faithfully to what's actually yours.
"And they at Beersheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual, "
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"They lived in Beersheba, Moladah and Hazarshual."
You can end up living, quite by ordinary circumstance, in places soaked with meaning and history you didn't create yourself. Pay attention to where you are - it may carry more significance than you first realise.
"And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad, "
"And in Bilhah, Ezem and Tolad."
Not every place you live needs to be famous for your life there to matter. I'm present in the quiet, dry, unremarkable stretches of your life as much as in the highlights.
"And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag, "
"And in Bethuel, Hormah and Ziklag."
Even your lowest, most devastating moments - when it feels like everything's been taken from you - can become the turning point where you learn to find strength in me rather than in circumstances. Grief and recovery are both part of a real story, not signs of failure.
"And at Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusim, and at Bethbirei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David. "
"And in Bethmarcaboth, Hazarsusim, Bethbirei and Shaaraim. These were their towns until David became king."
Seasons of life change, and what was true for years can shift when circumstances - or leadership - change. I don't ask you to cling to an old arrangement past its time; be willing to move with what's genuinely new.
"And their villages were, Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities: "
"Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen and Ashan - five settlements."
Taking care with the details of what actually belongs to whom is a form of honesty and respect, not pettiness. I value people who keep accurate account of what's theirs and what isn't.
"And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and their genealogy. "
"And all the villages surrounding these towns, as far as Baal. These were their homes, and this was their family record."
Your sense of who you are is often tied up with the places that shaped you, and both matter. I care about your roots and your surroundings together, not just an abstract idea of you.
"And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah, the son of Amaziah, "
"Also Meshobab, Jamlech, and Joshah, the son of Amaziah."
Before any bold action, there's usually a quieter stage of simply being named, prepared, and counted. I'm patient with the build-up before the breakthrough in your own life.
"And Joel, and Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, "
"Also Joel, and Jehu son of Josibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel."
Legitimate influence is best built on a track record, not just self-appointment. I trust leadership that's rooted in faithfulness over time, not just a loud claim to authority.
"And Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah, "
"Also Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel and Benaiah."
Strength doesn't always come from being the biggest; a smaller group with real, organised leadership can still accomplish something significant. Don't underestimate what you can do just because your resources are modest.
"And Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah; "
"Also Ziza, son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah."
Some parts of your story will be more fully documented than others, purely by chance of what survived - and that unevenness is normal, not a judgement on worth. I know your whole story even where the record is thin.
"These mentioned by their names were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly. "
"These men, listed by name, were leaders of their family groups, and their households grew significantly."
Good leadership shows its worth over time, in the flourishing of the people under it. I look for leaders whose care actually produces growth in others, not just in themselves.
"And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. "
"They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, to look for pasture for their flocks."
Most of life's necessary moves come from practical need, not dramatic vision - and that's a completely valid reason to act. I don't require a grand motive before I bless your ordinary, sensible efforts to provide for what's yours.
"And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had there of old. "
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"They found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful and quiet - the descendants of Ham had lived there long before."
A season of calm and abundance is worth appreciating fully while it lasts, even knowing change may be coming. I want you to enjoy good, peaceful provision without needing to brace constantly for what might disrupt it.
"And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and in their rooms: because there was pasture there for their flocks. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"These men, recorded by name, came during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, attacked the tents and settlements they found there, and destroyed them completely - as is still the case today - and settled in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks."
I don't ask you to pretend history - including your own family's history - was cleaner or gentler than it actually was. Facing the hard parts of where you came from honestly is the starting point for choosing something better going forward.
"And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. "
"Some of Simeon's descendants - five hundred men - went to Mount Seir, led by their captains Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, sons of Ishi."
A smaller, less prominent group can still take real, organised initiative rather than simply relying on others. I honour effort and courage wherever they come from, not just from the biggest or most famous.
"And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and there unto this day. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"They defeated the remaining Amalekites who had escaped earlier, and they have lived there ever since."
Some things take generations to fully resolve, and that's alright - faithfulness sometimes means finishing what others started long before you, even without recognition. I honour quiet persistence in setting old wrongs right, however long it takes.