1 Chronicles 4: The families of Judah and Simeon, and the prayer of Jabez

In plain English: The sons of Judah were Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur and Shobal.

In plain English: Reaiah the son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites.

In plain English: These were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. Their sister's name was Hazzelelponi.

In plain English: Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.

In plain English: Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

In plain English: Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

In plain English: The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar and Ethnan.

In plain English: Hakkoz was the father of Anub, Zobebah and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

In plain English: Jabez was more honored (or: more honorable) than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, "Because I gave birth to him in pain (this Bible: sorrow)."

The Hebrew word: The text gives the reason for the name: his mother said, "I gave birth to him in pain." "Pain" is otsev, which the dictionary gives as "pain (bodily or mental)". "More honorable" comes from kavad, which the dictionary gives as "to be heavy ... numerous, rich, honorable". The text does not say what made him honored.

How it is translated: This Bible puts "sorrow" in his mother's words. The word otsev covers pain of the body and of the mind.

In plain English: Jabez called on the God of Israel and said, "If only you would bless me, and enlarge my territory (or: border)! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm (or: evil), so that I do not cause pain (or: so that it does not pain me)!" God granted what he asked.

The Hebrew words: "That I may not cause pain" comes from atsav, which the dictionary gives as "to worry, pain or anger", a word of the same family as otsev in verse 9. "Enlarge my border" is word for word "increase my territory" (gevul, which the dictionary gives as "a cord ... a boundary; ... the territory enclosed").

What changes: Read as "so that I do not cause pain", Jabez asks to be kept from hurting others. Read as "so that it does not pain me", he asks that harm not bring him the pain his name recalls. The text does not say which he meant. It says only that God granted what he asked.

In plain English: Chelub the brother of Shuhah was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.

In plain English: Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These were the men of Recah.

In plain English: The sons of Kenaz were Othniel and Seraiah. The son of Othniel was Hathath.

In plain English: Meonothai was the father of Ophrah, and Seraiah was the father of Joab the father of Ge Harashim, for they were craftsmen.

In plain English: The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah and Naam. The son of Elah was Kenaz.

In plain English: The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel.

In plain English: The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. Mered's wife bore Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

In plain English: His wife, the Jewish woman, bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. These were the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.

In plain English: The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the father of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

In plain English: The sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben Hanan and Tilon. The sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben Zoheth.

In plain English: The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers, of the house of Ashbea;

In plain English: and Jokim, the men of Cozeba, Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab (or: who married in Moab), and Jashubi Lehem. These words (or: records) are ancient.

The Hebrew word: "Ruled" is baal, which the dictionary gives as "to be master; hence, to marry".

What changes: Read as "ruled in Moab", these men held power there. Read as "married in Moab", they took wives there. The text does not say which.

In plain English: These were the potters and the people who lived at Netaim and Gederah. They lived there with the king, in his service.

In plain English: The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah and Shaul;

In plain English: Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son.

In plain English: The sons of Mishma were Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, and Shimei his son.

In plain English: Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. His brothers did not have many children, and none of their families grew as large as the people of Judah.

In plain English: They lived at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazarshual,

In plain English: Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,

In plain English: Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,

In plain English: Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri and Shaaraim. These were their cities until David became king.

In plain English: Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen and Ashan: five cities,

In plain English: and all their villages around those cities, as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept a record of their families.

In plain English: Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah,

In plain English: Joel, Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,

In plain English: Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,

In plain English: and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah.

In plain English: These named here were princes in their families, and their fathers' houses increased greatly.

In plain English: They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, to look for pasture for their flocks.

In plain English: They found rich, good pasture. The land was wide, quiet and peaceful, for those who lived there before were descended from Ham.

In plain English: These men, written down by name, came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They struck their tents and the Meunim who were found there, and destroyed them completely (see the note) to this day. They lived in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks.

The Hebrew word: "Destroyed them completely" is charam, which the dictionary gives as "to seclude; specifically (by a ban) to devote to religious uses (especially destruction)". The text says that they struck the tents and the Meunim, destroyed them, and lived in their place.

In plain English: Some of them, five hundred men of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir. Their captains were Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

In plain English: They struck the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.