1Also the sons of Reuben, the first begotten son of Israel; for he was the first begotten son of Israel, but when he had defouled the bed of his father, the dignity of his first begetting was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel; and Reuben was not areckoned into the first begotten son (or and so Reuben was not reckoned as the first-born son).

2Forsooth (of) Judah, that was the strongest among his brethren, princes were gathered of his generation, (or But from Judah, who was the strongest among his brothers, came the leader for all the tribes); forsooth the right of first begetting was areckoned to Joseph.

3Therefore the sons of Reuben, the first begotten son of Israel, were Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

4The sons of Joel were Shemaiah; his son, Gog; his son, Shimei;

5his son, Micah; his son, Reaia; his son, Baal;

6his son, Beerah; whom Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyrians, led (away) prisoner; and he was prince in the lineage of Reuben (or and he was a leader of the tribe of Reuben).

7Soothly his brethren, and all the kindred, when they were numbered by their families, had princes Jeiel, and Zechariah. (And his kinsmen, and all their kindred, when they were listed by their families, had Jeiel as their leader, and then Zechariah,)

8Forsooth Bela, the son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel, he dwelled in Aroer till to Nebo and Baalmeon; (and Bela, the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, and they lived in Aroer unto Nebo and Baalmeon;)

9and he dwelled against the east coast, till to the entering of (the) desert, and to the flood Euphrates. And he had in possession much number of beasts in the land of Gilead. (and they lived toward the east coast, unto the edge of the wilderness or unto the entrance to the desert, and the Euphrates River. And they had in possession a great number of beasts in the land of Gilead.)

10Forsooth in the days of Saul the sons of Reuben fought against (the) Hagarites, and killed them; and dwelled for them in the tabernacles of them (or and they lived in their tents, or their camps), in all the coast that beholdeth to the east of Gilead.

11Soothly the sons of Gad even against them dwelled in the land of Bashan till to Salcah; (And the sons of Gad lived beside them in the land of Bashan unto Salcah;)

12Joel was in the beginning, and Shapham was the second; also Jaanai and Shaphat were in Bashan. (Joel was the leader, and Shapham was the second; and Jaanai and Shaphat were in Bashan.)

13Also their brethren by the houses of their kindreds, Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven. (And their kinsmen in the houses of their kindreds, that is, the families of Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven in all.)

14These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz.

15Also the brethren of the son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was prince of the house in his families. (And Ahi, the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was the leader of the house of their family.)

16And they dwelled in Gilead (or And they lived in Gilead), and in Bashan, and in the towns thereof, (and) in all the suburbs of Sharon, till to the ends.

17All these were numbered in the days of Jotham, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam (II), king of Israel.

18The sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of half the lineage of Manasseh, were men warriors, bearing shields and swords, and bending bow, and taught in battles, four and forty thousand seven hundred and sixty, and they went forth to battle, (The sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the eastern half of the tribe of Manasseh, were men of war, bearing shields and swords, and bending bow, and taught in battles, forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty, and they went forth to battle,)

19and fought against Hagarites. Forsooth Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab,

20gave help to them; and Hagarites, and all men that were with them, were betaken into the hands of Reuben, and Gad, and Manasseh; for they called inwardly the Lord, while they fought, and the Lord heard them, for they believed in to him. (gave them help; and the Hagarites, and all the men who were with them, were delivered into the hands of Reuben, and Gad, and eastern Manasseh; for they inwardly called on the Lord, while they fought, and the Lord heard them, for they believed in him.)

21And they took (away) all things which (the) Hagarites had in possession, fifty thousand of camels, and two hundred and fifty thousand of sheep, two thousand of asses (or two thousand donkeys), and an hundred thousand persons of men;

22for many men were wounded and felled down; for it was the battle of the Lord. And they dwelled (there) for (the) Hagarites till to the conquest. (for many men were killed and fell down; for the battle was the Lord’s making. And they lived there in place of the Hagarites until the captivity.)

23Also the sons of the half lineage of Manasseh had in possession the land, from the ends of Bashan till to Baalhermon, and Senir, and the hill of Hermon; for it was a great number. (And the sons of the eastern half of the tribe of Manasseh, had in possession the land from Bashan to Baalhermon, and Senir, and Mount Hermon; for they were great in number.)

24And these were the princes of the house of their kindred; Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremy, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, full strong men and mighty, and named dukes in their families. (And these were the leaders of the house of their kindred; Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, very strong and mighty men, with famous names, yea, the leaders of their families.)

25Forsooth they forsook the God of their fathers, and did fornication after the gods of [the] peoples of the land, which the Lord took away before them. (But they left the God of their fathers, and did idolatry, worshipping the gods of the peoples of the land, whom the Lord had destroyed before them.)

26And the Lord God of Israel raised (up) the spirit ⁴of Pul, king of Assyrians, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser, king of Assur; and he translated Reuben, and Gad, and the half lineage of Manasseh, and brought them into Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and into the river of Gozan, till to this day. (And the Lord God of Israel stirred up the will, or the desire, of Pul, the king of Assyria, who is also known as Tilgathpilneser, the king of Assyria, to fight against Israel; and he carried away Reuben, and Gad, and the eastern half of the tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and the Gozan River, where they live unto this day.)