What he will honor is a god of fortresses – a god his fathers did not acknowledge he will honor with gold, silver, valuable stones, and treasured commodities.

“For the Lord who rules over all says, ‘As I had planned to hurt ¹  you when your fathers made me angry,’ says the Lord who rules over all, ‘and I was not sorry,

realizing that law ¹  is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

These were the ones chosen ¹  from the community, leaders ²  of their ancestral tribes. ³  They were the heads of the thousands ⁴  of Israel.

along with Zadok, a young warrior, and twenty-two leaders from his family.

Listen, children, ²  to a father’s instruction, ³  and pay attention so that ⁴  you may gain ⁵  discernment.

My child, guard the commands of your father and do not forsake the instruction of your mother.

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” For he thought, ¹  “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” ²  So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ¹  ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me.

When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

The Lord God of Israel chose me out of my father’s entire family to become king over Israel and have a permanent dynasty. ¹  Indeed, ²  he chose Judah as leader, and my father’s family within Judah, and then he picked me out from among my father’s sons and made me king over all Israel. ³ 

but then ¹  he may go free, ²  he and his children with him, and may return to his family and to the property of his ancestors. ³ 

All the Israelites who were twenty years old or older, who could serve in Israel’s army, were numbered ¹  according to their families.

So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes.

They were married into the families of the Manassehites, the descendants of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.

In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength ¹  and the strength ²  of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house!

Their relatives, listed according to their families, ¹  included Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber – seven in all.

According to the genealogical records of their families, they had 36,000 warriors available for battle, for they had numerous wives and sons. ¹ 

All these were the sons of Jediael. Listed in their genealogical records were 17,200 family leaders and warriors who were capable of marching out to battle.

These were the descendants of Ehud who were leaders of the families living in Geba who were forced to move to Manahath: