26. Then from Mishma the line descended through Hammuel, Zaccur, and Shimei.
27. Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his relatives had fewer children, and the tribe of Simeon did not grow as much as the tribe of Judah did.
28. Down to the time of King David the descendants of Simeon lived in the following towns: Beersheba, Moladah, Hazarshual,
29. Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad,
30. Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag,
31. Beth Marcaboth, Hazarsusim, Bethbiri, and Shaaraim.
32. They also lived in five other places: Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan,
33. and the surrounding villages, as far south-west as the town of Baalath. These are the records which they kept of their families and of the places where they lived.
34-38. The following men were the heads of their clans:Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, Joel,Jehu (the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel),Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah,Ziza (the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, a descendant of Jedaiah, Shimri, and Shemaiah).Because their families continued to grow,
39. they spread out westwards almost to Gerar and pastured their sheep on the eastern side of the valley in which that city is located.
40. They found plenty of fertile pasture lands there in a stretch of open country that was quiet and peaceful. The people who had lived there before were Hamites.
41. In the time of King Hezekiah of Judah, the men named above went to Gerar and destroyed the tents and huts of the people who lived there. They drove the people out and settled there permanently because there was plenty of pasture for their sheep.
42. 500 other members of the tribe of Simeon went east to Edom. They were led by the sons of Ishi: Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel.