Reuben

31The LORD saw that Leah was not loved. So he let her have children. But Rachel could not have children.

And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

NoteThe old words say Leah was "hated." It means Jacob loved her less than he loved Rachel.

32Leah was going to have a baby, and she had a son. She named him Reuben. She said, "The LORD has seen my trouble. Now my husband will love me."

And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

NoteIn their language, Reuben sounds like "look, a son." Leah chose the name because God had looked at her sadness.

14During the wheat harvest, Reuben went out. He found some mandrake plants in a field. He brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."

And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.

NoteMandrakes are plants with a strong smell and small yellow fruit. Back then people believed they helped a woman have a baby. Wheat harvest is early summer, when people cut the ripe wheat.

15Leah said to her, "Is it a small thing that you took my husband? Now will you take my son's mandrakes too?" Rachel said, "Then Jacob may sleep with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."

And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.

16That evening Jacob came in from the field. Leah went out to meet him. She said, "You must come to me. I have paid for you with my son's mandrakes." So he slept with her that night.

And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

21Israel traveled on again. He put up his tent past the tower called Edar.

And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

NoteEdar means "flock," which means a group of sheep. Shepherds climbed the tower to watch their sheep.

22While Israel was living in that land, Reuben slept with Bilhah. Bilhah was his father's servant wife. Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons.

And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

NoteBilhah was a servant, but she was also one of Jacob's wives. In those days, a son who did this was trying to take his father's place as leader of the family.

18They saw him far away, before he came close to them. They made a plan to kill him.

And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

19They said to each other, "Look, here comes the dreamer."

And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

NoteThey said "the dreamer" to make fun of him. It was not a kind name.

20"Come on, let us kill him. We will throw him into one of the pits. We will say a wild animal ate him. Then we will see what happens to his dreams."

Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

NoteThese pits were deep holes dug in the ground. People dug them to hold rainwater. The sides were steep, so no one could climb out alone.

21Reuben heard this. He saved Joseph from them. He said, "Let us not kill him."

And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

NoteReuben was the oldest brother. The oldest son was expected to take care of the family.

22Reuben said to them, "Do not spill his blood. Throw him into this pit out here in the wild. But do not hurt him." Reuben said this so he could save Joseph and take him back to his father.

And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

Note"Do not spill his blood" was a way of saying, "Do not kill him."

23When Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his coat. It was the coat of many colors he was wearing.

And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

24They took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.

And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

25Then they sat down to eat. They looked up and saw a group of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh. They were taking these things down to Egypt.

And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

NoteIshmaelites were traders who traveled with camels. Gilead was a place known for its plants and medicine. Balm is sticky sap from a tree, used to help sore skin. Myrrh is another sticky sap, used to make sweet smells.

26Judah said to his brothers, "What do we gain if we kill our brother and hide what we did?"

And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

NoteJudah means hiding what they had done so nobody would find out.

27"Come on, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites. Let us not hurt him ourselves. He is our brother. He is our own family." His brothers agreed.

Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

Note"Our own flesh" means someone from your own family.

28Then some Midianite traders came by. They pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

NoteMidianites were traders too, from a land east of Canaan. Twenty pieces of silver was the usual price for a young slave. A slave was a person owned by someone else and forced to work.

29Reuben came back to the pit. Joseph was not in the pit. Reuben tore his clothes.

And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

NotePeople long ago ripped their own clothes to show they were very sad. Everyone who saw the torn clothes knew something terrible had happened.

30He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone! Where can I go now?"

And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

21They said to each other, "We are truly guilty about our brother. We saw how much pain he was in. He begged us, and we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us."

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

NoteThey are remembering the day they sold Joseph. He cried and begged them to stop. They would not listen.

22Reuben answered them, "Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? You would not listen. Now his blood is asked of us."

And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

NoteReuben was the oldest brother. He had tried to save Joseph that day. "His blood is asked of us" means they think they must pay for his death.

23They did not know that Joseph understood them. He had been speaking to them through a man who changed the words into another language.

And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

NoteJoseph spoke Egyptian to a helper. The helper said the words again in the brothers' language. That is why they did not guess he understood every word.

24He turned away from them and cried. Then he came back and talked with them. He took Simeon from them and had him tied up while they watched.

And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

NoteSimeon was one of the older brothers. Joseph kept him so the others would have to come back.

35Then they emptied their sacks. Each man's bag of money was there in his sack. When they and their father saw the money bags, they were afraid.

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36Jacob their father said to them, "You have taken my children away from me. Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. Now you will take Benjamin. All these things are against me."

And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

NoteJacob does not know that Joseph is alive. He thinks he has lost one son already.

37Reuben said to his father, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will bring him back to you."

And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

NoteThis was Reuben's way of promising as strongly as he could. He was saying he would risk anything to keep his word.

38But Jacob said, "My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is the only one left. Something bad might happen to him on the way you go. Then you would bring my gray hairs down to the grave in sorrow."

And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

NoteGray hairs mean Jacob is old. He is saying that this sadness would put him in his grave, where dead people were laid.

1Jacob called his sons to him. He said, "Come together. I will tell you what will happen to you in the days to come."

And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

NoteJacob was very old and about to die. Fathers often blessed their children before they died. He told each son what would happen to his family.

2"Come together and listen, sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father."

Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

NoteIsrael was Jacob's other name. God gave it to him, and the whole people were called by it after him.

3"Reuben, you are my first son. You are my might. You are the first sign of my strength. You were highest in honor and highest in power."

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

NoteThe oldest son was called the firstborn. He usually got the biggest share and led the family.

4"But you are wild like rushing water. You will not be first anymore. You went up onto your father's bed. You made it unclean. He went up onto my couch."

Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

NoteLong ago Reuben slept with one of his father's wives. That was very wrong. Because of it he lost his special place as oldest son.

1Reuben was the oldest son of Israel, who is also called Jacob. But Reuben did a wrong thing with his father's wife. So the rights of the oldest son were given to Joseph's sons instead. That is why the family list does not put Reuben first.

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.

NoteThe oldest son had special rights called the birthright. He usually got a double share of the family's land and animals. He also became the leader of the family after his father.

2Judah became the strongest of the brothers. A ruler came from his family. But the rights of the oldest son still belonged to Joseph.

For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s:)

NoteJudah was one of Jacob's twelve sons. Long after this, the kings of the land came from his family.

3These were the sons of Reuben, the oldest son of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

NoteFamilies kept long lists of names on purpose. The lists showed who your grandparents were. They also showed which piece of land belonged to your family.