Reuben

31And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

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

32And 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.

Leah had a baby boy. She named him Reuben. She said, "The LORD saw how sad I was. Now my husband will love me."

14And 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.

It was time to bring in the wheat. Reuben was out in the field. He found some mandrake plants and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."

15And 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.

Leah said, "You already took my husband. Now you want my son's mandrakes too?" Rachel said, "Fine. Jacob can sleep at your tent tonight, for the mandrakes."

16And 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.

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

21And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

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

22And 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:

While 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.

18And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

His brothers saw him coming from far away. Before he got close, they made a plan to kill him.

19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

They said to each other, "Here comes that dreamer."

20Come 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.

"Let's kill him and throw him into one of these pits. We will say a wild animal ate him. Then we will see what happens to his dreams."

21And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

Reuben heard them. He tried to save Joseph. He said, "Let's not kill him."

22And 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.

Reuben said, "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 later. He planned to bring him back to their father.

23And 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;

Joseph came to his brothers. They pulled off his coat, the coat of many colors he was wearing.

24And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

They picked him up and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.

25And 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.

Then they sat down to eat. They looked up and saw a group of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels carried spices and sweet-smelling tree sap. They were taking it all down to Egypt.

26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

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

27Come, 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.

"Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites instead. Let's not hurt him ourselves. He is our brother. He is our own family." The other brothers agreed.

28Then 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.

Some Midianite traders came by. The brothers pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The traders took Joseph to Egypt.

29And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

Reuben came back to the pit. Joseph was not there. Reuben tore his clothes because he was so upset.

30And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?

He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone! What am I going to do now?"

21And 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.

They said to each other, "We are being paid back for what we did to our brother. We saw how upset he was when he begged us. We would not listen. That is why this trouble has come."

22And 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.

Reuben said, "Did I not tell you not to hurt the boy? You would not listen. Now we must answer for his death."

23And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

They did not know that Joseph understood their words. He had been talking to them through a man who changed one language into the other.

24And 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.

Joseph turned away from them and cried. Then he came back and spoke with them again. He took Simeon and tied him up while they watched.

35And 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.

Then they emptied their sacks. Every man found his own bag of money inside. When they and their father saw it, they were afraid.

36And 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.

Jacob said to them, "You keep taking my children from me. Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. Now you want Benjamin. Everything is going wrong for me."

37And 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.

Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my own two sons if I do not bring him back. Put him in my care. I will bring him home to you."

38And 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.

Jacob said, "My son will not go with you. His brother is dead, and he is the only one left. If something bad happens to him on the road, my sadness will send me, an old man, to my grave."

1And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

Jacob called his sons to come to him. He said, "Gather around me. I will tell you what will happen to you in the days ahead."

2Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

"Come close together and listen, sons of Jacob. Listen to your father Israel." Israel was Jacob's other name.

3Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

"Reuben, you are my oldest son. You were born first, when I was young and strong. You should have had the most honor and the most power."

4Unstable 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.

"But you are wild, like rushing water. So you will not be first anymore. You climbed into your father's bed. You went up onto my couch and shamed it."

1Now 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.

Reuben 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.

2For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s:)

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

3The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

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