Simeon

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.

33She had another son. She said, "The LORD heard that I was not loved. So he gave me this son too." She named him Simeon.

And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

NoteIn their language, Simeon sounds like the word for "heard."

34She had another son. She said, "Now my husband will hold close to me. I have given him three sons." So he was named Levi.

And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

NoteIn their language, Levi sounds like the word for "joined" or "held close."

35She had another son. She said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

NoteIn their language, Judah sounds like the word for "praise."

24All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

25On the third day the men were sore. Two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, were Dinah's brothers. Each one took his sword. They walked into the city boldly and killed every male.

And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

NoteAfter being circumcised, men were sore and slow for several days. On the third day the hurt was worst, so they could not fight back.

26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword. They took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went out.

And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.

27Jacob's sons came upon the dead men and took everything from the city. They did this because their sister had been shamed.

The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

NoteAfter a fight, winners often took everything the town owned. That was a common thing in those days.

28They took the sheep, the cows, and the donkeys. They took what was in the city and what was in the fields.

They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,

29They took all the riches. They took all the little children and the wives as captives. They took everything that was in the houses.

And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

NoteCaptives are people who are taken away by force. They had to go live and work with the people who took them.

30Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me. Now the people of this land hate me. They are the Canaanites and the Perizzites. We are only a few. They may join together against me and kill me. Then I and my whole family will be destroyed."

And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

NoteThe King James says Jacob was made to "stink" among the people. It means everyone around him now hated him. The Canaanites and the Perizzites were other groups living in that land.

31They said, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?"

And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

NoteA prostitute was a woman men paid to use for a night. The brothers meant Shechem had treated their sister as worth nothing.

18On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God.

And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

NoteTo "fear God" meant to honor God and obey him. It did not mean to be scared of him.

19If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay locked up here. The rest of you go. Carry grain home to your hungry families.

If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:

20But bring your youngest brother to me. Then your words will be shown to be true, and you will not die." And they did so.

But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

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.

25Then Joseph gave orders. Their sacks were filled with grain. Each man's money was put back in his sack. They were given food for the road. This is what was done for them.

Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

NotePeople did not use coins yet. They weighed out pieces of silver to pay for things.

26They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left that place.

And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

NoteDonkeys were the animals people used to carry heavy loads on long trips.

29They came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him everything that had happened to them. They said:

And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

30"The man who is lord of that land spoke harshly to us. He took us for spies come to look at his country.

The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31We said to him, 'We are honest men. We are not spies.

And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

32We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is gone. The youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan today.'

We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33The man, the lord of the country, said to us, 'This is how I will know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me. Take food home for your hungry families and go.

And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:

34And bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know you are not spies but honest men. I will give your brother back to you. And you may buy and sell in this land.'"

And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

NoteThe King James says "traffick." That old word means to buy and sell, not traffic on a road.

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.

15The men took the gift and twice as much money, and they took Benjamin. They got up and went down to Egypt. There they stood in front of Joseph.

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16Joseph saw Benjamin with them. He said to the servant in charge of his house, "Bring these men to my house. Kill an animal and get a meal ready. These men will eat with me at noon."

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

NoteMeat was special food back then. People killed an animal for guests or for a feast day.

17The man did what Joseph told him. He brought the men into Joseph's house.

And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.

18The men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house. They said, "We were brought in because of the money that was put back in our sacks the first time. He wants to find something against us. He will attack us, and make us slaves, and take our donkeys."

And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

NoteA slave was a person owned by someone else. A slave had to work and could not go home. Donkeys carried heavy loads on long trips. Losing them would leave the brothers with nothing.

19So they came up to the steward, the servant who ran Joseph's house. They talked with him at the door of the house.

And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

20They said, "Please, sir, we truly did come down the first time to buy food.

And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

21When we came to the place where we stayed the night, we opened our sacks. There was each man's money in the top of his sack! It was all there, the full amount. We have brought it back with us.

And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

NoteThey had no bags of coins. Silver was weighed, so they could tell none was missing.

22We have brought more money with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks."

And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

23He said, "Peace to you. Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you treasure in your sacks. I got your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

Note"Peace to you" was a normal greeting, like saying hello. It also meant everything is all right. Simeon was their brother. He had been kept in Egypt until they came back.

24The man brought the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys food.

And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

NotePeople wore open sandals on dusty roads. Washing a guest's feet was a kind welcome.

25They got the gift ready for when Joseph would come at noon. They had heard they were going to eat there.

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

5"Simeon and Levi are brothers. Cruel weapons are in the places where they live."

Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

NoteSimeon and Levi once killed the men of a town called Shechem. They did it to pay back a wrong done to their sister.

6"My soul, do not go into their secret plans. My honor, do not join their meeting. In their anger they killed a man. Because they wanted to, they hamstrung an ox."

O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

NoteTo hamstring an ox is to cut its back leg. After that the ox can never walk or work again.

7"A curse is on their anger, for it was wild. A curse is on their rage, for it was cruel. I will split them up among Jacob's family. I will scatter them in Israel."

Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

NoteA curse is the opposite of a blessing. Jacob meant their families would be spread apart. They would not all live in one place.