¹ As to sons of Reuben, first-born of Israel -- for he `is' the first-born, and on account of his profaning the couch of his father hath his birthright been given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, and `he is' not to be reckoned by genealogy for the birthright,

²² and it cometh to pass in Israel's dwelling in that land, that Reuben goeth, and lieth with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heareth.

³² and Leah conceiveth, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Reuben, for she said, `Because Jehovah hath looked on mine affliction; because now doth my husband love me.'

¹⁵ And he blesseth Joseph, and saith, `God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked habitually: God who is feeding me from my being unto this day:

¹⁶ the Messenger who is redeeming me from all evil doth bless the youths, and my name is called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and they increase into a multitude in the midst of the land.'

¹⁷ And Joseph seeth that his father setteth his right hand on the head of Ephraim, and it is wrong in his eyes, and he supporteth the hand of his father to turn it aside from off the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasseh;

¹⁸ and Joseph saith unto his father, `Not so, my father, for this `is' the first-born; set thy right hand on his head.'

¹⁹ And his father refuseth, and saith, `I have known, my son, I have known; he also becometh a people, and he also is great, and yet, his young brother is greater than he, and his seed is the fulness of the nations;'

²⁰ and he blesseth them in that day, saying, `By thee doth Israel bless, saying, God set thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh;' and he setteth Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹ And Israel saith unto Joseph, `Lo, I am dying, and God hath been with you, and hath brought you back unto the land of your fathers;

²² and I -- I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I have taken out of the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow.'

³ Reuben! my first-born thou, My power, and beginning of my strength, The abundance of exaltation, And the abundance of strength;

⁴ Unstable as water, thou art not abundant; For thou hast gone up thy father's bed; Then thou hast polluted: My couch he went up!

¹ These `are' sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,

¹⁰ and to Hosah, of the sons of Merari, `are' sons: Shimri the head (though he was not first-born, yet his father setteth him for head),

¹⁵ who is the image of the invisible God, first-born of all creation,

¹ Whoredom is actually heard of among you, and such whoredom as is not even named among the nations -- as that one hath the wife of the father! --

⁶ And it cometh to pass, in their coming in, that he seeth Eliab, and saith, `Surely, before Jehovah `is' His anointed.'

⁷ And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Look not unto his appearance, and unto the height of his stature, for I have rejected him; for `it is' not as man seeth -- for man looketh at the eyes, and Jehovah looketh at the heart.'

⁸ And Jesse calleth unto Abinadab, and causeth him to pass by before Samuel; and he saith, `Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.'

⁹ And Jesse causeth Shammah to pass by, and he saith, `Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.'

¹⁰ And Jesse causeth seven of his sons to pass by before Samuel, and Samuel saith to Jesse, `Jehovah hath not fixed on these.'

¹¹ And Samuel saith unto Jesse, `Are the young men finished?' and he saith, `Yet hath been left the youngest; and lo, he delighteth himself among the flock;' and Samuel saith unto Jesse, `Send and take him, for we do not turn round till his coming in hither.'

⁶ And the sons of Judah come nigh unto Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenezzite saith unto him, `Thou hast known the word that Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses the man of God, concerning me and concerning thee in Kadesh-Barnea:

²⁰ `Cursed `is' he who is lying with his father's wife, for he hath uncovered his father's skirt, -- and all the people have said, Amen.

⁸ And these `are' the names of the sons of Israel who are coming into Egypt: Jacob and his sons, Jacob's first-born, Reuben.

¹⁴ These `are' heads of the house of their fathers: Sons of Reuben first-born of Israel `are' Hanoch, and Phallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these `are' families of Reuben.

⁸ `The nakedness of the wife of thy father thou dost not uncover; it `is' the nakedness of thy father.

¹¹ `And a man who lieth with his father's wife -- the nakedness of his father he hath uncovered -- both of them are certainly put to death; their blood `is' on them.

⁵ `And these `are' the names of the men who stand with you: `For Reuben -- Elizur son of Shedeur.

¹ And Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, taketh both Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben,

⁵ Reuben, first-born of Israel -- sons of Reuben: `of' Hanoch `is' the family of the Hanochite; of Pallu the family of the Palluite;

¹⁷ But the first-born, son of the hated one, he doth acknowledge, to give to him a double portion of all that is found with him, for he `is' the beginning of his strength; to him `is' the right of the first-born.

²³ And Jehovah saith to her, `Two nations `are' in thy womb, and two peoples from thy bowels are parted; and the `one' people than the `other' people is stronger; and the elder doth serve the younger.'