3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my might, the first sign of my strength,

excelling in honor, excelling in power.

4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,

for you went up onto your father’s bed,

onto my couch and defiled it.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers—

their swords are weapons of violence.

6 Let me not enter their council,

let me not join their assembly,

for they have killed men in their anger

and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.

7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,

and their fury, so cruel!

I will scatter them in Jacob

and disperse them in Israel.

3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn,

My might, and the beginning of my strength,

The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

4 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.

5 Simeon and Levi are brethren;

Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

6 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.

7 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.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,

the child of my vigorous youth.

You are first in rank and first in power.

4 But you are as unruly as a flood,

and you will be first no longer.

For you went to bed with my wife;

you defiled my marriage couch.

5 “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind;

their weapons are instruments of violence.

6 May I never join in their meetings;

may I never be a party to their plans.

For in their anger they murdered men,

and they crippled oxen just for sport.

7 A curse on their anger, for it is fierce;

a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel.

I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob;

I will disperse them throughout Israel.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,

My might and the beginning of my strength,

The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.

4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel,

Because you went up to your father’s bed;

Then you defiled it—

He went up to my couch.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;

Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.

6 Let not my soul enter their council;

Let not my honor be united to their assembly;

For in their anger they slew a man,

And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;

And their wrath, for it is cruel!

I will divide them in Jacob

And scatter them in Israel.

3 “Reuben, my first son, you are my strength.

Your birth showed I could be a father.

You have the highest position among my sons,

and you are the most powerful.

4 But you are uncontrolled like water,

so you will no longer lead your brothers.

This is because you got into your father’s bed

and shamed me by having sexual relations with my slave girl.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers

who used their swords to do violence.

6 I will not join their secret talks,

and I will not meet with them to plan evil.

They killed men because they were angry,

and they crippled oxen just for fun.

7 May their anger be cursed, because it is too violent.

May their violence be cursed, because it is too cruel.

I will divide them up among the tribes of Jacob

and scatter them through all the tribes of Israel.

3 Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength;

The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power.

4 Boiling over as water, thou shalt not have the pre-eminence;

Because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed;

Then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

5 Simeon and Levi are brethren;

Weapons of violence are their swords.

6 O my soul, come not thou into their council;

Unto their assembly, my glory, be not thou united;

For in their anger they slew a man,

And in their self-will they hocked an ox.

7 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.

3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, My might, and the firstfruits of my vigour: Excellency of dignity, and excellency of strength. 4 Impetuous as the waters, thou shalt have no pre-eminence; Because thou wentest up to thy father’s couch: Then defiledst thou it: he went up to my bed.

5 Simeon and Levi are brethren: Instruments of violence their swords. 6 My soul, come not into their council; Mine honour, be not united with their assembly; For in their anger they slew men, And in their wantonness houghed oxen. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was violent; And their rage, for it was cruel! I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, 

my strength, the very first son I had, 

first in majesty and first in power. 

4 You will no longer be first 

because you were out of control like a flood 

and you climbed into your father’s bed. 

Then you dishonored it. 

He climbed up on my couch. 

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers. 

Their swordsare weapons of violence. 

6 Do not let me attend their secret meetings. 

Do not let me join their assembly. 

In their anger they murdered men. 

At their whim they crippled cattle. 

7 May their anger be cursed because it’s so fierce. 

May their fury be cursed because it’s so cruel. 

I will divide them among ⸤the sons of⸥ Jacob 

and scatter them among ⸤the tribes of⸥ Israel. 

3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my strength and the firstfruits of my virility,

excelling in prominence, excelling in power.

4 Turbulent as water, you will no longer excel,

because you got into your father’s bed

and you defiled it—he got into my bed.

5 Simeon and Levi are brothers;

their knives are vicious weapons.

6 May I never enter their council;

may I never join their assembly.

For in their anger they kill men,

and on a whim they hamstring oxen.

7 Their anger is cursed, for it is strong,

and their fury, for it is cruel!

I will disperse them throughout Jacob

and scatter them throughout Israel.

3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my might and the first fruits of my vigor,

excelling in rank and excelling in power.

4 Unstable as water, you shall no longer excel

because you went up onto your father’s bed;

then you defiled it—you went up onto my couch!

5 Simeon and Levi are brothers;

weapons of violence are their swords.

6 May I never come into their council;

may I not be joined to their company—

for in their anger they killed men,

and at their whim they hamstrung oxen.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,

and their wrath, for it is cruel!

I will divide them in Jacob,

and scatter them in Israel.

3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my strength, and the firstfruit of my vigor,

excelling in rank and excelling in power.

4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel any longer,

for you went up upon the bed of your father,

then defiled it. You went up upon my couch!

5 Simeon and Levi are brothers;

weapons of violence are their swords.

Let me not come into their council.

6 Let not my person be joined to their company.

For in their anger they killed men,

and at their pleasure they hamstrung cattle.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,

and their wrath, for it is cruel.

I will divide them in Jacob,

and I will scatter them in Israel.

3 “Reuben, you are my oldest son.

You were my first child. You were the first sign of my strength.

You were first in honor. You were first in power.

4 But you are as unsteady as water. So you won’t be first anymore.

You had sex with your father’s concubine in his bed.

You lay on his couch and made it ‘unclean.’

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.

Their swords have killed a lot of people.

6 I won’t share in their plans.

I won’t have anything to do with them.

They became angry and killed people.

They cut the legs of oxen just for the fun of it.

7 May the Lord put a curse on them

because of their terrible anger.

I will scatter them in Jacob’s land.

I will spread them around in Israel.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn;

My might and the beginning of my strength,

Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.

4 “Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence,

Because you went up to your father’s bed;

Then you defiled it—he went up to my couch.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers;

Their swords are implements of violence.

6 “Let my soul not enter into their council;

Let not my glory be united with their assembly;

Because in their anger they slew men,

And in their self-will they lamed oxen.

7 “Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;

And their wrath, for it is cruel.

I will disperse them in Jacob,

And scatter them in Israel.