Reuben

Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because the LORD has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me.”

Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”

Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.

Reuben returned to the pit; and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes.

Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.”

Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”

These are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.

“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.

These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: Of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur.

The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

“On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.

“All who were numbered of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their armies. They shall set out second.

On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben

The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur the son of Shedeur was over his army.

These were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men.

Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;