Then she said, “Here is Bilhah,(A) my servant.(B) Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”(C)

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And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

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22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine(A) Bilhah,(B) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

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22 And 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:

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Turbulent as the waters,(A) you will no longer excel,
    for you went up onto your father’s bed,
    onto my couch and defiled it.(B)

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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.

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30 A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not dishonor his father’s bed.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 22:30 In Hebrew texts this verse (22:30) is numbered 23:1.

30 A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt.

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Reuben

The sons of Reuben(A) the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed,(B) his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph(C) son of Israel;(D) so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright,(E)

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Now 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.

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